Lessons Learned From A Product Realization Ret Site: Maximizing Success For Teacher Research And High School Student Impact

Recent trends suggest a degradation of our nation's technological competitiveness and the significant decline in the number of K-12 students interested in STEM subjects-science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Educators of our next generation of technical leaders, particularly those at the pre-college level, are the critical links for overcoming these challenges. However, classroom teachers of science tend to have instructional strategies that are not authentic to the work of engineers and scientists and have. Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) are programs focused on facilitating a solution to this problem. The intended goal is to bring knowledge of engineering and technological innovation to the pre-college classrooms by engaging teachers in research experiences that can be “taken back” to the classroom. That is easier said then done. Most RET programs tend to be effective at one objective or the other, that is to say either providing a framework that engages teachers in authentic research experiences or providing classroom experiences that promote engineering awareness. Our RET site is unique in that we have designed our program such that we are able to realize both objectives utilizing engineering design via the process of product realization as the basis of the research teacher conduct. By bringing together two highly recognized departments in fields of product realization and learning sciences we have create opportunities that provide rigorous engineering design research and curriculum development experience for teachers. The outcome has been that teachers take back to the classroom real world innovative design experiences and a curriculum that promotes awareness, interest and increased student achievement.