RET Network

Research Experiences for Teachers

The goal of the RET program is to broaden the impact of our REU-site to K-12 schools and attract talented high school students to careers in science and engineering. Selected teachers will use their current scientific understandings, abilities and interests to make gains in intellectual professional growth, not merely technical training. Teachers will simultaneously act as sources of their own development, supporters of the development of REU students, and communicators of research experiences to their high school classes and institutions.

Selected teachers spend the last 5 weeks (of the 10-week period) in residence at UAB interacting with REU students and faculty mentors. In addition, if the teacher's end-of-school-year schedule permits, they will attend and participate in the program orientation activities in May. Based on interests and experience, each teacher will be assigned to work with a group of REU students. At the outset they will catalog the basic concepts involved in the projects with which they are associated. They will concentrate especially on one primary project in which they will be contributing. During the next 5 weeks the teachers will not be on site, but will interact regularly with REU students and mentors through electronic mail to stay updated on the status of the projects assigned to them. Technology will be used to provide low-cost web-based live images of lab activities. These, in combination with phone calls and email, will allow teachers to stay current with their projects.