Research Education for Teachers
Research Experience for Teachers Program (RET)
High school math and science teachers: interested in getting paid to learn about engineering, design, and research? Apply for this professional research experience at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories.
The RET program exposes highly motivated teachers to both the context of HERL and to technologies that have direct applicability in the classroom. Through research and curriculum development, we hope to significantly increase both the relevance of in-class guidance to quality of life and to present truly useful technology alternatives to the teacher's exiting toolbox of teaching supplies. Through our activities, the RET program will:
- Engage educators in cross-disciplinary research with students, researchers, and clinicians in the fields of engineering, rehabilitation sciences, and social sciences, emphasizing the significant role of end users in engineering research
- Prepare educators to introduce and integrate emerging technology in the classroom
- Sensitize educators to common concerns, barriers, and stereotypes experienced by older individuals and people with disabilities
- Create a pipeline of opportunities and personal contacts for students interested in pursuing engineering studies
Through this program, teachers will gain technical knowledge on intelligent devices systems and technology-embedded environments that will improve the lives of individuals with special needs, and gain enhanced appreciation and sensitivity for disability and aging. Teachers will be involved in research projects that use recent advances in intelligent systems including machine perception, robotics, learning, communication, and miniaturization. Participating teachers will be able to:
- Recognize and apply appropriate research methods to their research experience
- Describe common concerns, barriers, and stereotypes experienced by older individuals and people with disabilities
- Gain an understanding of how human functions (physiological, physical, and cognitive) relate to the design of intelligent devices and systems that aid and interact with people
- Develop new curriculum that incorporates accessibility problems, and engineering solutions related to housing, commercial and public facilities, outdoor environments and/or products
The application for the 2017-2018 Research Experience for Teachers (RET) is now open! Apply here or at https://pitt.wufoo.com/forms/qolt-research-experience-for-teachers-application/
Education > Continuing Education > RET
