Research Experiences for Teachers
RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR TEACHERS PROGRAM
MIT HAYSTACK OBSERVATORY
Westford, MA
MIT Haystack Observatory in Westford, MA, will host two local area high school science teachers during the Summer of 2013, under the sponsorship of the National Science Foundation. These teachers will work with staff scientists on a project using observational instruments and will receive hands-on experience in the field of radio astronomy and atmospheric science. Participants will also have the opportunity to attend weekly seminars focusing on various areas of research conducted at Haystack. The goal of the program is for the teachers to develop a unit of inquiry-based lesson plans for a particular high school level, based on their summer research internship.
Project for 2013: Information Content in Radio Waves
Mentors Phil Erickson and Vincent Fish
Modern society communicates largely using radio waves. The devices we use every day---from your car radio to your television, cell phone, and wireless internet---make use of modulation techniques to encode and decode information in the radio waves that carry this information from one place to another. These information techniques have scientific application as well. Some researchers use radar with specific modulations optimized to learn about the targets they illuminate, from coherent sources such as aircraft and satellites to incoherent sources such as electrons in the ionosphere. Radio waves of cosmic origin are modulated by their emission processes and the medium that they pass through, allowing radio astronomers to gather information about very distant objects.
Although properties of waves in general and electromagnetic waves in particular are covered in high school science courses, it may not be readily apparent to students how to make the link between the theory of these concepts and their practical use in communications and remote sensing applications. The goal of this RET project is to produce materials that will motivate and enrich parts of the electromagnetic wave curriculum, while providing students with additional insight into a topic that is highly relevant to many of today’s STEM job opportunities.
PROGRAM DETAILS
We plan to host two high school science teachers for seven to eight weeks during the Summer of 2013 who will work at the research facilities of the MIT Haystack Observatory. Studying with MIT scientists at Haystack Observatory, the teachers will acquire sufficient background information to develop lesson plans at the requisite grade level for students in the classroom. The teachers will interact with staff and students, and learn about special research projects as they attend the summer seminar series and activities planned for students and teachers. As they begin their project, scientists will guide them in their studies of the subject.
The goal of the program is for the teachers to develop introductory lesson plans for a particular K-12 level based on their summer research internships. These plans can then be followed by other teachers interested in using these units or by students pursuing independent study. The lesson plans will be placed on the Haystack Web site and will be linked to a rich base of other research and educational materials located there. Links will also be provided to other sites associated with Haystack's research disciplines and to educational materials relevant to the effort. This will simplify access to the materials by all teachers and students in the future. Haystack will encourage all interested teachers to take advantage of these materials and to apply them to their class activities prior to visits or interactions with our group.
During the summer, stipends of $1,000.00 per week will be paid to the participating teachers. Scheduling of time is somewhat flexible, but requires a joint starting date. While the project is in progress teachers will have the use of working space equipped with a personal computer connected to our network. Opportunities are also available for the participants to report on their projects at selected professional meetings. Participation in this program requires a commitment from each teacher to integrate some part of this experience into his or her classroom activities. Participants are usually invited to return to Haystack for two to four weeks the following summer to refine their materials.
A meeting will be held at Haystack Observatory on Friday, March 1, 2013, at 4:00 PM to provide more information and answer any questions related to this program. Attendance is encouraged but not required for participation in this program. Directions to the Observatory can be found on the Haystack Web site. In the event of severe weather, please check this page to learn whether the meeting has been postponed. Questions about the program can be e-mailed to epo@haystack.mit.edu or addressed to Vincent Fish or Phil Erickson at 781-981-5400.
Application deadline is March 22, 2013 . All applications must include the following items:
Letter of interest with professional background information about the teacher
Résumé
Letter of reference from the head of the science department or the school principal that includes an expression of support for the inclusion of RET related experiences in the classroom
The application should be addressed to:
RET Program
MIT Haystack Observatory
Off Rte. 40
Westford, MA 01886
Application may also be submitted via email at: epo@haystack.mit.edu
The decision on teacher selection is expected to be made in early April.
OUTCOME
The results will be a series of inquiry-based lesson plans to be used as an introduction to the research discipline described above not only by the participating teacher but also by other teachers. These lesson plans will also be made available through the Web to all teachers as part of our expanding education program. Teachers are also encouraged to present the results of their experiences at professional forums such as the AAS, AAPT, NSTA or AGU meetings.
ABBREVIATED VITAE
The primary staff mentors and coordinators of the RET program at Haystack Observatory include the following key personnel. Summaries of their vitae with emphasis on their educational experience and interests are outlined briefly.
Vincent Fish, Ph.D., 2004, Harvard University. Research Scientist, specializing in radio astronomy, with emphasis on science and techniques using interferometry. Co-coordinator of Haystack RET and REU programs.
Philip Erickson, Ph.D., 1998, Cornell University. Principal Research Scientist, specializing in incoherent scatter measurement techniques, magnetospheric and ionospheric physics, and coherent plasma waves. Lead principal investigator on the Millstone Hill UHF ionospheric radar system. Co-coordinator of Haystack REU and RET programs.
781.981.5400 
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