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 2012, 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 2012: Bringing Black Holes into Focus
Mentors Shep Doeleman, Colin Lonsdale, Vincent Fish, and Rusen Lu
Black hole studies are a very active area of research in astronomy. Recent observational advances allow astronomers to conduct detailed investigations into the emission around black holes. It is probable that astronomers will be able to produce images of nearby supermassive black holes with a spatial resolution comparable to the size of the event horizon within the next 5 to 10 years. These observations, combined with multiwavelength monitoring of the black hole in the center of the Milky Way, will allow astronomers to test general relativity and better understand mass accretion and outflow physics in a relativistic environment.
These topics provide an ideal way to introduce students to recent black hole research results while motivating topics in modern physics. Relativity is critical to a wide range of topics, from the Global Positioning System to cosmology. Additionally, there are significant misconceptions among the general public regarding black holes and gravity. The time is therefore right for educators to provide students with a framework in which to understand the relativistic world we live in.
PROGRAM DETAILS
We plan to host two high school science teachers for seven to eight weeks during the Summer of 2012 who will work at the research facilities of the MIT Haystack Observatory. Following an introduction to Haystack Observatory's programs in radio astronomy, geodesy, and atmospheric science, the teachers will work together learning about atmospheric science. 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 specific details for this year's project have been provided above by the staff mentors.
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 at least $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 to allow observations, analysis of data, access to the Web, and development of the lesson plans. 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.
A meeting will be held at Haystack Observatory on Friday, February 17, 2012, 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 16, 2012 . 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 by the end of March.
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.
Sheperd Doeleman, Ph.D., 1995, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Assistant Director and Principal Research Scientist in radio astronomy, specializing in the science and technology of wide-bandwidth millimeter-wavelength very long baseline interferometry of supermassive black holes.
Colin Lonsdale , Ph.D., 1981, Victoria University of Manchester, UK. Director, MIT Haystack Observatory and Principal Research Scientist, specializing in galaxy mergers, active galactic nuclei and radio astronomy techniques.
Vincent Fish, Ph.D., 2004, Harvard University. Research Scientist, specializing in radio astronomy, with emphasis on science and techniques using interferometry. Coordinator in the RET and REU program
Rusen Lu, Ph.D., 2010, Cologne University, Germany. Postdoc Associate, specializing in jet studies of active galactic nuclei with the technique of very long baseline interferometry.
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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