Use nanotechnology as a tool to excite students’ interest in science and technologyUtilize “Teach the Teacher” programs to reach large numbers of students. Through workshops and courses give teachers the knowledge and tools to introduce nanotechnology content seamlessly into their present courses. Encourage teacher creativity through experiment modules that illustrate nanotechnology concepts while being consistent with current subject-driven activity and educational standards. A guiding principal is reduction of barriers between students and faculty, faculty and industry

Top Contributions:

1. Presented 33 one-day nanotechnology workshops

2. Reached more than 300 teachers in 30+ school districts

3. Classroom lessons given to more than 750 middle and high school students

“Transforming the Tri-State Philadelphia Region:

A PFI In Science & Technology Education”

NSF# 0650271 Years of Award: 3 Dates: 03/15/08 – 02/28/11

Top Challenges:

1. Teacher’s willingness/ability to incorporate lessons in their classes

2. Teacher’s willingness/ability to schedule company visits

3. Reluctance to change curricula

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Program Activities:

BioNanomatrix Innova Materials iCeutica Carbon Nanoprobes NanoSelect Minus-Nine Endo Pharmaceuticals Y-Carbon LifeSensors NanoBlox

Key Attributes of our Innovation Ecosystem:

Questioning & Curiosity:

• Nanotechnology content stimulates students’ inquiry, a major component of today’s instruction. The mass of material available for student follow-up, particularly on the Web, is substantial.

• Relates real world applications to Nanotechnology roots (things like computer hard drives and LED lighting)

Risk Taking:Since there is a paucity of nanotechnology material currently available in textbooks, teachers who opt to offer nanotechnology content are working outside the “box.”

Openness:Teachers have developed and shared lesson content.

Teachers have shared best classroom instruction practices.

Collaboration Across Fields:We have found that teachers in the following fields have taken nanotechnology workshops and courses and have interacted:

Mathematics

Chemistry

Biology

Physics

General Science

Technology

Placing Partners in “New Environments” & “Playgrounds”:Company partners visit schools and make presentations that include technical, business, and career content

Teachers visit company laboratories

Teachers and students get opportunity to view instrumentation not ordinarily available.  Things like a particle size analyzer or powerful microscopy is not ordinarily found in high schools.

Leading/Inspiring for Surprising or Unexpected Results Program receptivity across a wide range of school districts

Ease of implementation varying from school to school

National Science Foundation Partnerships For InnovationGrantee’s Meeting April 25-27, 2010 Arlington, VA. .PFI

Workshops and coursesA Look into the Nano WorldIntroduction to Nanotechnology

Modular approach since changes in curricula are often difficult to implement Workshop and course include take-with laboratory experiment material for each teacher. “Tele-experimentation” capability; computer access for students in their classroom to sophisticated instrumentation, such as focused ion beam microscopes, through which they can image atoms, optical absorption spectroscopy, and laser scattering-based nanometer particle-size analyzers. Videoconferencing capability so that students in the classroom can interact on a real-time basis with university and corporate partners.Lesson plans for each of the nanotechnology lesson modules to encourage teacher participation. Use of the plans will enable the teachers to quickly integrate the material in their classrooms

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Brief Project Overview:

Teachers at a workshop performing an experiment demonstrating new optical properties of nano-size Au

PI: James K. Murray, Jr. Department of Chemistry, Immaculata UniversityCoPI: David E. Luzzi College of Engineering, Northeastern University

CoPI: Sr. Ann M. Heath, Immaculata UniversityCoPI: Melody R. Wilt, Chester County Intermediate Unit

Senior Investigator: Barry F. Stein, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of SE PA

Partners: