TEACHING NANO

Walt Trybula, Ph.D.IEEE Fellow & SPIE Fellow

Trybula Foundation, Inc.

&

Ingram School of Engineering

Texas State University-San Marcos

"Journey into Nanotech“

Educator InstitutesApplied Nanotech, Inc., Austin, TX

June 30, 2011

WHY IS SPECIALIZED EDUCATION REQUIRED?

Image from Deb Newberry, Nano-Summit, October 2010 Presentation

REMEMBER THE MATURITY OF STUDENTS

Which microscope do you let First Graders use?

OR

How do you explain a billion times to someone who can not add?Remember: What are we trying to achieve?

THERE ARE THREE ROADS

Address Teachers

Address Students

Address Both

ADDRESS TEACHERS

Workshops

Training Sessions

Material Focus

ADDRESS STUDENTS

Bootcamps

Specialized Exhibits

Intense Training

ADDRESS BOTH

Train the Trainers

Adapt Material Through Student Training Sessions

Interactive Focus with Feedback from Both

THERE ARE THREE CHOICES

Work within the system

Work Independently of the System

Develop Adaptability

WORK WITHIN THE SYSTEM

Develop Curriculum

Obtain Approval – Local Level

Obtain Higher Ed Approval

Insert into Existing Classes

Upgrade and Enhance

WORK INDEPENDENTLY OF THE SYSTEM

Effort to Convince Educators to Evaluate

They Must Convince System to Allow Insertion

To Equip or Not to Equip

If Equip, Funding is an Issue – Maintenance is Non-trivialTo be Always Current Requires

Funding and Upgrade Mechanism

DEVELOP ADAPTABILITY

Adopt Successes of Others

Incorporate Equipment Suppliers

Small Cadre to Develop and Test Initial Concepts

Evolve into Train the Trainers

Apply Actual Experience at Student Activities

THREE RECOMMENDATIONS

Learn from others

Adapt from existing frameworks

Create novel approaches

LEARN FROM OTHERS

Dakota County Technical College Program

Education Texts

SEMI Foundation Effort

SkillPoint

NanoInk’s Nano Professor

ADAPT FROM EXISTING FRAMEWORK

IEEE Real World Engineering Projects

American Society for Engineering Education

DON’T forget Safety!

CREATE NOVEL APPROACHES

Second Life

LinkedIn Groups

Interactions with Industry

Reach Out to Community & Business Leaders

HOW TO PROCEED

Decide on Focus Group [K-4, 5-8, 9-12]

Develop/Adapt Needed Resources

Implement Pilot Group

Modify/Enhance Based on Reception and Impact

Develop Plan to Distribute