Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Brooklyn College of The City University of New York. Application Information

Transcription

1 Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Brooklyn College of The City University of New York Application Information Brooklyn College seeks science educators to participate in a 6-month, scientific research training program in psychology and neuroscience. Through funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), two teachers are selected annually to engage in a unique educational opportunity that involves: (1) graduatelevel course work in research methods; (2) professional development through attendance at Psychology and/or Biology research colloquium series; (3) research dissemination; and (4) carrying out an independent research project under the supervision and guidance of a Brooklyn College faculty mentor. The goal of the Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program is to offer neuroscience research experience and professional development opportunities to science educators at urban high schools in Brooklyn, NY. Through the RET program (a component of the Brooklyn College Neuroscience Research Experience for Undergraduates Program), high school teachers will learn about research methodology, will be exposed to cutting-edge neuroscience research, and will gain hands-on research experience under the supervision of Brooklyn College faculty members in the Departments of Psychology and Biology. These experiences will provide teachers with valuable information that can be translated into effective lesson plans for their high school students, facilitating students neuroscience research knowledge and readiness for more advanced work at the college level. Teachers will participate in the RET program as members of their identified mentors labs, which will require giving presentations, aiding in on-going research experiments, and other laboratory activities. Teachers will gain hands-on training and research experience that they can utilize in their high school classrooms. With the guidance of their faculty mentor, teachers will develop a lesson plan based on what they learned through the lab and coursework experiences. The lesson plan will focus on a topic in neuroscience and involve a hands-on learning experience or experiment to be conducted in the teachers classroom. In the Fall after program completion, a member of the RET staff will observe the teachers execution of the lesson plan. Feedback will be provided about the plan s effectiveness and perceived benefit to students. To successfully complete the RET program, teachers will devote 10 hours/week during the Spring 2017 semester (i.e., February through July) to complete a course and attend research talks on-site at Brooklyn College (or at pre-approved neighboring institutions). Additionally, in the Summer 2017, teachers will devote approximately 80 hours over the course of the summer to a supervised research experience. Teachers will be awarded a stipend of $3,100 for their participation and to cover expenses such as travel, research materials, and books. Tuition for the graduate-level course will also be provided. The dates for our 2017 Neuroscience RET program are Spring and Summer 2017 The application deadline is December 1, We encourage early submissions and will evaluate applications as they are received. Page 1 of 8

2 To be eligible, teachers must fulfill all of the following requirements: be a U.S. citizen or non-citizen permanent resident be a full-time teacher at a NYC high school hold a four-year degree in education or a related field In addition to submitting the application provided below, teachers must submit the following by U.S. mail: Official transcripts from all college-level institutions enrolled in to date Resume/Curriculum Vitae Two professional letters of reference. Please ask your recommenders to use our Evaluator s Form, downloadable from our website: o hology/research/reu/ret.php Please send all materials to: Jennifer Drake, RET Coordinator Assistant Professor Brooklyn College, Department of Psychology 2900 Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, NY If you have questions, please jdrake@brooklyn.cuny.edu Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by January 15, Please note: Those admitted to the program will be required to gain medical clearance as required by Brooklyn College. Information can be found at: For more information and to learn about Brooklyn College RET faculty mentors, please visit our website: reu/faculty.php And our blog: Page 2 of 8

3 Neuroscience Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Brooklyn College of The City University of New York Funded by the National Science Foundation Application Form Contact information Applicant Name: Home Address: (Type or print legibly) Telephone number: Primary address: Employment Applicant s High School: How long have you been in your current position? How long have you been teaching? What subject(s) do you currently teach? What subject(s) have you taught in the past? Education When did you earn your Bachelor s degree? What was your college major? _ What year did you graduate? _ What was your college Cumulative GPA? Page 3 of 8

4 What was your major GPA? Have you earned a Master s degree? Yes No If Yes, please list name of the institution and year of graduation. Coursework Please indicate (with a check) which of the below courses you have taken: Taken Not Taken Introductory to Psychology Research Methods Statistics Neuropsychology or Human Neuropsychology Experience Please indicate (with a check) whether you have had experience with any of the items listed below: Experience No Experience Research Experience Senior or Master s Thesis SPSS SAS Microsoft Excel Please describe any other relevant software experience Do you have experience mentoring students in a research project? Yes No If yes, please describe: Page 4 of 8

5 Identified Mentor Please list the names of faculty members with whom you would like to carry out your research. Faculty members are listed on our website: reu.php First Choice Mentor: Second Choice Mentor: Third Choice Mentor: Demographics What is your date of birth? What is your gender? With which racial/ethnic group do you most identify? American Indian or Eskimo Asian Hispanic Black (not Hispanic) White (not Hispanic) Other (please describe) Are you a U.S. veteran? Yes No Are you a U.S. citizen or permanent resident? Yes No Are you able to complete a research course (this can be completed online)? Yes No Are you able to spend 80 hours at Brooklyn College over the summer? Yes No Page 5 of 8

6 Application Essays In the spaces provided below, please respond to the following questions (type your responses): 1. What about the field of psychology/neuroscience interests you? You may describe specific research findings or advances in the field that have spurred your interest. (300 words max.) Page 6 of 8

7 2. Describe how the RET experience will make you a more effective educator. You may describe how you will incorporate these experiences into your classroom. (300 words max.) Page 7 of 8

8 3. Describe your qualifications for participation in the Brooklyn College RET Program including any academic courses, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, and/or research experience. (200 words max.) The application deadline is December 1, Please submit your materials to: Jennifer Drake, Ph.D. Assistant Professor and RET Coordinator Brooklyn College Department of Psychology 2900 Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, NY Page 8 of 8