NANOTECHThe STEM Education Institute and the Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing at UMass offered nanotechnology summer institutes for STEM teachers in 2007 and 2008; similar programs are planned for the next several years pending continued NSF funding. Feedback from the first two summer institutes has been very positive.Nanotechnology deals with materials on the scale of nanometers. A nanometer is one-millionth of a millimeter, or about 10 atomic diameters.  Such materials can have surprising and useful behaviors and properties.  Applications include regenerative medicine, fabrics and construction materials of unprecedented strength, ultra-high performance computers and data storage, more efficient solar photovoltaic cells, and much more. Activity in this rapidly growing field cuts across the traditional disciplinary boundaries, and involves chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering.The UMass Nanotechnology Summer Institutes explore the basic science and engineering concepts, and illustrate how they may be integrated into the usual math, science and technology courses in middle schools and high schools. The content and pedagogy are aligned with the Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Framework.During the institutes, participants begin to develop curriculum units for their own classes. They complete and implement these in the fall and report on their progress and results online.  Three graduate credits are available for the institute and curriculum unit; the cost is $300 plus a $45 registration fee. PDP's are available at no cost.  Participants receive stipends, materials, some meals, and free parking. Those from outside the commuting radius also receive housing. See www.umassk12.net/nano for more information.

Contact:

Mort Sternheim, University of Massachusetts, www.umassk12.net/nano

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