As part of its educational outreach through the Education & Technology Program (ETP), ARRL will offer three sessions of the Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology in July. These week-long workshops will be held at ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, and hosted by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) in Dayton, Ohio. The Teachers Institute (TI) is an expenses-paid professional development seminar that provides teachers at all grade levels with tools and strategies to introduce wireless technology elements into their classrooms, from basic electronics and robotics to space technology. The application deadline is May 1.

The Teachers Institute curriculum is designed for motivated teachers and other school staff who want to learn more about wireless technology and take that knowledge back to their classrooms. The goal of the TI program is to equip educators with necessary fundamental knowledge and — through hands-on learning — generate the inspiration for teachers to continue exploring wireless technology, and adapt what they learn to their classroom curricula.

Basic (TI-1) and advanced (TI-2) classes are offered. Applicants to the advanced TI-2 workshop are required to have completed TI-1 and be licensed Amateur Radio operators. Interested educators can apply online. The $100 enrollment fee is refunded for applicants who are not selected. Qualified applicants must be active teachers at an elementary, middle, or high school, or community college/university, or in a leadership/enrichment instruction role in an after-school program.

Summer 2019 Teachers Institute Schedule

Topics covered in the TI-1 “Introduction to Wireless Technology” workshop include basic electronics, radio science, microcontroller programming, and basic robotics. Among other activities, participants will learn how to solder and practice by building a small project. They’ll also learn basic circuit concepts and learn how to use basic test equipment. In addition, TI-1 attendees will learn about Amateur Radio, take part in a hidden transmitter hunt, see demonstrations of Amateur Radio satellite communication, and build and program their own simple robots.

The TI-2 “Remote Sensing and Data Gathering” workshop will concentrate on analog-to-digital conversion and data sampling. Participants will receive telemetry from Amateur Radio satellites and apply it to math and science topics. TI-2 participants are also introduced to a marine research buoy equipped with environmental sensors and taught how to create a similar design with a microcontroller to sample the data, configure it for Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) transmission, and receive and upload data to a spreadsheet for analysis.

The grant to attend a TI covers transportation, hotel, and a modest per diem allowance to cover meals, instructional resources, and a resource library of relevant ARRL publications.

Graduate credit is available through Fresno Pacific University, which may be applied to satisfy professional growth requirements to maintain teaching credentials. The class is self-contained, and participants are expected to be able to complete all requirements during the class time. Graduate credit forms and a Certificate of Completion may be requested at the end of the Teachers Institute.

For more information, contact ARRL Lifelong Learning Manager Kris Bickell, K1BIC, at ARRL Headquarters.