Teacher tech training offered

Staff Reports

The American Radio Relay League teacher enrichment training is held during the summer in four-day sessions in different locations around the United States.

Education and Technology Program Teachers Institutes are offered to teachers or anyone who works with students to learn the basics of wireless technology literacy. There were 93 teachers from 29 states participating in this year's program that concluded in July.

According to Mark Spencer, education and technology program coordinator, "While we have all become quite dependent on wireless technology - cell phones, WiFi, TV remotes, keyless entry, etc. - the knowledge on how it works is sorrily lacking. These virtually cost-free (to teachers) seminars are an attempt to bridge that deficit."

The Teachers Institutes in-service training includes basic electronics, the science of radio, bringing space technology into the classroom, microcontroller programming, and basic robotics.

This year a few Teachers Institute graduates assembled equipment and software to set up a satellite Earth ground station. They learned how to operate the ground stations to communicate with other hams via ham radio satellites, and how to intercept, copy, decode, interpret and use satellite telemetry in the classroom. 

The Teachers Institute program is one of the grant offerings within the Education and Technology Program available to school teachers to advance the integration of wireless technology literacy and ham radio into school curricula.

Participants may be eligible for three graduate class credits. The program is free to teachers because of the donations by ham radio enthusiasts.

For information about seminars during summer 2010, contact Mark Spencer at mspencer@arrl.org or (530) 495-9150. Information at the American Radio Relay League, www.arrl.org/FandES/tbp/