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 Previous: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending August 8, 2004 |  Next: ARRL 90th Anniversary Offer Accompanies Debut of 2005 ARRL Handbook |
 ARRL Education and Technology Program Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME (right), makes a point as Teachers Institute participants Ronny Risinger, KC5EES (left), of Texas, and Jim Foutz, AA4JF, of Georgia, listen. |
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 10, 2004--Nine educators from across the US are attending the first ARRL Education and Technology Program (ETP) Teachers Institute. The week-long seminar is aimed at acquainting teachers with effective approaches to teaching wireless technology and electronics. Most of those on hand for the Teachers Institute this week at ARRL Headquarters are associated with schools participating in the ETP ("The Big Project"). The ETP provides amateur equipment to participating schools and promotes Amateur Radio as a pathway to understanding radio and electronics as well as other subjects such as language arts and geography. Project Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME, told seminar participants that he's a firm believer in the value of hands-on learning.
"Most people enjoy and learn best by doing," Spencer asserted
on the seminar's opening day, but he said educators need to consider all
learning styles and come up with a combination that works for their students. One
successful ETP initiative has been to make available to participating schools a
selection of "activity boards." These have ranged from such projects as a basic
code practice oscillator to more sophisticated robotics devices--something
Teachers Institute participants will get to play with on the seminar's final
day.
 During a break, Teachers Institute participant Frank Giannini, KA1NIO, of Connecticut, peruses the 2004 edition of The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications. |
During the week, participants will--among other activities--learn
ways to make wireless technology relevant, define what to teach, hear advice on
how to establish partnerships between schools and local clubs, and cover the
essentials of the ETP curriculum--including hands-on instruction in wireless
technology and electronics. Attendees got an extensive tour of ARRL
Headquarters on their first day and will have opportunities during the week to
operate Maxim Memorial Station W1AW.
 Participant Jill Mohr, KC7ZZY, of Oregon, checks out one of the project activity boards the class will be learning about this week. Mohr's husband, Joe, KC7ZZX, also is attending the institute. |
During the opening session, Spencer explained to the group that Amateur Radio can be the key to making sense of wireless technology and electronics in the classroom. "The easy part is, 'ham radio is relevant,'" he said. "The hard part is, 'how do we let people know that?'"
Spencer said it sometimes only seems easier to
explain the scope and sequence of an activity than it is to actually develop an
explanation that works for students. "Try telling someone step-by-step how to
tie their shoes," he said. Adjusting for different learning levels also is
something to keep in mind. "Water it down, pump it up," Spencer advised. "One
size doesn't fit all."
 ARRL Affiliated Club/Mentor Program Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ, shares a laugh with Teachers Institute participants. Fusaro emphasized the importance of club-school partnerships in the success of a "Big Project" school's program. |
Involvement with a community ham radio club is another
critical component of making the Education and Technology Program work in a
given school. ARRL Affiliated Club/Mentor Program Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ,
told the seminar participants that some clubs specialize in mentoring interested
young people. The ARRL Web site already permits schools to search for clubs in
their area. An affiliated club now can designate itself as a mentor club, and he
said the ARRL Web site will eventually permit schools to search for clubs based
on their specialties. Several class members indicated that clubs and ARES
groups in their areas have been very supportive in providing not just advice
and assistance but equipment.
 His Icom IC-706 at hand, Don Wilson, K1IN, of Connecticut, pays close attention to a presentation by ETP Coordinator Mark Spencer, WA8SME. |
Participating educators not only will come away with a wealth of ideas to teach wireless technology but an armload of ARRL publications and a sampling of activity boards to share with their students.
This year's pilot Teachers Institute was funded largely with a single contribution from a generous donor in the West Gulf Division. The League is appealing for donations, however, to support the Teachers Institute as an ongoing ETP activity and to be able to continue making project activity boards and hands-on projects available to schools. ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ, explain that while a that a lot of science teachers are enthusiastic about what their students can learn from Amateur Radio, "they are intimidated by this new world of wireless electronics. They want to learn how to teach wireless communications."
ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, has put it another way: "For some schools, it's a giant leap to go from zero to ham radio station," she said. Hobart said she hopes the ETP can find sufficient funding to keep the institute and the program itself operating through 2005. Debra Johnson, KB1LMT, of the Development Office is auditing the inaugural seminar.
The ETP now reaches more than 3600 students, exposing them
to a total of some 184,000 hours of involvement in "wireless technology
literacy." The League invites contributions to the ARRL Education and
Technology Program via its secure donation
Web site.
| Previous: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending August 8, 2004 | Next: ARRL 90th Anniversary Offer Accompanies Debut of 2005 ARRL Handbook |
