Nanotechnology in Education and Basic Research Public Education & Curriculum Graduate Research Workforce Training

How does small science help produce big ideas? From museums to colleges, from professors to factory workers, from researchers to businessmen, from kindergarteners to PhDs.

How Big Is Nano? This is one nanometer!

The National Nanotechnology Initiative has Four Goals Goal 1. Maintain a world-class research and development program aimed at realizing the full potential of nanotechnology. Goal 2. Facilitate transfer of new technologies into products for economic growth, jobs, and other public benefit. Image: school.co.uk/?page=page&function=science%20specialismhttp:// school.co.uk/?page=page&function=science%20specialism Goal 3. Develop educational resources, a skilled workforce, and the supporting infrastructure and tools to advance nanotechnology. Goal 4. Support responsible development of nanotechnology.

Which Means… The NNI goals can be summarized as Education And Education httap://

How Do We Know? How did the scientists learn how to design, conduct and make appropriate conclusions about nanoscience and nanotechnology? On what knowledge do we evaluate nanoscience and nanotechnology developments? Who teaches the nanotechnology technicians what to do and how to do it?

More Questions How do we know that the information about nanotechnology is accurate? Is this nanotechnology safe for the environment, for you? Who’s conducting the tests to make these determinations? How reliable is their data? Is it appropriate to use these materials, socially, ethically?

It Takes Education! Making appropriate decisions requires skill and a strong educational foundation. The directions and priorities of our education systems will impact will determine the future strength and prosperity of our country. Education should be our highest priority. From the previous questions you can see that the issues are complex. The effects of our decisions are far-reaching ecologically, socially and economically.

1. Public Education & Curriculum Since it is difficult to learn about things that we can’t see at the nanoscale, hands-on and online resources help younger students visual and become engaged in meaningful nanoscience. Podcasts, cable TV news stories, live presentation videos, labs and museums can stimulate an interest in science and nanotechnology. Schools need funding to provide these more stimulating forms of curriculum.

And the Public These museums, broadcasts and other public educational opportunities will provide important nanoscience knowledge to the general public. This will enable an educated public to make appropriate decisions about using nanotechnology.

Teenagers are Expensive! As students become teenagers they become sophisticated media consumers and the most expensive and ‘hard to reach’. At this age, 8 to 18, career options and an awareness of science and technology-oriented fields help students become aware of nanoscience careers. But let’s face it. Kids at this age are less interested in school than other things.

Where’s The Money For It? cience,dc=www,dc=goshen,dc=edu Engaging interactive learning, based on nano-sciences and nanotechnology, encourages comprehension and retention of new skills. That means more interactive online programs and more labs. It would be great to take field trips to science museums, too! Of course, all of this may be more entertaining than reading the textbook. But all of this requires plenty of money!

Besides… As we develop any new technology we must address questions concerning these issues: 84.pdf?arnumber= Intellectual property Potential and preventable risks Justice and fairness Respect for individuals Safeguards for workers

The Impact on Society 1) We must incorporating ethics research into nanoscience research and development 2) Incorporate public feedback into research and development 3) Educational efforts at every level should address technical, ethics, social and environmental implications or innovations. To address these impacts on society:

Higher Education Since nanotechnology is interdisciplinary, we need to develop curricula that breaks the barriers between the disciplines. Only in that way can we grow our future nanotechnologists. Institute of Nanotechnology in Stirling, U.K Images : andhttp:// In the past, students often would major in biology or chemistry. But much of nanoscience is on the cusp between the sciences, say between biology and chemistry, or geology and physics, such as nanomaterials, nanophotonics, nanoelectronics and nanobiotechnology.

World Leadership If the United States hopes to become a world leader in nanoscience in a way that address the needs of the environment and our social values, we need funding to explore how ideas in nanoscience and nanotechnology can be incorporated into the classroom at all levels

2. Graduate Research Nanoscience research and development also requires sophisticated and expensive specialized facilities. Scientists need to share laboratories in universities, businesses and within government facilities to accomplish their research. Funding and trained is necessary to buy and operate this specialized equipment Developments in nanotechnology require input from different disciplines, a wide range of facilities and techniques.

Workforce Training We need an educating nanotechnology workforce. Highly specialized workers are in demand, and candidates with on-the- job experience are highly prized Training people is a key for long- term success. This, too, requires a great deal of funding.

Nanoscience Education is a National Goal The 21st century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act states that the National Nanotechnology Program will include… “effective education and training for researchers and professionals skilled in the interdisciplinary perspectives necessary for nanotechnology so that a true interdisciplinary research culture for nanoscale science, engineering, and technology can emerge.” bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ

But We Need Money! Part of The NNI, National Nanotechnology Initiative, focuses on Developing educational resources, A skilled workforce, Developing he supporting infrastructure, Tools needed to advance nanotechnology, Presently a great deal of our funds address developing nanotechnology education at all levels.

What is Nanotechnology? What would life be like without cars or trucks? Cars revolutionized society, the economy and technology. And that was just one small part of the industrial revolution. Image: falls-further-behind-in-science-education/ falls-further-behind-in-science-education/ We are now at a threshold of a new revolution, a revolution in the ways in which materials and products are created.

New Devices Nanotechnology is the fabrication and use of devices at the nanometer (a billionth of a meter). At that scale we are creating and using materials and devices on a molecular and atomic scale. image: live bovine cell with nanocrystal highlights :

Interdisciplinary Training Researchers and technologists are approaching nanotechnology from different directions and require interdisciplinary training: In biology, living systems can be combined with non-living nanostructured materials. In chemistry, new catalyst, membrane sensor and coatings create structures from the atomic and molecular levels. In physics, microelectronics are getting smaller.

To Be More Specific…

Choices How we, as educated or uneducated consumers, use nanotechnology will determine the impact of nanoscience on the human population and the world. Nanotechnology is so diverse that its effects will result in social, economic and environmental changes as great as the invention of the car.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are leading to a technological revolution. All sectors of the economy and society will be profoundly influenced. Governments around the world are investing large amounts in research. There is a growing demand for scientists and engineers trained in an interdisciplinary approach to research and production in nanotechnology. So when considering the importance of nanotechnology education of our citizens…

"The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now." Chinese Proverb ntImages/1.jpg

Planning Your Presentation To prepare for your presentation, answer these questions using reference materials which can include the websites linked to this webquest: 1.What can be done to maximize the chances that humans will benefit from, rather than be harmed by these new developments? 2.If we can develop these technologies, should we? Why?

Social, Environmental and Ethical Concerns 1.Might these nanotechnology developments in education infringe on human rights? 2.Could any of them decrease privacy of individuals? 3.Could the use of nanotechnology for education have unwanted and negative environmental effects? 4.What economic impact could the use of nanotechnology in education have on producers, consumers, and other industries? Might they be negative or positive?

What About Your Rights? If so, are these developments more important than Your privacy? Your rights as a citizen? Your rights as a human being? Are the answers somewhere in between?

Education Websites The general website page linked below is full of nanotechnology sites related to multiple areas including yours. After exhausting these resources you may also wish to use your search engine and appropriate key words and phrases to find more information. General Nanoscience Weblinks

More Help If you would like help breaking down your research into steps, click on the help button for an outline.