The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology continues to bring educators from around the country to ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, to learn how to engage students with amateur radio and radio technology. The program helps tie wireless technology into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

In their own words:

This week, TI1, or the initial course of three, is being held. We’re hearing from teachers in their own words about the experience:

Jackie Blumer, KC9LEH, is the Earth/Space Science teacher at Greenville Jr. High in Illinois. She’s very active in aerospace and STEM teacher development. She wrote this about her experience: 

Here's what I'm up to:

• Creating circuits with breadboards: Delving into the fundamentals of electronics by building circuits from scratch. This hands-on experience is perfect for understanding how different components interact and work together to create functioning devices.
• Becoming more proficient with soldering: Honing my soldering skills to ensure precise and reliable connections. Soldering is an essential technique for any budding engineer or electronics enthusiast, and I can't wait to master it!
• Working on getting my General license: Advancing my knowledge and capabilities in ham radio by aiming for my General license. This will not only enhance my personal expertise but also enable me to bring more advanced concepts to my students.
• I’m excited to bring this hands-on knowledge and experience back to my students. Integrating these skills into my curriculum will provide them with a deeper understanding of electronics and inspire them to pursue their own STEM passions.

Read more from the teachers in this album on the ARRL Facebook page.

The Last Frontier: Alaska in the log

Hams know how hard it can be to get Alaska on certain bands. So, too, has it been challenging to get a teacher from Alaska to attend one of the Teachers Institute cohorts. It is a tradition for each educator to put a pin in the map for where they’re from, and this week – a pin went into Alaska for the first time. Dana Serfass teaches at Gruening Middle School in Eagle River, AK.

The ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology is funded entirely by donations to the ARRL Education Fund. Learn more at www.arrl.org/ti.