ERIC Number: EJ946207
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Nov
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2158-0502
EISSN: N/A
Stewart and Ray's Big Adventure: A Research Experience for Teachers at UMASS/Amherst
McCarthy, Ray
Technology and Engineering Teacher, v71 n3 p22-26 Nov 2011
Late in the winter of 2010, teachers across Massachusetts received invitations to apply for six- to eight-week Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in which middle or high school teachers in STEM subjects would work alongside scientists and their graduate students as they sought to solve real-world problems. This country-wide effort was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to make STEM studies and careers more appealing to students. The hypothesis is that teachers' attitudes towards and awareness of STEM studies directly affect student attitude and interest. The goal is to invigorate the teaching of STEM subjects by immersing teachers in actual research experiences at universities like UMASS so the teachers can share their experiences with their students. Stewart Olson, a technology education teacher at Amherst Regional High School, and the author were selected by Dr. Alan Lesser to work in his nano-polymeric chemical engineering laboratory in the Conte Building on the UMASS Amherst campus. This article describes the author's experiences with NSF's Research Experiences for Teachers program.
Descriptors: Graduate Students, Student Attitudes, Chemical Engineering, Secondary School Teachers, Technology Education, Middle School Teachers, STEM Education, Scientists, Science Careers, Science Interests, Teacher Attitudes, Student Interests, Engineering, Engineering Education, Science Education, Science Experiments, Higher Education, Science Laboratories
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association. 1914 Association Drive Suite 201, Reston, VA 20191-1539. Tel: 703-860-2100; Fax: 703-860-0353; e-mail: itea@iteaconnect.org; Web site: http://www.iteaconnect.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Higher Education; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A