STEM Ed FAQ's

Thanks to Google we get lots of questions about STEM.  If these FAQ's do not answer your questions, see umassk12.net/stem or contact hq@umassk12.net

 

What is STEM?

What is STEM Ed?

Is there a national STEM organization or network?

What are the current STEM Ed programs?

Is STEM Ed involved in teacher preparation?

How can I get more information and notices of STEM Ed events and programs?

How can we create a STEM curriculum for our school or district?

 

What is STEM?

STEM is an acronym for Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

 

What is STEM Ed?

STEM Ed is the STEM Education Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It was founded in 1995; its predecessors began in 1986 to work to improve STEM education in K12 and higher education.

 

Is there a national STEM organization?

There is NO national STEM organization, network, curriculum, or philosophy; there are many unrelated STEM programs.

 

What are the current STEM Ed programs?

Current STEM Ed programs include

 

Is STEM Ed involved in teacher preparation?

STEM Ed is NOT directly involved in teacher preparation or certification. However, we do offer programs that can be taken for graduate credit and can be used to satisfy degree or certification requirements.

 

How can I get more information and notices of STEM Ed events and programs?

More information is available at www.umassk12.net/stem. You can go to www.umassk12.net/stem/maillist.html to sign up for frequent notices about a variety of UMass, Massachusetts, and national STEM related programs.

How can we create a STEM curriculum for our school or district?
STEM Ed does not offer a curriculum or curriculum framework. However, you might start with the National Science Education Standards, http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4962. (A new version is in preparation). Many states also have similar curriculum frameworks for science and math. See, for example the Massachusetts frameworks, http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html. STEM Ed sponsors federally funded teacher summer institutes and academic year programs open to teachers from everywhere that may be of interest. We also put a lot of curriculum materials online that may be of use. See www.umassk12.net/stem.