Matthew Putman, a Westfield High School teacher, has been selected as one of only 50 middle and high school educators from across the country to take part in the exclusive Siemens STEM Institute fellowship, designed to bring teachers to the cutting edge of science, technology, engineering and math education. Putman is also featured by Siemens in a USA Today ad for his selection.
“I am excited to take what I learn at the Siemens STEM Institute and apply it in my classroom activities to further motivate and inspire my students’ interest in all four areas of STEM,” said Putman. “I also plan on collaborating and sharing the information with my fellow teachers.”
Putman teaches engineering and technology education classes at WHS. He received both his bachelor’s and master’s of science in technology from Purdue University. After spending a year training engineers on advanced modeling software, Putman realized his true calling was teaching, specifically at the high school level.
For the past eight years, he has taught pre-engineering courses from the extensive training he has received from Project Lead The Way. Additionally, he has been recognized by several professional organizations and awarded the National School Boards Association “20 to Watch” educator, IPL Golden Apple Educator and three Westfield Education Foundation Grants.
The Siemens STEM Institute is a one-of-a-kind, all-expense-paid weeklong immersion program that promotes hands-on, real-world integration of STEM in the classroom. The Siemens STEM Institute will take place July 29 to Aug. 3 just outside of Washington, D.C., at the world headquarters of Discovery Communications – the world’s No. 1 nonfiction media company and home to such television networks as Discovery Channel, Science and Animal Planet.
Putman and the other selected educators will be exposed to leading scientists, thought-leaders, personalities and innovators whose work across STEM disciplines shape and define our world today. The week will be filled with guest speakers at the forefront of STEM, field trips to leading institutions where Fellows will observe real-world applications of STEM subject matter and opportunities for networking and collaborating with peers from across the nation.
The goal of the Siemens STEM Institute is to create a group of STEM ambassadors who can take what they learn back into their own classrooms and become key influencers in their schools and communities. The Siemens STEM Institute specifically sought applicants who wanted to become STEM leaders and help change the way STEM subjects are taught in American classrooms.