What is STEAM? STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics and it is an education approach that many schools are turning to. It is formerly known as STEM (without the arts), but it caused controversy over the inclusion/ exclusion of the arts. The purpose of STEAM education is to prepare students for their future in the changing and innovative society that has evolved, by integrating and connecting each component. In today’s society, “almost 100% of jobs require critical thinking and active listening, 70% require mathematical knowledge, and 60% require oral comprehension and expression” (Gess, 2017, p. 39). The STEAM approach aims to teach students these skills so they can be successful when they enter their careers.
STEAM should be integrative, intentional, and centered upon design (Gess, 2017, p. 40). Topics and materials should be focused on the student’s interests and should be able to be modified based on the students needs. The teacher should have an intentional purpose for each project and should have an end goal in mind. The design process is what ties all of the disciplines of STEAM together. “The purpose of design projects is to develop the students’ ability and confidence to work through the complete design process, ending up with a feasible design solution” (Pahl & Beitz, 2013, p. Xxvii, as cited in Gess, 2017). In working through the design, students will encounter obstacles and the teacher should help by providing feedback and insight. The repeated occurance of this is what helps students learn the problem solving and critical thinking skills that they will need when they enter the workforce.
Some people support the addition of art to the STEM initiative because they feel that art education is an important factor in developing minds ready for the future. “Creating an understanding of art and its emotional appeal is crucial to any student interested in a technical field” (Bailey, 2016, p.25). Bailey also states that he is afraid that “an emphasis on STEM without the addition of the “A” (art) could lead to a gradual dilution of creativity skills and a withdrawal to the safety associated with the familiar and the known” (Bailey, 2016, p. 25). There is room in this approach for all students, even the ones that are artistic by nature.
However, other people argue that art is already incorporated into STEM, without the addition of the “A”. “STEM lessons naturally involve art (for example, product design), language arts (communication), and social studies and history (setting the context for engineering challenges). STEM projects do not deliberately exclude the arts or any other subject; rather, these subjects are included incidentally as needed for engineering challenges” (Jolly, 2018, n.p).
Connections to Children and Schools
STEAM does not only prepare children for the long term future, it prepares them for closer steps like middle school as well. Typically engineering is not offered in a regular middle school curriculum, but introducing engineering sooner, like in the 5th grade, can get kids excited and expose them to the world of STEAM sooner. Since it is not in the curriculum, it has to be introduced through an after school program. With this exposure, children will also be more than ready to tackle regular middle school science and math subjects. Since this encourages children to reach for more, it creates a drive for careers in engineering or other areas of STEAM. According to Nancy Moreno, a professor at the Baylor College of Medicine, “Results of a field test with a diverse population of 5th grade students in nine schools revealed that Think Like an Astronaut lessons are appropriate for an after-school environment, and may potentially help increase students’ STEM-related content knowledge and skills” (Moreno, 2016). Parents can even help children build their STEAM skills at home, where they spend the other largest portion of their time. According to Kimberly Leonard, a staff writer for the U.S. & World Report News, “parents can help to inspire, support and develop their children’s learning” by simply helping their children to explore any questions that they have instead of just replying with a passive, “I don’t know” (Leonard, 2015).
How Do We Learn?
From a STEAM standpoint, we as a society learn best when working collaboratively. According to Andrea S. Gomoll, a professor at Indiana University, “students collaboratively construct and represent shared understanding in complex, problem-oriented, and authentic learning environments” (Gomoll, 2017). It is better when there is someone working alongside the project so that ideas can be discussed and fine-tuned. Having more than one mind working on the same topic provides different perspectives and solutions to the same focus. Society would benefit from more collaborative working spaces related to STEAM, and that is what Gomoll is researching about. “We reimagine what deep engagement and learning in STEM learning environments can look like, and we inform better design for the creation of these spaces” (Gomoll, 2017).
Who Matters in Society?
STEAM strives to include every student, especially with the addition of “A”, or art, to the previous STEM acronym. This sends the message that everyone matters, that there is a place for everyone. A study was done on eight inclusive STEM high schools that have the goal of getting the demographic of underrepresented students in STEM into the STEM field. According to Nancy K. Spillane, a facilitator of the study, “As STEM schools, they have had broader and deeper STEM coursework (taken by all students) than required by their respective states and school districts; they also had outcome indicators that demonstrated substantial academic achievement and other measures of school success” (Spillane, 2016). On top of this, “each school held a clear sense of its mission-driven purpose: to graduate students prepared for STEM college majors, including students from underrepresented groups. These schools blurred boundaries between formal and informal education, reconfiguring relationships among teachers, students, and knowledge” (Spillane, 2016). This program takes the time to show that not just rich, genius students can participate and thrive in the STEM field like the stigma suggests, every student can.
Resources
Bailey, C. (2016). An Artist’s Argument for STEAM Education. Tech Directions, 75(6), 24-25.
Gess, A. H. (2017). steam education separating fact from fiction: Many educators and researchers are now calling for STEA(arts)M education to be the approach of choice through which teachers may facilitate growth in habits of mind and practice that are characteristic of a globally literate citizen. Technology & Engineering Teacher, 77(3), 39-41.
Gomoll, A. S. (2017). Moving apart and coming together: Discourse, engagement, and deep learning. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. (Accession No. 125829915)
Jolly, A. (2018, February 28). STEM vs. STEAM: Do the Arts Belong? Retrieved April 14, 2018, from https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/11/18/ctq-jolly-stem-vs-steam.html?cmp=cpc-goog-ew-dynamic ads&ccid=dynamic ads&ccag=stem dynamic&cckw=&cccv=dynamic ad&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzcbWBRDmARIsAM6uChVjNVoXCDMXNVkEp-SmcyjdW9eBbMaha7e2FXozYysWqQvr_VAdL34aAtO-EALw_wcB
Leonard, K. (2015, June 29). Engaging Parents in Kids’ STEM Education. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions/articles/2015/06/29/engaging-parents-in-kids-stem-education
Moreno, N. (2016, December). Preparing students for middle school through after-school STEM activities. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. (Accession No. 120010298)
Spillane, N. K. (2016, May). Inclusive STEM high schools increase opportunities for underrepresented students. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. (Accession No. 114827577)
