STEAM ?
What is
and why is it important for our kids?
STEAM is the abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math. It’s an integrated approach to learning that encourages students to think more broadly about real-world problems.
This interdisciplinary approach has helped create innovations like the iPhone, the original laptop computer, and is even revolutionizing cooking in third world countries, and improving air quality as a result.
It helps students:
- Ask questions
- Connect the dots
- Problem solve
- Think creatively
- Be innovative
Power of STEAM Learning- It helps remove idea inhibition (there’s no wrong answer in art!).
- It focuses on the process which helps drive innovation.
- It teaches the power of observation, of people and your surroundings.
- It helps hone spatial awareness and mathematical concepts like geometry.
History of STEAM Education
STEAM is a progression of the original STEM acronym, plus one additional element: art. Why the change? The integration of the arts into STEM learning has allowed educators to expand the benefits of hands-on education and collaboration in a variety of was, promoting creativity and curiosity at the core. But before we get to that, let’s first look at the evolution of STEM to STEAM.
The original push for the implementation of STEM curriculum stemmed (pun not intended) from a rise in related job opportunities in the American economy. In fact, according to the U. S. Department of Commerce, STEM occupations began growing at double the rate of all other occupations. Furthermore, people with STEM-related degrees were making higher incomes, even in non-STEM related careers. And as the economy continued to evolve, STEM workers have played a critical role in the sustained growth and stability of the U.S. economy — and have become a key component to helping a variety of industries win the future.
The STEAM Pyramid
The STEAM pyramid represents the research-backed theoretical model first proposed by Georgette Yakman in 2006 on how to correlate the subject areas to one another and the business and social development worlds. The purpose of this was to create a matrix by which researchers, professionals, and educators could share information to keep education as up to date as possible while still having a basis in methodologies. The research is based on reviewing the commons across the fields and using well-established classifications systems in S-T-E-M to map and correlate the rest of the fields of the Liberal Arts.
Creative Thinking!
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