Hello Exam Seekers,
Today, I bring up an interesting topic for you all. I know many of you who have been working in the English teaching area for a while may already know what STEAM is, but for some people, steam is still this:
S.T.E.A.M. started as S.T.E.M, which was an acronym for S – Science, T – Technology, E – Engineering, and M – Math. Actually, the acronym was introduced as SMET when referring to career fields in those disciplines or a curriculum integrated knowledge and skills from those fields, but in 2001, American biologist Judith Ramaley, then assistant director of education and human resources at U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), rearranged the words to form the STEM acronym.
According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, U.S. students were not achieving in the STEM disciplines at the same rate as students in other countries. The report predicted dire consequences if the country could not compete in the global economy as the result of a poorly prepared workforce. Thus, attention was focused on science, mathematics, and technology research, on economic policy, and on education. Those areas were seen as being crucial to maintaining U.S. prosperity.
This STEM system focuses on moving away from segmented content areas, emphasizing technology to connect the subjects and relating teaching to the outside world. The idea is to connect regular subjects to STEM subjects, which align with 21st-century skills acquisition. By doing so, students are able to gain proficiency in collaboration, questioning, problem-solving, and critical thinking instead of only getting grades in general subjects.
The most interesting part of it all is that schools don’t need, nor will they eliminate, the regular subjects; they will only apply math, science, and engineering skills to diverse projects. In reality, it functions as creative workshops so that students can, in groups, solve puzzles and challenges.
According to Education.cu, John Maeda, former president of the Rhode Island School of Design—and featured speaker at Concordia’s fifth annual Governor Victor Atiyeh Leadership for Education Awards—championed the STEM to STEAM movement, campaigning to add “arts” to STEM and bringing the initiative to the forefront of educational policymakers. His argument? Design thinking and creativity are essential ingredients for innovation.
Therefore, we have now the following acronym:
- S: Physical and Social SCIENCES
- T: Incorporation of TECHNOLOGY
- E: Principles of ENGINEERING and Design
- A: English Language ARTS
- M: Application of MATHEMATICS
Which seems to englobe all the ideas.
Incorporating STEAM into your classes can create a more engaging and holistic learning experience for students. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Interdisciplinary Projects: Combine subjects like science and art by having students create models or drawings that represent scientific concepts. For example, they could draw the water cycle or build a solar system model.
- Creative Problem-Solving: Encourage students to use artistic skills to solve problems. For instance, they can design eco-friendly products or create posters to raise awareness about environmental issues.
- Integration of Technology: Students can create digital art and animations or use software to design and print 3D objects.
- Arts in STEM: Use music to teach math patterns or have students write stories based on scientific principles.
What do you think? Do you use STEM/STEAM? What are your thoughts about stem/steam?
If you have more questions about it, please write them in the comment section below.
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Have a great week,
Patricia Moura
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