

Picture an architect, they use engineering, math, technology, science and arts to create stunning buildings and structures.

Art is about discovering and creating ingenious ways of problem solving, integrating principles or presenting information. Art isn’t just about working in a studio. The addition of Arts to STEM to create STEAM is about incorporating creative thinking and applied arts in real situations. Instead of teaching math as separate from science, they can be taught together in a way that shows how the knowledge from those two fields compliment and support each other. STEM and STEAM are not new, they are simply ways of understanding and applying an integrated form of learning that resembles real life. The subjects do not work on their own, instead they are woven together in practical and seamless ways allowing the architect to design complex buildings. Picture an architect, they use science, math, engineering and technology to do their jobs. Rarely does a job require only one skill set like math. With STEM we are teaching skills the way they will be used in the workforce, and the real world. Making it an exceptional way of instructing and learning. STEM and STEAM align with the way we work and problem solve in our daily lives. Instead of teaching disciplines in independent subject silos, lessons are well rounded, project and inquiry based, with a focus on interdisciplinary learning. The key component of STEM and STEAM is integration. It’s a philosophy of education that embraces teaching skills and subjects in an a way that resembles real life. But STEM education is far more than just sticking those subject titles together. Alternatively, STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. At it’s most basic, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
