R6.1 STEAM and MakerSpaces
Lessons 12-13 R6.1 STEAM and MakerSpaces
Click the link "What is a MakerSpace? Links to an external site." to read all about them.
Read here about STEAM:
What Is STEAM Education?
If you’re familiar with STEM education, then you already know a bit about STEAM education. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math-a powerful combination of topics and techniques for educating our society.
When it comes to art, it goes beyond aesthetics. The ‘A’ includes the liberal arts as well, meaning language arts, social studies, physical arts, fine arts, and music.
STEM + Art = STEAM
The STEAM movement originated at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and has since been widely adopted among many institutions and organizations. The objectives of the STEAM movement were created to do the following:
- Transform research policy to place art and design at the center of STEM
- Encourage integration of art and design in education
- Influence employers to hire artists and designers to drive innovation
These objectives can be just as easily be applied in the classroom by STEAM educators. We’ll deep dive into that throughout the following sections.
The Difference Between STEM and STEAM
STEM is a building block for STEAM. STEAM education makes its focus the application of science, technology, engineering and math through art and design. Another way of looking at this is that STEAM educators can help students connect what they learn in these critical areas (STEM) with art practices and design elements. Ultimately, students should feel like they can wonder, critique, inquire and innovate.
STEAM in History
Charles Nègre, a 19th-century photographer, is a classic example of how art and science combine. Photography is in its very nature both artistic and scientific. Nègre enjoyed learning about and experimenting with the chemistry behind photography, the physics and mathematics of optics, and the engineering involved in camera design.
He summed up the notion of STEAM perfectly:
“Where science ends, art begins.”
Why STEAM Is Important
STEAM has received some pushback in the academic and career world. Opponents believe that adding in the arts takes away from STEM education, however, STEAM aims to strengthen the foundation of STEM by helping students enhance their critical thinking skills and recognize the intersection of art, science, technology, engineering, and math.
It gives students tools and methods to explore new and creative ways of problem-solving, displaying data, innovating, and linking multiple fields. The arts and STEM subjects naturally complement and inform each other, so implementing STEAM principles into education allows for more understanding, innovation and a cohesive education in the classroom.