STEM vs. STEAM

STEM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The term was coined by Judith Ramaley while a director at National Science Foundation in 2001. Since then, STEM-focused education has been extended to many countries beyond the United States. However, education is a constantly evolving game. 【小题1】 One of the latest philosophies gaining steam is adding an arts component to the STEM educational focus, thus, creating the STEM vs. STEAM debate.

The believers in STEM education want the focus to remain on the core STEM principles. 【小题2】 Tasks involving product design encourage students to draw and create. Adding arts will take away from the original intention of focusing on the STEM disciplines.

【小题3】 They argue that adding arts to STEM is a way to develop strong STEM students who think creatively. Several studies have shown that engaging students’ arts strength increases their motivation when it comes to STEM activities. 【小题4】 Furthermore, for kids who might be turned off from STEM subjects due to a dislike of numbers, highlighting the artistic component of lessons can reach out and draw them in.

While they seem to be opposed, both sides of this argument may have the right idea. 【小题5】 Consider the growing field of computer animation, where you must have both artistic abilities and strong technology fields. Also, the most basic of all children’s toys, wooden blocks, are an incredible example of STEAM exploration. They bring design, geometry, and engineering concepts to our youngest learners, setting them up for a lifetime of creative thinking.