STEM vs. STEAM...do you know the difference?

The words STEM and STEAM are tossed around quite freely within learning communities, but do we really know what they mean or how to implement them effectively?  Why should we know these terms?  How does STEM or STEAM impact the way we educate today's youths?

I would like to offer my personal working definition, for each of the following terms:

Science - an explanation of how the world and its systems originated and continue to coexist

Technology - resources that make existing tasks or jobs easier

Engineering - an understanding how things work together

Mathematics - formulas, numbers and calculations

Art - the creative expression of individuals

STEM Education - curriculum that incorporates science, technology, engineering, and math as an integral part of the program of studies

STEAM Education - curriculum that incorporates science, technology, engineering, art and math as an integral part of the program of studies

The distinction between Science and Engineering - science seeks to explain the origins of behavior (social), life (plant, animal, human), and physical substances (elements), while engineering seeks to understand the mechanics of how things work together

Interdisciplinary teaching and learning - instructional practices that involve more than one discipline in the implementation of lesson plans or units

Now, let's see how the "experts" define these terms:

Science - an explanation of how the world and its systems originated and continue to coexist

According to NASA Space Place science is "curiosity in thoughtful action about the world and how it behaves."

Technology - resources that make existing tasks or jobs easier

Merriam-Webster defines technology as improvements in technical processes that increase productivity of machines and eliminates manual operations or operations done by older machines.

Engineering - an understanding how things work together

The website Live Science defines engineering as "the application of science and math to solve problems."

Mathematics - formulas, numbers and calculations

Dr. Robert H. Lewis of Fordham University states that mathematics is "about processes."

Art - the creative expression of individuals

In a recent Huffington Post article by UVA student, Andrew Burrill posted in April 2016, several people were asked to defined art.  Vanessa Ochs, Creative Writing Fellowship Recipient from National Endowment for the Arts defines art as "an alternative world, one we create that stands in contrast to the world we regularly live in, which is messy, unplanned, unedited, uninspired, unfocused, draining, largely immoral...Art is the best of our imaginings, shaped to share."

STEM Education - curriculum that incorporates science, technology, engineering, and math as an integral part of the program of studies

The website Live Science defines STEM Education as "a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines--science, technology, engineering, and mathematics--in an interdisciplinary and applied approach."

STEAM Education - curriculum that incorporates science, technology, engineering, art and math as an integral part of the program of studies

According to steamedu.com, STEAM Education is "science and technology interpreted through engineering and the arts, all based in mathematical elements."

The distinction between Science and Engineering - science seeks to explain the origins of behavior (social), life (plant, animal, human), and physical substances (elements), while engineering seeks to understand the mechanics of how things work together

In general, science seeks to create the ideal conditions to examine how things will potentially work, while engineering seeks to determine how things will work in the real world.

Interdisciplinary teaching and learning - instructional practices that involve more than one discipline in the implementation of lesson plans or units

My working definition seems to support the most accepted definition of this term.

After researching these terms and comparing them to my working definitions, I feel that I have a better understanding of the actual meanings, and how they serve to change the dynamics of learning communities. 

How about you?  Are you ready? Do you STEM or do you STEAM?

My Curriculum Orientation

In an previous post, I discussed my educational philosophy and alluded to the existence of a relationship between curriculum and educational philosophies. Jenkins (2009) created an instrument to measure modified curriculum orientation.  After answering a series of questions using a Likert-scale format, this tool helps educators to identify his or her curriculum orientation. Interestingly, my results revealed an orientation toward Humanistic curriculum.

Those who prescribe to this particular curriculum orientation believe that "the purpose of education is to provide students with opportunities to foster their personal development as unique individuals."  Sound familiar?  This orientation is closely aligned to my educational philosophy of Progressivism.  So, now that I have this information (which I believe to be pretty spot on), what do I do with it?  How can these orientations be used to guide my role as an instructional leader?

Relationships.

This is the first word that comes to mind when I think of my professional practice as it relates to my educational philosophy and curriculum orientation. The primary responsibility of an educational leader is building and preserving relationships.  Relationships with students.  Relationships with teachers and staff.  Relationships with families.  Relationships will all stakeholders.    Think of it as the foundation of a great learning community.  

A large part of my career has been spent building, maintaining, and preserving the relationships of the stakeholders with whom I interact on a daily basis.  It is what I enjoy most about what I do!  So, I'm not surprised by the results of these inventories.  I strongly believe in developing the whole child.  There is a place for assessment, rigor, data, and the like, but in the end, education is about helping people to grow emotionally, socially, culturally, and cognitively. It's about the complete person, and this should never be forgotten.