Think it
Plan it
Design it
Make it
Communicate it
No more working in silos. STEAM encourages your children to expand their minds and investigate challenges, ideas, thoughts, and designs from multiple perspectives.
“The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process,” - EducationCloset
STEAM is a project-based approach to learning. It teaches students to think outside the box, collaborate with each other, problem solve, and communicate their process of discovery and results. This approach allows them to think and reflect upon the process. Students now have the advantage to see the results deliberately and the cross-pollination between the subjects and perspectives. The perspectives are:
S - Science for observation
T- Technology for the way it‘s used
E- Engineering for the way it’s created
A- Art for the form it takes
M- Math for its relationship to things
Each Friday, students will be put into groups and be given a STEAM project to work on.
STEAM projects provide a challenge or problem and then we leave it open-ended for a group to collaborate and resolve. At the beginning of the year students tend to struggle. We notice they jump straight into building without planning and this becomes evident with flawed models. With time, as they hone their skills, they learn how to plan, strategize, design, use tools, and get more familiar with the engineering process and then they thrive and deliver successful models. Understanding and comprehension of process flow, collaboration and the need for multiple perspectives to deliver a successful project increases. The result: students implement solutions to problems through their own structured and systematic process.
FAQs
Will STEAM help my child with a solid career?
Not only does a STEAM framework teach students how to think critically, but it also teaches students to problem solve and use their creativity. It prepares students to work in fields that are poised for above-average growth
Is STEAM a subject?
NO! STEAM empowers teachers to employ project-based learning that crosses each of the five disciplines and fosters an inclusive learning environment in which all students are able to engage and contribute.
How much money can be earned with STEAM jobs?
Median annual wages of $86,980 for STEM/STEAM jobs, compared to $39,810 for all occupations.(US Bureau of Labor & Statistics)
Is STEAM just for left-brain thinkers?
NO! Through this holistic approach, students are able to exercise both sides of their brains at once.
What is the value of STEAM?
Setting students up for future success means exposing them to these disciplines holistically in order to develop their critical thinking skills. As repetitive tasks are eroded by technology and outsourcing, the ability to solve novel problems has become increasingly vital.
Why STEAM?
“The next generation of scientists will need to develop their communication skills through both traditional means of writing and speaking, as well as more artistic means including illustrating, animating, videography, cartooning, and model building.