Is it Getting STEAMi Here?

by Anthony Jackson on December 9, 2011 4:01 AM

The last in a three-part series, Asia Society's Heather Singmaster questions whether education should get STEAMier.

by Heather Singmaster

Last week Education Week reporter Eric Robelen wrote an article on the case for adding arts to science, technology, engineer, and math—or STEM—education entitled, STEAM: Experts Make Case for Adding Arts to STEM.

It caught my eye because I had just heard the term "STEAM" (the "A" is for "arts") being used in Korea where Tony Jackson and I attended the 2011 Global Education Symposium.
Mr. Jin-Hyung KIM, Director, Global HR Cooperation Team, Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology in Korea, opened the conference by underscoring the importance of well-educated citizens as the engine that drives development and competitiveness. He said, "Great teachers are like the fuel that keeps this engine running."

Reources to Implement Arts Skills Map

Resources 

Organizations

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

http://www.p21.org

P21 is a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student. As the United States continues to compete in a global economy that demands innovation, P21 and its members provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the 3Rs and 4Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation). While leading districts and schools are already doing this, P21 advocates for local, state and federal policies that support this approach for every school.

Action Steps for Implementing the Arts Skills Map

Suggested Action Steps

 State PolicymakersIf you are a state policymaker, consider using the 21st Century Skills Map in the Arts in some of the following ways:

• Ensure that professional development professionals at the state level are familiar with the map and how it can be used in schools and districts
• Use the map as a resource in reviewing standards in the Arts
• Distribute the map broadly to educators throughout the state
• Engage with arts advocacy organizations about how the map can support arts and 21st century skills development  If you are a K-12 practitioner, consider the following action steps:
  

STEAM: Goals are creativity and engagement

by   Erik W. Robelen
EDUCATION WEEK December 1, 2011


The acronym STEM—shorthand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—has quickly taken hold in education policy circles, but some experts in the arts community and beyond suggest it may be missing another initial to make the combination more powerful. The idea? Move from STEM to STEAM, with an A for the arts.

Although it seems a stretch to imagine STEM will be replaced in education parlance, momentum appears to be mounting to explore ways that the intersection of the arts with the STEM fields can enhance student engagement and learning, and even help unlock creative thinking and innovation.
In fact, federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, are helping to fuel work in those areas.