From Science to STEAM
You might be wondering, why would educators switch from teaching science to teaching STEAM? Traditionally, science classes were taught in isolation and not integrated with other subjects. This is a compartmentalized way of learning that leaves students with a fragmented view of curriculum (Fogarty, 1992). There are many benefits of integrated STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) curriculum, including:
- Learning that is more meaningful and relevant for students (Kubat & Guray, 2018).
- Opportunities for students to develop problem-solving skills as they explore real-world problems from different perspectives (Kubat & Guray, 2018).
- A student-centered model that promotes ownership, teamwork, inquiry, and connections among disciplines and to the real-world (Zhbanova, Rule, Montgomery, & Nielsen, 2010).
- Students display higher levels of thinking and acquire more content knowledge when engaged in integrative curriculum (Becker & Park, 2011).
I teach STEAM classes to K-6 students at an elementary school in Fairfax County, Virginia. In our county, principals can elect to implement STEAM at their school and fund the program through their discretionary budget. While the STEAM program has been around for many years in our county, it is not implemented county-wide and the format or focus at each school is different. Students do not receive grades in STEAM and the county does not provide a formal curriculum.
The lack of curriculum has been my biggest challenge as a second-year STEAM teacher. This blog describes the process I use to plan my lessons. After using the county's science curriculum as a starting point, I use the principles of integrated education to guide me in shaping the rest of the lesson around the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, art and math. My hope in creating this blog is that it will become a platform for sharing ideas and lessons with other STEAM teachers in my county.
- Jennifer Clark, FCPS STEAM Teacher
Becker, K., & Park, K. (2011). Effects of integrative approaches among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects on students' learning: A preliminary meta-analysis. Journal of STEM Education, 12(5&6), 23-37.
Fogarty, R. (1992). 10 ways to integrate curriculum. The Education Digest, 57(6), 53-57.
Zhbanova, K., Rule, A., Montgomery, S., & Nielsen, L. (2010). Defining the difference: Comparing integrated and traditional single-subject lessons. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38(1), 251-258. doi: 10.1007/s10643-010-0405-1
Kubat, U., & Guray, E. (2018). To STEM or not to STEM? That is not the question. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 13(3), 388-399.
- Learning that is more meaningful and relevant for students (Kubat & Guray, 2018).
- Opportunities for students to develop problem-solving skills as they explore real-world problems from different perspectives (Kubat & Guray, 2018).
- A student-centered model that promotes ownership, teamwork, inquiry, and connections among disciplines and to the real-world (Zhbanova, Rule, Montgomery, & Nielsen, 2010).
- Students display higher levels of thinking and acquire more content knowledge when engaged in integrative curriculum (Becker & Park, 2011).
I teach STEAM classes to K-6 students at an elementary school in Fairfax County, Virginia. In our county, principals can elect to implement STEAM at their school and fund the program through their discretionary budget. While the STEAM program has been around for many years in our county, it is not implemented county-wide and the format or focus at each school is different. Students do not receive grades in STEAM and the county does not provide a formal curriculum.
The lack of curriculum has been my biggest challenge as a second-year STEAM teacher. This blog describes the process I use to plan my lessons. After using the county's science curriculum as a starting point, I use the principles of integrated education to guide me in shaping the rest of the lesson around the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, art and math. My hope in creating this blog is that it will become a platform for sharing ideas and lessons with other STEAM teachers in my county.
- Jennifer Clark, FCPS STEAM Teacher
References
Becker, K., & Park, K. (2011). Effects of integrative approaches among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects on students' learning: A preliminary meta-analysis. Journal of STEM Education, 12(5&6), 23-37.
Fogarty, R. (1992). 10 ways to integrate curriculum. The Education Digest, 57(6), 53-57.
Zhbanova, K., Rule, A., Montgomery, S., & Nielsen, L. (2010). Defining the difference: Comparing integrated and traditional single-subject lessons. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38(1), 251-258. doi: 10.1007/s10643-010-0405-1
Kubat, U., & Guray, E. (2018). To STEM or not to STEM? That is not the question. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences, 13(3), 388-399.
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