By exposing students to STEM based learning, they will have a better appreciation for each of these areas – science, technology, engineering, math – also collectively referred to as areas of STEM education. When you add an A to STEM to form STEAM – it adds a fifth area of education – Artistic Design which brings the elements of creativity, which is the foundation of innovation.
In schools, children learn about science and technology concepts in various formats. But when you bring these together to high light the application of those concepts to real life problems through project based learning, it is then referred to as STEM education. In summary, connection to the real world.
STEM based learning can be taught using simple projects of making paper boats and making them float in a bath tub and asking the question – “How do large cruise ships stay afloat in the ocean?”. To answer this question many concepts of science and technology need to be brought together. Specifically, in this example, density, buoyancy, and displacement are needed to explain how cruise ships float in the ocean. These concepts can be taught in many ways by showing how balls can float in water to how metal objects would sink. This together make it STEM learning.
Careers in STEM-related fields are vast and diverse. They include careers in the engineering field, software development, pharmacy, energy, mining and so on. However, STEM careers may also take the form of finance, risk analysis, and even athletic training, each has an element of STEM in them. And, of course, teaching is an essential career that stimulates the STEM fields!
Educate yourself about STEM and what it can do for you! There are amazing references and sites available on the internet. In our future blogs we will consolidate these references for you. So please come back!