Most people have heard of STEM education, but not as many have heard of STEAM, the “new and improved” version. STEAM takes STEM to the next level of learning by integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics into one.
The Rhode Island School of Design founded STEAM to improve the school’s curriculum as countries like China and India began to surpass the United States in technology.
Adding arts into the mix allows students to engage more creatively in their traditional STEM educational experience. An example would be using origami to develop an understanding of geometric properties and recognize and draw shapes with specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.
Quixotic School for the Performing Arts is also a great example of STEAM and is right here in Kansas City. Quixotic is an innovative performance art collective that fuses imagination with technology, dance, projection mapping, and live music to create fully immersive, multi-sensory experiences.
Our most significant opportunity for innovation comes from integrating arts into STEM disciplines. STEAM helps develop novel skills, malleability, communications, and collaboration. Share your examples with us!