STEAM

STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math

STEAM is the way of future teaching to fully engage students in their learning.  This practice integrates science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.  Now, there is also a move towards integrating language arts into STEAM.  This practice supports project-based learning and gets students excited about learning while they do not even realize how many different aspects of learning is taking place.  Students are pushed to open their minds and create, innovate, and analyze their projects on their own or in groups.

STEAM activities do not have to cost a lot of money.  There are many resources available for free online and through the utilization of AMSTI products (provided by the state of Alabama) teachers can easily begin their exploration of incorporating STEAM activities into their teaching.  Teachers can also utilize and recycle found or common objects to facilitate STEAM projects.  You are only limited by your willingness to use your imagination and allowing your students to embrace an open-ended question to begin.

Language arts can be incorporated by introducing the project with a specific book that can be used to pose your problem to present to your students.  Students then can design, create, experiment, redesign, recreate, and reflect on their projects.  When students share their projects, they can share their successes and failures and how they ultimately found solutions to problems that arose along the way during the project.  This creates an atmosphere of higher-ordered thinking and learning.  

STEAM teaching is beneficial to all types of students.  Teachers can have their students keep STEAM journals to record their thoughts and findings throughout their work on their projects.  This teaches students to improve their writing skills but also teaches them how to reflect on their work and improve their ideas over a period of days.  

One cool project that I learned about during my research on this topic was how to make "map paper".  Tea-stained, good quality paper can be used to get students engaged in creating maps and recording information.  Students will always become more engaged when met with interesting materials that are new and different.  I plan to use this idea in my future classroom to have students participate in a study of maps, travel, and how to design, create, and successfully float a raft.  

Here are some book titles that could get you started with a STEAM project of your own.

THE LEMONADE WAR

JUNKYARD WONDERS

11 EXPERIMENTS THAT FAILED

THE MITTEN

THE GRUFFALO

ONE PLASTIC BAG

THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND

TWENTY-ONE ELEPHANTS

STEAM Night - What Fun!!!

As you can see in the video link listed above, hosting a STEAM night for your students and parents can expose them to the fun aspects of what STEAM really is and what it can accomplish in teaching.  This type of event will help teachers obtain support from the community to work together to increase STEAM supplies, activities, and volunteers.

Thanks for reading,

Shannon