By Laurie Jo Miller Farr Kids are naturally curious, so they’ll dive into super cool books that teach through the fun of making with an emphasis on STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics. It’s the latest interpretation by educators of the acronym STEM to STEAM, adding art and design to the other four fundamentals to round out innovation and to power skill sets for the 21st century. STEM Turns Into STEAM Supporters of the educational concept say the intersection of the arts with STEM fields will enhance student engagement while strengthening creativity, problem-solving, focus, non-verbal skills, collaboration, perseverance, confidence and more. Just think of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, the ultimate Renaissance men with insatiable scientific curiosity, artistic talent, imagination and creativity. Meet the STEAM Authors Author Jack Challoner picked up some special insights working at the flagship interactive gallery, Launchpad , at London’s Science Museum. Of course, he’s a STEAM-roller: a science and math teacher who is also a singer, songwriter, and musician. Maker Lab books make lovely gifts in hardback at about 160 pages, published by Dorling Kindersley, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. An architect and industrial designer by trade, author Ana Dziengel has three children and plenty of experience in getting creative about making colorful DIY toys and projects at home. Another talented all-rounder, her photography graces the pages of her 2018 STEAM play and learn book to inspire preschoolers to go full steam ahead. “ Smithsonian Maker Lab: 28 Super Cool Projects ” by Jack Challoner There’s nothing like safe, hands-on learning. Build, invent, create, and discover with projects that require readily available household items. The target audience of kids from 8 to 12 years can work alone, in groups, or with adults to make a lemon battery, a jungle in a bottle, a soap-powered toy boat, and a personal supply of sticky slime. Snow days off from school will never be the same again. This book won the National Parenting Publication Award for its good ideas, clear and simple instructions, and great illustrations. “ Smithsonian Maker Lab: Outdoors: 25 Super Cool Projects ” by Jack Challoner Targeted at the same age group, children can create even more outdoors. The first book was such a hit that a second version was published to take the maker fun outside. Just like the complementary book, this one explains what you’ll need to get set up and provides simple step-by-step instructions from start to finish. Why not suggest that kids help out in the garden by building their own butterfly feeder or wormery? Alternatively, would-be astronauts can build and launch a water rocket to understand all three of Newton’s Laws of Motion “ STEAM Play & Learn: 20 Fun Step-By-Step Preschool Projects ” by Ana Dziengel To learn about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math, younger children can get in on the maker fun, too. This book is like a preschooler’s playground on the printed page. Enticing projects include citrus volcanoes, marble runs and mazes, sound tubes, egg carton geoboards and lots more, all divided into easy, medium, and more difficult sections. Older kids (and parents and grandparents as well) can join in the fun by gathering the materials together and setting them out. Grab some food coloring and an ice cube tray to get the kids started on creating frozen goop.
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By Laurie Jo Miller Farr Many people are familiar with the right-brain/left-brain theory that hypothesizes that each side of the brain has a function; one side of our brain is dominant over the other in determining personality, thoughts, and behavior. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that a person who is a left-brained thinker takes a more logical, analytical, and methodical view toward life and learning. A right-brained thinker is said to be more intuitive, thoughtful, and imaginative. Does Right-Brain Orientation Exist? This left-brain and right-brain topic is an interesting theory and a popular—but unproven—one. According to Psychology Today , the dominant side theory is currently being challenged as “state-of-the-art neuroscientific research is slowly beginning to debunk many age-old neuromyths.” Connectomics and Neuroimaging Neuroimaging research suggests that we do actually use both sides of the brain to perform most activities. In the growing field of study called connectomics, neuroscientist researchers are learning that the entire brain works together, using both hemispheres “via finely coordinated communication to optimize cognitive functions and creative capacity,” as reported in Psychology Today . Picking Up STEAM What does this research mean for students? For sure, the one-room schoolhouse 20th-century mantra of the three R’s (reading, writing, arithmetic) has shifted enormously. Within the past decade, an emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) skills for the 21st century has gained enormous traction among educators and students alike. Even more recently, a movement to turn STEM into STEAM has caught on, championed by academics who point out that art and design are critical to a rounded approach that embraces problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity. Incorporating the Arts Perhaps right-brain dominance isn’t the reason why some of us prefer drawing pretty pictures to drawing conclusions from data. These preferences are as natural as a preference for chocolate or vanilla. Yet, a well-rounded curriculum across all aspects of STEAM that provides both depth and breadth is what many K-12 schools are striving for today. Importantly, the arts in STEAM is an approach, not a separate subject. The STEAM educational approach favors hands-on learning, suggesting that science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics are intertwined, that they’re hard-wired in the brain and enormously useful in life. Jobs of the Future STEAM skills are vital and emerging careers require both logical and creative thinkers. Think about a web designer who must strategize the site architecture, conceive page layouts, and code the whole thing. How can a theater group design stage sets without artists that can take a technical approach? The production of television broadcasts, games and music videos incorporates a mix of skills from several components of STEAM. Even self-employed photographers, bloggers and vloggers must have storytelling skills in addition to an ability to interpret analytics for retargeting and maximizing their audience reach. What other jobs can you think of that depend upon all five elements of STEM, including the arts?
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Can Right-Brained Learners Find A Place In A STEAM Field?
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