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by LittleBits

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The Tech Advocate

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How to Implement a Successful STEAM Program

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Spread the loveBy Dr. Azi Jamalian, head of education strategy at littleBits According to the Department of Labor, more than 65 percent of today's students will grow up having careers that do not exist yet. Today, more than ever, it is crucial to prepare our students to become future-ready and have the confidence to invent the world they want to live in.

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Education Closet

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This is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive almost everyday. Transitioning to a STEAM School is challenging work. It requires a shift in not just the instruction, but the entire learning environment and behaviors of a school community. You must change the what and how of instruction AND you must address the WHY behind STEAM if it is to be a successful endeavor. And as we all know, change is hard.

I say all of this to prepare you. What I outline below looks simple, but in reality, it is hard work and takes a significant amount of time. I always tell schools to prepare for a journey of at least 3-5 years if they are envisioning moving to a STEAM approach. So keep this in mind as we take a look at the school-wide cycle for moving towards STEAM.

The STEAM Cycle

In the following graphic, you'll find a cycle for a school approach to STEAM. This can work for moving from STEM to STEAM or for building a STEAM school from the ground up.

Let's dig into the pieces of this cycle in a bit more detail. You'll notice that the cycle starts with the integration foundation. This is the most critical piece of the entire cycle. Your entire school team must have an understanding and comfort with why and how to use integration before you even begin this endeavor.

Your faculty must understand the difference between integration and enhancement, be able to align standards, and value collaboration across areas in order for STEAM to be able to rise as an approach to learning in your school. So before you begin on this journey, please ensure that your staff has received professional development in the integration approach to learning and can utilize it effectively.

1. Investigate: Build-a-Team.

You'll need a team of teachers with diverse backgrounds and teaching areas to investigate and work through the STEAM process as leaders in the approach for your building. This should include teachers from a variety of grade levels, content areas and fine arts area disciplines. If you're just starting out, build a core team from across your school.

If you're continuing in this approach and already have a core team, try branching out so that everyone in the school is part of a collaborative STEAM team. Ensure that this team has intentionally dedicated collaboration time throughout the year, either built into the schedule, or as defined time before or after school. If you're looking for a process for building these team and implementing these steps, I also highly recommend checking out our online class, Designed to STEAM.

2. Discover: Identify Gaps.

Once you have your team(s) assembled and dedicated time set aside for their collaboration, they will need a focus area to get started. Begin by having everyone bring their curriculum documents and scanning them for similarities and differences.

Have each team member highlight areas where students struggle in their curricula, as well as elements from other curriculum documents that may be missing from own. Create a list of gaps in both curriculum format and in student success areas from every content/fine arts/grade represented.

3. Connect: Essential Questions and Curriculum Mapping.

Once you have identified the major gaps, look for the gaps that are common across content and arts areas. Are there any trends or patterns that emerge? Or, are there gaps in content areas which are something that students understand with greater success in the arts areas? These are where you can connect across standards. Identify essential questions about the core of what these gaps are addressing.

For instance, if students are struggling with growing patterns, develop an essential question that would address the core issue they are struggling to understand. Maybe it's growing patterns or chemical reactions. These are the places that are ripe for creating STEAM lessons and connections.

From here, look for ways that the arts already address these questions. Create a curriculum map based upon these EQ's and aligned standards.

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"How can we become a STEAM school?"This is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive almost everyday. Transitioning to a STEAM School is challenging work. It requires a shift in not just the instruction, but the entire learning environment and behaviors of a school community.

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STEAM represents a paradigm shift from traditional education philosophy, based on standardized test scores, to a modern ideal which focuses on valuing the learning process as much as the results. In essence, we dare our students to be wrong, to try multiple ideas, listen to alternate opinions and create a knowledge base that is applicable to real life as opposed to simply an exam.

Deron Cameron
Former UPES Principal - US's 1st STEAM Certified School
Current TCSS Curriculum Coordinator

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STEAM represents a paradigm shift from traditional education philosophy, based on standardized test scores, to a modern ideal which focuses on valuing the learning process as much as the results. In essence, we dare our students to be wrong, to try multiple ideas, listen to alternate opinions and create a knowledge base that is applicable to real life as opposed to simply an exam.

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STEAM Powered Discovery! Transform STEM learning through Art & Making! EUREKUS empowers creative global thinkers by uniting the arts, sciences and humanities. STEAM Curriculum, STEAM Projects, Professional Development, K-12 Workshops, After School Enrichment, Summer Camps, College Classes, Adult Learning, Outreach & Teaching Resource Shop.

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2018 annual California STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Math) Symposium

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Full STEAM Ahead

It's hard to remember a time when STEM fields - that's science, technology, engineering, and math - weren't the top priority in education. But as STEM pedagogy and practices have evolved, STEAM is gathering momentum - that's STEM, but with an arts component (inclusive of the humanities, language arts, and fine arts) fully integrated. STEAM doesn't detract from traditional STEM subjects or lowering standards. Instead, it makes STEM education even more effective. STEAM education takes STEM learning and kicks it up a notch by applying creative thinking, imagination, and design skills - typically through project-based learning. As STEM education matures, and the prevalence of STEM professions continue to grow, there's a clear need for students to utilize skills that are derived from artistic experiences - benefitting their educational pursuits and future professional endeavors.

The inclusion of arts learning into STEM education has distinct benefits. STEAM encourages the development of creative problem-solving skills, inventive thinking, imaginative design capabilities, and obtaining a more well-rounded skillset to tackle challenges. These skills can correlate to greater success in STEM careers such as engineering and finance. Professional STEM fields have suffered from a persistent lack of diversity, but incorporating the arts empowers students who may have felt discouraged. The STEAM approach helps develop confident, competent learners by leveraging the topics where art and STEM naturally intersect - STEAM subject matter also has the added benefit of showcasing the value of the arts, by highlighting the inherent role they have in all areas of STEM. And finally, the inclusion of arts in STEM learning can help develop higher levels of subject knowledge for students who pursue artistic professions. How can you start incorporating STEAM education? Adding an arts component to your students' STEM experience is easy for any age group or level, or starting point. Fun classroom activity ideas are plentiful. Curricula opportunities range from taking planned STEM lessons and adding in an arts component or perspective, to developing STEAM plans that fully integrate arts education from the very start. Both can be accomplished with varied student abilities, needs, and goals in mind. There is also incredible opportunity for professional development, such as advanced degree programs for STEAM educators. There are also many STEAM education resources to choose from - STEAM-focused conferences, online courses, and webinars to discover additional classroom ideas and hands-on projects.

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It's hard to remember a time when STEM fields - that's science, technology, engineering, and math - weren't the top priority in education. But as STEM pedagogy and practices have evolved, STEAM is gathering momentum - that's STEM, but with an arts component (inclusive of the humanities, language arts, and fine arts) fully integrated.

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Whether you are looking for resources on integrating science, technology, engineering, and math or on infusing the arts to transform STEM into STEAM, these curated compilations will help you plan different approaches to integrated studies.

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Whether you are looking for resources on integrating science, technology, engineering, and math or on infusing the arts to transform STEM into STEAM, these curated compilations will help you plan different approaches to integrated studies.

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The Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM

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SUPPORT The Institute for Arts Integration & STEAM PO Box 2622 Westminster, MD 21158 Main: 443-821-1089 Sales: 443-293-5851 Help Center Email Us