the STEAM program at Outdoor School Bangkok
What Is STEAM Education?
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. STEAM integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, art and Mathematics into “interdependent” learning units based on real- world applications rather than teaching as separate and discrete subjects.
STEM vs. STEAM
The addition of Arts to STEM to create STEAM is about incorporating creative thinking and applied arts in real situations. The arts are a natural part of STEAM work. Products and structures are built according to creative designs. In addition, art is about discovering and creating ingenious ways of problem solving, integrating principles or presenting information. Scientific developments are explained through well-crafted communications.
Benefits of STEAM learning
STEM embraces the 4 C’s identified as key in 21st Century education: Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Communication.
In addition, students who participate in STEAM learning understand the ways that science, maths, engineering, arts, and technology work together and become increasingly curious about the world around them and feel empowered to change it for the better.
What does STEAM learning look like?
STEAM learning is inquiry and focus on real-world problems
The entire idea surrounding STEAM lessons and the STEAM approach is that it’s based around questioning. Questions are driven by the learners, and failure is reframed as part of the learning process. Goals, decisions, and solutions are generated by the students within the limitations of their learning context (such as access to materials and tools, or achieving curriculum standards). Children control their own investigations. As long as the inquiry results in a product that provides a solution to a real problem, the inquiry is authentically STEAM.
STEAM challenges require students to make, tinker and build. Bringing in methods from art and design can take STEAM projects to their full creative potential.
