One of my favorite cartoons growing up was The Road Runner Show. Imagine a ruthless coyote scheming to catch a clever roadrunner using trinkets, gadgets, devices, decoys, and machinery! I loved watching what wild contraption Wile E. Coyote would dream up next to catch his prey. But at some point in the neverending saga, I remember asking myself, why doesn’t he ever try the same idea twice? I mean, does he really need a brand spankin’ new idea every single time?
In the real world, his best recipe for success would be the following:
- Consider the strengths and weaknesses of each design
- Tweak, modify, or adapt whatever needs improvement
- Try it again
This is similar to the reflection, revision, and resourcefulness of a modern education that I proposed in my blog on improving writing skills. This is also the engineering design process:
- Ask: How might you catch a roadrunner?
- Imagine: Generate as many wild ideas as possible
- Plan: Choose the most promising idea and layout the details
- Create: Build a prototype and test it out
- Improve: Reflect, revise, and improve the design
Wile E. Coyote was never short of ideas, plans, and prototypes. He was, however, short on refinement/improvement. So where might one learn to solve problems using the engineering design process?
The Evolution of STEM Education
Solving real world problems like an engineer is the basis of STEM learning; an integration of science, technology, engineering, and math to pursue an interest-driven goal (e.g. catching a roadrunner). Curiously you see STEM labels on toys, books, lego sets and more. Dig even deeper, and you’ll notice STEAM, STREAM, and even SHAPE programs. What do they all mean and where did they come from?
It is commonly believed that, in the early 2000’s, the assistant director of education at the National Science Foundation came up with the concept of STEM learning. Actually she proposed SMET, but later changed it to STEM because it sounded better (Loewus, 2015). Shortly thereafter, a government group was set up to make STEM learning an even larger national focus. The rest is history. STEM has become a household word for tinkering, building, and experimentation.
In school, STEM can take on many forms. From robotics competitions to 3D printing, devout teachers are increasingly finding ways to empower students to solve rich, messy problems. The article A STEM state of mind: No magic kit or subscription required by Andrew Raupp says it all.
Experienced educators know the real foundation of STEM education requires critical-thinking skills, hands-on engagement, and opportunities to explore the natural world through trial and error, research and reflection, and genuine interest and curiosity in the problems – and potential solutions – of our shared planet (Raupp, 2017)
In other words, at the heart of all of the fun names is hands-on, project-based learning. This includes, as stated earlier, using the scientific method and engineering design process. From there, supporters of STEAM learning include an A for art. They want you to consider quality and beauty. For example, the real-life creator of iPhones, Steve Jobs, was known for his attention to style and detail. He brought a variety of font choices to personal computing, made our phones look sleek and colorful, and even insisted on pleasing symmetry of the wiring inside the computer (Isaacson, 2011). If our anti-hero Wile E. Coyote is one letter short of a STEM learner, Steve Jobs demonstrates why adding that extra A might be worth it.
The STREAM people go even further. They want your projects to include reading, robotics, or even religion! Gosh, I’m starting to wonder how a focus on science, technology, engineering, reading, robotics, religion, art, and math is any different from what most schools do anyway? Before I answer that question, consider SHAPE learning.
SHAPE integrates social sciences, humanities, and the arts for people and the economy. Now that’s a new twist!
Yes, the future of work will be data-centric, technology-based and digital, but the STEM-skilled portion of the workforce needs a non-STEM-skilled contingent to truly thrive and to balance it out. Human agility, emotional intelligence and creativity will never become redundant. Neither will foreign languages and other core transferable skills, like an ability to communicate, reason and think critically (Cox, 2020).
Interesting! I wonder, though, if STEM learning really lacks human emotions and creativity. It seems to me that anytime we’re engaged in hands-on, collaborative explorations we lean heavily on our group members and their creative contributions. Or maybe the point is simply that technical work cannot be separated from people and the environment. But don’t the STEM people think that too? The quote earlier on the STEM state-of-mind specifically mentioned the natural world and our shared planet.
Beyond The Acronyms
The debate over which letters to include leaves us with nothing more than alphabet soup. Luckily, both ST(R)E(A)M and SHAPE agree that problem-solving in the real world is a lot messier than it is in a traditional classroom. Thus, they all focus on asking questions, designing projects/products/experiments, and considering the impact of that work on people and the environment. This also connects to 21st century learning which includes collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking (Hummel, 2024). Call it whatever you like, but as long as you’re doing purposeful work with others, to solve problems that don’t have nice and tidy solutions, by means of engineering, research, and experimentation, towards a greater good, you are doing the type of learning that everyone agrees is most valuable to your future!
Ways To Get Started
Now that we’ve gotten a taste of the alphabet soup and understand what the real ingredients are, you’ll discover there’s a lot of ways to engage in this type of learning! If you have access to STEM programs in your school, library, or local college, that’s probably the simplest way to get started. However, don’t just assume because it says “STEM” that it truly is STEM. You know better! Find out what they’re all about. Make sure it’s giving you a collaborative, messy, project-based learning experience.
A second way to get started is to find programs, classes, or teachers willing to give collaborative, messy, project-based learning a try. In other words, they might be doing STEM and not even know it. Is it hands-on? Does it tie together more than one subject? Is there flexibility in how you solve the problem? There’s so many avenues to experience open-ended, interdisciplinary learning. For example, a common science fair project is using a lemon to power a light bulb. Wow! Just think of the connections to be made! From lemons, to circuits, to electricity, to light bulbs. I wonder if other fruits work too? Or can we power other things besides light bulbs? Or where else is energy hidden?
Exploring the lemon battery sounds like do-it-yourself learning. That is, pursuing your own interests with the same level of intensity you might approach your schoolwork and actively trying to make connections between all of your learning experiences. Consider, then, a third way to get started that actually comes from SHAPE. Instead of project-based learning, they offer object-based learning. Yep, an object. Like a lemon, hint hint. Or a shell. Or maybe an unfamiliar tool. Or how about a handmade bowl from another culture covered with symbols.
A natural place to find interesting objects would be a museum. But you could try a hardware store, thrift store, antique shop, natural space and, yes, even a toy store. Even “something as simple as a bag of sweets can stimulate conversations about diet, dental health, design, marketing, production, distribution, recycling, etc.” (Dale, 2022). Now let the flood of questions begin. What is it? Where did it come from? Why is it shaped like that? What is it used for? Is it rare or common? Is it used in everyday life or for a specific purpose? Was it made by nature, man, or machine? Can we make/find more? What technology or tools would we need? Or how can we recreate that environment?
After the object has elicited enough questions, let the learning begin! Answer them one by one. Make connections. Use multiple sources. Experiment, build, and create. And share your learning with others.
If you’re still unsure of how to embrace STEM-style learning, I’ve referenced many resources that you can read for yourself beyond this article. From project-based learning to object-based learning, you now have the mindset, skill set, and next steps to immerse yourself in the deep, meaningful, and innovative work of a STEM, STEAM, STREAM, SHAPE, DIY learner!
References
Bybee, R. (2014, June 17). Opinion: Six characteristics of a great STEM lesson. Education Week. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-six-characteristics-of-a-great-stem-lesson/2014/06
Carly and Adam. (n.d.). STEM, STEAM, or STREAM: What is the difference? Carly and Adam. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://carlyandadam.com/thecarlyandadam/stem-steam-or-stream-what-is-the-difference
Cox, J. (2020, July 2). How STEM skills and education will shape the value of the future of work. Forbes. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/josiecox/2020/07/02/stem-skills-education-value-future-of-work-shape/
Dale, V., Tasler, N., & Sánchez-Jáuregui, L. (2022, July 20). Object-based learning: Active learning through enquiry. In 100 Ideas for Active Learning. University of Sussex. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://openpress.sussex.ac.uk/ideasforactivelearning/chapter/object-based-learning-active-learning-through-enquiry/
Futurum Careers. (n.d.). STEM, STEAM, and now SHAPE: Can an acronym help valorise the social sciences, humanities, and arts? Futurum Careers. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://futurumcareers.com/stem-steam-and-now-shape-can-an-acronym-help-valorise-the-social-sciences-humanities-and-arts
Gewertz, C. (2015, April 14). When did science education become STEM? Education Week. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/when-did-science-education-become-stem/2015/04
Isaacson, W. (2011). Steve Jobs. Simon & Schuster.
iCEV. (n.d.). Four Cs: 21st century skills. iCEV Online. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://www.icevonline.com/blog/four-cs-21st-century-skills
ISTE. (n.d.). What is STEAM education? ISTE. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://iste.org/steam-education
Murray, S. (2023, February 23). 10 STEM education programmes and initiatives preparing students for tomorrow. Silicon Republic. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/stem-education-programmes-initiatives
PBLWorks. (n.d.). What is PBL? PBLWorks. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://www.pblworks.org/what-is-pbl
Taylor, K. (n.d.). 12 interactive middle school STEM activities & challenges. Kid Spark Education. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://blog.kidsparkeducation.org/blog/12-interactive-middle-school-stem-activities-challenges
TeachEngineering. (n.d.). The engineering design process. TeachEngineering. Retrieved December 12, 2024, from https://www.teachengineering.org/populartopics/designprocess
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