The Benefits Of Steam Education

Are we underestimating the importance of creativity? Many times children are not encouraged at home to be creative, either because their parents restrict their ideas, fill their decisions with pessimism, or simply do not pay attention to this matter. However, creativity is a skill that makes the human being flexible and resourceful as well as helping them see problems differently and identify solutions more easily. Many times education will directly contradict creativity. It destroys the innovation of ideas, and stifles the imagination, while claiming it is “teaching.” Sometimes entering a classroom becomes the closest thing to entering a time machine since our teaching methods differ very little from those of ancient Rome over 2000 years ago. In Ted Talk “How Schools Kills Creativity” by Ken Robinson and the article “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood” by Leon Botstein, two different opinions about the current educational system are presented. While Robinson believes that the schooling system should work to promote creativity, Botstein says that the concept of a high and middle school is useless and should be abolished. However they both agree on reform. As a parent, I have always been concerned about my daughters’ education, and have always believed, like Robinson and Botstein, that our educational system needs a change.

Watson, A. and Watson, G, describe STEAM as, “a practical and holistic model that is rooted in economic need, ensuring more relevance with consumers’ experiences. Inclusion of artistic thinking in the education of scientists and engineers improves their ability to create relevant products and services.” (Watson and Watson, 2013) The resulting paradigm shift disrupts the structured,

By having art programs in schools students gain skills such as, problem solving, critical and creative thinking, integration of multiple skill sets, and working with others. Qualities such as these are very necessary for creating exemplary students. Arts have already proven to help with many long standing problems but critical thinking is needed for jobs in the outside world. “ … Creating art supports problem-solving, creative thought and critique like no other discipline.” ( Schoales,2) By participating in artistic classes students gain discipline that most classes fail to teach. These valuable lessons learned from art can’t be found anywhere

As children continue their education, they are forced to suppress their creativity and strictly follow uniform ideas that have been used throughout generations. This concept leaves children no room for exploration despite its effectiveness in schools. Students need to learn that it is acceptable to solve problems using different methods. They must break free from the confines and uniform traditions of society; they must think for themselves. Countless novels and movies revolve around the idea of being unique and the importance of defying normality; however, its portrayal in real life is counterintuitive. The question remains: how can we depict a concept so universal without knowing how to first hand use it ourselves? Students need to learn that being unique is the first step to successes, and that creativity helps form a world of endless

The beauty of creativity is that it is abstract, yet ubiquitous: in art, music or how one decides to compose an essay. However, creativity has recently been declining among the human population. According to an article, named, “The Creativity Crisis,” by Newsweek.com in July 2010, authors, Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, state, “the Torrance Test … indicates that the public’s “creativity quotient” has steadily crept downward since 1990” (Prompt 1). Bronson and Merryman report that the test, which evaluates one’s creativity, had been dispensed to myriads of people across the globe, and have concluded that creativity has been slowly diminishing. Kyung Hee Kim, professor at the College of William and Mary, also comments that this is most prevalent and grave among students from kindergarten through sixth grade (Prompt 1). Consequently, society, or in this case, the world fears that current students and future generations will not be nourished with the creativity required to thrive as individuals, affecting the world as a whole. Ultimately, this poses the question whether a creative thinking class, which solely focuses on the education of creativity, should be taught in the school. This school should impose a creative thinking class, due to the fact creativity is a vital element for the future and is the solution to the creative crisis.

They will analyze and describe this in the verbal and written communication. They will be able to continue the classroom experience in their own lives through discussions of the value of art that they will share with their families, friends and other acquaintances.

Imagine world that is bland, along with its individuals all the selfsame. In result of the reprehension of creative courses in academia. That previously mentioned world would soon become an actuality. When budget cuts were accruing in my school district; I remembered my fine arts teachers were petrified that not only their department would cease to exist but they would no longer have an occupation. There is a constant reminder of how paramount the sciences and mathematics are; but the fine arts such as music, ceramics, art, and all the other courses that allow creative freedom are important as well.

In a special Spokesman-Review Opinion piece, author and Washington State poet laureate (“WA Poet Laureate.” Humanities Washington) and teacher at Gonzaga University Tod Marshall wrote a compelling piece titled “Arts education integral to learning” (Arts education, Marshall). Marshall makes a simple claim addressing the often undersold importance of the arts education. The main point conveyed in this opinion is that art and the subjective side of study builds more practical skills than the objective study. As a STEM student myself I find his analysis interesting. My specialties are in Cyber Security a technical field that requires a unique thought process. Accordingly, I find Marshall’s position quite compelling however pointing to the mental

At a local level and as an educator and parent, I see no indication that schooling is preparing students for innovation and creativity. Even when influenced by constructivist or universal design ideas, school tasks - starting in elementary school, up until CEGEP- are generally highly structured, predictable and offered in cookie cutter format. There is little room for creativity and few subjects are regularly offered, such as music or visual arts, that support creativity and out of the box thinking to allow for a more well-rounded approach to education as suggested in the discussion forum (Hector,

Art in our culture today is not as appreciated as it used to be, due to the decrease in interest, many people find creative arts classes such as drawing classes, and theatre classes are not as important and are useless to the educational system. Schools all over the country have begun cutting art classes from the academic programs, assuming it will be better for the student’s sake. However, a recent poll found that eighty percent of the American people believed that creative arts classes will enhance academic performance. In addition, studies have also shown that arts programs teach a specific set of skills that are not taught in the academic curriculum. This means if the studies are true, cutting arts classes could lower students’ test scores and their overall grades. Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland, the authors of “Art for our Sake: School Art Classes Matter More than Ever-But Not for the Reasons You Think,” stated that, after visualizing different art classes in different schools, they realized that the students are not only taught the basics of art but also the willingness to learn from their mistakes, which are not taught elsewhere in schools. The students are also taught how to analyze their work and their peers work, as well. According to Winner, arts classes are important to the educational system because it teaches appreciation and self-value. It also teaches the students certain aspects of knowledge that

It can teach patience and determination. Having something tangible to see what they are capable of helps students with self-esteem. It allows them to develop confidence instead of just being told that they need to have it. Art is not just a grade but rather something that students created and something that they can take pride in because there is no one else out there that can make what they did. Art allows students to become engaged in what they are doing because the outcome is not some number on an arbitrary scale. It is something real that ecourages students to want to solve the problems that they encounter. It lets them experiment without fear of failure because there is always another

There needs to be an understanding to the strength and diversity art can offer additional subjects. Developing the skills to observe and learn to comprehend is valuable to not only art but all academic classes.

Since people’s views only go as far as seeing programs like painting, drawing, choir or orchestra -to which can help develop one’s creativity- as just a distraction towards more important classes, such as science or math. Though multiple studies prove, “Schools with long-standing art programs have higher graduation rates. In many instances, art classes motivate students to stay in school, especially low-achieving students, by fostering closer ties with peers and creating community-oriented environments” (Metla). Showing, how schools with art programs can serve as a motivation for a student’s need for success. Not only do programs like art or music motivate, but classes taught at college levels also show how subjects like, “The humanities teach something. Their subject matter is culture, and since everything human beings do is mediated by culture -- by language, by representations, by systems of values and beliefs -- knowing how to understand other languages, interpret cultural expressions, and evaluate belief systems is as indispensable to functioning effectively in the professional world as knowing how to use a computer. This knowledge may or may not make you a better person; it can certainly make you more productive and successful in the workplace” (Menand). To which, undoubtedly justifies the importance of classes like the humanities, because there is basic knowledge that can be learned and applied to one’s life. Furthermore showing how many “Schools across the country have faced budget shortfalls in recent years, a common cost-cutting measure is to slash funding for arts education, prioritizing what are deemed more essential subjects such as math, reading, and science” (Fang). When schools focus less on classes that enhance a student's creative and innovative thinking, then there is less of a chance that

Art education has been proven to help with “cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skills” as well as “motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork” (Smith). Having the ability and patience to sit down and paint a masterpiece or work through a song on the piano requires high focus and dedication. Students willing to do this will in turn have stronger skills to focus and be dedicated in other subjects. The mixture of all these abilities gained from participation in art programs lead to higher test scores and overall better performance in school. Still, these are only a few of the assets provided by art education.

Art Education is very important for students. A growing body of research suggests that the arts offer students a unique, valuable way to grow intellectually, socially and emotionally. These things are all associated with creativity. Schools today want to focus more on the four core classes math, science, english, and social studies which is acceptable for some students who are academically stronger in school. Opposed to the students who have a harder time focusing in school and we see them drawing when they need to be taking notes. Creativity today has become less and less more visible in classrooms in America. Due to the expansion of technology people see that it takes less time to look an idea up on the internet rather than taking the time to come up with something original.