STEM education and STEAM education are both highly regarded educational concepts. The latter has an extra“A” in comparison to the former, if we take the literal meaning of the word alone. In this article,we’ll look at the difference between the two, what it means to add an “A” (Arts) to STEM? And which is better, STEM education or STEAM education?
Interestingly enough, STEAM is also the name of a very popular gaming platform, but STEAM education is not about teaching children how to play the platform.
STEM education refers to the integrated educational model of the four disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. So STEAM is an acronym for these four disciplines.
What is STEM education?
STEM education is a model of education that integrates the four disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. So STEAM is an acronym for these four disciplines.
STEM education emphasizes interdisciplinary enhancement while integrating these knowledge. It aims to develop students’ innovation, critical thinking and real-world problem solving skills.
Unlike traditional single-subject teaching, STEM education enhances students’ overall literacy by allowing them to apply what they have learned in real-life situations through project-based learning and hands-on practice.
This mode of education has been emphasized globally and is regarded as an important way to address future technological development and social challenges.
what is STEAM education? And STEM education and what is the difference
The above is very easy to understand STEM education, and STEAM education, that is, on the basis of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education model, with the addition of the arts (Arts) elements, it is also an interdisciplinary integrated education model.
This educational philosophy emphasizes the integration of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics knowledge, and develops students’ creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills through project- and problem-driven learning. The integration of the arts not only enriches students’ learning experience, but also promotes the development of their abilities in design, expression and creativity.
Combining the descriptions of STEM education and STEAM education, we can clearly understand the difference between the two: the latter, compared to the former, is an education with the inclusion of Arts, which not only enriches the learning experience of the students, but also promotes the development of their ability to design, express and create.
Although this is also the age of AI, there are still many irreplaceable aspects of human beings compared to AI, and art is one of the most important irreplaceable elements!
Is STEM better or STEAM better? How should we choose for our children?
From a purely comparative point of view, STEAM does have advantages, but in reality it does not. Human energy is limited, and one more subject distracts some of the energy from learning.
There is no best, only the most suitable. So it is up to you to judge which is more suitable, STEM education or STEAM education, based on your child’s situation.
And a child’s education should have been judged according to the child’s specific situation, so as a parent, when choosing STEM or STEAM education for your child, you can base your choice on the following situations of your child:
child’s interests and specialties and career plans:
If your child shows a strong interest in the arts, STEAM education may be more suitable for them as it adds an artistic element and promotes your child’s overall development.
And if your child has no interest in the arts, but instead is particularly interested in pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering, etc., then STEM education, on the contrary, is more suitable for him. After all, one more subject distracts from some of the studies. Ditto for career planning with reference to this idea.
Educational resources and support:
To be combined with your local educational situation, or the educational resources provided by the school to consider: if you are in your local area has a very good school or organization, then you should give priority to also choose a good school and institution-based, that is, what courses are offered by the excellent school, what courses you report on the good.
After all, the importance of choosing a good school is higher than the choice of courses. Evaluate the educational resources provided by your region or school and choose those institutions that offer rich practical opportunities and good teachers.
How to Better STEM & STEAM Education
For schools
Professionals do professional work. In terms of educating students, schools are definitely more professional than ACEBOTT!
But in terms of STEM products, ACEBOTT is professional enough to help schools improve the effectiveness of STEM education and achieve further success by providing advanced STEM education tools!
Click here to learn more about acebott’s STEM & STEAM education products:
STEM & STEAM Kits For Education
For Parents
Parents play the most important role in their children’s learning and development, and STEM & STEAM education is a part of that learning. The following suggestions can help you support your child’s STEM learning more effectively:
1. Create an atmosphere of exploration:
Encourage your children to ask questions to stimulate their curiosity and spirit of inquiry. In daily life, encourage them to observe, think, and try to find answers.
2.Provide appropriate resources:
Provide your child with STEM-related books, tools and toys, good tools can really make a real difference and save time. Click here to learn about Iceberg’s STEM & STEAM homeschooling products:
3. Participate in hands-on activities:
Participate in hands-on activities such as science experiments and model building with your children to develop their hands-on skills and teamwork.
4.Encourage creativity:
Positive feedback from parents is often a treasure that motivates children to move forward! Supporting your child’s innovative ideas, encouraging them to try, fostering bold creativity, and overcoming obstacles will take them farther down the road of learning and growth! (And of course STEM learning)
Wishing you all the best!