It’s really no surprise that our Earth is getting more technologically advanced every day. I mean, we’ve come a long way since the invention of the first light bulb in 1879; look at all of the problems that ChatGPT has solved for us since its release last November! As global technology becomes more efficient, more emphasis is being put on STEM careers and skills, but why do we keep seeing the word STE(A)M being thrown around? Hasn’t it always just been STEM? What’s with the “A”?
What is STEM?
STEM – A four-letter acronym representing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, entails a large domain of analytical, hands-on, and problem-based questions exploration. STEM subjects require a type of logical thinking, enabling more rule-based answers than creative ones.
Take coding for example: if you’re coding in Python, the chances are that writing code in Javaisn’t going to give you the results you need! While both coding languages are similar, they both have a different set of “rules” or keywords that belong to each language. The same thing goes for chemistry. Remember back in Sophomore year when that one extra drop of NaCl made the entire difference in your Titration Lab? Or when you thought you were on track to becoming a surgeon after dissecting a strawberry’s DNA? For many students across the world, STEM subjects and activities offer a logical-thinking outlet for students to practice hands-on and problem-solving thinking behaviors. With our world’s increasing knowledge of technology, who knows what new STEM careers can be explored next!
What is the A in STEAM?
STEM this, STEM that, but what is STE(A)M? Surely enough, I am not talking about the online gaming platform, but instead the collaboration of the Arts and Sciences. As you might have guessed, the “A” in STE(A)M stands for the Arts. While the Arts can sound like an overwhelmingly vast category, some of its many notable subjects can include Languages, Literature, Music, Theatre, Dance, and an even wider mixture of visual, language, and physical art forms!
STE(A)M is an all-encompassing intersection of logical-thinking behaviors and creative-thinking behaviors. While STEM subjects are deemed to be more “rule-based” and mathematical, STE(A)M subjects create flexibility in enabling the exploration of more creative and imaginative fields. Whether you’re someone who wants to publish books for a living, dance for the Rockettes, or join Gordon Ramsay’s Masterchef, the arts create a well-balanced environment, honing in on all 5 of our senses: Sight, Smell, Hearing, Touch, and Taste.
Where do STEM and STEAM intersect?
Despite the many differences that STE(A)M fields share between their STEM and Arts subjects, the similarities might surprise you! First things first, you can’t have STEM without the arts.
One of the most important aspects of being an engineer, for example, is understanding how to sketch/draw. Though engineering can have many technical aspects to it, sketching is an under-looked hard skill that an engineering role demands. The ability to think creatively and imaginatively and apply “arts” knowledge to a more logical and sometimes more physically demanding field is a severely under-represented skill set. You could say the same vice-versa. While being a chef can trigger our 5 senses and unleashes our creative outlet to explore a variety of tastes and smells, what we sometimes don’t consider is the essential role that Chemistry plays in cooking. The elements that you learn about in Chemistry make up the same compound molecules that exist on your ingredients list! The oil that you cook with is the same oil that your teacher once told you is hydrophobic (water-fearing) and the sugar that you top off your dessert with is the same sugar that is only attracted to polar molecules (like water!).
Cool right? Although we recognize STEM and the arts as having different thinking behaviors and paths, what we sometimes fail to consider is the multitude of ways in which they intersect and share even more similarities. Without the combination of both logic and creativity, we lack one significant aspect in our path of problem-solving and exploration: the ability to gain perspective on learning by using the opposing skill set.
So… Why should you care?
The term STEM was introduced by the National Science Foundation in 2001 as an umbrella term to house the curricula of logic-branded subjects in lieu of consideration for artistic values. It wasn’t until 2006 that Georgette Yakmanat, a graduate student at Virginia Polytechnic and State University, proposed the concept of combining the arts and STEM into one acronym: STEAM.
To say that the arts are important in STE(A)M is simply an understatement. The arts do not only play a massive role in offering a creative perspective in designing, outlining, and understanding a range of concepts in STEM, but they can also shape our future. With AI and robots already learning how to pick up on human behavior and writing style, who knows when these machines can start developing their own philosophies and creative interests! With STEM careers on the rise, the demand for hard skills in the arts will only go up from here.
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