STEAM Education continues to gain momentum and supporters from the community.Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and many others have become advocates of STEAM for it can provide many benefits to the education process.
STEAM also benefits the growth of students, as they are learning, while preparing for their pursuit of higher education and professional employment.
For those who are interested in the integration of STEAM in their educational communities, the following four steps can serve as a starting point in a journey toward STEAM Education:
First, Create a STEAM Team.
Second, Observe and Research STEAM Programs.
Third, Start a Dialog with the Community.
Fourth, Plan & Design an Implementation Roadmap.
The first step toward STEAM Education should be to create a STEAM Team.
It can be quite a challenge to take on the task of STEAM Implementation on our own, without any help or assistance from others. One person would also have limited achievement, without the collaboration which other can contribute, and a singular point of view. But with a team that is diverse, collaborates, and is willing to take on the task of STEAM Education, many goals can be successfully achieved.
The STEAM Team should be composed of 5 to 12 members who are knowledgeable, skillful, and can dedicate their time to this task. It should draw from students, parents, teachers, administrators, support staff, and volunteers from the community.
With a team in place to take on STEAM Education, the second step of observing and researching STEAM programs can proceed.
The STEAM Team should find and discover which resources and support is available from other schools and districts, the county and state departments of education, and businesses who support STEAM.
This can be done online, through social media, by contracting professional services, attending training seminars and hosting speakers, and any other source on STEAM.
The team should also schedule visits to successful STEAM programs to take a closer look at what it took for their program to reach success.
As the STEAM Team searches further understanding of STEAM, they should maintain an open dialog with the public.The third step should be to start a dialog with the community. Schedule regular meetings and forums, at convenient times, where team members can share and report the progress that is being made.
This step also provides the helpful benefit of maintaining clarity through the exchange of thoughts and ideas, questions and answers. It provides the opportunity to seek input from members of the community who's support will be needed in the implementation of STEAM Education.
An open dialog also allows for the public to become educated on STEAM while being a part of the decision making process.
The fourth and final step for the STEAM Team is to plan and design an implementation roadmap.
This roadmap will serve as the final guide toward the construction and maintenance of the structure toward STEAM implementation as envisioned for the school or district by the team. It should clearly state: Why STEAM education should be implemented, establish a timeline for implementation, and designate at which locations this implementation will take place.
The finalized roadmap should be presented to appropriate body (ie. School Council, District Board, County, State & other government agencies) for review and approval of the implementation of STEAM education that will be taking place.
As stated earlier these four steps toward STEAM education implementation are but the start of a journey that begins with a dedicated team. A STEAM team that can lead the implementation process from beginning to end.
This team, of leaders in education, will have an important role in a decision making process that will greatly benefit current and future students, as they prepare for the challenges of their adult lives, and acquire the skills & knowledge that facilitate their chance to succeed.
Manuel R. CortezRodas - Chief Educator
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