Defining STEAM Education

Scientific Principles
Leads to the Development
Of new Technology.

Technological Innovations
Improve Efficiency
In Engineering.

Engineering Design
Allows for the
Creation of Art.

Artistic Expression
Can Communicate
Abstract Ideas.

Mathematical Analysis
Of Data Models
Improve Science.



Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2016.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics)

STEAM is an approach to education that integrates the core knowledge and skills in the areas of: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.

The standards in these strands allow a student's learning to grow and develop across all areas so they can solve problems, with creative solutions, in collaboration with classmates, and the guidance of their teachers.

STEAM can be designed to be flexible, creative, innovative, and disciplined through the use of project based & blended learning, or hands-on approach to real-life applications.

For STEAM education to succeed, it should be fully supported by students, parents, educators, and community leaders.



Manuel R. CortezRodas - Chief Educator/Founder

Copyright 2015.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Reaching out to Parents on STEAM

What is STEAM Education?
  
Most educators would surely be able to, if not answer this question, talk about it with some understanding of it.  Some students would also be able to speak about STEAM to some extent, as they may be participating in such programs at school.  Elected officials, community and business leaders are also becoming increasingly aware of STEAM and the role it is playing in education and employment.

• But how aware are parents of STEAM education?
• Do they truly understand what STEAM is, the effect it is having in education, and how it will help their children with both future education and employment?
• Do parents assume because this is one of the current buzz words of today, that STEAM has been automatically been implemented in schools?
• Have we, as educators, done enough to reach out to parents on STEAM, and made sure that they are well informed on what is being done at all levels of education, and beyond, with regard to the implementation of STEAM education into everyday activities in school?

It is important that we reach out to parents and share with them the benefits that STEAM brings to the student, the classroom, the school, and the community. Without the support of our parents, STEAM would be missing a key component in its implementation.  As educators, we should do all we can to make sure that we are reaching out to parents.

Here are a few ideas on how educators can reach out to parents and make them aware of the importance of STEAM:

1. Talk to parents.  It is still the best way to communicate.  Educators can engage with parents and inquire if they know or have heard of STEAM education.
2. Encourage students to share with their parents how STEAM plays a role in their education, and how the classroom is acquiring knowledge in STEAM and developing the skills required.
3. Host a STEAM event at your school, where students share some of the work they are doing, and how it relates to STEAM.
4. Invite parents to attend open forums, discussions, trainings, seminars, etc. that are design to share information on STEAM, its benefits, and applications in school and work.
5. Utilize social media to share updates, classwork, reference material, and other information that can engage parents into becoming part of the conversation of STEAM in schools, education, and careers. 

Manuel R. CortezRodas - Chief Educator/Founder

Copyright 2015.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

March 2015

SPRING ON AHEAD

"The arrival of March brings with it spring.  As winter wanes we spring on ahead towards summer, and another education year will come to a close.

Manuel R. CortezRodas
Chief Educator/Founder
MRCR Education

This past February was a most productive period for me as I continue to grow as Chief Educator at MRCR Education.

The 5th Annual San Francisco Bay Area STEAM Education Colloquium demonstrated the growth that STEAM Education has achieved in becoming an important part of education throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

This was followed by a speech before the Alameda Unified School District Board of Education on English Language Development, and the need to prioritize and fund such programs while supporting the staff and students who are a part of it. 

I look forward to what may come marching in this spring, and how it can be of use to educators, as they continue their efforts to prepare today's learners and students so they may become seekers of higher education and developers of professional carriers.  

Without education, civilizations collapse under the heavy burden of ignorance and injustice. This is why education is among the most fundamental processes that allows for us, as a people, to design, develop, and create great cultures that are knowledgeable, thoughtful, and just.

Thank you for your continued commitment to education, and I look forward to sharing more with your as we gear up toward the end of the school year."

Sincerely,

Manuel R. CortezRodas - Chief Educator/Founder MRCR Education

Copyright 2015.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved

February 2015

As the second month of 2015 gets underway so does MRCR Education's continued commitment to STEAM Education.  For the third year in a row MRCR Education had the pleasure to participate in the SF Bay Area STEAM Education Colloquium.  This year marked the colloquium's fifth event, and it was a great success.  It has become quite clear that STEAM education in the Bay Area has, not only taken root throughout the education community, but it has also sprouted the interest of local businesses, community leaders, and elected officials.

STEAM Education is now more than an academic program, it is the cornerstone for a future economic development in which public-private partnerships will play a crucial role.  STEAM has also emerged as the bridge between the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as it can provide a wide range of possibilities for schools and their districts in the implementation of an interconnected multiple subject approach to curriculum development, lesson plans, and learning needs.

MRCR Education encourages you to learn and research more about STEAM education and how it can be implemented it into your classroom, school, and district.  Throughout the month of February, as we have done in past years, MRCR Education will share thoughts and ideas on STEAM education and the benefits it can bring to learners, students, teachers, and all stakeholders in the education of future generations.


Written by Manuel R. CortezRodas - Chief Educator & Founder

Copyright 2015.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Lessons

Creating a lesson is a skill that educators should make part of their best practices.  Lessons provide an opportunity to present themes, ideas, and concepts to those who are attempting to learn them.  Below are five steps which should be included as part of planning lessons.  They represent the various stages that educators should take into consideration when creating STEAM Education Lessons.  Taking these five steps can help educators create successful Lessons that engage the learner.  Make them a part of the best practices used for planning a great STEAM Education Lesson.

1) Plan, Research, Implement

Create a plan for your lesson and do research on it.  This will help you make sure that you are presenting the best known data available.  Design a road map that can guide you through toward the implementation of your lesson.

2) Strand Flexibility

STEAM gives you the flexibility to use many strands.  You can choose to focus on a particular strand that is most directly related to your lesson, but remember that you can borrow from the other strands, and be creative.

3) Student Diversity

In the classroom, student diversity is going to be a fact.  There will be students who have been introduced to advanced concepts, and there will be other who may be lacking in basic skills.  Take into consideration your classrooms student diversity.

4) Resources, Off-Site Connections, Real Life Application

Present students with a variety of resources accessible to them.  Field trips and off-site connections are a great way to show students how the lesson can be applied to real life situations and encourages them to explore their communities.

5) Evaluation and Review

Do your own analysis of the lesson. After you have implemented it, take the time to do an thorough evaluation, and review all aspects of it: What worked, what didn't, and what needs to be improved upon for the next time.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Curriculum

The creation of a STEAM Education Curriculum is the most challenging step in the process of STEAM education.  The challenge lies in two of the principal aspects of creation.  First, the endless number of possibilities we can come up with using our vision, imagination, and knowledge.  Second, the reaching of an agreement, by all involved, on which curriculum is the best, and most suitable, to implement.  Three areas to keep in mind when creating a STEAM Education Curriculum are subject, grade, and age.

Each strand of STEAM can be broken down into many pieces which we can use to design a framework that will support the curriculum being created.  Care must be taken to ensure that, as the framework is design and the curriculum created, the appropriate subject matter to be presented to students is appropriate to the grade level in attendance and their age.  From the most basic concepts, like counting and the ABC's, to the most complex ideas, like calculating the amount of water needed to support a civilization, a series of logical sequential steps need to be develop in order to create a curriculum that allows the student to proceed on an educational path that takes them from the basic, to the complex, and back again.

As stated, it is not only about creating a curriculum that is filled with knowledge, is imaginative, and presents a clear vision, but it must also be agreed upon to be the best and most suitable to implement.  The creation of a STEAM Education Curriculum is an endeavor that should be carefully planned, prepared, and researched, for it is expected to have an immediate and long-lasting effect in the education of our students.  When creative individuals come together to collaborate toward an innovative goal, the two principal aspects of creation can truly be achieved.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Benefits

STEAM Education is beneficial.  It is good for those who are educated under its principles, guidance, and framework.  Some of those who are benefited from STEAM Education include: students, teachers, parents, the community, and education.  Here is a closer look at how each of these groups benefit from an education based on STEAM.

• STEAM Education benefits students by offering them a diversity of knowledge and skills which they can cross-reference for multipurpose applications.

• STEAM Education benefits teachers by allowing them to reach across the curriculum and team-teach lessons with availability to various resources and support.

• STEAM Education benefits parents by giving them a chance to show how they apply the subject areas and have the opportunity to help the student be better prepared for life.

• STEAM Education benefits the community by developing the skills of leadership and teamwork where creative thinkers have a flexible approach to problem solving.

• STEAM Education benefits education by furthering current knowledge through the development of new skills that are essential for future growth.

There are many benefits to a STEAM Education as illustrated in the examples above.  It is worth taking the time to research how we can best integrate STEAM Education into our classrooms, schools, districts, homes, communities, and life. 

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Definition

To define STEAM Education you must do research to become informed.  With research done by you, and published by others, one can begin to define STEAM Education.  Each one of us can define STEAM Education as we understand it, and as we see it best, to be applied to our current educational needs.  While the foundation of STEAM Education must be defined by its five strands (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics), the definition for that which is constructed upon this foundation is entirely up to each one of us: how we view STEAM Education, what is our vision, what can we achieve, how do we reach it.

To help with the defining of STEAM Education we take a look at three styles: Linear, Cyclical, and Linear-Cyclical.  Linear STEAM Education can be defined as a set sequential curriculum which requires the learner to successfully complete a defined subject prior to proceeding to the next one.  This style requires that the faculty be specialized in a specific set of sequences withing the curriculum.  Cyclical STEAM Education can be defined as a complete set of ongoing standards which the learner is achieving constantly as they grow with the help of the faculty as a whole.  Linear-Cyclical STEAM Education can be defined as a paced curriculum with a set of standards to be acquired with the help of the faculty over a defined period of time.

These three STEAM Education styles can be of help to us in our research to understand the definition of STEAM Education.  They can help us visualize the framework of a path that leads today's learner toward tomorrow's education.  We can begin to see the many different pieces of STEAM Education which are available to us, and how to customize them so they help us create a concrete realization of our vision.  As STEAM Educators part of our job is to define and publish it for others to research, while also been engaged with them through open argumentation.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Introduction

STEAM Education is founded in a learning process that incorporates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.  Students who learn by using the STEAM Education process have the benefit of developing skills which allows them to draw from all strands.  By drawing from all strands students develop a multiple subject approach which they can apply to academic and real life challenges.  Educators benefit from STEAM Education by having the opportunity to teach by creating lesson plans that reach out beyond the limitations of a single subject.  Faculty members can work together and develop a collaborative curriculum that breaks the walls of independently structured subject based frameworks.

STEAM Education should be carefully planned and researched by a STEAM team.  The STEAM team should also seek the support of administrators, parents, students, and community leaders to develop the best possible plan for the school.  By having an open dialog with these various sources of knowledge and experience, the STEAM team cam make the best possible recommendation for the school to implement and the students to succeed.  With continued support, the STEAM team should be able to continue the development and growth of the program.

The importance of STEAM Education to our community is in the preparation of students with today's knowledge and skills for tomorrow's education and careers.  STEAM Education will allow today's students to face tomorrow's challenges not just by thinking outside the box, but by reaching to other boxes for ideas.  They will have the opportunity to be flexible in their problem solving approach by drawing from establish core areas of study which have been proven to be fundamental since past time to a diverse number of professionals, and have allow for the development of some of the world's great cultures.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education

We should begin by understanding that STEAM education incorporates five strands: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics.  Each strand has unique knowledge and skills which are part of, and can be applied to, the other strands.

It is an academic collaborative effort requiring the development of a curriculum in which students gain knowledge and develop skills based on the strands that STEAM incorporates.  Students can then apply STEAM knowledge and skills to further their education and future professions.

By learning from the strands in STEAM students can acquire the opportunity to develop a strong, secure, and solid foundation.  With such a foundation, upon which they can stand up on, students can begin their educational path and be able to complete this journey successfully.

STEAM education provides students with set knowledge and skills which helps them face future challenges.  It is an important part of the educational process and the future of our nation. 

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

February 2014

STEAM Education is the theme that MRCR Education will address this month of February.  It is our belief that STEAM Education is an important part of the overall process of a student's educational path. 

STEAM (which incorporates the strands of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education can become a valuable component of a classroom, school, or district, and serve as a foundation upon which students can design, build, and maintain a life long educational path.

Throughout the month of February MRCR Education is going to be publishing various posts that will cover different aspects of STEAM Education including an introduction, definition, benefits, curriculum, and lessons.  

We are also honored to have been selected as a presenter for the 4th Annual San Francisco Bay Area STEAM Colloquium hosted by the Contra Costa County Office of Education.  This event was attended last year and became a valuable source of information on STEAM Education.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Evaluation

Importance of STEAM Education Evaluation

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Definition of STEAM Education Evaluation

Evaluation places a value on the education that students have received.  To know the value of the education students have received, the students must be able to demonstrate what they know.  For students to demonstrate what they know, we, as educators, must rely upon, and use a variety of tools which help us determine the value of the knowledge the student has learned.

Purpose of STEAM Education Evaluation

Evaluation of STEAM Education serves two purposes: To give the student an opportunity to share the knowledge they have gained, and for the educator to have the chance to check for accuracy of knowledge and improve future presentations of such to other students.  it is not the purpose of STEAM Education evaluation to either correct the student's knowledge, or to place a value on the educator's presentation of the instruction of educational material.

Measuring STEAM Education Evaluation

Evaluation can be measured, as mentioned earlier, using a variety of tools.  Which measuring tool we use to evaluate STEAM education depends on the knowledge that students have received, and the student's ability to accurately demonstrate and communicate, the received knowledge.  The following three tools have proven to be reliable and dependable for measuring student's acquired knowledge.  These are: Assignments, Projects, and Tests.  When measuring STEAM Education Evaluation, we must keep present two factors: The quantity of time a student has to share their knowledge, and the environment and resources that the student has access to while preparing to share their knowledge.

Analyzing STEAM Education Evaluation

Evaluation of STEAM Education should be analyzed to acquire further understanding of the knowledge that educators have instructed to students, and how students demonstrate their knowledge.  The analysis we do of STEAM Education should be recorded, stored, and preserved, so that we may have a source of information when presenting justification for the value of the student's education.  We must also study the analysis of the evaluation, so that we may become aware of any patterns that may emerge over time.

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Lessons (Part 2)

Preparing STEAM Education Lessons

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Ideas, Themes, and Concepts

What do you want to present to your students in this lesson?  This is the primary question that needs to be addressed as you prepare a STEAM education lesson.  The difficulty of the task is the wide range and availability of ideas, themes, and concepts that are out there, and are worth the time to be introduced to students.  This is why it is so important that the first step in developing a STEAM education lesson be choosing a primary idea, theme, or concept that we, as educators, can prepare and present to our students for their learning.

Language

Once you have chosen a central primary idea, theme or concept, comes the task of developing the necessary language with which to communicate the lesson to the students.  This task begins with the introduction of the necessary vocabulary.

Introducing the necessary vocabulary creates a base language which we need to be able to communicate the STEAM Education Lesson.  Creating a language based on necessary vocabulary allows educators and learners to communicate and exchange ideas, themes, and concepts with success.

Connections

A STEAM Education Lesson should be connected to present.  We should present students with current connections, to the lesson being presented, that are of importance today.  If a lesson is not connected to the present, the it becomes at danger, of falling outside of time, that students experience on a constant day to day basis.  Students are connected to present events of a diverse nature through more that just the strands of technology and arts.  The science, engineering, and mathematics, of STEAM must also become part of the connections that students be presented with.

Applications

What are the applications for the STEAM Education Lesson that we are preparing to present?  The applications for STEAM Education should be founded on the five stands of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.  How is each strand of STEAM applied to the lesson, and how does that application to each strand connect to the others? Applications to our lessons should inspire our imagination.  Students should be able to apply STEAM education lessons in the present for what is important.

Required/Applied Knowledge

Knowledge should be required of the learners and applied by the educators.  Each student has a unique level of the required knowledge of the lesson, as well as a unique level of applied knowledge of the lesson, that will vary from learner to learner, and classroom to classroom.  It is for this reason that the educator measure the level of both required and applied knowledge that learners have. 

Copyright 2013.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Benefits of STEAM Education

What Students Develop from STEAM Education

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

The benefits of a STEAM education are reflected on the development of the students as they acquire, apply, and demonstrate the following skills:

• They find solutions to problems, rather than problem solving.
• They are artful in their communication, rather than express STEM-babble.
• They understand that information is pursued, rather than being a fact seeker.
• They become life-long learners, rather than stage students.
• They are neo-knowledgeable, rather than pseudo-fictional.

These are the skills that students who have been instructed in a STEAM education should be able to carry for their life.  They should demonstrate these skills, as they are acquired, by applying them to all problems that they may face in academics and daily life.

 With a solid foundation in a clearly defined STEAM education curriculum, we as educators can plant a seed of learning in each of our students.  This seed will then begin to branch out and grow in each student as they progress through their education.  With a constant evaluation of their learning we can ensure that as students grow they develop a healthy education, and it will allow for corrective actions to be implemented if needed.  The fruits of these students will be good and in time they will create an educational ecosystem that cycles around learning.

Copyright 2012.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Curriculum

Developing a STEAM Education Curriculum

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Foundation for a STEAM Education Curriculum

The foundation for a STEAM education curriculum begins with a team of people who believe that educating students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics is important for the preparation and development of future learners.

Definition of STEAM Education Curriculum

To begin the development of STEAM education curriculum, we must define what we understand to be STEAM education curriculum.  STEAM could be the foundation upon which we build education.  We could also use education as the foundation for STEAM education.  STEAM curriculum should be built on or around a defined foundation.

Planting STEAM Education Curriculum

With the foundation and definition of STEAM Education Curriculum, the planting can take place.  A seed is planted on a defined foundation, and it can begin growing by branching out.  A STEAM education curriculum branches out as it grows after it is planted on a defined foundation.    

Branching STEAM Education Curriculum

STEAM Education should branch out in a single direction before growing.  The direction of growth can be defined by a multitude of factors such as available educational resources, student education level, community priority of education, and the effective implementation of education regulation prior to growth.

Growing STEAM Education Curriculum

STEAM Education should grow out in a multitude of directions that allow for new branching in different directions.  Whether STEAM is the foundation and education the growth, or education the foundation and STEAM the growth, the curriculum branches out and grows allowing for the development of students who are learned in the areas of STEAM education.  

Evaluating STEAM Education Curriculum

As the curriculum flows throughout the educational system, it should be evaluated constantly and at every stage.  Measurements allow us to evaluate any part of the curriculum, and we learn from these measurements how effective the curriculum is, if it needs to be made better, are the students at an equal level.

Copyright 2012. MRCR Edcuational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Understanding STEAM Education

A Vision of STEAM Education

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

We now present a view of STEAM Education as envisioned at MRCR Education.  First, we take a look at the STEAM Educational Cycle, then we demonstrate how to link the strands of STEAM in a lesson plan.

The STEAM Education Cycle

The STEAM education cycle begins when the student is introduced to the five strands of STEAM.  Students who are educated in STEAM can become STEAM learners.  This approach will challenge students to cross-reference what they are learning.  It should allow students to connect and apply knowledge across the five unique strands in a way that expands their level of thinking.  Understanding a scientific concept like the water cycle is not enough.  The student should be able to relate the water cycle to tools in technology we have engineered like thermometers, barometers, and hydrometers which allow us to collect numeric data using a mathematical approach. This in turn will help us to better understand a scientific idea, while at the same time being able to visualize this cycle in a multitude of terrains as it takes place throughout the world.

Linking STEAM in a Lesson

Let us take a look at how a theme can be used to develop a STEAM lesson that links all five strands.  In the sample lesson, we see that the theme that has been selected is "Hammers".  in the strand of science, the connection to the theme is what happens when hammers strike? The scientific concepts that are associated with hammers include force, pressure, sound, vibration, etc.  Under technology, the development of hammers through time is the connection, as we look at the needs for each era.  The use of hammers in engineering has us turn our attention to railroads, homes, and tents; while in the arts we can search and find paintings like "Thor's Battle with the Ettins", not to mention that hammers have also been used by sculptures to create statues.  The strand of mathematics provides for us a way to compare and evaluate how the material of the hammer, at different weights, produces different results, which in itself completes the circle by linking this to science.

This is but one view of how STEAM can be developed into a lesson for the student to expand one theme across five strands.  It can be done with a variety of themes, and students can be allowed to generate their own themes and lessons by following the sample plan that has been presented here.

Copyright 2012.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education

What is STEAM Education?

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Introduction to STEAM Education

 STEAM education incorporates the following five strands: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics.  It is a collaborative effort, by all who are involved in education, to develop a curriculum that allows students to interconnect the elements of STEAM and apply them, not just to school and academics, but to their lives and future growth.

This week we are going to share with you our thoughts on STEAM education, and how it can be beneficial to students, teachers, and parents, as well as the benefits to schools, homes, and the community.  By connecting the strands of STEAM education, students can be given an opportunity to develop a strong foundation, that will provide them with a set of skills which should help them face the future challenges whether they be educational, employment, equality, or environmental.

We hope that you find this week's theme as an important piece for the future of education across our nation.  Join us as we demonstrate how to develop lessons that cover each of the strands in STEAM, and how these lessons can be initiated with a concept or idea that can then be shared with students as part of their current education.

Copyright 2012.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Thanksgiving Week

Thanksgiving 2012

Weekly Schedule

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving Day here, in the United States.  It falls in November, during fall season, when harvest takes place.  MRCR™ Education joins the celebration of this week by presenting its theme of "Thanksgiving Holiday".  We also thank those of you, who have been reading these posts and visiting these pages, as we continue to share our thoughts and ideas, with you, on education.

On the eve of Thanksgiving Day (Wednesday) we are going to post our thoughts on the many meanings that this holiday holds for us.  From its origin, history, and traditions, this holiday can present to us, as educators, with a series of lessons that we can design, teach, and learn as we share them with our students, colleagues, and families.

We will also be taking a break as we spend time with friends and family to reflect, while also developing STEAM Education presentations to be shared with the public at upcoming events.  December we will look back at the first three months of education, current level assessment, and the - year end / look ahead - as 2012 comes to a close and 2013 begins a new year.

© 2012 MRCR™ Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.