Why use STEAM with young children; isn’t it above their heads? To many, STEAM may seem like it is above children’s heads because it includes science and technology. The reality is that, children are already involved with STEAM aspects in their everyday lives, so it isn’t all above their heads. Different aspects of STEAM help students while they are in the classroom, but also when they leave the classroom and go out into the world. This post will dive into different reasons as to why STEAM is important in the classroom, different qualities it builds in children and give different ideas as to how it can be implemented.
https://www.teachthought.com/technology/benefits-of-steam-education/ STEAM is important because it incorporates different subject areas into one lesson and these different subjects are all intertwined with one another for the lesson. Four of the main reasons listed as to why it is important include creativity, confidence, collaboration and problem-solving. Creativity comes into play because students will need to think outside the box with these projects. Not all the information will be given to them, so they have to come up with a solution. Confidence is what the children will get after being able to complete the project or assignment, especially if it was somewhat challenging. Students will learn how to problem-solve through the lesson and think of ways to solve the problem at hand. Students will be working together and collaborating thoughts and ideas with their peers. This gets them to talk about what they want to do before it is implemented and then implement this idea with another student. https://www.earlychildhoodwebinars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/4.9.14-ECE-STEAM-slides.pdf Some of the ideas given on how to use STEAM in an elementary classroom during station rotations include: water or sensory tables, age-appropriate tools, and creation stations. These are all kid friendly ways for younger students to learn different aspects of STEAM. One lesson that incorporates all aspects of STEAM is a Three Little Pigs inspired lesson. For the science part, it could be learning about different materials for building houses, technology could be watching a video on how houses are built or of the book being read, engineering is building the houses of the three little pigs, art is designing the houses to be built and math is measuring out the parts of materials you will need for the building of the houses. STEAM isn't as hard as it sounds in an elementary room is the main theme of this PDF. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/steam-ipdf.pdf This PDF goes into detail on the five different subjects involved with STEAM and how they can be used in a STEAM lesson with younger children. It also goes into detail on how children have been doing STEAM related activities since they were very young, even before school, so implementing a lesson in an elementary grade isn't going to be too challenging for them. It also goes into detail on how to choose a STEAM related book for the lesson to make it interdisciplinary. Some characteristics of a good book include: up to date on current topics, fun to read, keeps children's attention and promotes a positive sense of science are all important characteristics. https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom%20%20resources/benefits-of-teaching-steam/ This website goes into detail on how STEAM projects can be collaborative and unique ways to problem solve. STEAM projects usually involve groups of students working together on one common goal, so they must work together collaboratively to get to the end goal. This collaborative work that they are doing will help them in the future with the upper grade levels and then once they enter the workforce. Being able to work in a group is crucial in this day and age. When working on a STEAM project, the final project is an idea that is outside the box. To come up with a solution to the problem at hand, students have to think of an idea with their group; STEAM is not a teacher directed topic, the teacher lets the students guide their own learning. https://www.educationalplaycare.com/blog/stem-steam-learning-for-young-children/ HOW CAN I IMPLEMENT IT IN AN ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM?
Do you see why STEAM is so important now, even in an early childhood classroom? The reality is that children are already taking part in this, so making it more meaningful and something they will gain knowledge and experience from is the key to making learning fun. If there is motivation behind the learning, more knowledge will be engaged and STEAM lessons will do just that.
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AuthorTeacher in progress. I have a passion for children's literature. Archives |