INTRODUCTION TO STEM-STEAM-STREAM
STEM – stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. It is an interdisciplinary approach to learning where the integrating of these subjects into local curriculums prepares learners for the era of technology. It helps learners to access the most cutting edge knowledge and training where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons to tackle problems of tomorrow.
STEAM – A – ‘Arts’ is an expression or application of human creative skill, emotion and imagination is added to the elements of STEM. Arts and humanities enhance and uphold morals, values, ethics, and responsibility. In the present and future cyber world, life will stressful and endangered if empathy is not included as an important learning element besides knowledge and skills.
STREAM – incorporates another layer to STEM and STEAM which have many variations and interpretations where ‘Reading & Writing’ is the term that is commonly used for ‘R’. Reading & Writing or literacy involves research works that promote critical thinking, creativity, and innovation. Realizing reading as a core element of discovering new knowledge, STREAM provides a well-rounded learning experience that further established “globally competitive learners”.
Here is a brief description and impact of each letter in STREAM
S – Science: Is the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. It is “a systematically organized body of knowledge on a particular subject”.
T – Technology: The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, the branch of knowledge dealing with engineering or applied sciences.
R – Reading and Writing: Reading & Writing or literacy involves research works that promote critical thinking, creativity, and innovation.
E – Engineering: Engineering is the creative application of science, mathematical methods, and empirical evidence to the innovation, design, construction, and maintenance of structures, machines, materials, devices, systems, processes, and organizations towards problem solving.
A – Arts: ‘Arts’ is an expression or application of human creative skill, emotion, and imagination.
M – Mathematics: Mathematics is the science that deals with the logic of shape, quantity, and arrangement.
