Why STEM & STEAM Are Important – National STEM/STEAM Day 2021
Happy National STEM/STEAM Day 2021! 🎉🎉🎉
November 8th is National STEM/STEAM Day, which celebrates STEM & STEAM education in the US. It’s an opportunity for educators to help their students explore and pursue topics in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics.
In celebration, we reached out to a few SAM Labs educators and asked them what they love about teaching STEAM, and why they think STEAM education is important. Here’s what they said.
Catherine Melton, K-5 Innovation Facilitator at Lake Oswego School District
Q: What do you love about teaching STEM/STEAM?
Catherine: I love giving students the opportunity to creatively solve problems!
Q: Why do you think STEM/STEAM education is so important?
Catherine: Because it prepares students for a rapidly changing world in which the 4 Cs (collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication) are essential skills.
(You can follow Catherine on LinkedIn.)
Libo Valencia, Math Teacher at Chappaqua Central School District
Q: What do you love about teaching STEM/STEAM? Why do you think STEM/STEAM education is so important?
Libo: I’ve always been very passionate about teaching math. I believe that understating mathematics can help all students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that can be utilized outside the classroom. I also love to use different technologies in the classroom to engage my students and to bring math concepts to life.
(You can follow Libo on Twitter @MrValencia24.)
Sam Yancey, STEAM Curriculum & Content Developer, currently for Strawbees and previously for SAM Labs
Q: What do you love about teaching STEM/STEAM?
Sam: I love the student creativity, collaboration, and confidence that grows through STEAM education. It’s also a joy to see students happy in their learning and happy to be at school and to be in my class. It’s exciting to watch them team up with others in solving a problem that is connected to a real-world issue.
I really enjoy learning new things myself via STEAM education and continually being stretched in new ways. I emphasize this often to my students—that I am still learning and that I like to learn new things. STEAM education gets students creating and making through hands-on tasks where they discover how to recognize and accept failure, and to use these setbacks as tools for growth and inspiration for better iterations on a design idea.
I love how STEAM education is for everyone! I love how, when done systematically and at a high level, STEAM education can be an educational tool to lift up others.
Q: Why do you think STEM/STEAM education is so important?
Sam: STEAM education is so critically important at this moment. It is more than simply preparation for higher learning and jobs of the future. It is a way of deep learning in which we rediscover our own curiosity and imagination. It is learning to take an active stance in our education and in our world, while also finding our own creative voice and self-expression. It is continually learning and relearning how to listen respectfully, respond compassionately, effectively share ideas, and thoughtfully communicate with others who might think differently than we do.
The goal of STEAM education is growing fully alive students, educators, and stakeholders who are activated, invested, and eager to unite in reshaping this world for the better.
(You can follow Sam on LinkedIn.)
Happy STEM/STEAM Day everyone!
Stephen is an author, writer, and storyteller. As a content writer for SAM Labs, Stephen spends his time talking to educators and crafting cool free resources to help them teach STEAM & coding with confidence. In his free time he enjoys writing fantasy novels, playing board games, kayaking, scuba diving, and being ridiculously tall.