WNY Family Magazine December 2018 | Page 20

A STEM/STEAM Programs in Elementary School s you begin your quest for the best school for your child, your head may be swimming with a plethora of guidelines. Wait! Have you heard about STEM or STEAM? These acronyms will pro- vide your child with the 21st century’s curriculum of learning that is not only entertaining but leads your child into a future career path. — by Tania Cowling Today you will find leaders of com- panies and organizations who promote STEM/STEAM education. We have also seen a big influx of women in this field, since STEM has become a popular acronym. Why Get the Kids Involved in STEM Education? “One of the things that I’ve been fo- cused on as President is how we cre- ate an all-hands-on-deck approach to science, technology, engineering, and math… We need to make this a priority to train an army of new teachers in these subject areas, and to make sure that all of us as a country are lifting up these sub- jects for the respect that they deserve.” — President Barack Obama Back in 2009, president Barack Obama launched the Educate to Innovate initiative so our children could move up the ladder in math and science skills. The President and our government recruited and prepared 100,000 teachers in STEM education to pass along this love of sci- ence, along with the other components of STEM, to our children. With a focus on STEM/STEAM teaching, our students can further their education and move into rewarding and highly paid careers in science, technology, engineering, math- ematics, and the arts. 20 WNY Family December 2018 All of this data was compiled before the current economic boom under Presi- dent Trump, with many manufacturing companies now returning to America and needing workers with STEM skills. Regardless of timeframe, data shows that the set of core cognitive knowledge, skills, and abilities that are associated with STEM education are in demand in nearly all job sectors and occupations in the U.S. What are the Benefits of a STEM/STEAM Curriculum? In fact, according to a 2016 report titled “STEM 2026: A Vision for Inno- vation in STEM Education,” prepared by the U.S. Department of Education, analyses indicated that through 2021, major American companies will need to add a total of nearly 1.6 million em- ployees to their workforce: 945,000 who possess basic STEM literacy and 635,000 who demonstrate advanced STEM knowledge. Other data analyzed for the 2016 report suggested that at least 20 percent of U.S. jobs require a high level of knowledge in any one STEM field. Even outside the tradition- al STEM job sector, there is a need for STEM competencies and skills. STEM/STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, math, and the arts. It’s a unique approach to teach- ing and learning that centers on each student’s learning style and interest. Students sometimes get bored with just plain subjects taught one by one. With STEM/STEAM, subjects are integrated, allowing kids to think and develop high- er learning skills that relate to the real world. Teachers still teach basic subjects, but now they are blended to solve prob- lems. Before, lessons and exams were just memorization and no linkage to real life. Now, with STEM teaching, chil- dren can give feedback and participate between students. It’s a very hands-on way to learn. STEM emphasizes collaboration, communication, research, problem solv-