There are lots of hands-on learning opportunities popping up in schools and institutes all over the country. She works with nanotechnolgists in biomedical industries to develop jewellery to assist diabetics administer their insulin. The hunt for the Superstars of STEM to engage more women in scienceĪ perfect example is artist and designer Leah Heiss.
#Forgotten fields steam plus#
Practical applications of STEAMĮducators and inspiring collaborators like artist/engineer Stephen Mushin, maths rockstar Eddie Woo, scientist Vanessa Pirotta, bio-engineer Melissa Knothe Tate show us how STEM plus the arts works in the real world. They also point us in the direction of 22nd century skills – connection, care, community and culture. These general capabilities are crucial to growing a future-ready workforce that understands the potential of “what if” when solving problems that occur in real life.
Gonski 2.0 and the Australian Curriculum highlight the importance of these skills for a future Australian workplace. STEAM education in schools provides students with the opportunity to learn creatively, using 21st century skills such as problem solving. Indigenous Australians also have a long-standing tradition of scientific knowledge passed down through song as a memory system. People such as Leonardo Da Vinci have shown us the importance of combining science and art to make discoveries. This looks like groups of learners working collaboratively to create a visually appealing product or object that is based in the understanding of a STEM concept, such as the mathematics of the parabola used to create fine art imagery. STEAM investigates the same concepts, but does this through inquiry and problem-based learning methods used in the creative process. The main difference between STEM and STEAM is STEM explicitly focuses on scientific concepts. Leonardo Da Vinci is an early examples of someone using STEAM to make discoveries.