The State of
STEAM
Supporting a Growth Mindset Through Inquiry-Based Learning BY ALLISON MAGES, STEAM INTEGRATION SPECIALIST, COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER
Today’s digitally networked world puts a premium on independent thinking and creativity. Contrast this with the traditional educational paradigm — designed to meet the social and economic needs of the industrial revolution — that prepares students for a world of standardization. Passive, rote, and standardized learning do not model the kinds of creative and collaborative environments that students need to grow and be prepared for today and our quickly changing future. Innovative education in the 21st century is driven by a pedagogy that was initially called STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). This inquiry-based approach sees not distinct fields of study but rather “interdependent” learning units based on real-world applications. (For example, using a mathematical model to theorize how a vaccine might affect COVID-19 transmission.) The acronym grew to become STEAM, with the A added to signify the arts — humanities, language arts, dance, drama, music, visual arts, design, new media, etc.— and the experimentation, creativity, and innovation that are inherent in these fields. The STEAM approach, integrating design thinking, sees access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking that instill a sense of interconnection across and through various fields of study. Students
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