From STEM to STEAM

A term that has been used in childhood education is STEM. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Recently, it had been changed to STEAM to accommodate Arts into the major focus areas. National Association for the Education of Young Children wants teachers to begin teaching children STEAM in preschool to give young children learning experiences in these areas. STEAM provides learning experiences using everyday experiences.

Fred Rogers, a graduate from University of Pittsburgh, helped create program to help children learn skills fun and creatively. His show was called Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The PBS program was to teach social-emotional skills and STEAM curriculum. He wanted children to be more aware about themselves and everyone around them.

STEAM is the framework of education that uses science, technology, engineering, arts and math to teach children using language and inquiry-based thinking. Science is about discovering and learning about how and why things work. Hedda Sharapan says that, “It’s about experimenting, encouraging investigation, and asking “Why do you think…?” questions.” Science is important because children are curious in nature that it helps them begin to start thinking critically. Technology is something that is not just electronics like computers or cell phones but simple things like paper and pencils. Engineering is recognizing a problem then finding solutions to the work out the problem. Children go through this process everyday in school and at home when they working with blocks trying to figure out how to build a tower and at a water table trying to figure out how to make a boat that will float. Art helps children with creativity and to express their ideas in a different way. Musi...

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... child using creative ways to help them learn.

Fred Rogers is an important person in the education field. Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood was one of the shows I enjoyed watching as I grew up. The show taught me a lot without knowing I was learning anything. I remember the puppets scared me because they were creepy looking.

I think using children’s interests can help you teach children that are not interested in learning or even being at school. Always encourage children to ask questions and be curious about things. It will help them not to be afraid to ask questions when they are older. Books will be very important in my classroom. I think books can give children more information on a certain subject than a teacher can.

Works Cited

Sharapan, H. (2012). From stem to steam: How early childhood educators can apply fred rogers' approach. Young Children, 67(1), 36-40.