Dive Brief:
- Three large ed conferences — the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Art Education Association (NAEA), and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) — will all offer panels on incorporating arts into traditional STEM education this spring.
- The professional development is intended to boost the idea of "STEAM" education instead of just STEM.
- The conference panels and lectures will focus on using the arts to engage critical thinking, creativity, innovation, self-analysis, and experimentation for students.
Dive Insight:
STEAM education is gaining traction. That's because a more blended model of STEAM education can help students in traditional STEM jobs, since many require creativity and innovation on top of the usual technical skills.
But when it comes to school budgets, arts in education is often cut. The re-incorporation of arts programming can be a challenge, and collaboration can help when it comes to blending subjects.
An article published in October by eSchool News explains seven ways schools can be creative about implementing STEAM learning, suggesting that knowledge-sharing, flexibility, and planning is key to successful executions.
The conferences mentioned will be held on the following dates:
- NAEA: March 17-19, Chicago, www.arteducators.org
- NSTA: March 31-April 3, Nashville, www.nsta.org
- NCTM: April 13-15, San Francisco, www.nctm.org
