STEM education is a term used to refer collectively to the teaching of the disciplines within its umbrella – science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics – and also to a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching that increases student interest in STEAM related fields and improves students’ problem solving and critical analysis skills.
We have included the 'Arts' within the STEAM acronym because liberal arts, fine arts, music, design-thinking and language arts are critical components to innovation, and that this concept needs to be incorporated into the artistic and design-related skills and thinking processes to student learning in STEM. There has been an international movement from 2016 for this to happen.
STEAM learning areas develop mathematical, scientific and technological literacy, and promote the development of 21st century skills of problem solving, critical analysis and creative thinking. We recognise the importance of a focus on STEAM in the early years and maintaining this focus throughout schooling. We aim to ensure that all students finish primary school with strong foundational knowledge in STEAM and related skills - collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and problem solving. Building foundational STEAM knowledge starts from early childhood and continues throughout primary - we prepare the children for secondary school STEAM understandings. We are taking the opportunity to foster and nurture young people’s curiosity towards STEAM, and use this to develop deeper engagement and learning. This requires renewed focus on achievement in the STEAM ‘building blocks’, especially mathematics, as well as effective cross-disciplinary curriculum and pedagogical approaches that build student interest and performance in STEAM education.
In 2021, Macgregor Primary School students will receive STEAM lessons from a specialist ICT teacher with industry experience. In addition, coding will be offered and an after school coding program facilitated for Macgregor students to attend as an extra curricular activity.