Based in New York, Blue School is an independent school promoting creativity and imagination as media for learning. Blue School offers programs for students up to fifth grade, but in 2015, the NYC institution plans to extend its programs to include middle school curricula that integrate the STEAM disciplines.
Navigating the Misinformation Minefield: The Role of Higher Education in the ...
STEAM: Why Art Is an Important Segment of Education
1.
2. Based in New York, Blue School is an
independent school promoting creativity
and imagination as media for learning. Blue
School offers programs for students up to
fifth grade, but in 2015, the NYC institution
plans to extend its programs to include
middle school curricula that integrate the
STEAM disciplines.
STEM includes science, technology,
engineering, and math, but STEAM
incorporates art as a necessity in stimulating
the minds of young children.
3. The art function of STEAM aims to develop their
creative side by establishing visual and performing
arts programs. Further, it takes into account writing,
music, and the liberal arts.
In essence, STEAM reinforces skills that are traditionally
taught through STEM. The idea of art is to nurture and
develop the whole child, rather than merely the
cognitive side. For instance, teaching a young
student to play a musical instrument improves
mathematical and memory skills. These are
enhanced by learning how to read music and train
the body to perform the necessary actions to
correctly play a score.
4. When faced with a difficult measure of
music or instrumental technique, a child
is also given more opportunities to work
through challenges and discover how to
think outside the box. As a result, a
student thoroughly absorbs the
information through hands-on learning
and by personally connecting to a
curriculum.