Roger
I find it interesting that there are different arguments for STEAM. Likely, all
of them are meritorious and those of us who engage in education and
research, want STEAM to happen. So, we need to collectively present as
points of rhetoric as we are permitted.
However, let's look carefully at your point here:
"a colleagues had a slip of tong when he stated that the arts
> could be used to 'trap'students to go into STEM careers=
> when perhaps the reverse is a stronger argument that STEAM
> helps contextualise STEM within societal needs and issues=
> including health and well being- and can help train STEM
> professionals to contribute to the well being of their communities
>
> an example is Design for America
> http://designforamerica.com/
> which is a network of student led studios creating local
> and social impact through interdisciplinary design"
It depends on what motivates people. I went into mathematics because
of visual polar plots I saw in the book shelf in a neighbor's house. Thus,
the visual interface of plotting provided my entry into the field. At the time of
my choice, my motivations were purely intellectual as I had no real
understanding of the issues and ills of society.
Students have diverse interests. We need to find out what interests them
first and foremost without guessing that societal needs are at the top of
their agendas.
This all leads to theories of value. What do most students value and why?
Is it computer games, going to the cinema, making music, listening
to music, helping other people, healthcare, theatre? I seriously doubt that
mathematics and computing students are primarily drawn into STEM
because of societal needs, as noble as that idea may be.
I am sure that out here on this list, someone knows how we can assess
the pulse of culture? At the very least, we can create surveys of interest
and value and ask people what drives them.
-p
On Oct 12, 2013, at 10:24 AM, roger malina <rmalina@alum.mit.edu> wrote:
> paul (brown and fiswick)
>
> re the word abstraction- yes it can be problematic-
> fishwick uses the word 'modelling a lot"
>
> and re the pure math without context this
> is part of a more general movement in educational
> circles for problem based learning
>
> http://www.rfwp.com/pages/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/engaged-educated-keynote.pdf
>
> but which at its core is to tap into the motivation and curiosity of
> learners which drives exploration and understanding underlying
> resulution of a prob lem
>
> the stem to steam movement can be seen as more generally
> part of this rationale- art and technology programs tap into
> student interest in the arts and entertainment= to contextualize
> the need to understand STEM subjects
>
> but as our sead report insisted the steam argument is also
> based on the intrinsic contributions of the arts to well being
> and joyfulness
>
> a colleagues had a slip of tong when he stated that the arts
> could be used to 'trap'students to go into STEM careers=
> when perhaps the reverse is a stronger argument that STEAM
> helps contextualise STEM within societal needs and issues=
> including health and well being- and can help train STEM
> professionals to contribute to the well being of their communities
>
> an example is Design for America
> http://designforamerica.com/
> which is a network of student led studios creating local
> and social impact through interdisciplinary design
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Roger F Malina
> _______________________________________________
> Yasmin_discussions mailing list
> Yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr
> http://estia.media.uoa.gr/mailman/listinfo/yasmin_discussions
>
> Yasmin URL: http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin
>
> HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In the page that will appear ("info page"), enter e-mail address, name, and password in the fields found further down the page.
> HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: on the info page, scroll all the way down and enter your e-mail address in the last field. Enter password if asked. Click on the unsubscribe button on the page that will appear ("options page").
> HOW TO ENABLE / DISABLE DIGEST MODE: in the options page, find the "Set Digest Mode" option and set it to either on or off.
Paul Fishwick, PhD
Chair, ACM SIGSIM
Distinguished Chair of Arts & Technology
and Professor of Computer Science
Director, Creative Automata Laboratory
The University of Texas at Dallas
Arts & Technology
800 West Campbell Road, AT10
Richardson, TX 75080-3021
Home: utdallas.edu/atec/fishwick
Blog: creative-automata.com
_______________________________________________
Yasmin_discussions mailing list
Yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr
http://estia.media.uoa.gr/mailman/listinfo/yasmin_discussions
Yasmin URL: http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In the page that will appear ("info page"), enter e-mail address, name, and password in the fields found further down the page.
HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: on the info page, scroll all the way down and enter your e-mail address in the last field. Enter password if asked. Click on the unsubscribe button on the page that will appear ("options page").
HOW TO ENABLE / DISABLE DIGEST MODE: in the options page, find the "Set Digest Mode" option and set it to either on or off.
