Contrary to belief, STEM is Not a New Fad in Education. It has Deep Roots.

The last post, I discussed what STEM is and why it is important.  I would like to dispel the notion that STEM is the newest fad in education.  In all honesty, at one point I had the belief that STEM was just another fad or buzzword in education and would quickly pass once the novelty wore off or the next new thing came about.  After some research and having a STEM timeline brought to my attention by a university professor in a Foundations of STEM course I took, and to say my eyes were opened would be an understatement! It was not only surprising by downright shocking to find that what I thought was a passing fad had extremely deep roots! 

Imagine an education initiative that has survived since the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s! If you are an education, you are probably scoffing at this idea, the phrase “yeah, right” as probably entered your mind as you were reading this. Don’t be too quick to judge, because STEM, though not originally called STEM, has been around since the 1950s. This makes sense though, if one thinks about the concepts of STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math, and recalls their history! In the late 1950s, early 1960s this country was engaged with a national interest in technological advancement, and of course who could forget about the space race. Ah, yes, Kennedy’s vow to put a man on the moon, and how was that going to be achieved? Why through science, technology, engineering and math, of course! The country and education system embraced this and a push for teaching more science and math came to the forefront of education curriculums and STEM found it roots in modern education. 

Although not always in the spotlight of the educational world, STEM has been there and saw another surge in recognition in the 1990s with the help of NSES and NCTM.  How many of you, like me were in high school in the 1990s, and remember going to the tech lab, which was the new and improved version of shop classes? I remember this vividly, as my class was one of the first to have tech lab in our rotation of 9 weeks electives. Guess what, tech lab was and is STEM education. What happened in tech lab, you were given and problem and had to solve it by creating some form of structure, could have been a bridge or something else depending on the problem. STEM is critically thinking to solve problems in a creative way! Currently, we use the term STEM to refer to thinks we have been teaching for years to promote awareness of these skills at a time when many jobs are going unfilled due to a lack in these skills. STEM skills of critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration can be transferred across disciplines and into careers. STEM has deep roots in education and it is here to stay for the long haul.