If one is unfamiliar with STEM or not in the field of education, they might ask the questions of what is this STEM education everyone seems to be talking about and why does it matter.
The answer to the first part of the question is easy, STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. STEM education promotes the development of critical thinkers, problem solvers, and a greater literacy for the sciences. The idea of STEM is not new but has seen a rejuvenation in recent years with the integration of technology into the classroom and a push for maker spaces.
Now that we know what STEM is, why is it important? The importance of STEM education reaches beyond the classroom. First, let’s talk about the importance of STEM in the education realm. In the past classes such as art, music, home economics, and shop have traditionally been the creative outlets for students and allowed for creation. With budget cuts, unfortunately, these classes that have traditionally offered students a creative outlet have been cut from many districts taking the opportunities for hands-on creativity tasks with them. STEM education offers the ability to be creative and complete hands-on tasks through other disciplines such as science or math. The skills students learn through STEM education are transferable to other disciplines and careers.
STEM education is important because it reaches beyond the classroom to careers in industry or manufacturing. Many of the jobs in these fields are going unfilled due to the inability to find workers with the necessary background and skills in the STEM areas. These shortfalls are expected to increase unless education changes to accommodate the need for these skills. The major competitors of the United States are increasing their instruction in STEM-related areas to increase their economic competitiveness. If our students are unable to fill jobs due to a lack of skills, how will they be able to compete globally?
The Adventures of a Public School Teacher 