Examining...
STEAM:
The Engine of Education
Course Dates: March 24th to May 28th
(Registration is open!)
(Registration is open!)
Teaching is both an art and a science. How many times have we met teachers who “knew their stuff,” but failed to take that stuff and teach in a way that ignited learning and touched the educational soul?
The new wave of education that filtered through the beginning of the 21st century wanted us to throw out the arts claiming they were not marketable or useful in our society. Throw out Shakespeare? Toss Michelangelo and Monet? Disregard Rodin, Chopin and John Stuart Mill? Really?
Well, those days are gone! Move aside powers that be and holders of the purse strings. You were wrong and now educators have had to step in and make amends and alter that backwards thinking.
The world of science is wonderful, but so is the world of the arts. Our lives are vastly improved by the cornucopia of paintings, sculptures, symphonies and many, many more works that fall under the heading “the arts.”
Using From STEM to STEAM, 2nd ed., by David A. Sousa and Tom Pilecki as our guide, STEAM: the Engine of Education explores ways to take strategies that are compatible with our brains and turn them into lessons that unite the arts into valuable and effective instruction.
This class will delve into the meaning of the arts in education, its value and contributions, and will look closely at the power the arts have in our lives and in our schools. We will examine creativity and how to design schools and classrooms that turn creativity into achievement. Participants will understand the powerful, positive influence the arts can have on students (and teachers) and will learn how to implement lessons that integrate the arts into all subjects.
The new wave of education that filtered through the beginning of the 21st century wanted us to throw out the arts claiming they were not marketable or useful in our society. Throw out Shakespeare? Toss Michelangelo and Monet? Disregard Rodin, Chopin and John Stuart Mill? Really?
Well, those days are gone! Move aside powers that be and holders of the purse strings. You were wrong and now educators have had to step in and make amends and alter that backwards thinking.
The world of science is wonderful, but so is the world of the arts. Our lives are vastly improved by the cornucopia of paintings, sculptures, symphonies and many, many more works that fall under the heading “the arts.”
Using From STEM to STEAM, 2nd ed., by David A. Sousa and Tom Pilecki as our guide, STEAM: the Engine of Education explores ways to take strategies that are compatible with our brains and turn them into lessons that unite the arts into valuable and effective instruction.
This class will delve into the meaning of the arts in education, its value and contributions, and will look closely at the power the arts have in our lives and in our schools. We will examine creativity and how to design schools and classrooms that turn creativity into achievement. Participants will understand the powerful, positive influence the arts can have on students (and teachers) and will learn how to implement lessons that integrate the arts into all subjects.
Organization
The course is organized into 2 Modules and presented in a modified, self-paced format. Participants are encouraged to access the course regularly and make reasonable progress, but there are no due dates attached to individual assignments. Instead there are 2 absolute due dates (mid-term and the last day of class) to provide flexibility and to better accommodate participants' busy schedules. Lessons will be taught using a combination of readings, videos, external resources, examples, reflections, discussion activities, and assignments. The discussion activities and assignments will allow participants to apply information and theory that they have learned. Students will receive coaching and feedback on their discussions, and assignments as they are completed.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will...
1. Know why the Arts are important to education
2. Know the differences between convergent and divergent thinking
3. Know how to integrate the Arts in primary, intermediate and high school grade levels respectively
4. Be able to meet integration challenges
5. Know the roles of grit, multiple intelligences, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and the concept of complexity vs. difficulty when integrating the Arts
Course Topics
Topics that support instructional practices and strategies include:
*Why we need the Arts
*Convergent vs. Divergent thinking
*Having a growth mindset
*The Brain Connection
*How to integrate Arts into all grade levels
*Strategies, ideas, & lesson plans
*Grit and Multiple Intelligences
*Complexity vs. Difficulty and the role of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Grading
Grading is the same whether the course is taken for graduate credit or for license renewal. Students are required to participate in all discussion forums and to complete all assignments and/or activities. A=90%-100%; B=80%-89%-Because this is a graduate level course, scores must be 80% or better to receive credit.
Required Text:
Sousa, D. A., & Pilecki, T. (2018). From STEM to STEAM: Brain compatible strategies and lessons that integrate the arts, (2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
The text can be ordered online or purchased through local bookstores.
The course is organized into 2 Modules and presented in a modified, self-paced format. Participants are encouraged to access the course regularly and make reasonable progress, but there are no due dates attached to individual assignments. Instead there are 2 absolute due dates (mid-term and the last day of class) to provide flexibility and to better accommodate participants' busy schedules. Lessons will be taught using a combination of readings, videos, external resources, examples, reflections, discussion activities, and assignments. The discussion activities and assignments will allow participants to apply information and theory that they have learned. Students will receive coaching and feedback on their discussions, and assignments as they are completed.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will...
1. Know why the Arts are important to education
2. Know the differences between convergent and divergent thinking
3. Know how to integrate the Arts in primary, intermediate and high school grade levels respectively
4. Be able to meet integration challenges
5. Know the roles of grit, multiple intelligences, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and the concept of complexity vs. difficulty when integrating the Arts
Course Topics
Topics that support instructional practices and strategies include:
*Why we need the Arts
*Convergent vs. Divergent thinking
*Having a growth mindset
*The Brain Connection
*How to integrate Arts into all grade levels
*Strategies, ideas, & lesson plans
*Grit and Multiple Intelligences
*Complexity vs. Difficulty and the role of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Grading
Grading is the same whether the course is taken for graduate credit or for license renewal. Students are required to participate in all discussion forums and to complete all assignments and/or activities. A=90%-100%; B=80%-89%-Because this is a graduate level course, scores must be 80% or better to receive credit.
Required Text:
Sousa, D. A., & Pilecki, T. (2018). From STEM to STEAM: Brain compatible strategies and lessons that integrate the arts, (2nd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
The text can be ordered online or purchased through local bookstores.