And once they are used to seeing these connections, it is much easier for them to find connections themselves. By discovering inter-relationships in school, learners discover how different areas interweave in the real world. For learners, using what they know in one area can help them to solve new problems and become successful in other areas.

It helps build problem solving skills.

STEAM integration shows learners that whatever career they decide to follow, they will probably be working across disciplines. They might have to use new technologies too.

Perhaps they will need engineering skills and creativity. Even if an individual chooses to become a scientist, there will most probably be a lot of maths in their job. When we connect two pieces of information in our brain, we are much more likely to understand, remember, and be able to apply this knowledge. So, combining subjects mimics real life and prepares the brain for a world in which knowledge is integrated.

Our brains are wired to make connections.

There are lots of benefits to creating connections across STEAM subjects and content areas in your curriculum. Artists also need to observe, hypothesise and experiment – which in many ways is similar to a scientific process. The arts is an umbrella term for things like dance, music, drama, movement, painting, drawing, crafting, sculpture, and design.Īnd as we mentioned above, scientists, technology developers, engineers and mathematicians need to be creative to innovate. But for students to develop STEM skills, we need to integrate these subjects with the arts – and vice versa. Most people understand how STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects are connected. So why should you make an integrated approach to STEAM a priority in your language teaching? And how can you integrate STEAM across your curriculum? The integrated STEAM approach For instance, scientists rarely do anything purely scientific without at least a speck of engineering, technological tools, or creative design, just as composers don’t write music without thinking mathematically. After all, the subjects are naturally connected. This is especially true when it comes to STEAM subjects – science, technology, engineering, art and design and maths. Instead, students should always be using their knowledge of the world to connect ideas.

The world is integrated, so teaching should be too. In this post she explains why an integrated approach is useful, and how to integrate STEAM with your day to day teaching. As a freelance teacher trainer and materials writer, Sarah Hillyard specializes in STEAM education in language learning.

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