W8P1: Interdisciplinary Curriculum

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A major premise driving arts reform and STEAM lies in the hope that creativity may deepen understanding of other subjects (Jones, 2010). Many critics of art-based reforms argue the superfluous nature of aesthetics in the classroom (Annis, 2013). It has long been accepted that arts are something extra, a task to explore after core subjects have been reviewed. Sciences and arts have long been isolated from one another

As it stands, traditional STEM education prepares students for highly technical jobs by a highly technical means in hopes that the United States workforce can propel its economic and political prowess back to dominance (ASHE, 2011). However, this push has grown stagnant. While graduation rates of STEM candidates have grown over the past decade, the quality of STEM employees has faced scrutiny and the U.S. continues to lag behind other international powers with regards to scientific, mathematical, or technological advances.

Integrated Curriculum:  This instructional strategy allows students to implement several ideas or concepts from multiple subjects of study for an understanding of the underlying concepts

Arts:  “arts” refers to those creative in nature: music, dance/movement, imagery, visual arts, literature, drama, and play or humor or any activity relating to such subjects and “arts consumption.  These arts “are process oriented, emotionally sensitive, socially directed, and awareness focused” (Gladding, 1992, p.ix)

STEAM:  STEAM is a contemporary movement to introduce Art into the marriage of STEM. Journals and literature are dedicated solely to the topic of STEAM and the power of arts in education. The principles driving STEAM reside in the belief that students need both a natural and creative view of the world to compete in the global market of the twenty-first century (Sousa & Pilecki, 2013).

 Historically speaking, “journal articles dating back as early as 1959 identify creativity as being essential to the competitiveness and national security of the United States” (Wallace et al., p. 3E-1, 2010).

Creativity is often linked to art in research studies and journals. Going beyond the cognitive power of the arts, it is believed that participating in art, music, dance, poetry, etc. may provide more creative outlets for STEM students, serve as a viable recruiting tool for future students into technical fields, and derive joy from the learning experience (Welch, 2011). Art and its creative processes may allow students to explore and unlock multiple intelligences

The clash of arts (abstract) and math/science (literal) creates a dynamic collaboration worth analyzing. Many advocates for STEAM deem this interaction necessary for students to “embrace innovative, alternative views, minority influence, or diversified solutions that may be required to effectively address complex issues” (Kawaski & Toyofuku, p. 2, 2013).

In the long run, America’s true competitive edge is not its technical prowess but its creativity, its imagination, its inventiveness, its people’s capacity to devise new solutions, to innovate, to invest new organizational as well as technological forms, and to eke productivity gains out of what others see as static situations. (Finn & Ravitch, p. 7, 2007)

scholars agree multifaceted approaches to intelligence constitute a constructivist dynamic in learning. One is not restricted to genetic inheritance, but can build knowledge through experiences, openness to adapt, and through formal and informal interactions in a variety of settings (Pea, 1993; Sternberg, 1999; Sternberg, 2003; Wilson & Conyers, 2013)

. Be it “language, logicalmathematical analysis, spatial representation, musical thinking, the use of the body to solve problems or to make things, an understanding of other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves,” everyone varies in their abilities across these intelligences

8 intelligences

Linguistic intelligence (“word smart”)
Logical-mathematical intelligence (“number/reasoning smart”)
Spatial intelligence (“picture smart”)
Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence (“body smart”)
Musical intelligence (“music smart”)
Interpersonal intelligence (“people smart”)
Intrapersonal intelligence (“self smart”)
Naturalist intelligence (“nature smart”)