From STEM to STEAM

Brain-Compatible Strategies and Lessons That Integrate the Arts

From STEM to STEAM is the answer to the failure of STEM education in our schools. No one understands better than David Sousa and Tom Pilecki the importance of the arts—music, the visual arts and drama—in making science, technology, engineering and math come alive for teachers and students. This is true integrated STEAM instruction…and it works. I’ve seen the transformation in our schools.

Our teachers enjoy the freedom to be creative and in turn more effective! Their students are singing and dancing in math and performing live theater in science. They’re remembering more, understanding more, and achieving more. They’re innovating, too, with new ideas and new applications for what they're learning. They love integrated STEAM learning. I could not be more impressed with the change From STEM to STEAM has brought to our schools.

This second edition of From STEM to STEAM contains guidelines for integrating STEAM instruction into the classroom and across the curriculum. It provides the essential guideposts that marked the growth of our teachers as STEAM instructors and our schools as lively, high performing STEAM academies. But think of the guidelines less as targets to be met than as sheet music that brings us back repeatedly to the same melody in a full musical score. Thanks to From STEM to STEAM we’re on key and making great music. 

This book on STEAM is a call to action by two genuine authorities on a matter of critical importance, for two very different reasons. First, in order to motivate K-12 students, we need to reach them where they are—and little kids are inherently interested in the natural world around them. If we motivate them, they will persist and graduate. And if they are motivated by science, we will ultimate have more college graduates with highly marketable skills in STEM fields—areas of great demand in today’s economy. Second, adding the Arts to STEM to create STEAM acknowledges that the arts and science are linked. As the author of several biology textbooks, I rely on art to convey ideas that are very difficult to explain with language only. STEAM is the wave of the future, so BUY THIS BOOK!”

From STEM to STEAM has been a tremendous help as teachers and teachers-to-be gear up for providing STEM education to their pupils. This well-conceived and well-done publication was immediately chosen as a text to help course participants to improve their crafts.  From STEM to STEAM provides a necessary layer of STEM education so that that the affective domain is given the importance it deserves. This is a welcome addition to the professional's bookshelf!