Importance of Arts Education
Education is changing rapidly as political and social pressures change the focus on schools. Many schools are being pushed away from traditional models and subjects toward STEAM education methods. While many people are justifiably concerned about the changes in education practices, there are several important reasons why STEAM education can lead to better outcomes for students and society as a whole. Here is why STEAM education is the future of formal education.
What is STEAM?
STEAM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.). STEAM changes the focus from individual subjects, like math, civics, and social studies, to more general areas of learning that fall into these specific categories. For example, arts can mean a wide array of different subjects including music, drawing, painting, and dance. STEAM more accurately reflects the experiences that students have in real life. For example, participating in theatre auditions takes skills in several focus areas including arts, science, and technology.
Core Areas of Development
One of the leading reasons why education should focus more on STEAM practices is that STEAM address wider, more fundamental areas of development. Rather than focusing on specific subjects that students need to learn, educators focus more on the core skills that are used across categories and subjects. This opens up the chance to focus on core learning to promote a more well-rounded education.
Integrated Approach
STEAM’s integrated approach to learning helps institutions create a more well-rounded learning experience. For students to get the most out of their education, they need to focus on multiple methods of learning and applying their knowledge. STEAM practices allow students to approach situations from different perspectives.
For example, music relies on an understanding of math (M), musical expression (A), and sound production (S). In some cases, this can also include technology for recording or sound production (T) and a fundamental understanding of how instruments are made and work (E). With a single experience, students can be exposed to every aspect of STEAM, which allows them to apply skills learned in multiple focus areas to a common problem to solve. Programs, like a performing arts academy, has many programs that apply STEAM practices in different ways.
Critical Thinking and Creativity
STEAM originally started as STEM and was gaining wide acceptance. STEM focuses on the sciences and technology, which are seen as being the most critical skills needed in society today. However, many educators pointed out the STEM entirely removes the arts from education. The arts promote creativity, which is an important component of critical thinking and problem solving. Without a fundamental focus on creativity, STEM seemed to be missing a critical component of education. So, STEAM was created by adding arts back into the education system to incorporate the many subjects that focus on creativity, problem solving, and creative expression.
Arts in Society
STEAM is an acknowledgment that the arts are important in society. While arguments can be made that science, math, technology, and engineering are important, many of those arguments ignore the fact that the arts have an important benefit for education as well. The arts give students ways of applying their knowledge of other subjects in different and creative ways, which has been shown to improve learning. Many students use their time away from school to pursue arts-focused learning opportunities, like FB Playhouse’s 2020 Spring Break Musical Theatre Intensive Workshop. They can learn theatre-focused skills in an immersive environment and have experiences that will help them in other areas of learning.
As arts education becomes one of the central focuses on education overall, arts programs can make a big difference in student outcomes. Programs like the Performing Arts Academy at the Forestburgh Playhouse are designed to help students excel in school while having fun.