At the Roots of (S.T.E.M.)

What do you hear in the word 'S.T.E.M.'? There are three reactions I've noticed after I say this word. They are:

1. A pause that cues me to explain what the word means
2. A look of complete understanding and experience
3. A pause and look of discomfort as if I just said any other four letter word

The latter of the three commonly happens due to the recipient feeling that the acronym excludes areas of study that make a curriculum complete. This is then followed by a discussion that extends, stretches and rearranges the acronym to include more letters (let's use the alphabet and call it a day). With all the funding and attention pointed in its direction, who wouldn't want to secure their place in the current favorite child's endeavors? Government and schools are investing a lot of time and money in promoting S.T.E.M. programs. Some schools are even reconstructing entire spaces into S.T.E.M. labs and include S.T.E.M. classes in their schedules.*

With a post-Sputnik education history lesson aside, this is the point of the conversation I slowly start to inject my own perspective. At the root of S.T.E.M. is a philosophy of teaching and learning that is a verb more than a noun. For me, this often weighted acronym brings forward visuals of enthusiastic students brain deep in a cross-curricular problem based learning challenge. I could try and find a single letter that captures all of this, but the truth is there isn't one. 

I hear S.T.E.M. as a word that describes a process. It's a process that happens when students collaborate to problem solve and push through challenges to build a relevant resolution. I see it as word that represents the embedding of certain skills in every learning opportunity from art to social studies. I hear it as a motivator for educators (including administrators) to start thinking across classroom walls instead of staying comfortable behind them. I hear S.T.E.M. as a need to push ourselves and practice collaboration, communication and progress as much as we push our students to do the same.

As an alternative to each educator looking for affirmation in a letter inside another acronym, I offer the solution that these educators change their perspective on the acronym instead. Instead of seeing S.T.E.M. as a noun, let's start thinking of it as a verb that describes process, learning and collaboration for our students and us.

“The essential characteristics of the maker sensibility- deep engagement with content, exploration, problem-solving, collaboration, and learning to learn- are the very ingredients that make for inspired and passionate STEM learners”

- Margaret Honey & David E.Kanter (Authors of Design, Make, Play)

*Side point: I see this changing in the future. Much like technology started in computer labs and is now a point of integration instead of 'pull-out'.