Quote:
Originally Posted by Oblarg
I am not saying that we should never discuss "STEAM." I am saying that adopting a policy of replacing the "STEM" label with "STEAM" is a bad idea, especially if it's only out of some feeling that "we don't care enough about art."
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Disclaimer - I've always been pro the STEAM label and this is one of those topics I'm irrationally passionate about.
I don't think it's because "we don't care enough about art" I think it's because art makes people better. And no, I don't mean in some general sense "knowing art makes you more rounded" that some guidance counselor will justify making engineering students take an art history class [1]. I mean in the sense that it makes you genuinely think about things in a different way.
Let's use music as an example, it teaches fractions in a really interesting way because most folks don't realize it's fractions even though it's right there in the names (quarter note, eight note...). It teaches basic coding concepts (what is sheet music except a language for defining how to perform a task?) But it does all this without triggering the "that's too hard" reaction in most folks. I've seen folks who panicked whenever they saw "add these fractions" but music and rhythm all made sense to them. That sound is simply air vibrating isn't just a piece in a lecture when you play an instrument, you can see it and feel it. It's an incredibly powerful experience to learn something that isn't just words on a board but is something you can create and feel.
What I'm trying to say is that art is, for the most part, intrinsically linked to engineering. They are two sides of the same coin. And instead of fighting over a stupid acronym we should be figuring out how we can use art to explain concepts in engineering rather than just the other way around. Yes, to me I understand that overlapping two frequencies just right can cause a new sound. But I can feel it when I play an instrument.
Maybe we can stop thinking of art as a separate thing and more of Applied STEM. Bonus, we can keep the STEAM acronym. (Science Technology Engineering Application and Math)
[1] For the record - I've taken Art History classes and actually really enjoy them.