STEAM Actually comming to FRC, and im not happy

[Cole Cyr]

Logging onto facebook today i found a post by FIRST Robotics Canada about a new award Called "STEAM Horizon Award" you can check it out on the page here:https://www.facebook.com/FIRSTRoboti...WSFEED&fref=nf

There has been alot of talk over whether adding Arts to the fold would be good and i just don't see how it could be. Let me start off by saying that Art is necessary in the world and has alot of impact on culture but it is also the most subjective field there is. I can take a photo that i think is great and others think is bad and there is no truth, both of us are right and wrong. I believe there should be no place for this type of subjectivity in the almost entirely objective fields of Science Technology Engineering and Math. Design is probably the only aspect of the Arts that could be useful and i think its already covered under the label of Engineering

The importance of art does not lie in any association with STEM, and arts are important for their own reasons unrelated to the the importance of STEM. STEM was created because of a shortage of people in these fields especially important for women, as there are still severe shortages in the number of women who pursue them. Arts suffer no shortage of women. The move to add Arts was probably to incise more women to join STEM but what it also does is make it so they can exit the programs not going into a STEM field but to an arts field where we don't need more women. If the idea is to bring more arts people into STEM then we should focus on making those fields more attractive to the Arts but keeping the exit from the program still a STEM field.

Robotics has been my passion for the last 4 years and i will stick with it no matter where it goes and i believe that we as a community can shape the environment to better it.

So i ask you, since this seems to be happening no matter what now, how do we incorporate such a subjective field into the FRC enviroment?

And what are your thoughts on this shift in direction?

[bkahl]

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In all seriousness, please do a simple search for 'STEAM'.

This is probably the 5th thread this summer on the subject.

[frcguy]

Been there, done that: https://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/s...ighlight=steam

[Akash Rastogi]

Art has personally attacked my family and my way of life. It should not be tolerated in STEM.

For real though, "Art" has a certain beauty to it BECAUSE it can be subjective. This allows it to be conceptual and can mean something different for everyone. Art is all around us, especially in engineering.

Modern art can mean many different things. Industrial Design is a great example of this; you blend art, design, engineering, and even social benefit into creating something.

I implore you to think about this a little differently.
Check this out for example: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/ed...stem.html?_r=0

Additionally, VEX uses Art as a division, and I'm pretty sure they know what they're doing. Da Vinci was an artist and engineer too.

There are many blurred lines here, I suggest you think about them and explore them deeply.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Art made some pretty cool stuff... https://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/28105

[Cole Cyr]

I realize that there have been post on this subject but now there is actual evidence of it happening

[wilsonmw04]

is there really?
looks like it's a 3rd party prize that CAFIRST is promoting. Much Ado About Nothing.

[Akash Rastogi]

STEAM is your friend.

As a fan of photography, I'll use that as an example. The average person would probably consider photography to be a form of art, but took a look at the inside of any DSLR (or any camera) and just think about the engineering that went into this creative expression. It's pretty remarkable if you understand how cameras work! There are so many technologies that have used art as their motivation for creation and innovation Think outside the box!

[Monochron]

Originally Posted by Cole Cyr

I realize that there have been post on this subject but now there is actual evidence of it happening

Well, there is evidence of FRC Canada publicizing a STEAM award. It isn't their award though, and it isn't associated with FRC in anyway which you insinuate in your OP.

[Cole Cyr]

Originally Posted by Monochron

Well, there is evidence of FRC Canada publicizing a STEAM award. It isn't their award though, and it isn't associated with FRC in anyway which you insinuate in your OP.

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

is there really?
looks like it's a 3rd party prize that CAFIRST is promoting. Much Ado About Nothing.

A large majority of prizes are by 3rd party groups and the promotion of STEAM is a shift in marketing that has to be attributed to some decision made, and im guessing its the slow introduction of STEAM

[Monochron]

Originally Posted by Cole Cyr

A large majority of prizes are by 3rd party groups and the promotion of STEAM is a shift in marketing that has to be attributed to some decision made, and im guessing its the slow introduction of STEAM

What do you mean a majority of prizes are by 3rd party groups? There are lots of awards that organization other than FIRST gives out? Well yes, there are plenty of contests unrelated to FIRST. Prizes for FIRST awards are provided by 3rd party groups? Very few FIRST awards come with tangible prizes to begin with.

If you were just mistaken about FIRST CA's involvement in the prize, that's fine, mistakes are easy to make. But them promoting a single contest that VERY closely overlaps with FIRST's goals doesn't indicate a slow replacement of STEM with STEAM within FIRST.

They are definitely promoting STEAM, possibly due to the theme of this year's game. What would really be interesting is evidence that FIRST promoting STEAM will continue after this year's game. I haven't seen anything like that yet.

[waialua359]

Blame FIRST for coming up with this year's game "STEAMWorks."
We used the term over 8 years ago as I found some old documentation of ours.

[D.Allred]

Originally Posted by Monochron

Well, there is evidence of FRC Canada publicizing a STEAM award. It isn't their award though, and it isn't associated with FRC in anyway which you insinuate in your OP.

Cole,
Could you explain your apprehension? As I read it, the award is designed to provide scholarship money for student leaders / innovators. The "art" portion opens the opportunity to a broader group.

I would say all the FIRST CA students have gained an opportunity. Win-win. Where is the loss?

Snip from the website...
Are you often described as a leader, an achiever, or an innovator? Do you have limitless drive, ambition, and determination? If so, there’s an opportunity to receive a $25,000 prize towards your post-secondary education.

The STEAM Horizon Awards, a newly funded prize program, invites Canada’s youth to promote positive changes throughout their community using science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM).

Up to seven students will each be awarded a $25,000 prize for their post-secondary education. Two of the seven prizes will go to Indigenous youth. The prizes will be funded by the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation Foundation, alongside eight Founding Partners. We are confident that these recipients will act as role models and ambassadors for future STEAM generations.

[Cole Cyr]

Originally Posted by D.Allred

Cole,
Could you explain your apprehension? As I read it, the award is designed to provide scholarship money for student leaders / innovators. The "art" portion opens the opportunity to a broader group.

I would say all the FIRST CA students have gained an opportunity. Win-win. Where is the loss?

Snip from the website...
Are you often described as a leader, an achiever, or an innovator? Do you have limitless drive, ambition, and determination? If so, there’s an opportunity to receive a $25,000 prize towards your post-secondary education.

The STEAM Horizon Awards, a newly funded prize program, invites Canada’s youth to promote positive changes throughout their community using science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM).

Up to seven students will each be awarded a $25,000 prize for their post-secondary education. Two of the seven prizes will go to Indigenous youth. The prizes will be funded by the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation Foundation, alongside eight Founding Partners. We are confident that these recipients will act as role models and ambassadors for future STEAM generations.

I am not saying that the award is bad im just commenting on the awards impact on the environment. any award that we can get is great and if there wasn't so much talk about steam already i would think nothing of this award. but with STEAM being thought to be the new STEM im using it as evidence of the legitimacy of these claims.

[KosmicKhaos]

I think the broad use of the term "Art" is what makes people not like it to be included in STEM including myself. Art does not belong in the STEM acronym. "Art" is a far too broad term to include with the other subjects. I understand that parts of art can be used in STEM like design but I don't think its right to classify all of art with STEM.

Interesting perspective from another source-
"Art is often touted as a method of adding creativity to STEM—but keep in mind that engineers are rarely lacking for creativity and ingenuity. Just look at the world around you for proof."

Does art belong in STEM? No, but parts of it certainly do like design. However in my opinion those that do already fall under engineering. There is no reason to bring them together.

"en·gi·neer·ing
ˌenjəˈniriNG/
noun
the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures."