Scratch
According to the ScratchEd website, Scratch is a portal for educational resources, “a programming language that makes it easy to create interactive art, stories, simulations, and games.” It targets younger users and teaches them procedural thinking through imagination and creativity. Procedural thinking is an important part of STEAM education, as J.E. Schwartz (author of Elementary Mathematics: Pedagogical Content Knowledge) attests: “A true mathematician understands that an operation like division is a mental operation that may be performed by using any number of different procedures.”
3D Printers
Though still expensive, 3D printers are becoming more affordable for classroom use. Students get hands-on experience programming the printer to create any structure they can imagine. The Atlantic reports that many students have already begun using “3-D printers for projects ranging from dioramas of real or imagined constructions to engineering the fastest model car to reconstructing of eyeballs to better understand how they work.”
DIY App
Designed for the iPhone and iPad, DIY App is a mobile program that lets students share their creations with a community of imaginative builders from all over the world. As a DIY App user, you “Share what you make and do, get followers, comment on your friends’ stuff, and earn patches for what you achieve.” With over 140 skills for students to explore, it’s a popular app among teachers of STEAM education.
National STEM Video Game Challenge
An event rather than a tool, the National STEM Video Game Challenge calls upon teachers and students to create educational video games. As stemchallenge.org states, the challenge is “a multi-year competition whose goal is to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video games.” Students draw upon the arts in creating assets, designing levels, and plotting out complex routines for players.
These are only a few of the tools and resources available to teachers in STEAM education. Many graduate schools are partnering with local, state and national organizations to educate the innovators of tomorrow. Current online master’s degree in education programs cover a range of topics, including up-to-date coursework and the latest resources for STEAM education.
Learn more about the Lamar University online M.Ed. in Digital Learning and Leading program.
Sources:
The Atlantic: Five Tools That Are Transforming STEM Education
Education.com: A Distinction Between Conceptual Knowledge and Procedural Knowledge
