Develop 21st Century Skills With STEAM Education

Education used to be very simple back in the old times, due to the fact that there were not many diverse skills required for operating effectively in the professional world. However, over time and as technology started to be more developed, it gave rise to an increasing number of new fields in terms of the professional world and also educational systems. Today, the ones who are successful in the work life are those who possesses smart and relevant skills. People that are not “up to date” with the skills of the “21^st century” will not be able to do anything well in their profession. Unfortunately, a majority of the educational systems and institutions are still following the old methods of teaching, which are preventing children from gaining the latest and relevant skills that they’ll require in the future. This is creating many concerns for parents all over the world.

What could be the solution for this issue? Well, the answer is: STEAM Education.

STEAM Education is the solution, which will help children get equipped with the right skills and knowledge that will allow them to succeed in the future, in not only their professional life, but their personal life as well.

Before we get into more details, let’s take a look at what STEAM Education actually is.

What Is STEAM Education?

STEAM is an abbreviation of “Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics”. This educational system focuses on combining together the elements of different fields of science and arts, to ensure the development of the following components in students:

• Critical thinking skills.
• Logical thinking abilities.
• Innovative skills.
• Effective communication skills.
• Creativity
• Practical/Hands-on experience of the knowledge gained.

STEAM Education does not rely on the traditional methods of teaching and instead it opts for a practical approach to teaching, to ensure that students not only gain new knowledge, but they also become able to apply it practically in the real world.

We have an in-depth explanation that was written here: https://epc-education.com/steam-education-what-it-is-and-its-importance/

STEAM Education Is Not Very Common:

Unfortunately, even though the benefits of STEAM Education are diverse and vast, yet not many institutions are offering STEAM learning for the children. But the good news is that STEAM Education has been rising in popularity, over the globe and it is expected that it will surely become integral in the educational world, very soon.

But some forward-looking and smart institutes are now offering some form to STEAM learning which will surely help students achieve a lot more in the future. But there are some misconceptions regarding STEAM Education which need to be cleared first.

Let’s take a look at them now.

Misconceptions Regarding STEAM Education:

There are a lot of misconceptions regarding STEAM Education as you can see here (https://usingtechnologybetter.com/5-myths-steam-learning/) but we are going to talk about the most important one today. People somehow think that STEAM Education only benefits the professional life of the children who want to participate in the profession of purely scientific fields. But this is absolutely not true. STEAM Education does not only focus on the sciences but it includes the teachings of arts as well, which help the students in every field and profession as the qualities of strong critical thinking abilities, logical thinking, innovation and creativity are developed in them. These qualities not only help in the professional life but they are very useful for a good personal life as well.

So, do not think that STEAM Education is only beneficial for the professional context only. It offers a lot of benefits for the personal life as well because the skills of creative and logical thinking and innovation are very useful in the personal aspects of life as well.

The Invention of Flash Drive in Singapore:

 Did you know that the flash drive was invented in Singapore? Well, it was and do you know how such inventions come into being? The people who make these things are known as “inventors” and they naturally possess most of the skills that STEAM Education stresses upon, such as logical and creative thinking and having a more innovative mindset.

The aim of STEAM Education is to create more innovators and inventors. When students will get access to STEAM Education, they will be able to gain all the relevant skills that will help them develop their “professional acumen” to the maximum extent. This will make sure that they become able to invent new things and solve all the real world problems of the professional world in an innovative manner. When children possess relevant 21^st century skills, they’ll be able to become the greatest of the innovators of the future.

21^st Century Skills Are The Requirement:

The skills of the 21^st century involve an amalgamation of sciences, technology and arts. These 3 areas, when combined together, lead towards the development of elite skills in the students, which will allow them to succeed in the future. By combining these different fields into one, STEAM Education helps children become ready for all the requirements of the future work life.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the most important 21^st century skills that STEAM Education helps in the development of.

Skills That STEAM Education Helps Develop:

As Learn It By Art briefly explained (https://www.learnitbyart.com/why-steam_) STEAM Education helps students in developing the following 21^st century skills, which are essential for being successful in the future.

1. Creativity & Problem Solving Skills.

The lessons of STEAM education will let the children enhance their critical thinking problem solving and also creativity skills, which will help them to become able to solve future problems using innovative and creative solutions that they will come up with, themselves.

2. Innovation Skills.

STEAM education develops a sense of innovation in the minds of the children. The children become equipped to handle the work related problems in new and innovative ways that lead towards more efficiency and effectiveness in the work environment. The future will demand innovative thinking and STEAM education will help the children in this regard.

3. Improved Concentration.

STEAM education also helps in improving the concentration ability of children. Concentration is essential in the workplace for efficient output and the students of STEAM education have the highest levels of concentration that they can sustain for a very long period of time.

4. Strong Communication Skills.

We are all aware of how essential communication skills are in the professional world. STEAM education also focuses on developing the communication skills of the children so that they are aware of exactly how to interact with others in the most effective manner possible, at any given time.

5. Logical Thinking Skills.

Logical thinking skills are essential for dealing with complex and complicated issues in the work life of the future and therefore, STEAM education focuses on the development of logical thinking skills.

6. Hands-On Ability.

Whatever the children learn, they test their knowledge in the workshops to get a wonderful hands-on experience in STEAM education. This is very important for making sure that the children retain the knowledge that they gain through lessons.

7. Application Of The Knowledge.

The most amazing thing about STEAM education is that it not only teaches the students through lessons on the topics but it also teaches them how they can apply the knowledge in the real life so that the entire world and the economy can benefit. The traditional education systems teach a lot but they never focus on how the knowledge can be applied in the real world. This is another important benefit of STEAM education that it focuses on the application of knowledge gained through lessons.  

8. Team Work & Leadership Skills.

STEAM education also creates strong leadership and team work skills in the children, which will allow them to be effective in their professional and personal lives as well. Leadership skills are necessary for those who want to succeed in their career and similarly, the ability to work with others in an effective manner is a skill that most professionals lack. Developing these skills will allow the children to be truly successful in their work and personal life.

So, these are the key skills that STEAM Education helps the students to develop.

Concluding Remarks:

As you can see, STEAM Education will help students develop all the relevant skills of the 21^st century, which will allow them to be successful in the future. STEAM Education does not only focus on the professional life but it also aims to improve the personal lives of the children. The benefits of STEAM Education are vast and diverse.