5 Reasons to STEAM Toward Stronger Schools

A Discussion of the Benefits of Integrating the Arts into Science, Technology, Math, and Engineering Curricula

With Dr. Linda Karges-Bone

www.educationinsite.com

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1. Stimulates left and right sides of the brain concurrently.

2. Tactile-kinesthetic modality of learning.

3. Enhances creativity and problem solving skills.

4. Activates dopamine and serotonin to reduce stress and anxiety.

5. More opportunities for metacognition leads to higher test scores.

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Left/Right Brain Connectivity.

The arts connect left brain linear and verbal thinking.

With right brain visual and “big picture” gestalt.

Connecting the arts with science/math also give girls a gender boost.

Multiple Intelligence Friendly.

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Design: the faculty for creating something both functional and aesthetically appealing.

Story: the ability to fashion a compelling narrative.

Symphony: a capacity for synthesis, combining pieces into a whole, seeing the “big picture”.

Empathy: the ability to understand what makes people tick, forge relationships, care for others.

Play: a capacity for laughter, lightheartedness, humor.

Meaning: an inclination for pursuing and sharing purpose, transcendence and spiritual fulfillment.

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STEAM lends itself to more tactile-kinesthetic or hands-on teaching and learning.

Constructivist approach.

Differentiated instruction.

The infusion of the arts widens the scope and depth of instruction.

Novelty…increasing focus.

Music Changes the Brain

“Music training in childhood improves related cognitive function.”

Boston College/Harvard Medical 2009

Arts training seems to influence cognition, attention, and even IQ

Brain scans after 15 months of musical instruction showed clear changes in neural connectivity .

www.dana.org

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STEAM boosts creativity and problem solving skills.

The arts make tough curricula “accessible” and “doable”.

Children develop both aesthetic appreciation and critical thinking.

The arts lend a “real world” message to engineering and science.

Music Impacts Mood. Is It In Our DNA?

Spanish researchers turned snippets of genetic code into music by attaching the “do-re-mi” scale to 4 key building blocks of DNA

The “DNA music” was played while yeast was fermenting in wine making.

The layer of yeast formed while “music” played was more uniform and protected when compared to yeast formed in silence.

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The infusion of fine arts increases feelings of well-being.

The use of colors and multi-sensory materials trigger dopamine and the feel good chemical: serotonin.

It is like a stress-tonic for teaching and learning.

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Surprise feels good to the brain

When the brain “anticipates” a reward and is looking for it, dopamine is fired.

Dopamine brings feelings of pleasure.

MRI scans of humans during a learning experience showed the pleasure center in the forebrain strongly activated by unpredictable stimuli.

“The only other human study that activated the nucleus accumbens this much was one in which cocaine was injected.” Read Montague, Baylor College of Medicine

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Metacognition means “thinking about thinking”.

It is the highest level of thinking.

The arts allow children to explore thoughts and emotions together, strengthening both.

This results in more refined neural pathways.

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In 2000, the College Board reported that SAT takers who had experience in music performance scored 55 points higher on the Verbal portion of the test and 38 points higher on the Math portion.

2000 Average SAT Verbal…..477(No Arts)

2000 Average SAT Verbal….532 (Arts)

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STEAM Ahead at Home and School

Less tech and more touch.

Toys that enable creativity and critical thinking, such as blocks.

A “place” to build and write and think.

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5 Reasons

Increase your child’s chances to find himself or herself thinking with both the arts and sciences in mind.

www.educationinsite.com.