Almost a year ago, Huffington Post published an article that said the STEM program should be changed to the STREAM program.
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The updated STEM program would add Reading and Art, turning it into STREAM.
According to writer Rob Furman, the STEM program is ready for an update.
This update would mean that students would not only focus on the standard STEM subjects, but would also begin to focus on art and reading, which he believes should be made important in the STEM curriculum.
Furman also continues to say that students need to be fluent in all subjects in order to be better prepared for unknown careers.
And while yes, students ought to know at least the basics of both writing and reading, but reading and art should not be made a focus of the STEM curriculum.
Since 2006, STEM has existed to prepare students for the competitive job market, who have plans to work in a career that requires knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math.
There would not be a difference between the standard high school curriculum and the new STEM program, if these updates were to be made.
According to statistics released by the US Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, STEM occupations from the year 2008 to 2018 are projected to increase by seventeen percent.
STEM education and workforce is vital to the American economy compared to an increase of 9.8 percent in non-STEM jobs.
Many believe that the increase of STEM jobs is one of the potential factors in the growth of America’s economy.
The STEM progra is specifically designed to emphasize subjects like technology and mathematical in the hopes of preparing students for the competitive job market from cradle to career.
Adding reading and art would take away the main focus of the program. It would turn the program into a general education curriculum.
If a student has plans to enter into a career that involves robotics, we cannot expect that student to be comfortable with their career choice if they are not receiving sufficient support and teaching in those areas.
It should be assumed that students in the STEM program can perform simple and basic reading and writing skills before moving onto more complex concepts.
If they do not possess a basic understanding of those topics, they should work on them before moving forward.
Reading is an action that we perform daily. We read emails, news articles and text messages almost every hour.
It is a skill that is taught to us at a young age and continues to grow with us.
If the U.S. is to continue to hold its role as an economic leader to the rest of the world, schools ought to be motivating promising students to join the STEM field.
The early hands on experience of the STEM curriculum will provide students with a better sense of comfort and understanding of the principles of various STEM trades, making it far easier to transition into a STEM related job.