Page 4 - THE Journal, June/July 2017

Editor’sNote David Nagel, Editor-in-Chief
Full STEAM Ahead
THIS MONTH WE’RE INTRODUCING a new publication from the staff of THE Journal and
Campus Technology: STEAM Universe (steamuniverse.com).
This is a natural outgrowth from our flagship education publications for both K–12 and higher education and a reflection of the positive direction in which we think education is heading.
Education policy has as been on a roller coaster ride through the last three administrations, with both
Democrats and Republicans
pushing “reforms” on
educators without a whole
lot of consistency or
predictability (or regard for
the mission of education, for
that matter).
But through it all, there have been some positives within these turbulent reform years.
Chief among those in my mind is the growing push for STEM and STEAM education — a push that transcends party affiliation and that brings with it a chance for educators to get creative with teaching and learning without being hampered by the constraints imposed by other reforms.
Now, STEM is nothing new as far as national educational priorities go. For decades, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) has been proclaimed a critical component for increasing global economic (and political) competitiveness.
But the addition of the arts to create STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) takes it to a new level. STEAM is more than just a set of arbitrary requirements to teach certain
standards or cram a set of facts into students’ heads in preparation for a test. It’s an approach to teaching and learning
that takes the best aspects of STEM —
r: 41 scientific inquiry, project-based learngin: g,1 1 0 b: 146
real-world applications of technology — and fuses them together with the creativity of the arts, which can include visual and performing arts, textiles, fashion and much more.
And the benefits are far-reaching. STEAM, with its heavy emphasis
on integration across disciplines, introduces students to subjects they might not otherwise have exposure to — such as coding and design — and gives them the immediacy that is inherent with hands-on activities. It spans economic, ethnic and gender boundaries, and it has
application for all students.
But STEAM is still new, and educators
need know-how to make it work. That’s where STEAM Universe comes in. STEAM Universe highlights the technologies, curriculum tools, trends and best practices that power education in STEAM and spotlights exceptional projects and programs taking place in schools, colleges and universities across the nation. It also aims to connect educators with the critical funding and other resources they need to make STEAM Education work.
We hope you will become a part of our new community. Join us at steamuniverse. com and on Twitter at @steam_universe.
To continue the conversation, e-mail me at dnagel@1105media.com.
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| JUNE/JULY 2017
thejournal.com
June/July 2017 : Volume 44, No. 4
Editorial Advisory Board
Elisa Carlson
Director of Instruction, Curriculum and Innovation, Surrey Schools (British Columbia, Canada)
Julie Evans
Chief Executive Officer, Project Tomorrow
Geoffrey H. Fletcher
Private Consultant
Ann Flynn
Director of Education Technology & State Association Services, National School Boards Association
Phil Hardin
Director of Project IMPACT, Iredell-Statesville School System (NC)
Christopher Harris
Coordinator, School Library System, Genesee Valley Educational Partnership (NY)
Cathy Hutchins
Principal, South Woods Elementary School, St. John’s County School District (FL)
Thomas C. Murray
Director of Innovation, Future Ready Schools, Alliance for Excellent Education
Erin Wilkey Oh
Executive Editor, Education Marketing, Common Sense Education
Mark Stevens
General Manager, NEA Academy
Donna Teuber
Team Leader for Technology Integration, Richland School District Two (SC)