Understanding the difference between STEM and STEAM education and its importance in your childs life

An introduction to STEM and STEAM

In the rapidly evolving landscape of education, two acronyms have gained a lot of popularity - STEM and STEAM. Early education, in particular, has been laying increased emphasis on imparting education through the STEM and STEAM educational approaches. But what are STEM and STEAM?

While STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, STEAM is the abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. The former focuses on imparting education on the foundation of hard-core skill subjects, whereas the latter integrates the element of Art in it. In a way, STEAM is an extension of the STEM framework and varies from it because of its approach and key areas of emphasis. Let us understand both of these separately.

STEM Education and its application

The science of today is the technology of tomorrow - these profound words by a renowned physicist Edward Teller, mirror the significance of science and technology in all our lives.  STEM education is a result of the groundbreaking technological advancements that have been made in the recent years. With the technological outbreak, fields of Robotics for kids, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence have seen an upsurge. 

To prepare children for this highly tech-demanding world, there is a rise in robotics and coding classes for kids. These classes work on strengthening the hard skills of children by providing programs such as coding for kids, robotics for kids, AI for kids, etc. Along with these skills, such programs also build in them a sense of critical thinking and problem-solving and help them practically execute the theoretical knowledge gained. 

STEM education plays a pivotal role in fostering critical thinking and innovation. It serves as the basis for driving further advancements in fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, renewable energy, and many more. Professions like data scientists, biomedical engineers, and cybersecurity experts emerge as promising career paths for students with this educational background, making them a fit for modern industries. 

STEAM Education and its Application

A famed American writer, journalist, and professor, Walter Isaacson said “Be curious about all fields; the future belongs to those who can connect creativity to technology”. STEAM education is primarily focused on this aspect as it integrates the element of artisticness in the STEM fields. 

The mind of children is home to seamless imagination and thus this educational approach explores their creative side and helps them engage in meaningful activities. It helps children express artistically and think creatively. 

This is the reason STEAM education acts as a catalyst for holistic skill development. It contributes to cutting-edge fields like interactive design, multimedia arts, and game development. With a base of this educational approach, professions such as digital artists, architects, and creative technologists emerge as compelling career options. STEAM education prepares individuals for diverse industries and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration in the modern world.

Why choose OBotz for your child’s educational journey?

OBotz, a STEM program, helps children to express their creative imagination by bringing them to life through robotics and coding classes for kids and building different types of robotics models. OBotz provides interesting opportunities to learn through various robotics and coding camps for kids, promoting hands-on learning through resourceful and well-curated takeaway kits. Its annual Robotics Olympiad is clearly a depiction of how creative thinking works hand in hand with hard-core engineering topics like robotics.  If you are also looking for a program that blends artistic expression in the process of making your children a perfect fit for the tech-savvy world, OBotz is the right platform! 

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