STEM/STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and the Arts
Here you'll find articles and resources for STEM+Arts education, also known as STEAM. Topics include science, technology, engineering, math and arts education and range from research reports to feature articles to profiles of makerspaces to news about new STEAM and STEAM initiatives in schools.
Financial literacy platform CentSai has partnered with developers at SPENDiD to launch a new predictive budgeting tool, dubbed MyBudgetReport, now available to K–12 education organizations, according to a news release.
Created in partnership with NASA, Microsoft’s Minecraft Education has added virtual Artemis Mission Worlds, which will give STEM students a chance to use coding to design a rocket, navigate it to the Moon, and eventually, learn how to keep a Moon base habitat safe. All of this is designed to inspire the next generation of computer and space scientists. NASA’s future goal is to go to Mars.
The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) has announced the GM New Teachers Academy, an initiative to train over 1,300 Black, Latinx, and Indigenous first-year STEM teachers of grades 3 through 12.
Microsoft has introduced Visual Studio Code for Education, a new computer science instruction platform that takes students beyond beginner coding and teaches them tools used by professional developers. Microsoft is inviting educators to join the pilot program, try it out in their classrooms in the 2023–24 school year, and provide feedback.
Autodesk has released a new feature for Tinkercad, the company's free, web-based 3D design app for use in classrooms. Called Sim Lab, the new tool allows students to "apply STEM principles and experiment with their 3D designs in a simulated space — similar to a video game. Students can simulate the effects of gravity on their design, add materials (like rubber, wood, plastic) to an object, and even build simple machines. Sim Lab draws inspiration from children's favorite video games, like Minecraft and Roblox, bringing the excitement of gaming into the design experience."
Digital learning provider Stride has announced a partnership with nonprofit research network Ocean Visions to build instructional content for Minecraft: Education Edition to teach students about the science of oceans and support the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, according to a news release.
As China becomes an increasingly important player in international business, politics, technology, and diplomacy, virtual instruction provider VHS Learning has added a Chinese Language and Culture introductory course, open to high school students nationwide either through their school or through independent study, according to a news release.
The U.S. Department of Education has launched a new CTE program called the Your Place in Space Challenge, inviting high schools to “submit designs for a product or service that will contribute to space missions and exploration,” and an informational webinar for educators is scheduled for May 10.
K–12 science supplier Carolina Biological has teamed up with the Association for Science Teacher Education to provide professional development and teacher support in an effort to boost retention in the field, the organizations recently announced.
K–12 ed tech company Discovery Education has recently added and updated several products on its digital platform. These include a new original series, new Arcademics games, Sesame Workshop resources, and science teaching resources.