Teaching Creativity Skills Through STEAM Curriculum
Cain, Rebecca
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2014-03-08
Abstract
While creativity is difficult to measure, it is not impossible. Educators must begin to identify and assess creativity in students in order for America to remain a competitive force in STEM fields. One way to measure creativity in students is to use a multifaceted approach incorporating personality factors, products, and parent observations. Additionally, creativity can be divided into sub-categories to better assess a student’s level of creative output on a continuum. Visual-spatial abilities and creative abilities are common creative traits shared by artists and STEM innovators, and teachers must begin capitalizing on this relationship. In this paper I make the case that there is a natural link between the creative thought processes taught in art classes, The Studio Habits of Mind, and the innovative thought processes desired in STEM subjects. I suggest that teachers incorporate this relationship into the interdisciplinary design-based curriculum STEAM, which includes the addition of art to the traditional STEM acronym.