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Hello Maria Many thanks for compiling all these responses. I wanted to respond at the time but was too busy then too ill. I just wanted to make a couple of points, if it's not too late. I think it's interesting to consider where the movement comes from and why it's being promoted. STEM comes from the States, in response to concerns about globalisation, loss of 'native' skills and a fast-changing increasingly digital economy. Interesting how Trump's election is drawing out these concerns in a big way. Then in response the STEM to STEAM initiative emerged from the Rhode Island School of Design. It specifically calls for Art AND Design to be integrated into technical and science activities. It's partly in response to the K12 system that separates academic from arts/vocational streams after grade 10. In the UK, the reforms of the past 6 years have borrowed a lot from US thinking, and there is now poised to be a much clearer separation of vocational and academic study paths (from 16+). Vocational/creative education is being pretty much squashed in KS4 with the EBacc and also changes to the BTEC (making it 40% academic). I think borrowing from the STEM to STEAM movement has been a useful advocacy tool in this context. But what I find most problematic about it is that proponents tend not to address the vital role of the Humanities. Advocacy for Arts education often conflates Culture with Arts, and fails to make specific reference to the value of enquiry around philosophy, citizenship, geography, history, anthropology, RE, exploring the natural and built environment and the history of science. I find it helps to think about the WHY, WHAT and HOW in education. - WHY is about developing fully rounded people with capacities of compassion, resilience and skills that help them shape thriving communities and places: And this is developed by a strong provision of *the Arts. * - WHAT is how to think and learn about how humans have interacted with the world around them and with each other. This is developed by a strong provision of *the Humanities. * - HOW is how learning is made relevant and practical, and how it can be applied to work and the wider world. This is developed by a strong provision of *Science, Tech, Engineering and Maths, and Design. * STEAM projects can lack the WHAT. A lot of exemplar projects can be vague and content-free, not driven by big questions or response to context. Arts can often seem to be co-opted for the HOW - just used to dress up and colour STEM learning. The museums and heritage sector has a great opportunity to design and promote learning that integrates the WHY, WHAT and HOW, or learning that is meaningful for young people, rich in content and developing skills through hands-on activity. Those interested might also want to read this: https://thelearningplanet.wordpress.com/2016/10/16/creativity-and-self-led-learning/ Finally, the ImagineNation report has just been launched. I haven't had a chance to read it but it might enrich this discussion. http://www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk/news/new-publication-sets-out-the-value-of-arts-education/ Best wishes Bridget McKenzie On 24 January 2017 at 11:53, Maria Xanthoudaki <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Dear GEM members, > > thank you all once again for your insights on the question STEM or STEAM! > So many stimulating ideas! Please find attached all your emails to me. > > Given that I have been spending time to look into this, I offered to write > an article for the SPOKES journal of Ecsite, the European network of > science centers and museums. > The journal is reviewed and free, and open to everybody inside and outside > the Ecsite community. Here is the link to the latest issue: > http://www.ecsite.eu/activities-and-services/news- > and-publications/digital-spokes/issue-26 > > I will be certainly using all the materials suggested and once ready I > will share the article with you. I would also like to quote a few > fundamental sentences from some of you, acknowledging of course both name > and source (GEM mailing list informal email discussion). 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