Connecting the Dots: Mapping STEAM in K – 12 Education, A Masters Thesis in Art and Design...

Connecting the Dots:Mapping STEAM in K – 12 Education

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Jennifer Kwack A Masters Thesis in Art and Design Education in

Teaching and Learning in Art and DesignRISD 2014

Connecting the Dots: Mapping STEAM in K – 12 Education

© 2014 Jennifer Kwack

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system — without prior permission in writing from the author.


Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts (MA) Art + Design Education, Professional Development Track in the Department of Teaching + Learning in Art + Design Education of the Rhode Island School of Design

By Jennifer Kwack BFA Rhode Island School of Design, 2014 Candidate

The Master’s Examination Committee: Approved by

Dr. Paul Sproll Advisor, Department HeadDepartment of Teaching + Learning in Art + Design, Rhode Island School of Design.

Nancy Friese

Reader, Professor Department of Teaching + Learning in Art + Design, Rhode Island School of Design.

Babette Allina

Reader, Director of Government Relations, Rhode Island School of Design.


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DedicationFor Angela, Mark, and Rudy

List of Figures

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Figure 1:A student exploring one of the work of art at the Human + Computer workshop.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 2, 3, 4, 5, 6: The participants of H+C work-shop at the MIT Media Lab. Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 7, 8, 9:The participants at the RISD Nature Lab.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 10:Students’ work from the H+C workshop. Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 11, 12:The participants of H+C work-shop at the MIT Media Lab.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 13:The final exhibition of the H+C workshop at the RISD Exposé.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 14, 15: The participants of H+C work-shop during the final critique.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 16, 17:The final exhibition of the H+C workshop at the RISD Exposé.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

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Figure 18: The participants of H+C work-shop during the final critique. Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 19, 20, 21:The final exhibition of the H+C workshop at the RISD Exposé.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 22, 23, 24: Professor Hiroshi Ishii’s lecture in the Chace Center at RISD.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 25:A Neuro – education Inter – disciplinary Research Model developed by Magsamen and Hardiman. Courtesy of Mariale Hardiman, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain New York: Dana, 2009.Image courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 26:The bird – eye view of the IDEO workshop in the Prince Lab at Brown University.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 27:The participants of the IDEO workshop during the presentation.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 28:Prat Ganapathy and Bill Stewart, the designers from IDEO, and Ian Gonsher, a lecturer from Brown University are looking at students’ works.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39:The iterations and the processes of the IDEO workshop participants.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 40:The average number of any art and craft avocaction per group: Honored scientists, Sigma Xi members, and the U.S. public.Courtesy of Robert Root – Bernstein, “Arts Foster Scientific Success: Avocations of Nobel, National Academy, Royal Society, and Sigma Xi Members,” Journal of Psychology of Science and Technology 1.2 (2008): 51 – 63.Image courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 41:The percentages of adults in specific arts and crafts avocations: Honored scientists, Sigma Xi members, and the U.S. public.Courtesy of Robert Root – Bernstein, “Arts Foster Scientific Success: Avocations of Nobel, National Academy, Royal Society, and Sigma Xi Members,” Journal of Psychology of Science and Technology 1.2 (2008): 51 – 63.Image courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 42:The participants from the work-shop, “Sculpture Barn Raisings,” conducted by George Hart at Brown University.Photography courtesy of Brown STEAM Initiative.

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Figure 51:72 Pencils, George W. Hart,< http://www.georgehart.com/sculpture/pencils.html>.

Figure 52:The woodshop class at the Moses Brown School.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 53, 54:The Moses Brown School.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 55:The woodshop class at the Moses Brown School.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 56, 57:The Valentine’s card, made by one of the students at the Mosese Brown School.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 58, 59, 60:The Hamster Cage, made by the students from the Moses Brown School.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 61:The landscape paintings from the 3rd grade’s geography class.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 62,63,64:The iterations of the Animated Animals project from Ms. Entin’s class at Moses Brown School.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 65:One of the documentations of the design thinking process on the wall of the Moses Brown School.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 66:One of the students from the JCDSRI, drawing a bird from the observation at RISD’s Nature Lab.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 67, 68:The JCDSRI students and Adam Tilove, the Head of School, during the Design Lab classes.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 69: A JCDSRI student working on her project during the “Living Geometry,” class, one of the RISD/Brown collaborative class.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 70:The JCDSRI students working together on their project during the Design Lab class.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 71: The JCDSRI students working on their project during the Design Lab class.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 72, 73:The Design Lab class at the JCDSRI.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 74, 75:The students working on their peace table project with the help of the teachers.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 76, 77, 78:The JCDSRI students at the RISD’s Nature Lab.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 80:Lukas Winklerprins teaching the “Moon Math,” a RISD/Brown Collaborative class.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 81:Melita Morales teaching the

“Living Geometry,”a RISD/Brown Collaborative class.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 82:The JCDSRI students’ works from the “Living Geometry” class.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 83:RISD and Brown STEAM members who participated in the JCDSRI collaborative classes.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 84:A JCDSRI student getting help from a teacher during the Design Lab class.Photography courtesy of the JCDSRI.

Figure 85:A storyboard study for the STEM to STEAM animation by Jennifer Kwack, with the help from a graphic design professor, Doug Scott.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97:The note takings for the thesis writing and the sketches for the STEAM animation.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 98, 99, 100, 101, 102: The frame studies for the STEM to STEAM animation by Jennifer Kwack.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110:The frame studies for the STEM to STEAM animation by Jennifer Kwack.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118:The frame studies for the STEM to STEAM animation by Jennifer Kwack.Photography courtesy of Jennifer Kwack.

Figure 43:Lukas Winklerprins’ Interactive Function Visualizer.Photography courtesy of Lukas Winklerprins.

Figure 44:The graphic representation of a function.Photography courtesy of Lukas Winklerprins.

Figure 45:Lukas Winklerprins’s Interactive Function Visualizer.Photography courtesy of Lukas Winklerprins.

Figure 46:The laser – cut visual presentation of a function made by Lukas Winklerprins.Photography courtesy of Lukas Winklerprins.

Figure 47:The abstract representation of a function by Lukas Winklerprins.Photography courtesy of Lukas Winklerprins.

Figure 48:The panoramic picture of the final presentation of Lukas Winklerprins’s independent study at Brown University.Photography courtesy of Lukas Winklerprins.

Figure 49:72 Pencils Isama, George W. Hart, < http://www.george-hart.com/sculpture/pencils.html>.

Figure 50:72 Pencils CMYK, George W. Hart, < http://www.george-hart.com/sculpture/pencils.html>.

Chapter I:A Journey to This PointA visual learner in STEM – Centered Educational ProgramsArtistic Statement from RISD ExperienceThe Reason I Still DreamFreshmen Experience: 3D StudioBFA in Illustration: Learning about Harmonious IntegrationCritique CultureExperience from MAT ProgramMy Involvement with the RISD STEAM InitiativeCase Study 01: Human + Computer WorkshopWork Experience at MITxRISD STEAM

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Table of Contents

Chapter II:STEM to STEAMSTEM EducationSTEM to STEAMAdvocacy for Arts Education Case Study 02: IDEO WorkshopSTEM to STEAM, A RISD – Led InitiativeSTEAM’s PurposeConclusion

Chapter IIIAdvocates from the Neuroeducation FieldArts and Cognition Consortium at the Dana FoundationBrain – Targeted Teaching and Arts LearningWhy the Arts MatterDeveloping Cognitive Thinking Skills through Arts Integration

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Chapter IV:Art and ScienceArt Fosters Scientific SuccessWhy Science Needs ArtForm Follows FunctionDrawing as A Means of VisualizationBuilding a Strong Connection with Art and ScienceCase Study 03: Tactile MathRethinking Math PedagogyVisualizing MathLanguage, Abstraction, and ObjectsSupporting STEAMThe Art of PlayHigh Scores, Few AbilitiesSelf – Directed Learning – A Critical Element for SuccessGeorge HartPatterns, Structures, and RelationshipsCultivating the Process of MakingUnlocking the Source of Creative Energy

Chapter V:The Integration of Art and STEMArt and Design in Context of InnovationArt, Design, Science, and TechnologyThe Approach to Innovation through STEAM EducationCase Study 04: STEAM in ActionMoses Brown SchoolCollaboration ProcessDesign Thinking ClassLearning ProcessCombined Forces I: Hamster CageOutcomesCombined Forces II: Animated AnimalsProcess in Geography Class and Science ClassHow This Makes STEAMConclusionThe Approach to Arts Integrated Interdisciplinary LearningSupporting the Collaborative Culture in School Case Study 05: The Jewish Community Day SchoolBackground Adam Tilove’s Philosophy The Design Lab The Peace Table A Visit to the Nature Lab at RISD RISD/ Brown Collaboration Conclusion

Chapter VI:Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendix

Acknowledgment

Paul Sproll

Nancy Friese

Babette Allina

RISD STEAM

Inspiration

Thesis Writing

Brown STEAM Initiative

Michelle Site

Zhixian Zhang

Melita Morales

John Chamberlin

Janice De Frances

Toil Boston

Jane Hoe

RISD MA

Hanna McPhee

Lucia Monge

Xin Liu

Ian Gonsher

Fred Lynch

Hiroshi Ishii

Clara KimJohn Maeda

Pradeep Sharma

Susan Vander Closter

Doug Scott

Erdin Beshimov

Kevin Moore

Conor Collier

Colin Jackson

MITx

Saewon Hwang

Moses Brown School

Carol Entin

Sarah Barnum

Cathy Van Lacker

Lukas Winklerprins

JCDSRI

Ria Vaidya

Ingrid Lange

Eital Schattner – Elmaleh

Jennifer Bend

Adam Tilove

Perry Oasis

Ryan Mather

Eliot Bassett – Cann

Grace Davis

Catherine Schmidt

Elizabeth A. Bearden

Abstract

This thesis explores how arts – integrated education can positively effect the development and engagement of students in grades K – 12. In particular, this document explores how the STEM to STEAM initiative, which calls for the addition of arts to the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math, can play a role in furthering interdisciplinary, arts – integrated education. First, this document explains the importance of arts education in accordance with the views of modern education advocates, researchers, neuroscientists, and teachers. Subsequently, first – hand case studies, which were conducted through the RISD STEAM club in Providence, RI, act as an important sampling of the STEAM initiative in practice. Additional research shows how the implementation of the arts through STEAM ideology enhances students’ learning in other areas and disciplines like math and science. Through this research and the case studies, this thesis makes the argument that arts education is an essential component of students’ holistic development, and that it can stimulate and contribute to continued technological and social innovation in the United States.

Chapter I:A Journey to This Point

“ My RISD education helped me realize that a good artist or a designer is someone who values each detail and understands how to integrate each element harmoniously.”

– Jennifer Kwack

A Visual Learner in STEM – centered Educational Programs

My interest in arts integration in K – 12 education can be explained by the fact that I was always bad at math. During secondary schooling, my success was measured only by my low test scores. American K – 12 education is often score – based and STEM – centered (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) because STEM subjects have been presented by the U.S. government as a key tool for education innova-tion. It is thought that an increase in the number of students pursuing STEM – related subjects in college will lead to an increase in STEM careers within the workforce. The goal is to reinvigorate and lead the U.S. economy into a period of economic growth. One of the fundamental characteristics of STEM sub-jects is their utilitarian purpose, but the teaching of these subjects, especially in K – 12, is often, I believe, limited to providing students with exact answers through the use of algorithms or substantiating scientific theories that have already been established. Moreover, the assessment methods for these subjects are often completely score – based. As a result we have reached a point where the performance of both the students and their teachers is being assessed through the use of test scores. Therefore, a good deal of classroom instruction now consists of practice tests that prioritize the student’s ability to perform well on such tests.

Even in the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), math makes up one – third of the entire score. This emphasis seemed unfair to me at the time I took the SATs, since I performed better in other subject areas, which are not evaluated in this test. Consequentially, I began to lose self – confidence because of my low SAT math score. As a student, I wanted to succeed, but I did not know how to improve my math score because I found it difficult to understand the key mathematical principles that comprised my math educa-tion. My math teachers only explained the basic functions and how to apply basic concepts. In order for me to be able to solve the more complex problems required an intuitive knowledge of mathematics that I was never fully able to master. So, I always had a difficult time solving math problems because I could not fully understand the basic system.

As a result of my personal experience, I have always thought that math needed to be taught in a different manner. I suffered from elementary to high school because I was trained to memorize math algorithms without truly understanding the reasoning behind them, and math taught in this manner continued to be incomprehensible. Eventually I came to understand that I am a visual learner, who

Chapter I: A Journey to This Point

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understands ideas better when they are represented through images and tangible objects. My goal in future and current projects is to promote activity and hands – on based projects in STEM subjects through arts integration. Students would then be able to understand math concepts by playing with objects or drawing problems, without the fear of having to provide right or wrong answers. In such scenarios, I argue that understanding would replace memorization. If arts were integrated with math through visual presentations, more students who are visual learners would, I believe, be able to understand concepts with ease. It is my sense that by shifting the approach towards math education by emphasizing an activity – based learning process, students would be more engaged in the classroom and more motivated to take a personal interest in the problems presented to them. Students could derive real meaning from their learning. In this sense,

“STEAM” education is a potential solution to the challenges faced in K – 12 education. STEAM is the addi-tion of “Art + Design” to STEM. By integrating art and design with STEM subjects, STEAM education calls for more project – based learning, which can be beneficial for students who struggle to understand subject content. Art and design can be used as tools to help students relate to other subjects. However, in my view, STEAM, because of its association with design and design process, may be misinterpreted by schools concerned with utilitarian skills sets. If this happens, schools lose sight of the holistic nature of the visual arts and consequently fail to harness art’s affective potential.

Artistic Statement from RISD Experience The Reason I Still Dream

On March 22, 1877, the Rhode Island General Assembly ratified “An Act to Incorporate the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).” The corporation comprised of a forward – thinking group of men and women, artists and business leaders, educators and politicians, was formed “ for the purpose of aiding in the cultivation of the arts of design.” The original bylaws set forth the following key objectives for RISD:

First. The instruction of artisans in drawing, painting, modeling, and designing, that they may successfully apply the principles of Art to the requirements of trade and manufacture.

Second. The systematic training of students in the practice of Art, in order that they may understand its principles, give instruction to others, or become artists.

Third. The general advancement of public Art Education, by the exhibition of works of Art and of Art school studies, and by lectures on Art.1

RISD’s philosophy and its approach to education have deeply influenced my thinking about what it means to be an artist and a designer and about the role of the arts in education. During my time in undergraduate studies, I was encouraged to research, investigate, and create through unceasing artistic exploration and observation. Through this rigorous approach to my education, I was forced not only to connect my ideas to my experiences but to learn to overcome my failures and seek alternative solutions.

My dedication to seek out every possibility within my creative work did not only make me become a good artist or a designer. Rather, I was able to truly understand myself because I discovered my weak-nesses and strengths through the many failures and challenges RISD allowed me to experience. Without this stage of wondering and wandering, I would not have been able to pick myself up after my failed creative

A Journey to This Point 3

1 RISD. “Mission | History, Mission+Governance | About | RISD,” Mission | History, Mission + Governance | About | RISD, RISD, March 30, 2014, Accessed March 30, 2014.

attempts left me dissatisfied. In my opinion, creativity cannot be achieved through one big idea; the creative process occurs through a spider web – like chain of multiple ideas. RISD never allowed me to feel trapped in my own web as every step guided me through the process of becoming a better thinker, better maker, and a better person. Each stage helped me build my identity through art and when I felt helplessly stuck, without any inspiration to guide me, I learned to make quick decisions and to find alternative ways to advance my path. As the old adage goes, I have learned that when one door closes, another door of opportunity opens. I found that it requires courage to move forward. In this sense, RISD helped me to develop the skills that would allow me to pick myself up after my failures, to learn from my mistakes, and to seek out new solutions. These skills have all led me to where I am now.

Freshmen Experience: 3D Studio

My time during freshmen year caused me to become more diligent and persistent in my response to every challenge. Most of the projects revolved around critical thinking, creation, re – evaluation, communication, and innovation. Each class in the Foundation Studies program encouraged me to solve problems in an unexpected way. The 3D class (now called the Spatial Dynamic class) was one of the most memorable experiences in my undergraduate education. Working in a large studio with nineteen fellow students as team members alongside high – end equipment, I was put in situations that encouraged me to be flexible and to find solutions through a process of trial and error. Through a series of challenging, hands – on assignments, I was able to develop the basic foundations of 3D production.

The process of this class was deceptively simple. One of our first assignments required us to pick up a natural object of our choice and then create five observational drawings that depicted different perspec-tives of the object. We cut our objects in half and then drew them by focusing on the object’s patterns. The primary objective of this assignment was to help students develop observational skills, which would lead to an interpretation of how the structure and skin formed the natural object. In a 3D class taught by Deborah Coolidge, we were presented with a “Structure and Skin” project. Professor Coolidge introduced the assignment by saying, “Today, we are going to analyze the structure of natural objects.” She did not tell us anything else but insisted that each of us look closely at the natural object and feel it with our own hands. Then she asked a few questions to guide us as we examined the objects:

How many different sections do you see? How is each section of the object divided? When you cut it in half, what do you see? What does the negative space look like?

These scaffolding questions allowed me to discover the forms through my own observations. I had to look carefully at the objects to answer these questions. This type of learning allowed me to engage with my task because it required me to consider how my experience of the object informed my answers. I started the first assignment by drawing an acorn squash from five different angles; then I cut it in half to investigate the natural form and patterns. My eyes had to constantly analyze the meticulous patterns of the seeds’ formations as my hands deftly drew its form. In the end, I chose to make a simplified version of the squash that represented the form through wood dowels that I had covered with rice paper so that the

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interior could be revealed. The outcome was fascinating because I had transformed the organic object into a geometric shape. At that time, I really did not realize what I was actually learning. But now I understand that this lesson was important because it made me examine the nature of the form and deeply think about its articulation as well as the inherent rules within its structure. I can now see that through these kinds of investigations, I have developed more acute observational skills. RISD has promoted the value of finding the patterns within the structure of natural objects for decades. At the Edna Lawrence Nature Lab, fresh-man foundation students spend many hours looking at real skeletons as well as more than 10,000 natural objects. RISD takes the Nature Lab very seriously because nature is an important source of inspiration for all disciplines. Almost half of my beginning class assignments were done at the Nature Lab, and generally these projects asked me to look closely at the objects, make an detailed art object based on my observa-tions, and study the structure of the skeletons.

The exploration of materials came after this when I was given the opportunity to work with pure charcoals, charcoal powders, kneaded erasers, Indian ink, water spray, rubber cements, tapes, clays, and more. By spending hours and hours with different materials, I learned how each application could create different atmospheres and effects. Through my experimentation with these materials, I realized that I had been limiting myself by repeatedly using the same materials in my past projects. Innovation, I came to see, exists by re – imagining what has already been done and what can be done through experimentation.

After learning how to investigate objects and the materials, I was given a challenge through the “Sled Project.” The challenge was a playful one and everyone in the class was given the opportunity to create his or her own sled and experiment with it in snow. Even before the project started, everyone was looking forward to it. However, the process of actually making the sled was much different from what I imagined. It was an entirely new experience in a sense that I had to plan everything from scratch. I worked with my colleague, Ryan Gallagher, and we collaborated together to sketch the design, to plan where we might get the materials, to estimate how much wood we would need to support our weight and height, and to choose how we should cut each part and how we should assemble it. The project intro-duced us to new tools and encouraged us to develop the skills we would need in the wood shop. The skills that contributed most significantly to the sled project were collaboration and iteration. Through a number of discussions and sketches, Ryan and I were able to come up with several prototypes of the sled design. Our original design also had to align with the functionality of the sled, which required us to work with hand tools and basic materials, such as paper, wood, and found objects. We explored the relationship between mass, volume, and plane in order to design a sled that could support our weight. To achieve our goal, we were committed and passionate about every step in the process.

There were a few failures; for example, in one attempt, we had made one side of the sled too short and had created an irregular base due to too much sanding. By accepting our mistakes, we were able to look for alternate solutions. Eventually, we created a functional sled. Even though we never had a chance to test out our sled due to a lack of snow, we were satisfied that we overcame our challenges and were able to make something by ourselves. Our sense of personal authorship grew as we struggled through the process of working with new materials in the unique challenges presented to us. The feeling of fulfillment from these projects led me to become more courageous in the challenges to come.


BFA in Illustration

Learning about Harmonious Integration

I enrolled in my undergraduate degree as an illustration major because I value the art of storytelling. I found that it wasn’t as simple as I expected to convey my ideas to others because my interpretations could not always match their perceptions. One of the most important skills I have learned in the RISD’s Illustration Department was how to conceptualize an idea with a greater awareness of how each com-ponent should work together. In preparation for a completed project, I spent extra time fine – tuning the details, without always recognizing that the most important piece of a picture is the whole. My RISD education helped me realize that a good artist or a designer is someone who values each detail and under-stands how to integrate each element harmoniously.

In order to produce a painting, an artist has to make many decisions. One needs to decide which paper to use, which paints to apply, which brush to employ, which subjects to paint, what lighting to use, and how to organize the composition. Only a deep consideration of these details can help the concept come to life. I enjoyed being the owner of the white canvas; there was no rule to follow, and I was the one who could control everything. Of course, creating a painting that speaks to me was easy. Creating a work that arouses others’ feelings was much more difficult, especially for a work of illustration. Through illustration concept classes, I learned that everyone perceives abstract expressions differently. What appears peaceful to one viewer may not appear peaceful to another. It was shocking, at first, to realize that my classmates did not understand the message behind my work. By realizing the importance of storytelling, I was able to learn how to deliver an idea that will speak to others.

Critique Culture

My work also improved and benefited from the critique culture at RISD. One distinct way critique occurred in the classroom was that each student would be given about twenty minutes to represent the work and would then receive feedback from his/her colleagues. My illustration professor Fred Lynch argued that the whole point of the critique is to help students advance so that, when they create another new project, they can create a much more evolved version of the work. In order to help students improve their design knowledge, Lynch argued that the projects must be well chosen in the first place. He carefully constructed each assignment so that it would guide the students’ work towards the next level of complex-ity. By the end of the course, the growth of students’ work could be recognized and the lessons they had learned could be easily visualized. The time spent in this class, and many others were indispensable to my visual growth and individu-alization. A critique culture helps students to build their personal style, develop better communication skills, make thoughtful decisions with regard to design elements, and, most importantly, helps them to become empathetic individuals. The six – hour class periods involved time when each student was granted a chance to present work and receive feedback from peers. Since RISD has such an international population, each student came from a distinct cultural background and brought that experience to his or her critique.

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The process of sharing opinions about each other’s work not only taught students to accept another’s perceptions but also allowed emotional bonds to develop between classmates, which eventually led to a community that understood its members’ processes and divergences. Additionally, by looking at others’ work, students were able to find their own personal style and become more confident in the original work they were able to create. What I have personally gained from this critique process has more to do with the development of my personality. Previous to my experience at RISD, I was more focused on my own thoughts and did not often consider other perspectives. I believe I thought this way because I lacked the kind of knowledge and experience that reveals the importance of diversity and collaboration.

Experience from MAT Program

I have a strong desire to share what I have learned from RISD: the joy of creating art and of constructing something that contains a deeper meaning that makes a lasting emotional connection. Since graduation, I had been looking for a profession that would align with my wish to help others experience a similar kind of fulfillment. Moreover, since my father was a college professor and my mother was a high school teacher, I have always had a great respect for the teaching profession. As a result, I applied to RISD’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) graduate program, which grants a teacher certification in art. During my time in the program, I have learned about a child’s cognitive development, about the characteristics of students with learning disabilities, and how to map arts integrated curriculum in K – 12 education. My numerous class observations and teaching opportunities at Providence schools created a window through which I could see myself. I realized though that I still had many aspects of art education to explore before becoming a practitioner. For example, while observing an art class at one of the inde-pendent middle schools in South Providence, what was especially interesting was that each student was given an iPad for his/her personal use at school, which gave me an opportunity to see STEAM education in practice. I saw that implementing technology in the classroom can be beneficial for the students with learning disabilities, including students with dysgraphia, a specific learning disorder that impairs a student’s ability to write by hand.

While it is beneficial to use technology as a tool for students who struggle with learning disabilities, the advantages of technology can go beyond this utilitarian function. I strongly believe that simply using technology in arts class does not necessarily comprise a STEAM education. Rather, it’s my belief that technology must be combined with traditional art pedagogy to provide more meaningful and novel ways of teaching art. I understand that providing technology in classrooms is essential in terms of introducing new learning experiences; however, in the class I was observing, students were using the iPads to draw sketches on a screen, which, in my view, is no different from using a paper to sketch the ideas. There are many more effective ways to employ advanced technology like the iPad because they have more potential than traditional sketchbooks can offer. Technology needs to support arts learning and to become a tool that creates an entirely unique learning experience.


From these types of initial personal observations, I was able to recognize a number of implementation problems surrounding STEAM education. However, I have chosen to be an advocate of STEAM because I believe very strongly there are significant misunderstandings surrounding what arts integration means. By integrating arts with STEM, a new experience of creation and the construction of meaning can occur. New technology should be an important tool in art class that generates groundbreaking ways to explore inter – curriculum learning. Because of these firsthand class observations, I decided that I wanted to focus on researching ways to better integrate arts and STEM subjects into our modern education system and on defining the importance of art education within a STEAM – based curriculum.

My Involvement with the RISD STEAM Initiative

After recognizing the challenges of STEAM education, I wanted to know more about the STEM to STEAM, the RISD – led initiative to add Art and Design to the national agenda of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education and research in America. According to the STEM to STEAM website, the goal of STEAM education is to foster the true innovation that comes with combining the mind of a scientist with that of an artist or designer.2 John Maeda, a designer and proponent of this method of education, believes in the integration of technology, design, and leadership in a 21st century synthesis of creativity and innovation. While at RISD, he led the movement to transform STEM to STEAM by adding art. In his article in Edutopia, Maeda also insists that:

A world – class STEM workforce is essential to virtually every goal we have as a nation — whether it’s broadly shared economic prosperity, international competitiveness, a strong national defense, a clean energy future, and longer, healthier lives for all Americans . . . Indeed, we know that the chal-lenges the next generation faces will demand creative solutions . . . STEM alone will not get us there. Innovation happens when convergent thinkers, those who march straight ahead toward their goal, combine forces with divergent thinkers . . . those who professionally wander, who are comfortable being uncomfortable, and who look for what is real.3

Just like America considered innovation as a key to ensure a prosperous future in 2007 with the America COMPETES Act, which emphasized the importance of STEM subjects within America’s education system, STEM to STEAM has the potential to be the innovation of the 21st century that helps to stabilize the US economy. By using Maeda’s philosophy in contexts of innovation, I wanted to contribute to the future of America and provide a better quality of education through advocating the holistic approach of visual art education because, in my view, the incorporation of the design – thinking process is not enough. I am most interested in support for the implementation of interdisciplinary learning by arts integration in K – 12 education.

As an artist and a designer, I feel that it is my responsibility to share what I have learned from my RISD experience and put these lessons to good use within society. In order to do this, I decided to become heavily involved in RISD STEAM, which is a student – run organization. By organizing workshops, lectures, and discussions, the club aims to educate students about the rising inclination to incorporate arts and design thinking into STEM education. The most appealing aspect of this student driven club is that it develops peer – to – peer lessons that break the hierarchy or boundary among the students from different disciplines. The instructors who are students themselves teach the skills by practicing their own works of art. The project – based learning encourages participating students to find the balance between process and

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2 STEM to STEAM, “STEM to STEAM.” STEM to STEAM, 2013, April 15, 2014, http://stemtosteam.org 3 John Maeda, “STEM to STEAM: Art in K – 12 Is Key to Building a Strong Economy,” Edutopia, October 2, 2012, Accessed April 14, 2014.

product. The emphasis on iteration and the documentation of the projects values each student’s ideas and opinions, and help them make meaning and discover solutions from multiple perspectives. Furthermore, the critique culture helps students to develop deep empathy skills, to share their own personal ideas with others, to understand and respect others, eventually building the rapport through constructive conversa-tion; and to reach self – actualization by evaluating their own processes and practices. Through these quali-ties and methods of approach in STEAM, students at RISD and Brown University have been introduced to new kinds of learning that promote creative thinking through an interdisciplinary process.

As a result of my firsthand experience of various workshops, which connected art and design with STEM, I came to realize that the collaboration between different disciplines is a key factor. For example, one of this thesis’ case studies [Human + Computer] is a collaborative workshop that brought together fine art and design students from RISD, Brown engineering students, and MIT Media Lab students. By looking at their collaborative process, I began to see how our K – 12 teachers could adopt these STEAM workshops as modules to develop the interdisciplinary learning discipline. Of course, there will be many challenges since many elementary and secondary teachers are not yet trained to plan an art and design integrated curriculum and there is limited time and financial resources within school districts. However, the examples that I have observed show the potential for development within arts integrated education in K – 12 settings. The workshops were, I contend, innovative precedents for STEAM education, and I wish that more people could be involved in the collaborative process to understand how art integrated projects can result in entirely unique educational experiences. Integrating art cannot just be putting some condi-ments on a STEM plate. STEAM requires a process more akin to taking one whole bite of art and one whole bite of science together. The mélange of the two different qualities can create another experience, which will eventually guide us to innovation.


THE OVERVIEW OF THE HUMAN + COMPUTER WORKSHOP

Transhumanism is the belief that the human race can evolve beyond its current limita-tions through the use of science and technology. This workshop combines the design of new body/machine interfaces with learning relevant technical skills in elec-tronics, digital fabrication, and programming. With a focus on building wearable devices, human augmentation, and alternative, more visceral forms of communi-cation, students from MIT, Brown, and RISD collaborate in groups to conceptualize, prototype, and finally build functioning versions of their ideas in creative forms.

This case study explores how the higher education approaches to implement STEAM program in a form of a visual essay.

As a documenter of this workshop,I had an opportunity to observe and record the iterations of each participant’s work. The focus of this case study is on the documenta-tion of the collaborative process.

Figure 1:A student exploring one of the works of art at the Human + Computer exhibition.

Case Study 01:HUMAN + COMPUTER

The Human + Computer workshop participants from RISD, Brown, and MIT gathered for the first time at the MIT Media Lab.

This workshop series was organized by Ryan Mather, a Vice President of RISD STEAM, and facilitated by the three MIT Media Lab graduate students: David Mellis, Sophia Brueckner, and Tiffany Tseng.

Week 1, Jan 11, 2014

The second meeting took its place at RISD’s Edna Lawrence Nature Lab. The participants presented their proposals and iterations such as the prototypes for the electronic functionality, a fabrication strategy, and other wearable techs.

After the presentation, the participants discusssed their plans while observing and getting inspirations from the nature objects.

Week 2, Jan 18, 2014

12 Chapter I Case Study 01: Human + Computer 13

Every ending is a new beginning. STEAM wishes to build more interdisciplinary teamworks happening in the future, and to continue reaching out the people from different disciplines and inspire them to become “creative indivisuals,” people who are empowered to create and solve problems through embracing different perspectives, collab-orating through communications, and enduring multiple failures to achieve the success.

The third gathering happened at the MIT Media Lab. The first session was filled with construc-tive critiques supported by Ian Gonsher, a lec-turer at Brown Univ., Prat Ganapathy, a designer from IDEO with whom he collaborates, along with Xiao Xiao, a Ph.D student at the Media Lab contributed to the critique.

Week 3, Jan 25, 2014

The final critique was hosted at RISD E’ship’s space at 204 Westminster st. The culmination of the three weeks of hard work was presented.

Kelly Dobson, the Department head of Digital + Media at RISD, Lisa Z. Morgan, the founder of Strumpet & Pink, and Kimberly Young, a local dance artist, contributed to our very last critique.

Week 4, Feb 1, 2014

Week 5, Feb 20, 2014

The case study of the Human + Computer workshop illustrates how the artists, designers, scientists and engineers can collaborate together to develop the projects. The official finale of the Human + Computer workshop happened at the Exposé, RISD’s student – runned gallery, on February 20th. More than 200 visitors came to celebrate the convergence of the arts and science. Everyone was joyful and curious to look at and test out the creative works at the exhibition.

From left to right order

Figure 2, 3, 4, 5, 6: The participants of the Human + Computer workshop at the MIT Media Lab.

Figure 7, 8, 9:The participants at the RISD Nature Lab.

Figure 10:The works from the H+C workshop.

Figure 11, 12:The participants of H+C work-shop at the MIT Media Lab.

Figure 13:The final exhibi-tion of the H+C workshop at the RISD Exposé.

Figure 14, 15: The H+C work-shop during the final critique.

Figure 16, 17:The final exhibi-tion of the H+C workshop at the RISD Exposé.

Figure 18: The participants of H+C work-shop during the final critique.

Figure 19, 20, 21:The final exhibi-tion of the H+C workshop at the RISD Exposé.

Work Experience at MITx

I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work as a part – time designer for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MITx Entrepreneurship class. MITx is a part of edX, which is an online edu-cation platform that provides lectures online from the ivy – league universities. My job was to create the animations that communicate the core concepts for each lecture. I was glad to help people understand the subject better with my animation. While at MITx, I have also had a chance to visit the MIT Media Lab. The moment when I entered the building and noticed all the inventions and projects that the engineers had been working on had a profound impact on me. Since the buildings are very open and the walls are glass, it was easy to notice what was going on within each research group. My perception of technology was greatly altered by the engineers’ creative and human – centered projects that offered ways to change the world by facilitating life. Since then, I have researched how the engineers produce machines that not only seek to improve the human experience but are also visually compelling: the answer was arts and science integration.

Although online education connects talented people around the world, and enables us to share valu-able information, I do believe that a flaw within our current education system lies within online education. When I first began working at MITx, my boss insisted that the visual presentation is a critical element in delivering the ideas because the visuals have a greater impact on learning and memory. However, when a student is taking an online education course, they are merely watching the video, and they cannot interact with anything other than the video. Even if interactions are offered, they are often presented through text – based chatting or through a video call. What we can do to improve the interactivity of online educa-tion will depend on the development of technology and the implementation of new learning objectives.

I still remember one of the lectures sponsored by RISD STEAM that I attended while John Maeda was the President of RISD. For the STEAM event, Maeda invited Professor Hiroshi Ishii from the Tangible Bits research group at MIT Media Lab to give a lecture at RISD. During his lecture, Envision and Embody, Professor Ishii insisted that learning should be both mentally and physically engaging. Often, students are disconnected from the learning experience because they only receive information from the teacher and through textbooks, or, in the case of on – line learning, from their screens or speakers. So even though students’ eyes are engaged, their bodies are unemployed. The collaboration of minds, bodies, and spirits could promote more useful interaction, and, as a result, students could achieve a greater perspective and a sense of connection to their work. Professor Hiroshi Ishii’s Tangible Bits research group has been inventing new technology that enables a more tangible experience through human – centered innovation. If there are more tools like this, there is a better chance of transforming online education into a bilateral exchange. Towards the end of Ishii’s PowerPoint presentation, there was a slide that asked, “What will you leave for the people living in 2200? How do you want to be remembered?” I thought, I would like to contribute to the future of our education. In order to predict the future, I need to find a variety of solutions for our current struggle and better understand the steps that encourage growth and learning. In that sense, I want to contribute to American education by exploring and investigating the various ways to implement an arts – integrated curriculum in K – 12 education.

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RISD STEAM

As Vice President I have been actively participating as an educational lead in RISD STEAM. And while my research largely focuses on arts and science education, my love for motion graphics and animation is equally important to my methods. STEAM CAST, which is a collaborative student group from the RISD and Brown University community, broadcasts and publicizes the STEAM movement in animation. My involvement in this work involves creating an animation that describes the rationale of STEM to STEAM.

I have also been involved in the promotion of STEAM education through organizing and document-ing workshops centered around collaborative arts and science education. One such example was [Human + Computer], which involved the participation of RISD, Brown University and MIT Media Lab graduate students. It was a true design and engineering student collaboration, which, I strongly believe, could act as a model for other universities looking to connect interdisciplinary learning and STEAM. The workshop also has potential as an example of collaborative work for K – 12 teachers of all subjects. In addition to these workshops, I have also been advising the Jewish Community Day School, a K – 5 school in Providence, as it develops its new Design Lab curriculum. These experiences have informed my thesis about arts and science integration in K – 12 education. I strongly believe that there is enormous potential in collaboration between designers, engineers and educators to effect educational reform that has the capacity to grant children a better learning environment, and indeed a better future. I have experienced various STEAM workshops, and witnessed both the strengths and weaknesses of STEAM practice. Therefore, in thesis, I first introduce the concept of STEM to STEAM and describe the importance of the inclusion of the arts. Then through a number of case studies, I investigate promising examples of STEAM – based projects, which demonstrate the benefits of visual art and design integrated learning in K – 12 education and which serve as models for the STEAM movement.


Figure 22, 23, 24: Professor Hiroshi Ishii’s lecture in the Chace Center at RISD.

Chapter II:STEM to STEAM

“Education minus art? Such an equation equals schooling that fails to value ingenuity and innovation.The word art, derived from an ancient Indo – European root that means ‘ to fit together,’ suggests as much.”

– Jeffrey T. Schnapp

STEM Education

In 2007, the United States chose to accelerate education research and development with the America COMPETES Act, which emphasized the importance of STEM subjects within America’s education system. Since then, in the fiscal years between 2008 and 2012, $52.4 billion has been dedicated to STEM initiatives in kindergarten through graduate school. However, as a result of the focus on STEM subjects, art classes and their budgets within the public school system were reduced, and art education was marginalized as a whole. Despite these efforts to improve education, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed only a slight increase in eighth grade science scores in 2009. Furthermore, less than one – third of eighth graders performed at what the NAEP considers to be “proficient” levels of achievement.

In 2009, President Obama launched the “Educate to Innovate” campaign for excellence, which would continue to focus on students’ aptitude in STEM subjects. This national effort includes over $260 million in public and private investments to push American students towards the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade. The day this initiative was announced, President Obama stated:

Reaffirming and strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this century. That’s why I am committed to making the improvement of STEM education over the next decades a national priority.4

As a continued measure to improve American education, President Obama signed into law the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 that attempts to recruit and retain 100,000 excellent STEM teachers over the next ten years. Over the past decade, the STEM acronym has developed a wide currency in US education and policy circles. Leaders in business, government, and academia assert that education in STEM subjects is vital not only because it will sustain innovation within the US, but also because it will endow future workers with the skills necessary to compete within the modern job marketplace, even if their career lies outside of a STEM field.

The article, “STEM Integration in K – 12 Education: Status, Prospects, and an Agenda for Research,” advocates for more integrated approaches to K – 12 STEM education. The authors argue that structuring STEM education to be more interdisciplinary and creating lesson plans that respond to or use current events as examples can make STEM subjects more relevant to students and teachers.5 Advocates of this

Chapter II: STEM to STEAM

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4 The White House. “President Obama Launches ‘Educate to Innovate’ Campaign for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Education.” The White House, November 23, 2009, Accessed April 14, 2014.

approach assert that it will help address the demands for greater workplace and college readiness in students as well as increase the number of students who might consider a career in a STEM related field. Instead of being a compartmentalized experience, integrated STEM education should feature a range of unique assign-ments that students can interconnect through engaged, critical thought. The framework for this integrated approach should follow an instructional template that allows for problem – based learning and underlines engineering design thought processes.

When President Obama launched the “Educate to Innovate”5 campaign its goals largely centered on improving the US economy; however, Obama has also expressed his desire for young people “ to be makers of things, not just consumers of things.” It was clear, therefore, the STEM education he encouraged was also about creativity. However, in K – 12 education, there is increasingly less evidence of enhancing creativity in classrooms due in great part to the score – based assessment strategies. This system of instruction and evaluation fails to include the creative process in students’ learning. For example, almost all math and chemistry problems are about practicing what has already been proven. This means that scientific explo-ration is often limited to finding the right answer through memorized equations and a practiced, singular process. The same occurs regularly in math class; every student is given the same problem and needs to come up with one correct answer. There might be a few different approaches to solve some equations, but the goal is to find the correct answer, a process, which can become boring and tedious to students over time. However, even if students endure this boredom and choose to major in science in college, the same procedure is required: the depth and complexity of the material changes but not the process of finding the right, predictable answer.

Although the generous funding and support reserved for STEM education consistently increases, STEM will do little to improve student learning unless the science and mathematics instruction concentrates more on creative and real – world problem solving.7 High rates of high school and college dropouts indicate that our education system needs to be transformed. Current educational institutions need to understand how students are developing in this digital age, which offers a new approach to gathering information, forming relationships, and finding meaning. Furthermore, one of the unfortunate consequences of the state’s emphasis on STEM education was a significant funding cut in 2012 to the National Endowment for the Arts by the House of Representatives.8 As a result, not only has arts education been de – emphasized in the K – 12 curriculum, but it has also lost substantial funding from states. Many policy makers currently do not appreciate that art education is for all students and not only those who want to be artists. This lack of understanding unfortunately means that many students will never experience the luxury of an arts – based education unless general opinion and policy undergo a dramatic shift.

STEM to STEAM

Martha Bridge Denckla, M.D., of the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Hopkins School of Medicine, describes how current educational practices are inconsistent with students’ cognitive development. Schools placing a heavy emphasis on reading and arithmetic skills pressure students to acquire higher order think-ing processes at an early stage of development. These curricular demands often result in young children reading and attempting algebraic equations before they are ready for conceptual thinking. Denckla’s argument suggests that educational guidelines should synchronize lessons with student development rather

STEM to STEAM 19

5 Margaret Honey, Greg Pearson, and Heidi Schweingruber, STEM Integration in K – 12 Education: Status, Prospects, and an Agenda for Research, Washington D.C.: National Academies, 2014.6 The White House. “President Obama Launches ‘Educate to Innovate’ Campaign for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Education.” The White House, November 23, 2009, Accessed April 14, 2014.7 David A. Sousa, From STEM to STEAM: Using Brain – compatible Strategies to Integrate the Arts, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2013.8 Steven Ross Pomeroy, “From STEM to STEAM: Science and Art Go Hand – in – Hand,” Scientific American Global RSS, August 22, 2012. Accessed April 29, 2014.

than depend on the opinions of policy makers. Although there is a high demand for creative thinkers and problem solvers as modern industry leaders, the methods American curricula use to assess students’ and schools’ achievement in quantitative and literacy ability are “far too narrow.” 9 Instead of educators deciding how to define students’ success, politicians and policy advocates have replaced the educator’s role with score – based assessments. Limiting assessments to test results does not challenge or engage the many skills teachers possess. These ranking systems and assessment competitions also force students to equate their achievement in school with test scores, which leaves students dependent on a system that holds no societal merit outside the classroom.

Since the end of the 20th century, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other institutions have advocated for the addition of an engineering component in classrooms in order to create a new breed of comprehensive science education that interfaces technology with math. The identification of central scien-tific techniques which overlap with technology, engineering, and math, led to the acronym STEM. A STEM based education has become a well – supported campaign to better link K – 12 science education with the demands of the modern job market and the demands of the future. Now it is essential that educators step up and voice their opinions in order to resolve the gap between the expectations set forth by educational guidelines and the performance of students on current, score – based, standardized tests. The diagram below [Figure 25] depicts a Neuro – education Interdisciplinary Research Model.

[Figure 25: A Neuro – education Interdisciplinary Research Model]

This model represents the neuroeducation interdisciplinary research model that Magsamen and Hardiman developed.10 Child takes the place in the center of the chart. Social development comes before cognitive skills and content areas. What surrounds the student and his development are the methods that can enhance his learning experience. It is evident that there needs to be increased collaboration between policy makers, educational researchers, curriculum developers, and practitioners (teachers). The American education needs to focus more on a student’s growth instead of on sets of skills and re – frames the question of how “success” should be defined. Educators need to help students develop their own success with methods that maximize their development.

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Figure 25:A Neuro – educa-tion Inter – disciplinary Research Model developed by Magsamen and Hardiman.

According to Dr. Elizabeth Stage, a mathematician by training and director of the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley, there is a “false distinction” to “silo out” the different dis-ciplines. She argues that education is more successful when it focuses on what the fields have in common, like problem – solving, arguing from evidence and reconciling conflicting views.11 Interestingly, problem solving and reconciling solutions by conducting aesthetic inquiry are common undertakings of designers and artists too. In addition, arts education often possesses distinct qualities, like an emotional and cultural context, that STEM – related subjects typically cannot match. For example, arts and design education supports a learning system that does not necessarily require a score – based method for measuring student progress and attentiveness. Rather than increasing the competitiveness of a learning environment, the affective qualities of an arts education helps students build self – awareness, personal expression, and self – confidence; in addition, the design process helps students develop individualized thought processes, which can help motivate students to experiment with new tools, engage with their interests, and find a sense of empowerment through their achievements. Arts education advocates have always believed intu-itively that the arts are a highly effective vehicle for improving student learning, and science now shows how this intuition is supported by a growing body of research. This evidence proves that academic success rests not only on the demonstration of best practices or in scored assessments,12 but on an art – centered education that can fully realize student engagement and reframe a curriculum so that it focuses on student – centered development. The integration of traditional hard sciences with arts and design subjects will spur an intellectual and creative autonomy that reflects the demands of reality more than the current models of examination used in the education system.

Advocacy for the Arts Education

Ann Myers, program director of the Education Leadership department at the Sage Colleges, provides a counterpoint for STEM education in her writings about the importance of arts integration. In her article

“The Arts Are Essential,” she makes the following argument:

STEM cannot provide invitation to all students unless its basis is the way students learn, which must include the arts. And none of it [STEM education] can be successful, unless its basis is project and problem based . . . STEM at its best incorporates the arts to engage the part of the brain from which creativity arises. Depth comes when we examine how children learn, generically and individually. That investigation leads to programs that require curiosity, problem – solving and project – based experiences.13

The main point of Myers’ theory is that the incorporation of arts education emboldens students to become highly motivated and engaged in learning, especially when arts education is partnered with problem – solving and project – based lessons. An arts – based environment also offers students the opportunity to be in a creative environment where they can express their opinions and learn to connect with their peers and class-mates. Ann Myers writes, “Producing art is an expression that connects one from the inside of the world,” and

“Arts is about the creation of the piece and the appreciation of it.” Through the provision of hands – on learn-ing experiences that can easily link to real – world problem solving, students are not only able to practice personal expression, but they are also able to build empathy skills by interacting with other students. In this sense, art and design thinking skills promote student – centered experiences, which will eventually build visual presentation skills and aesthetic sensibilities that can be used in many future endeavors.

STEM to STEAM 21

11 Natalie Angier, “STEM Education Has Little to Do With Flowers,” The New York Times, October 04, 2010, Accessed April 14, 2014.12 Janet Eilber, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009. 13 Ann Myers, and Jill Berkowicz, “The Arts Are Essential,” Education Week, February 23, 2014, Accessed April 16, 2014. 14 Ann Myers, and Jill Berkowicz, “The Arts Are Essential.” Education Week, February 23, 2014, Accessed April 16, 2014.

Jeffrey T. Schnapp, director of the Stanford Humanities Lab at Stanford University, also supports Myer’s advocacy for the arts in his article, “Art in Schools Inspires Tomorrow’s Creative Thinkers,” in which he also emphasizes why STEM without the arts cannot be successful:

Education minus art? Such an equation equals schooling that fails to value ingenuity and innovation. The word art, derived from an ancient Indo – European root that means

‘to fit together,’ suggests as much. Art is about fitting things together: words, images, objects, processes, thoughts, historical epochs . . . Though omitting art from school curricula, whether because of budget or time constraints or censorship, is not on a par with pillaging the past or thwarting free expression, it does impoverish learning in ways that compromise the core subject areas routinely invoked as essential: reading, writing, and arithmetic. All three are coextensive with art — so much so as to be inseparable.15

Dr. Schnapp questions how educators can endow future generations with core skill sets without art because his perspective is that art is inseparable from literacy and arithmetic learning. The arts lend societal contexts to all cultures and act as a record of each civilization’s development, to erase art is equal to denying the

“reality of human differences and historical change.” Visual communication through art has the power to connect people to the perspectives of others and expose them to an unfamiliar, unknown world, which can help create more empathy and understanding between cultures and socioeconomic groups. Just as reading and writing can shape students’ mastery of written and oral communication, visual art practice, such as print design, layout design, and infographics can immensely reshape students’ understandings of essential learned concepts.

In order to better understand how students acquire and retain knowledge, an emerging field of neuro-education has begun to explore what practices and interventions “promote and sustain” the learning process. When neuroeducation advocates refer to “interventions,” they are referencing an educator’s opportunity to reframe the current educational curriculum and evaluation methods by providing multiple approaches that are more student – centered. The interventions they propose can be achieved by integrating arts programs into the curricula. The skill sets students build through visual arts help them to be more flexible and imaginative and eventually can help them learn to express their own understanding of ideas visually. Art is not simply aesthetics. The arts bring words, images, objects, processes, thoughts, and historical epochs into the realm of education.16 Therefore, adding arts to STEM broadens students’ understanding of concepts because it allows them to convey ideas through physical forms shaped by their own unique social context.

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15 Jeffrey T. Schnapp, “Art in Schools Inspires Tomorrow’s Creative Thinkers” Edutopia, January 28, 2009, Accessed April 15, 2014.16 Jeffrey T. Schnapp, “Art in Schools Inspires Tomorrow’s Creative Thinkers” Edutopia, January 28, 2009, Accessed April 15, 2014.17 Mariale Hardiman, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain New York: Dana, 2009.18 Jeffrey T. Schnapp, “Art in Schools Inspires Tomorrow’s Creative Thinkers” Edutopia, January 28, 2009, Accessed April 15, 2014.

STEM to STEAM, A RISD – led Initiative

During the height of the economic recession, STEAM, which is an acronym that represents the integration of arts into the current STEM education model, started to gain momentum on RISD’s campus. In RISD’s Board of Trustees meeting, one member, Jon Kamen, proposed to insert an “A” into the middle of the STEM acronym because he believed that creativity and the arts are essential components to educa-tion. STEM to STEAM has become a RISD – led initiative to add art and design to the national agenda of STEM education and research that additionally seeks to show how students garner important skills from each discipline. John Maeda, who served as President of RISD from 2008 – 2013, was one of the strongest advocates of the STEAM initiative. He believed that technology, art, and design could revolutionize educa-tion in the 21st century, which is why he led the movement to transform STEM to STEAM.

By 2011, STEAM had become a well – known concept, even among the undergraduate students at RISD. That year, RISD student, Sarah Pease, who was a junior at the school and a work – study student in the College’s Office of Government Relations, saw the need for a student – lead arm of the institutional initiative and created RISD STEAM.19 The main goals of the student – led group were, and continue to be, to connect artistic and scientific approaches to learning, problem – solving, and project development, and to provide a social organization that allows RISD and Brown University students to interact and learn from one another. According to the STEAM Manifesto, the program’s vision is to train people to be “makers,” people who are empowered to create and solve problems regardless of their discipline. Through hands – on, project – based learning and through a holistic approach to arts integration that encourages students to wonder and explore, students can better understand what it means to be human and to succeed in the modern world. There have been numerous workshops between RISD and Brown University students with the purpose of facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration. These student driven workshops allow for peer – to – peer lessons that break down education’s traditional hierarchy and provide students from different disciplines with the chance to connect with others by sharing their skills sets. The central determination is to nurture creative ownership, which students can achieve when they embrace and use the different techniques each field offers. As a result, the participants of the workshops learn how to craft an argument or sell an idea, to critically analyze possible outcomes, to make decisions with the knowledge they gain through experimentation, and to focus on tasks at hand so that they work effectively and efficiently.

STEAM workshops also give students a chance to harness their inspiration and channel it into produc-tive, creative projects. Students learn from every member in the workshop and through their experience gain a concrete example of how holistic learning is ultimately the most memorable and personal educational method. Furthermore, the critique culture helps students develop empathy for their peers and achieve self – actualization by evaluating and reflecting on their projects’ outcomes and their personal learning pro-cesses. RISD STEAM has been recognized by many other schools, including Brown University, MIT, Yale University, and Cornell University. As a result, both Brown and MIT have launched a STEAM initiative, and RISD STEAM, in collaboration with Brown STEAM initiative, has begun developing STEAM tool – kits in order to raise awareness about the importance of arts integrated, interdisciplinary learning experiences.

STEM to STEAM 23

19 Ryan Mather, “Where We Are Coming From: RISD STEAM,” Rhode Island School of Design, 2013.

Figure 26:The bird – eye view of the IDEO workshop in the Prince Lab at Brown University.

CASE STUDY 02: IDEO Workshop

26 Chapter II

FROMTHEBOTTOMOFMYFUELCELL

The workshop, titled “From the Bottom of My Fuel Cell,” was sponsored by RISD/Brown STEAM to develop ideas for the wearable devices through implementing a design thinking process through collaboration of RISD and Brown students. With the two visiting designers from IDEO, Prat Ganapathy and Bill Stewart, the participants gathered at the Prince Lab in Brown University to attend the Brown Design Workshop on March 19th, 2014.

A day long of rapid prototyping and making session started from the introduc-tions from the visiting designers. Prat and Bill shared their experiences at IDEO and shared about their design process. During the talk, they insisted that the design process is something that has a continuous loop, which requires a severe perserverance to endure the failures to execute the ideas into the form. They also shared their design experiences by showing the multiple approaches to prototype, including their design works of interactions, interfaces, and products.

After the presentation of Prat and Bill, the participants got together into the groups, and and developed their ideas. Then, everyone shared their proposals and proto-types to practice presenting their ideas and works, and participated in the critique to discuss about each other’s work. The first iterations heavily focused on the human factors and the relationship between the wearable techs and human body that they would have to design for the rest of the workshop.

Figure 27:The participants of the IDEO workshop during the presentation.

Figure 28:Prat Ganapathy and Bill Stewart, the designers from IDEO, and Ian Gonsher, a lecturer from Brown University, looking at students’ works.

Figure 29, 30:The iterations and the processes of the IDEO workshop participants.

Case Study 02: IDEO Workshop 27

Each group started building the projects from the collaborative brainstorming. The communal space in which the participants gathered allowed them to be more collaborative. The series of the iterations lasted about one hour each, and it showed the progress and enabled the participants to develop their ideas in more depth. Throughout the whole sequence of the critique, their ideas have changed, and their approaches to solve the problems have broadened.

The examples of projects include: a shoe that would help people build self – confidence to a device from digital communication, which would create physical artifacts, and an interface that would teach people how to dance while simultaneously guiding them the direction in the city. Throughout the workshop, Prat and Bill constantly helped the participants to develop their ideas further and valid. They said that they were very impressed by the works that every-one pulled off in a short period of time.

The collaborative process resulted in building a stronger relationship between students who major in design and mostly in engineering. Through a constructive critique and the teamwork, they learned to better communicate each other and work towards the same goal, which was to incorporate the human factors and new technology by creating wearable devices together. The workshop ended with the lecture by Bill and Prat in the Metcalf Auditorium in the Chace Center at RISD. Their talk broadened the students perspective on thinking about the user – centered design process developed by IDEO.

This case study shows how the higher education programs could approach STEAM by creating an environment where everyone from multiple disciplines can collaborate together. The communal maker’s space and the collaborative process from the teamwork and the critique culture allow students to gain creative spirit and develop their ideas into the forms.

Figure 31, 32, 33 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39:The iterations and the processes of the IDEO workshop participants.

STEAM’S Purpose

John Maeda argued in support of the STEM to STEAM movement, stating: “The problem – solving, the fear-lessness, and the critical thinking and making skills that I see every day in RISD studios are the same skills that will keep our country innovating, and their development needs to start in the K – 12 schools.” 20 The term “innovation” is generally strongly linked to scientists, programmers, and engineers as an important ingredient in the construction of a stronger economy and political prowess in the United States. However, education is not vital solely because of its contribution to society. Before using education as a vehicle to develop the nation, or con-sidering students to be “assets” of innovation, it is essential to keep in mind that children are not machines that can be programmed to succeed in certain careers or to match established expectations.

Each individual has unique strengths and sensibilities. So, rather than relying on a curriculum policy that is made by an adult – centered authority, which often centers around a strict score – based system, educa-tors need to provide a system that promotes freedom of thought and focuses on the needs of its students. Education philosopher John Dewey, argued, “The only freedom that is of enduring importance is the freedom of intelligence, that is to say, freedom of observation and of judgment, exercised in behalf of purposes that are intrinsically worthwhile.”22 This freedom can be achieved through the artistic practice because of art education’s under-lying affective qualities, which enables students to articulate their ideas with their own, unique voice and record their vision of the world through a visual language.

Science is about both an active inquiry and discovery of the natural world22 and intends to be universal and predictably accurate. Each discipline in every subject area has a distinct value, and each individual has a unique talent and strength. If our system values and respects the creativity in each individual then inno-vation will come naturally through the dynamic interactions between these fully realized and supported individuals. The question that needs to be raised is how can an education system promote an environment where students can apprehend their originality and develop empathy skills so that they can be successful in their lives, and eventually benefit our society, as a result of their own satisfaction and self – advance-ment. In this sense, STEAM is not just about bringing the aesthetic qualities of art and design thinking process into STEM subjects, but it is also about affording students a unique educational experience that can only be achieved through the process of art – making and design thinking. Stephen Beal, the President of California College of the Arts, writes that when there is a global need for creative people with unique problem – solving skills, an entrepreneurial spirit, and more user – experience expertise, we need to consider how artists and designers are trained:

We, as artists and designers tend to work subjectively . . . we look at the universe and find ways to express what is seen and felt . . . to communicate an experience, something that often challenges traditional analysis and description. Working objectively, the physicist seeks to acquire new knowl-edge, to understand and explain the universe through inquiry based on empirical, measurable evidence, to define the principles and laws of our physical world.23

28 Chapter II

20 John Maeda, “STEM to STEAM: Art in K – 12 Is Key to Building a Strong Economy,” Edutopia, October 2, 2012, Accessed April 14, 2014.21 John Dewey, Experience and Education, New York: Macmillan, 1938. 22 John Dewey, Reconstruction in Philosophy, Boston: Beacon, 1957. 23 Stephen Beal, “Turn STEM to STEAM: Why Science Needs the Arts,” The Huffington Post, June 11, 2013, Accessed April 17, 2014.

The way artists and designers work is often about connecting themselves to certain subject matter, such as societal and global issues. Their struggle to understand the physical world, translate it with their own artistic voice, and make it a part of a physical form requires a skill set that is indefinable by most objective standards. In order to comprehend a concept, establish the context, and build their own vision, artists must continually seek new ways to observe, explore, sense, and make meaning out of their own personal expression. The way designers work often leads to social innovation. They seek to solve problems ethically in order to develop environmentally creative solutions. Designers often work within three con-straints: meaning, the solution’s significance in relation to its context; value, its worth monetarily; and utility, its functionality and durability. The role of the designer is to optimize these constraints to make the most efficient product possible. Furthermore, both artists and designers have the ability to see what is beyond their constraints. They internalize their observations and explorations and find meaning that might not be recognizable through analysis alone. According to Arthur Efland, Professor Emeritus at the Ohio State University, works of art should be understood not as literal facts but as embodiments of other meanings. Efland explains the importance of art as an essential way to get closer to metaphorical understanding, stating:

It is in the arts where the experience, nature, and structure of metaphor become the principal object of study . . . It is only in the arts where the processes and the products of the imagination are encountered and explored in full consciousness.24

In order to promote creative individuals who can think for themselves and express these unique thoughts, the education system needs to provide an environment in which energetic creativity can flow. To be specific, Efland adds that because art objects are “embodiments of other meanings,” creating and understanding works of art will inspire students to investigate their environment from their own perspective and require them to recognize the world in relation to their own identity. At the same time, they will recognize that representation and meaning do not necessarily have a simple correlation.

Metaphor is essential to education because it embodies how humans relate and investigate concepts they cannot fully understand.25 As objects of inquiry, works of art provide a way for artists to explore their feelings, aesthetic temperament, moral practices, and spiritual convictions that they can then share and use to connect with the people around them.26 This process can build emotional bonds between people with different backgrounds, cultures, and values. Artists and designers possess the unique ability to translate concepts intuitively, which scientists and engineers will never be trained to do since their work requires them to remove emotions and context from their investigative process.

Despite STEAM advocates’ emphasis on the importance of the arts, STEAM education is not about creating more artists and designers. However, endorsing only STEM subject areas as worthy of serious and immediate incentives marginalizes a vast body of students who excel in the arts but are having their talents and needs ignored.27 According to a study conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts,

“Artists in the Workforce,” the artistic community makes up a larger occupational group than lawyers, medical doctors, or agricultural workers, and the artistic community contributes $70 billion in aggregate annual income. The country’s $316 billion communication and entertainment business employs a diverse

STEM to STEAM 29

24 Arthur Efland, Art and Cognition: Integrating the Visual Arts in the Curriculum, New York: Teachers College, 2002. 25 George Lakoff, and Mark Johnson, Metaphors We Live by, Chicago: U of Chicago, 1980. 26 Marilyn G. Stewart, and Sydney R. Walker, Rethinking Curriculum in Art, Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, 2005. 27 Joseph Piro, “Going From STEM to STEAM,” Education Week, March 9, 2010, Accessed April 19, 2014.

range of artists, including musicians, actors, filmmakers, and architects, many of whom were trained by an arts – based education. This means that isolating arts education would endanger the careers of those who are artistically talented and might eventually contribute to American economic growth.

The ancient Greeks promoted not a hierarchy of subjects but a continuum of learning. They made no distinction between the arts and science.29 Therefore, STEAM, I propose, has a better opportunity of raising the nation’s consciousness about the importance of visual arts if it can show how the arts translates across many career paths and subject areas. President Beal states, “There is a need to let them [artists and designers] work across disciplines, across diverse strands of society to solve real world problems.”30 STEAM education provides students with a diversity of experience that makes them flexible thinkers and workers in any discipline by breaking the boundaries of different fields and by incorporating arts and design education that enhances cross – disciplinary learning,

In contrast to this point of view, Alan J Friedman, a member of the National Assessment Governing Board with a Ph.D in physics, states that “Science and art have some very essential differences that are at the very core of what they are, which is why I have trouble with STEAM.”31 STEAM programs may not resonate with everyone; instead of analyzing what each discipline can offer and contribute, it is more important to promote a learning environment that emphasizes creativity and student evolution. Although STEAM encourages students to connect the ideas in each subject they study, there are clearly some boundaries that cannot be erased. However, by blurring these boundaries and by approaching each subject not as separate and remote but as an important part of education as a whole, there is a way to achieve a “win – win” situa-tion that balances a multiplicity of teaching methods.

Rather than enforcing a STEM – based system that sees students simply as assets to American society’s development, educators should encourage a broader learning experience that allows students to discover their talents. By limiting the boundaries between the subjects, students can make valid conceptual connec-tions between their own ideas and what they have learned in school. If they learn how to think critically in an educational environment, they will be more likely to advance independently outside of the classroom and to achieve their aspirations and goals.

Conclusion

The core purpose of education should be to empower young people to become successful as whole individuals. It should serve to ameliorate and broaden the learner’s experience. If schools concentrate solely on STEM education, students will learn facts and an advanced knowledge of these subjects, but, if schools endorse a more diverse curriculum, students will learn to cipher meaning from the skill sets they acquire. When art and design coexists with STEM subjects in schools, education can embrace aesthetic sensibility and affective qualities as well as problem solving skills and critical thought as elements that are essential to a student’s learning process and the complexity of real – life experience. The challenge in bring-ing arts education to STEM lies in its delivery methods and practice. If art is taught only in a way to train students to understand design elements, such as the color wheel, perspective drawing, or photo – copied

30 Chapter II

28 Deirdre Gaquin, and Tom Bradshaw, Artists in the Workforce: 1990 – 2005, Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts, 2008. 29 Joseph Piro, “Going From STEM to STEAM,” Education Week, March 9, 2010. Accessed April 19, 2014.30 Stephen Beal, “Turn STEM to STEAM: Why Science Needs the Arts,” The Huffington Post, June 11, 2013, Accessed April 17, 2014.31 Erik W. Robelen, “STEAM: Experts Make Case for Adding Arts to STEM,” Education Week, December 1, 2011, Accessed April 17, 2014.

representation, and if arts class concentrates only on the exploration and manipulation of the materials without raising questions about how the creation of art can link ideas to new contexts, art education is unlikely to affect students in a holistic way. The role of the arts in schools lies in helping students learn to communicate their own voices through the inter – connection and exploration of concepts and techniques. The art empowers individuals through its affective qualities, its promotion of visual problem – solving and the illustration of information, as well as through its ability to connect students to the environment and to others.

By shifting the focus from STEM to STEAM, education can take the first step towards better inte-grating arts education into the schools and making curriculum more collaborative and interdisciplinary. In order to support this argument, the first two case studies in this document, the Human + Computer workshop and the IDEO workshop sponsored by RISD/Brown STEAM, will provide examples of how students from different disciplines can collaborate to solve problems by using artistic sensitivity and design thinking processes in the visual essay form. The third case study, “Tactile Math,” investigates the inter-disciplinary pedagogy method that could enhance a creative approach to mathematics and show how the exploration of tangible objects and the creation of visual presentations as a way of illustrating a concept can help students solve mathematical formulas and problems. The fourth case study, “STEAM in Action,” examines how Moses Brown School, a private K – 12 school in Providence, Rhode Island, implements the STEAM programs it offers. This case study specifically reviews how this school created a space for advanced creative capacity by delineating the objectives of the three arts – integrated, interdisciplinary lessons offered. The last case study, “STEAM in Progress,” looks into the Jewish Community Day School in Providence, Rhode Island, which recently launched its Design Lab courses. This case study includes an investigation of the head of the school’s appreciation of art and design education and his encouragement of the school’s educators to focus on implementing arts integration classes in collaboration with RISD/Brown STEAM.

Every case study originates from my firsthand experience while in service as Vice President of RISD STEAM and as the project leader of JCDSRI. However, these case studies do not serve to define what STEAM programs need to be. They do, however, reveal through the lens of a visual artist, a designer and a graduate student majoring in art and design education, how the “A” in STEAM can support other educational subjects, and how the “A”, by broadening the definition of art in STEAM, can improve the teaching of STEM subjects. Furthermore, by addressing the multiple ways that both higher education and K – 12 education might approach STEAM, this study provides an analysis of what comprises a STEAM education and what holistic approaches can improve existing arts – integrated lessons. However, the notion of interdisciplinary learning should also be clarified as the STEAM label does not speak to the idea of combining the five subjects as a whole. Arts integration, this thesis argues, cannot be treated as an adorn-ment to education; rather, it needs to be addressed as a crucial educational element that provides students with opportunities for novelty and artistic training as well as emotional, physical, and mental engagement.

STEM TO STEAM 31

Chapter III:Advocates from the Neuroeducation Field

“The primary value of the artistic approach lies in its ability to enable self – expression, which can eventually promote this kind of self – awareness and self – confidence.”

– Jerome D. Kagan

In order to fully realize the assets of STEAM education, it is essential to understand how visual arts educa-tion can promote and benefit cognitive development. In this chapter, there is a particular focus on findings within the field of neuroeducation which support the importance of visual art education in young people’s development. Neuroeducation is an interdisciplinary field that combines neuroscience, psychology, and education in order to create improved teaching methods and curricula. Neuroscientists explore how chil-dren learn and what practices promote and sustain childhood development. Their investigations into the effects of arts education on the brain highlight how arts training can enhance general cognitive capacities.Neuroscientists also redesign instructional strategies with the intention of encouraging new learning prac-tices and the development of skill sets in students. In order to promote this intervention, advocates from the neuroeducation field address the need to routinely train new and experienced teachers in contemporary knowledge and curricula so that they can employ new strategies that enhance students’ engagement in class. These modern education techniques also endeavor to redefine the parameters of “success” for schools and students beyond score – based test results.33

Neuroscientists’ main focus when it comes to arts education implementation is to better understand how arts integration can contribute to students’ learning. The questions that they pose seek to measure how the arts enhance the apprehension of content, and helps students create emotional connections. Their research is still ongoing concerning the impact intensive arts education has on the human brain, especially in regards to how this kind of education alters the acquisition and retention of other core content knowledge. Therefore, this chapter will investigate how arts support the attainment of knowledge, as well as cognitive and emotional development.

Arts and Cognition Consortium at the Dana Foundation

Scientists from the Dana Foundation at John Hopkins University report findings that help define and eval-uate the possible causal relationships between arts training and the ability of the brain to learn in other cog-nitive domains. These results can also be used to make trustworthy assumptions about the impact a study of the arts has on the brain. Genetic studies from the university have produced candidate genes that may help explain individual’s different interests in the arts. Many of the adults who participated in this experiment had a self – reported interest in aesthetics which the study concluded contributed to an increased amount of

Chapter III Advocates from the Neuroeducation Field

34 Chapter III

32 Mariale Hardiman, and Barbara Rich, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009. 33 Mariale Hardiman, and Barbara Rich, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009.

dopamine in the subjects’ genes.34 These findings and reports support the importance of the affective qual-ities in art. The fact that art education stimulates the secretion of essential hormones in the brain suggests that art might greatly impact how children engage and interact with their educational environment.

Furthermore, the benefits of art education also lie in its ability to motivate students to be more engaged in the classroom, which can also lead to improvement in other domains of cognition. For example, the arts can improve long – term memory through the stimulation of emotional memory path-ways.35 Generally, if information cannot form patterns in the brain, it is lost. Emotional memory is the most powerful kind of memory because it can cause the release of stress hormones, which means that activities associated with an emotional experience are easier to remember than activities that incite no emo-tional response. Because the arts are so closely linked to emotion, a recurring engagement with its practice can eventually stimulate long – term memory. The emotional attributes inherent to the execution of art can also help students feel invested and interested in their education and help students feel less stress in an academic environment.36 These findings from the neuroeducation field suggest that art education is not only beneficial to students’ development, it is indeed necessary.

Brain – Targeted Teaching and Arts Learning

In response to the populus’ fear that America is becoming less competitive and secure, and that the country is losing its status as a global – leader, President Obama announced a $250 million public and private initiative to recruit and train more STEM teachers in September 2010.37 This funding adds to the $700 million the federal government already spends on science and math education programs within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation.38 Advocates of STEM educa-tion expect it will resolve the nation’s fears, however, what they haven’t considered is that STEM education may lead students to develop new fears about their ability to match these high expectations.

At school, students are focused on learning information that will help them succeed on the standard-ized tests that so often dictate their educational future. However, when these students go home they are exposed to a wealth of unfiltered knowledge on the Internet, which they can more easily and personally relate to than the lessons they learn in school. In this era, schools compete with the information available online, but, unlike the Internet, schools have a very important social element which teaches skills students cannot ascertain from online browsing. In order for schools to provide what the Internet cannot offer, they need to embrace modern methods of education that emphasize the student’s holistic development and respond to patterns in students’ cognitive progression.

First of all, students learn better when they work together. The online educational world does not provide these kinds of interactions, which can expose students to essential learning experiences. Since the brain is sensitive to its environment, especially in early childhood, and because enriched surroundings affect its growth, brain stimulation at any age through social interactions, educational challenges, and play are essential to its development.39

Advocates from the Neuroeducation Field 35

34 Mariale Hardiman, and Barbara Rich Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009.35 Marilee Sprenger, Learning and Memory: The Brain in Action, Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1999. 36 Richard D Hickman, Why We Make Art and Why It Is Taught. Bristol, UK: Intellect, 2005.37 The White House, “President Obama Launches ‘Educate to Innovate’ Campaign for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Education, “The White House, November 23, 2009, Accessed April 14, 2014.38 Joseph Piro, “Going From STEM to STEAM,” Education Week, March 9, 2010, Accessed April 19, 2014.39 Mariale Hardiman, and Barbara Rich Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009.

A healthy educational environment is essential to students’ cognitive development, and too little freedom within this environment can cause students unnecessary stress. Today’s parents often worry too much about their child’s accomplishments in educational and recreational domains. Because of this, some children believe their achievements are necessary for their parents’ happiness.40 The combination of excessive concern and fear about a child’s success often restricts a child’s free time, and may lead to an impairment of the child’s sense of personal agency and social capacity. Teachers should build a genuine rapport with the students in order to truly understand how students relate to and make meaning in their world. They also need to encourage students to take risks, since goals often require many failures before success can be reached, instead of pushing them to meet standardized expectations.

When students are stressed, or feel threatened, their cortisol levels rise and interrupt transmissions between neurons, which impairs the transmission of serotonin, a chemical that aids in the communication of messages between the brain and the body. In contrast, positive self – esteem is vital to a natural chemical balance. Job satisfaction may help in the natural production of positive chemicals. Arts education is one way that teachers can help students connect to the lessons they are learning, and provide them with oppor-tunities to develop independently, without the pressures of measured success. Tests scores are limited by the objectivity of the numbers that comprise them; but art can emotionally and physically engage students and help them discover a unique sense of self – worth.

Marilee Sprenger is an author of Common Core State Standards, a member of the American Academy of Neurology, Learning and the Brain Society, and the Cognitive Neuroscience Society. Her research centers on brain – based teaching, learning and memory; additionally her research focuses on the whole child and the creation of a brain – compatible environment in which students can learn according to their needs. In her book, Learning and Memory, she suggests specific techniques that can help create a nurturing school environment. She encourages a learning environment that lessens the stress of learning through teamwork and socials tasks, celebrates the learning process by allowing students to make mistakes, and gives students options and a feeling of control in their educational advancement. Other techniques she promotes include the use of fun, interactive lessons that incorporate movement and stretching and the use of calming music to help students feel both secure and engaged in the learning process. Sprenger articu-lates in her argument that students’ brains desire a safe environment in which to seek and experience new information because their brains are still growing.43 It is a part of the school’s responsibility to make stu-dents feel safe and empowered and one way that they can do this is to recognize each student as a capable individual and accommodate each student’s talents. Therefore, it is important that arts play a central role in school curricula. Art education is an important part of the healthy learning environment that neuroscien-tists like Sprenger believe is essential to students’ development and learning. Elliot W. Eisner was one of the most influential scholars on the subject of arts education, who advo-cated for a strict, more sophisticated and rigorous arts curriculum that would put arts instruction on par with lessons in reading, science and math. In his book, The Arts and the Creation of Mind, Eisner articulates how art activities contribute to the development of higher order, complex thinking skills. According to him, the arts put forward tasks that require complex cognitive modes of thought, subtle reactions to observed intricacies, imaginative perception, the interpretation of metaphorical meanings, and an exploita-tion of opportunities.44

36 Chapter III

40 Jerome Kagan, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009.41 Marilee Sprenger, Learning and Memory: The Brain in Action, Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1999.42 Marilee Sprenger, “11 Tips on Teaching Common Core Critical Vocabulary,”Edutopia, Edutopia, Sept 18, 2013, Accessed May 06, 2014.43 Marilee Sprenger, Learning and Memory: The Brain in Action, Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1999.44 Elliot W. Eisner, The Arts and the Creation of Mind, New Haven: Yale UP, 2002.

Similar findings were recorded in the report, “The Research – Based Communication Tool Kit,” by the arts education advisory committee from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. This report explains and clarifies the role of the arts in various significant policy contexts and articulates how the arts help develop cognitive skills like abstract reasoning, creative thinking and problem solving, as wells as how they can contribute to communication skills, self – confidence, social skills, and overall student engagement.45 In this study it is evidenced that arts education can provide an environment that is strongly beneficial for students’ cognitive and social development. To illustrate this point, Dr. Kagan, an Emeritus professor of psychology at Harvard University who specializes in children and their development, also argues that, “[There is] the need for children to develop personal agency and tools to acquire, store, and communicated knowledge.” These researchers and scholars indicate that the arts have a unique ability to change the way students perceive and relate to information, and if schools do not implement this essential learning tool, they will deprive students of important comprehension skills.

Why the Arts Matter

What is in arts education that makes people more confident? It might be that because art is closely linked to personal expression its practitioners can feel free to experiment and gain a sense of pride from their work. Or maybe, it is simply human nature that drives us to want to invent something new. While most of STEM subjects are outcome based, an artistic approach enables students to explore and come up with propositions that are not always functional, but that may serve a unique role in student interest and emotional development. This section primarily focuses on how Jerome D. Kagan, Ph.D., who researches developmental psychology, speaks about the specific reasons for advocating the importance of arts in school. Dr. Kagan articulates that the arts provide opportunities for young people to express feelings and conflicts that might exist in their consciousness, which they cannot illustrate coherently through words.

Currently, the high school dropout rate is excessively high among youth from poor and working – class families, and the American students’ average test scores are lower than those of other developed nations. From his research, Dr. Kagan suspects that if American teachers devoted one hour each day to art or music, the proportion of youth who drop out of high school would reduce. He also claims that art educa-tion endeavors to boost the self – confidence of children who are behind in the mastery of reading, arith-metic, and other subjects.46 To support his argument, earlier studies reported that arts integration produces better attendance and fewer discipline problems, increases graduation rates, and improves test scores; it also motivates students who are difficult to reach otherwise, provides challenges to more academically suc-cessful students, and seems to particularly benefit economically disadvantaged students.47 To be specific, an evaluation of three arts integration – focused schools (AIMS) and three controlled schools over a three year period showed that the AIMS school with the highest percentage of minority and low – income students reduced the reading gap by 14 percentage points and the math gap by 26 percentage points.48


45 Arts Education Advisory Committee, “Research – Based Communication Tool Kit,” ERIC.(n.d.): n. pg, Accessed April 19, 2014, <http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED529896.pdf>.46 Jerome Kagan, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009.47 Edward B. Fiske, Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning.Rep. Washington D.C.: President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, 1999, ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED435581.48 Christine M., Dwyer, “Re – Investing In Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools.” ERIC, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, May 2011, Accessed April 26, 2014, <http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522818.pdf>.

Children are vulnerable to becoming discouraged when they sense that a goal they desire is probably unattainable. Dr. Kagan suggests that one strategy to mute a child’s poor self – evaluation is to provide the child with opportunities to be successful in the classroom. Visual arts, dance, theater and music are often low stress activities for students because they do not measure their success in an easily comparable manner. The opportunity to invest time and energy into the completion of a drawing or musical perfor-mance also helps children develop personal agency and a sense of identity.49

Another strategy that leads students to feel more intellectually competent is to allow them to interweave their personal voice into their assignments. According to a recent report in Science magazine, when seventh and eighth graders were given the opportunity to write brief essays on the importance of personal value, the grade point averages of the class increased, especially among the economically disadvantaged students.50 When they were able to create something that they were personally invested in, students gained self – confidence and approached their work with more interest. The primary value of the artistic approach lies in its ability to enable self – expression, which can eventually promote this kind of self – awareness and self – confidence. Dr. Kagan adds, “The combined use of hands and imagination makes an important contribution to what it means to know something.”51 The tactile experience of art is what is lacking in other subjects, like reading and arithmetic. Therefore, hands – on learning and project – based learning that involve the manipulation of materials can encourage student’s interest in learning and their imagination.

Dr. Kagan adds that the students also feel reassured about their self – worth when their work is recognized by others. They feel proud and exhilarated when their works are displayed or when they are given a chance to perform in front of an audience. The positive emotions that students gain from being acknowledged by their community cannot be achieved from getting a higher score on a test. When students are given the opportunity to be praised rather than criticized, they gain a richer appreciation of their emotional life, and what it means to be human. In addition to providing arts – integrated courses, schools should also provide a public place where students’ works can be recognized.52

Art – making allows students to reinforce a sense of personal ownership. While the practice of art can create aesthetically pleasing products, the process of making art also enables students to bring their own ideas into the form, which can eventually help them relate their ideas to other contexts.53 In order to achieve this sense of personal agency, arts classes should not merely focus on the exploration or manipulation of materials, it should focus on connecting students’ personal ideas to social and cultural contexts. The ownership of learning and working independently enables students to construct their own meanings, and the novelty of these ideas fleshes out a student’s inner creativity. Art interconnects histories, philosophies, literary forms, and identities – all of which are essential to a student’s ability to build ethical, reflective, self – aware, and articulate practices.

38 Chapter III

49 Jerome Kagan, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009.50 Jerome Kagan, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009.51 Jerome Kagan, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009.52 Jerome Kagan, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009.53 Richard D. Hickman, Why We Make Art and Why It Is Taught, Bristol, UK: Intellect, 2005.

Developing Cognitive Thinking Skills through Arts Integration

In this section, we have discovered how arts education can benefit to learning and the transference of skills from a scientific approach. Through their investigative research into the brain, advocates from the neuroscience field explain how learning in and through art affects cognitive development, and how arts integration can develop lessons through creative or project – based repetition, which brings novelty to teaching and learning. They also explain how arts integrated lessons help students, by triggering emotional memory pathways, store knowledge in their long – term memory. Psychological analyses and studies have also explored how students are more engaged and motivated to learn in an arts integrated environment.

Brain research supports the advocacy of arts integration through its study of students’ cognitive and social development. In order to provide a healthy learning environment, art education must be a man-datory learning process. While we ask students to achieve high – competency in STEM fields, we need to consider whether it is more important that young people can systematically find correct answers or if it is more important that young people are confident, independent, empathetic, and self – motivated to explore the world on their own.

If the latter seems to be the right answer, as Maslow suggests, we need to provide an environment where students feel healthy, safe, accepted, and respected so that they can pursue their own talents. Maslow has described that those who succeed in “self – actualizing,” can attain high degrees of creativity and integrate the fullest range of their talents.54 Since learning happens through brain processes, and since creativity emerges through supportive conditions, the education system should focus on improving the learning environment and creating an arts integrated approach that engages students in complex, analytical cognitive activities.


54 Harold H. Anderson, Creativity and Its Cultivation: Addresses Presented at the Interdisciplinary Symposia on Creativity, New York: Harper, 1959.

Chapter IV: Art and Science

“After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in aesthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are always artist as well.”

– Albert Einstein

Chapter IV Art and Science

In Imagination in Science, J. H. Van’t Hoff argues that the best scientists are more likely to be polymaths than less successful scientists.55 This argument explains why most Nobel Prize winners are artistically talented. Robert Root – Bernstein documents the relationship between scientific success and artistic success in the article, “Art Fosters Scientific Success.” As a prominent psychology professor and a MacArthur Fellowship winner, he investigates the connection between scientific intelligence and artistic intelligence by analyzing specific data from Nobel laureates, describing how a functional integration of the two disciplines might have great impact on broadening the current science curricula. By combining research from psychologists and scientists and by identifying the artistic qualities present in Nobel Prize winners and other noteworthy scientists, he notes:

Purely academic skills are not sufficient to train a person for creative science work. Such creative work requires the entire range of abilities sublimed in the arts and crafts, integrated and focused on specific scientific problems and techniques.56

This section explores why arts and science should be given equal weight in modern education curricula, an idea which is supported by Root – Bernstein and other advocates of this interdisciplinary approach. Their findings also support the ideas within STEAM education, which emphasizes how the arts enhance fluid thought; additionally, arts education through STEAM helps students excel in every domain, including science.

E.L. Thorndike, an American comparative psychologist who uses the theory of connectionism to investigate the learning process, also argues that:

Having a large measure of one good quality increases the probability that one will have more than the average of any other good quality, and that he who can attend to one thing better than all other men, will be able to attend to many things in rapid succession better than most. Artistic ability, as in music, painting, or writing goes along with scientific ability.57

In this century, society requires more Renaissance men, the term commonly used to refer individuals whose creative talents cross and connect disciplines. Chapter IV will examine how both scientists and artists have acute observation skills that enable them to perceive patterns and structures. This attention to detail also makes them more flexible and intuitive in their work, and makes them more successful in both disciplines.

42 Chapter IV

55 J. H. Van’t Hoff, and Georg F. Springer, Imagination in Science. Berlin: Springer, 1967.56 Robert Root – Bernstein, “Arts Foster Scientific Success: Avocations of Nobel, National Academy, Royal Society, and Sigma Xi Members,” Journal of Psychology of Science and Technology 1.2 (2008): 51 – 63. 57 E. L. Thorndike, (1911), Individuality, Boston : Houghton, Mifflin.

Art Fosters Scientific Success

“The Journal of Psychology of Science and Technology” created a chart [Figure 40] that depicts how eminent scientists, including a noteworthy number of Nobel Laureates, have demonstrated a strong inter-est in the arts, and how frequently this correlation appears in certain groups of people.

[Figure 40: The percentages of adults in specific arts and crafts avocations: Honored scientists, Sigma Xi members, and the U.S. public].

A detailed analysis of these specific results shows that an individual with at least a factor of 7 is more likely to be a visual artist, sculptor, or printmaker, while someone with at least a factor of 7.5 is more likely to be a crafts person engaged in woodwork, mechanics, electronics glassblowing, and so on [Figure 41].

[Figure 41: The percentages of adults in specific arts and crafts avocations: Honored scientists, Sigma Xi members, and the U.S. public].

Art and Science 43

Figure 40:The average number of any art and craft avocaction per group: Honored scientists, Sigma Xi members, and the U.S. public.

Figure 41:The percentages of adults in specific arts and crafts avoca-tions: Honored scientists, Sigma Xi members, and the U.S. public.

This data suggests that successful scientists have a stronger grasp of patterns, more manipulation abilities, and better hand – eye coordination than the average person or scientist. More importantly, these skills have been shown to be pivotal to their success and responsible for the precise and clear expression of their ideas.58

The development of keen observation skills and genuine curiosity are critical requirements for scien-tists and artists alike. These skills enable them to communicate clearly in a precise, descriptive way as well as through metaphor. The artists in this study have the ability to see the world in a different context and to communicate their ideas and emotions through visual imagery. Designers also facilitate communication though visual presentations that illustrate information and data. If schools were to encourage the devel-opment of these kinds of observation skills and hands – on exercises, students could be more flexible in their approach to their experiments and also improve their ability to communicate with words and images. Students who can thoroughly investigate concepts and express the results of their inquiries will have better success in science and in the arts.

According to John Dewey’s writings, Democracy and Education (1915), and Art as Experience (1934), the development of “correlative talents” that combine “integrated activity sets” boosts creativity in scientists and encourages the interrelation of a wide range of activities and knowledge.59 Therefore, education systems should provide more varied experiences that speak to and develop multi – talents. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory suggests this argument. According to Gardner, each person acquires knowledge by stimulating one of the eight multiple intelligences. This means that every student understands content differently;60 one might gain the knowledge through their “visual” intelligence while the other develops understanding through their “verbal” intelligence. Therefore, educators need to expand their instructional approach in response to the many ways students access knowledge.

Educators need to promote strength – based learning; however, students benefit the most when each kind of intelligence is stimulated through project – based and hands – on learning activities.61 The integrative discoveries students make through these kinds of learning help develop skills like hand – eye coordination, the knowledge of tools and processes, a strong visual imagination, visual and written communication and a refined scientific aesthetic sensibility.62 In the context of education, developing an artistic sensibility can enhance students’ creativity since making art employs many similar skill sets that successful scientists also tend to use in their practices. For example, Nobel Prize winner, Carl Weiman establishes a link between craft and “improvising solutions”:

I think that much of my talent and enjoyment at improvising solutions to experimental problems goes back to those home built projects — [I] developed a good sense of self — reliance and a sense when a piece of improvised apparatus was likely (or unlikely) to be adequate. This sense is one that I often see missing in students whose education has been confined to formal instruction.63

What Weiman argues is that true self – actualization comes when there is a freedom and a flexibility to explore and experiment, which cannot be achieved in today’s score – based system. His statement also implies that there is something missing in the instructions that are given in our education, which in this case refers to a focus on STEM – related subjects. When students are asked to solve problems with singular solutions, they lose their drive to think creatively; instead, they simply follow specific steps to get to the

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58 Robert Root – Bernstein, “Arts Foster Scientific Success: Avocations of Nobel, National Academy, Royal Society, and Sigma Xi Members,” Journal of Psychology of Science and Technology 1.2 (2008): 51 – 63.60 Howard Garder, Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons, New York: Basic, 2006.61 Howard Garder, Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons, New York: Basic, 2006. 62 Robert Root – Bernstein, “Arts Foster Scientific Success: Avocations of Nobel, National Academy, Royal Society, and Sigma Xi Members,” Journal of Psychology of Science and Technology 1.2 (2008): 51 – 63.62 Robert Root – Bernstein, “Arts Foster Scientific Success: Avocations of Nobel, National Academy, Royal Society, and Sigma Xi Members,” Journal of Psychology of Science and Technology 1.2 (2008): 51 – 63.

correct answer. Science, chemistry, engineering, and mathematics are full of discoveries, and students should be encouraged to be creative, to perceive multiple solutions to a problem, and to seek their answers out of a genuine curiosity. Formal instruction that emphasizes score – based assessments impedes stu-dents’ ability to learn freely; instead, it tends to require students to focus on their academic performance. However, learning STEM subjects in and though the arts provides more opportunities for students to make new associations, and to develop unique skill sets that are equally as important as skills attained through the study of only STEM subjects.

For Waddington, understanding how art was made helped him understand his own field of embry-ology. “An art object is always an instruction, to do or to experience, not a piece of information; and living things are organized instructions, not organized information.” 64 Robert R. Wilson, who designed and invented cyclotrons, also supports Waddington’s argument: v

In designing an accelerator I proceed very much as I do in making a sculpture. I felt that just as a theory is beautiful, so, too, is a scientific instrument, or it should be. The lines should be graceful, the volumes balanced. I hope that the chain of accelerators, the experiments, too and the utilities would all be strongly but simply expressed as objects of intrinsic beauty.65

The key to creativity is found in openness to experience,66 and it is characterized by an unusual curiosity, a desire for learning and puzzle solving as well as a desire to think carefully about ideas. Another possibility for why some scientists are more open to novel experiences than the average scientist could be that they were exposed to a wider range of cultural experiences as children and adolescents and that these early experiences led them to desire varied intellectual experiences later in life.67 Currently, although there is no proven scientific evidence, there is an assumption that only affluent students have the luxury of choosing a school that offers “varied intellectual experiences.”68 However, education systems should value each kind of intelligence, so that young people can build their talents in science and the arts, by implementing more opportunities for students to be exposed to the interdisciplinary learning process.

Why Science Needs Art

Science and art require observations, and it is the interpretation of these observations that leads to an awareness of social issues.69 Art and design contribute “connections” which can help students better understand science. Science is not based on social and emotional aspects of human life; rather, scientific processes respond to the physical world in the form of objective description and other forms of data. However, for the most part, studying science involves learning what has already been proven or making counter arguments in response to scientific subjects, which are in dispute or are controversial.

Society requires innovative thinkers that go beyond the boundaries of previous investigations, to con-tribute to and reform the world. As a result, it is essential to guide young people toward an understanding of science within the context of human experience. Both scientists and artists are divergent thinkers, but artists and designers are often trained to question the world from multiple perspectives and to translate their ideas into visual form. The convergence of art and science provides a broad range of learning experi-ences, which helps students make personal connections within every investigative project.

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64 C. H. Waddington, and John Cage, Biology and the History of the Future, Edinburgh: Edinburgh Univ.; Distributed in the U.S. by Aldine, Chicago, 1972.65 Robert Rathbun Wilson, “Fermilab History and Archives Project,” Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Sept 10, 2008, Accessed Apr 16, 2014.66 Robert R. McCrae, “Creativity, Divergent Thinking, and Openness to Experience,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 52.6 (1987): 1258 – 265.67 Dean Keith Simonton, Scientific Genius: A Psychology of Science. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1988.68 Robert Root – Bernstein, “Arts Foster Scientific Success: Avocations of Nobel, National Academy, Royal Society, and Sigma Xi Members,” Journal of Psychology of Science and Technology 1.2 (2008): 51 – 63.69 Kenneth Melvin Lansing, Art, Artists, and Art Education, New York: McGraw – Hill, 1969.

Despite the apparent differences between each form of investigation, both scientific and artistic per-ceptions are in our human nature. Humans are capable of exploring both, yet their agility in learning the fundamental techniques for either artistic or scientific coherency varies. The notion of “left – brain” and

“right brain” dominant learners can explain how people think divergently. Daniel Pink explains how the brain is complex yet simple in its broad topography. Scientists have known that a neurological Mason – Dixon Line divides the brain into two regions. It is not that one or the other is more prominent but that each is engaged in different tasks:

There appear to be two modes of thinking, represented rather separately in the left and right hemispheres, respectively. The left hemisphere reasoned sequentially, excelled at analysis, and handled words. The right hemisphere reasoned holistically, recognized the patterns, and interpreted emotions and nonverbal expressions. Human beings were literally of two minds.70

In order to train future leaders and innovators, students must be taught to unite the varied realms of knowledge, using the strengths of the left and right brain in combination with each other.

Form Follows Function

Auguste Comte, a philosopher and sociologist associated with positivism, argues that, society, like the physical world, operates according to absolute laws. Therefore, scientists often work objectively to define the principles and laws of our physical world through inquiry based on empirical, measurable evidence.71 Scientists collect and assimilate large amounts of quantifiable and measurable data in order to chase and prove the unknown; the interpretation of this data requires not only a mastery of science but also a strong creative intuition about what the larger patterns in data could imply.

Many scientists acknowledge that science and the arts are inter – related. Albert Einstein once said, “After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in aesthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are always artist as well.” 72 The creative processes of designers and engineers seem similar because they are often producing ideas or objects that are completely novel, or restructuring older designs or models to make them more functional. But the focus of scientists often appears to be much different from the aspirations of designers because of the striking disparity in the structure of their education. Students who major in biochemistry, engineering, computer science, or applied mathematics in college do not generally have the freedom to research new interests until they study beyond their doctoral degree.73

Instead, they have a set curriculum they must study in order to fulfill the demands of their “specialty.” They are also taught to avoid mistakes because their processes have strict rules and correct answers, which mean that one mistake can result in failure. Therefore, they have to make sure that all the experiments are supported by data before proceeding because, within their field, there is no room for error.74

When people say, “form follows function,” engineers are usually the first to engage with an object’s form, which means their focus is on making a machine work consistently and efficiently. Even though engineers have creative minds, they generally do not have the freedom to explore and investigate their own ideas unless they run their own business or become professors. While preoccupied with function, engineers may lose their ability to think creatively, and it is not unusual for companies to hire designers to collaborate

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70 Daniel H. Pink, A Whole New Mind: Why Right – Brainers Will Rule the Future. New York: Riverhead, 2006.71 Kieran Egan, The Educated Mind: How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1997.72 Remark made in 1923; recalled by Archibald Henderson, Durham Morning Herald, August 21, 1955; Einstein Archive 33 – 257.73 Sophia Sobers “A Conversation at the Intersection of Art and Science,” A panel discussion, RISD, Providence, RI, February 1, 2014.74 Sophia Sobers “A Conversation at the Intersection of Art and Science,” A panel discussion, RISD, Providence, RI, February 1, 2014.

with them. However, difficulties can arise from collaboration, especially when the designer and the engi-neer struggle with communication and reconciling the equal importance of both function and aesthetics in their work. Despite these conflicts, companies still encourage the collaboration of both designers and engineers because they are aware that both are equally important.

Drawing as A Means of Visualization

While developing a product together, documenting the iterations enhances the communication between designers and engineers. Designers have the ability to record this documentation because they are trained to sort out the information and put together a visual presentation of the data. The visual presentation facilitates the understanding of the language that STEM professionals speak because the representation of the ideas is often much simpler to understand than the scientists’ complex vocabulary.

It could be argued that one could only look to education in drawing to find a link between the sciences and the arts. Artists, designers, engineers, and scientists all use drawings as a means to analyze, compare, communicate, explain, organize, and tell stories.75 Although the arts and sciences may not produce the same result, they both require an ability to draw out thought processes into a visible and sometimes, tangi-ble product. The Dean of Graduates Studies at the Rhode Island School of Design, Patricia Philips states that drawing is a fundamental guide that helps to develop the intelligence of the hand and its cooperation with the eye and the brain.76 In this sense, teachers should not simply look for artistic merit in the drawings students produce; they should also evaluate drawings in order to better discern how their students are able to communicate. Drawing, like many forms of visualization, can be an essential tool in the realization of raw ideas that might otherwise never percolate into something in the future. Therefore, art classes should not place the emphasis on the creation itself; rather, it should be an opportunity for students to enjoy visualizing a tangible object. By observing, investigating, modeling and inventing, students can better appreciate their struggle to understand, and the drawing can be the evidence of their expression. The dynamic action of drawing requires students to think creatively and spontaneously. Children build a stron-ger autonomy by becoming the owners of their drawings as well as by making each decision that leads to the expression of their inner emotions and perceptions. Once students have mastered visual methods of communication, they can implement these skills in whatever field they pursue, including the sciences.

Building a Strong Connection with Art and Science

Throughout this chapter, it has been shown that numerous scientists, psychologists, and art educators con-sider artistic sensibilities and drawing abilities to be vital skills that encourage a student’s curiosity. An arts integrated methodology also encourages visualization skills, communication through descriptive metaphor, as well as an understanding of science in relation to data’s human context. The freedom and flexibility in the arts integrated classroom generates an environment that drives creativity and a discovery of new concepts through novel and diverse educational experiences. Through the collaboration of art and science, function and aesthetics become important attributes that can inform one another and make a more complex solution. Therefore, STEAM has the potential to put forward young people’s “correlative talents” through the enhancement of interdisciplinary learning experiences. The combination of arts integrated and hands – on learning is essential to the STEAM philosophy and has the potential to guide students towards becoming more innovative, scientific thinkers.

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75 Eileen Adams, and Ken Baynes, Power Drawing: Space and Place, S.l,: Laceys Printers, Worthing, 2004. 76 Patricia Philips, The Art of Critical Making: Rhode Island School of Design on Creative Practice, Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2013.

Figure 42:The partici-pants of the workshop, “Sculpture Barn Raisings,” conducted by George Hart at Brown University.

Case Study 03:Tactile Math

“ Just the ways of approaching a problem that artists have often looks at a broader set of possibilities than in a math class . . . More and more people are realizing that, to really use your math or technology or engineering knowledge, you really have to be creative.”

– George W. Hart

CASE STUDY 03: Tactile Math

The mathematician does not study pure mathematics because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it and he delights in it because it is beautiful.

— J. H. Poincaré

To motivate students to find joy in learning math, teachers need to provide appropriate approaches that are different from those that students generally encounter, which prioritize a one dimensional understand-ing of math concepts through the memorization of vocabularies, formulas, notations, and verbal explana-tions. Additionally, schools need an alternative method of evaluation, other than test scores, to measure students’ performance.

According to Dr. Mariale Hardiman, who developed a theory based on a brain – targeted teaching model at Johns Hopkins University, current educational methods reduce creativity in children by trying to control them too much in their schools’ environments. Most classroom presentations rely heavily on semantic memory, which must be repeatedly processed by students’ brains for long – term memory storage to take place. However this approach can easily fail. When students are forced to acquire a mastery of information through repetition, especially by solving the same problems, or by conducting practice tests that are score – based, students can become discouraged, tense, and disengaged from the learning process.

Therefore, Dr. Hardiman proposes that in order to help children master key concepts, schools should implement a new learning style that promotes repetition through multiple approaches by manipulating the repetition through the integration of the arts. There has been considerate effort to develop classroom environments that positively affect brain chemistry, which many believe can be achieved by reducing the student’s stress as much as possible. An arts integrated math class can help students interpret information through visualization alongside tangible teaching tools. The simultaneous stimulation of these senses makes a stronger impact on a student’s memory than repetition on its own. Tangible experiences that link students’ emotions to their work also allow students to store knowledge for longer periods of time,79 by touching the surface of the objects, students are able to feel them, and by exploring with their hands, they can build relationships to the objects. In arts education, the exploration and manipulation of materials grants a tactile learning experience. Through the investigation of two mathematicians and artists, this case study introduces multiple

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77 H. E. Huntley, The Divine Proportion: A Study in Mathematical Beauty, New York: Dover Publications, 1970.78 Marilee Sprenger, Learning and Memory: The Brain in Action, Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1999.79 Marilee Sprenger, Learning and Memory: The Brain in Action, Alexandria, VA, USA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1999.

approaches to math education that are indicative of the ways learning can be creative and tailored to individuals. Even though math and art have different qualities because of the manner in which they are perceived and taught, when combined as an interdisciplinary learning experience, the subjects can help students gather more meaning from their learning experiences. The first investigation examines Lukas Winklerprins’ independent study course, which integrates arts with math at Brown University. There is also an exploration of the importance of social play, which can be implemented alongside arts integration. This case study concludes with an examination of the processes of George W. Hart, a renowned mathe-matician and sculptor, who incorporates art and math into his works of art.

Rethinking Math Pedagogy

Lukas Winklerprins majors in applied mathematics at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. He has been a designer since a young age, and he believes LEGO bricks can be used to better understand form and to create complex structures. For example, he hosted a preliminary LEGO building workshop in Brown’s Prince Lab space, and ran a workshop at A Better World by Design Conference titled “LEGO as a Creative Tool,” which introduced the participants to a design process centered on LEGO bricks.

As a member of the Brown STEAM Initiative, he is heavily engaged in delivering arts – integrated, math pedagogy in K – 12 schools. Because of these interests, he also launched the RISD/Brown STEAM collaborative workshops at the Jewish Day Community School in Providence, Rhode Island. For Lukas, adding “A” to STEM does not mean making STEM – related projects more aesthetically pleasing by teaching students how to decorate their work with art. Instead, STEAM for him is more about fostering a cross – disciplinary mind set, and giving young people the opportunities and tools to approach problems from a variety of perspectives.

When Lukas was initiating a collaborative workshop with the Jewish Community Day School in order to provide arts integrated, interdisciplinary lessons and he invited me to assist as a planning leader. While we worked closely together developing the lesson plans, I discovered that Lukas was involved an inde-pendent study, which was dedicated to the investigation of interdisciplinary methods that could enhance math pedagogy and communication. In this section, there is an examination of how Lukas advocates the problem – based learning process and seeks out novel ways to vary math teaching methods through interdisciplinary program. This section also explores how play supports the development of mathematical ideas and skills, as suggested by scientists Julie Sarama and Douglas H. Clements.

Case Study 03: Tactile Math 51

Visualizing Math

In the fall of 2013, Lukas proposed an independent study under Richard Fishman, a professor in Brown University’s Visual Art Department, and director of the Creative Arts Council. During the course of this independent study, he examined methods for making math education and communication more effective than the current systems, by focusing on visual and tactile representation methods. His particular inves-tigation examined how to best communicate mathematical concepts without the cumbersome process of memorizing notations. Instead, Lukas focused on how concepts could be conveyed through simple tangible objects. His other purpose was to incorporate the natural beauty of materials in his approach to understanding mathematical notations by creating paintings and drawings inspired by the results of using the Interactive Function Visualizer, which is an educational device that Lukas developed in order to help students visualize mathematical functions.

Through “Tactile Math,” Lukas examines different methodologies that could enhance students’ under-standing of mathematics that move away from the discussion of equations that math education generally requires. He provides tactical approaches to education by using tangible objects as an immediate and visual resource. While engaging students’ spatial understanding, he encourages students to imagine alternative possibilities with what they have in front of them. For example, through his experiences during the independent study, Lukas discovered that an immediate visual representation of mathematical equations could aid in the learning process. He created a program, which allowed students to create a topographic landscape that correlated with an entered mathematical function. When the learner was able to sculpt a topographic map before attempting to understand the topology, the learner was able to develop a deeper engagement with the subject and make intuitive judgments about the form.

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Figure 43, 45:Lukas Winklerprins’ Interactive Function Visualizer.

Figure 44:The graphic representation of a function.

Figure 46:The laser – cut visual presenta-tion of a function made by Lukas Winklerprins.

Figure 47:The abstract representation of a function by Lukas Winklerprins.

In order to visually represent the mathematical equations, Lukas developed the Interactive Function Visualizer (IFV). The function visualizer enables the learners to immediately change the coefficients of the function by simply adjusting the knobs. This interactive process between the human interface and the program endeavors to promote students’ instant appreciation through a distinct visual presentation. The playfulness of switching the knobs also helps the learners notice the changes in the graphs according to their manipulations. Furthermore, the actual creation of the topographic model enables the display of the transition between the function and the visualization without any written notations. As a result of this project, he decided to create several abstract paintings and drawings which translated his feelings and ideas about the mathematical equations into a visual language. One can argue that his project is merely an arts – integrated project. However, because Lukas incorporated his technical skill set with a visual approach towards mathematical instruction, he was able to create a new method of interdisciplinary teaching and learning that could be used as an example of a STEAM experience. When students have a chance to make their own math equation, see the subsequent data visualization, and create the topology of the graph by hand, they receive a personalized understanding of the math equation. Furthermore, by making paintings and drawings that additionally explore the results from their experimentations with the IFV, they will have the opportunity to reflect on how to abstractly interpret the graphics and use art to make a visual commentary about their learning. Therefore, this independent study exemplifies STEAM’s goals, which encourage the incorporation of innovative technology with math and art in order to develop the interdisci-plinary learning process.

Lukas also believes that language is important in mathematics, however, focusing on written mathemat-ical notation often leads mathematicians to find unintuitive conclusions due to its conventional approach. He believes that the understanding of notation is difficult, unintuitive, and unnecessary. Instead, he sees the visual language as the most effective mode to promote intuitive methods. Therefore, he suggests that math educators should focus more on the feel, or instinctual understanding of an idea, which is more often easily tapped into via other media.


Figure 48:The panoramic picture of the final presentation of Lukas Winklerprins’ independent study at Brown University.

Language, Abstraction, and Objects

Unlike traditionally instructed math education, the way Lukas approaches the understanding of math is through hands – on, project – based learning that lets learners emotionally and perceptually relate to the objects before comprehending the concepts. The fact that technology is more available, and that even LEGO bricks can serve as a start to understanding form, makes the implementation of visualization more available and affordable. Including tangible objects in education is an important endeavor to improve students’ learning process and increase their motivation.

During the personal interview with Lukas, he stated that he wants STEAM curriculum to be imple-mented in the earliest stages of childhood education, so that young students have exposure to STEAM thinking before their classes are delineated into specific subjects like science, social studies, performing arts, etc. This tactile learning process enables students to experience new ways, other than simply following instructions in a textbook, to approach math problems. STEAM education needs to implement tangible learning experiences as a method of instruction, so that students can experience arts – integrated learning through hands – on activities.

The Montessori school’s use of bricks as tactile learning tools shows how students can grasp trig-onometry by packing and unpacking the cubes, and measuring the segments’ lengths. Given a formula: (a + b + c )3, in order to teach students how to break a cubic form into a trinomial and vice versa, the Montessori school provides cubes so that learners can imagine a cubic form as a cube made of smaller pieces — an understanding which informs their understanding of the equation as well. Given that cubes, a, b, and c are shapes with small lengths, the learners can perceive that the volume of a cube is its length to the power of three. During this experience, students are fully engaged physically, emotionally, and intel-lectually in learning the concept. This approach is more efficient than directing them to semantic knowl-edge, which can only be perceived through repetition. Rather than formulating the syntax in a written notation, playing with the cubes provides a visceral way to think about the equation. Therefore, learners can understand ideas and relationships before grappling with the terminology and its application. This approach is most likely to be accessible and applicable in the pre – K to K – 5 levels, and when the planning is well – developed, this approach can be successful in delivering opportunities for students to be more engaged with the objects by playing with them.

Moreover, the principles that Lukas articulates have a strong connection to those of problem – based learning (PBL) techniques because they both place heavy emphasis on hands – on learning activities that are inquiry – based. They both also encourage students’ interests to reflect historic or current events. As a result, the experience that they gain from their projects becomes relevant and meaningful to their real world ventures. To illustrate this point, Tracie E. Constantino argues that problem – based learning is an instructional method that develops students’ higher order thinking skills as they investigate problems drawn from real life situations.80

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80 Tracie E. Costantino, “Problem – Based Learning: A Concrete Approach to Teaching Aesthetics,” Studies in Art Education 43.3 (2002): 219 – 31.JSTOR, Accessed April 22, 2014, <http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/1321086?ref=search – gateway:f38a0a41d4469bd50c55447a7455c318>.

In the article, “Motivating Project – Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting the Learning,” the advocates of project – based learning claim that PBL enhances deep understanding because it affords students the opportunity to acquire and apply information, concepts and principles. PBL also has the potential to improve competence in thinking (learning and metacognition) by helping students formulate plans, track their progress, and evaluate the resulting solutions.81

Therefore, tangible object – driven activities fulfill the same role as teacher presentations or handouts, in terms of fostering the student’s ability to acquire information, but they allow for greater interaction between the student and the lesson. According to the article “Math Play,” Douglas H. Clements and Julie Sarama claim that the learners can explore math through play in six ways:

Classifying (sorting out by type, size or color) Exploring magnitude (describing and comparing the size of the objects) Enumerating (saying number words, counting, instantly recognizing a number of objects) Investigating dynamics (putting things together, taking them apart, or exploring motions) Studying pattern and shape (identifying or creating patterns, shapes, and geometric properties) Exploring spatial relations (describing or drawing a location or direction)82

These six learning strategies support the concept of multiple intelligences by stimulating learning expe-riences through a variety of intelligences. If STEM subjects could be more playful by adapting more project – based exercises like the arts tend to, children would benefit because even when they are repeat-ing the same lessons through arts – integrated tasks, students would think they are playing, which brings excitement to their learning. Since art – making can incorporate playful activities and hands – on learning experiences through the manipulation of objects, arts integration is an effective way to incorporate play into STEM. Play is a compelling teaching method, which is not integral to STEM education. As a result of playing with objects, students build intuitive skills that cannot be achieved from practice – based math problems, which give a specific formula to solve certain problems.


81 Phyllis C. Blumenfeld, Elliot Soloway, Ronald W. Marx, Joseph S. Krajcik, Mark Guzdial, and Annemarie Palincsar, “Motivating Project – Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting the Learning,” Educational Psychologist 26.3 – 4 (1991): 369 – 98.82 Douglas H. Clements, and Julie Sarama, “Math Play,” Scholastic Teachers, Scholastic, n.d, Accessed May 06, 2014.

Supporting STEAM

The independent study that Lukas conducted reframes the approach of teaching and learning math through visual facilitation, and enforces the need to vary teaching methods by promoting more tangible experiences, which builds a direct, long – lasting understanding of concepts. For Lukas, STEAM is about allowing lessons and techniques from specific disciplines meld into others. STEAM thinking is having the ability to abstractly relate to a concept, so that it can be applied to any problem students face, regardless of their field of study.

Lukas depicts the core components of problem – based learning, that STEAM seeks to adopt, through his promotion of tangible experiences that inherently teach students by engaging them, rather than dictat-ing to them. The Interactive Function Visualizer is a device that connects images to abstract concepts with the purpose of facilitating the understanding of mathematical notations. By playing with the IFV, learners can explore and manipulate math equations by hand and eventually become more engaged and motivated through this hands – on experience.

In his essay, Lukas summarizes three major statements for math educators:

Introduce concepts through visual and tactile means to more directly communicate lessons to the student. Focus on use, meaning, and relationships before assigning or enforcing terminology to avoid getting trapped in symbols and definitions. Allow students to play with ideas themselves, then nudge them towards correct use through self – driven and communal experimentation.

In this STEAM practice, visual art contributes to more varied experiences for the students. This in turn ignites their emotional and embodied engagement, and enhances their intellectual grasp of the math. By focusing on varying the approaches of mathematical instruction, the classroom can develop a rigorous environment where students can learn to navigate ambiguous, unexplored, and unknown problems. Therefore, the practices within this interdisciplinary, independent study evidence how visual methods of instruction can transform existing math pedagogical conditions.

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The Art of Play

In this section, there will be an investigation of the role of “play” in improving students’ social develop-ment and thinking skills, supported by three eminent educational psychologists, Peter Gray, Jiang Xueqin, and Kyung – Hee Kim. These three educational pioneers claim that our young people need to develop social, problem – solving and empathy skills, as well as creative mindsets to become innovative leaders. A healthy mental environment, which gives students more opportunities to play without adult – driven, authoritarian control, can promote the progression of these skills. The qualities of play can be achieved in the forms of arts integrated experiences. To illustrate this point, there will be an exploration of the artistic practices of George W. Hart, a research professor at Stony Brook University and an interdisciplinary sculptor, mathematician, computer scientist, and educator.

High Scores, Few Abilities

In an outcome – based learning system with emphasis on high scores, play seems to be aimless; however, the time students spend playing is never time wasted. Peter Gray, an evolutionary psychologist whose research heavily focuses on children’s needs for free play, warns us of the psychological damage caused by the current adult – directed authoritarian system in education. According to Gray’s article, “The Play Deficit,” the decline in opportunities to play has caused children’s suicide rate to increase between five to eight times, and the diagnosis of anxiety disorder and major depression to increase fifteen to twenty – four times since the 1950s.84

The urge to play is in human nature, and through play children learn the most important life lessons, the ones that cannot be taught at school. Play is a kind of education, yet students don’t think of them-selves as learning while playing. An excessive focus on rote – memorization systems in children’s education results in a lack of social and practical skills, an absence of self – discipline and imagination, and loss of curiosity and passion for learning.85 To quote an educational psychologist, Kyung – Hee Kim, “Children have become less emotionally expressive, less energetic, less talkative and verbally expressive, less imaginative . . . less apt to connect seemingly irrelevant things, and less likely to see things from different angle.” 86

Current education systems diminish play, which is a core source of creativity. The aims of modern education have resulted in students achieving high scores but few abilities, because students have lost the opportunity to be creative, take initiative, and develop physical and social skills. If education and work were to incorporate elements of play, students would regain their creativity and excitement for learning.


83 George W. Hart, “Brief Biography: George W. Hart,” Brief Biography: George W. Hart, George W. Hart, April 24, 2014, Accessed April 24, 2014.84 Peter Gray, “The Play Deficit,” Aeon Magazine, Aeon Magazine, Sept 18, 2013, Accessed April 23, 2014.85 Jiang Wueqin, “The Test Chinese Schools Still Fail,” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, Dec 8, 2010, Accessed April 22, 2014.86 Kyung Hee Kim, “The Creativity Crisis: The Decrease in Creative Thinking Scores on the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking,” Creativity Research Journal 23.4 (2011): 285 – 95

Self – Directed Learning – A Critical Element for Success

According to the three psychologists, play provides:

Ample opportunities to manipulate cultural tools. Unlimited freedom for children to explore, and pursue their own interests. An understanding of the values of their community and a sense of responsibility for others, not just for themselves.

Peter Gray further explains that it’s difficult for students to be creative when they are so concerned about being judged. Through self – directed social play, students learn to be assertive but not dominating, because they must negotiate and compromise. Therefore, social play is essential in building the ability to see from another’s point of view. Since there is no hierarchical structure of authority, students learn to cooperate and make decisions that affect the whole group. Furthermore, students learn how to cope emotionally with emergencies, manage fear and anger, and become self – controlled and responsible. In adult – directed settings, children are weak and vulnerable because they don’t learn how to make choices on their own.

Modern psychologists suggest that the current lack of play in schools and home environments leads to increased anxiety, depression, suicide, narcissism, and a loss of creativity. To ensure students’ mental health and to enrich their sources of creativity, there is an urgency to reform the education system so that it is more playful. The goals of the advocates of social play align with those of the advocates of arts educa-tion who hope to use education to impact students’ emotional and social development. If self – directed learning through arts integrated, interdisciplinary methods could be incorporated with STEM education, students would have more experiences that encouraged their growth as well – rounded, empathetic individ-uals. In the next chapter, there will be an exploration of how the arts can enhance a play – centered learning experience when integrated with math.

George Hart

As a sculptor of constructive geometric forms, I try to create engaging works that are enriched by an underly-ing geometrical depth … I share with many artists the idea that a pure form is a worthy object.87

– George W. Hart

George W. Hart is an interdisciplinary sculptor, mathematician, computer – scientist, and educator. With his B.S. in mathematics from MIT, his M.A. in linguistics from Indiana University, and his Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, he has worked as a computer scientist at MIT Labs, and as a professor at Columbia University and Hofstra University. He is currently a research professor at Stony Brook University and a co – founder of the Museum of Mathematics in New York, which provides original exhibitions and workshop activities that link the processes of math and art.88

Through his diverse experience, he has become particularly known for his creative use of technol-ogy, mathematics, and artistic skill sets, and for translating each area into visual representations, such as

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87 Ivars Peterson, “Polyhedron Man,” Science News, Science News, December 22, 2001, Accessed April 23, 2014.88 George W. Hart, “Brief Biography: George W. Hart,” Brief Biography: George W. Hart, George W. Hart, April 25, 2014, Accessed April 25, 2014.

sculptures. Hart’s geometrical constructions have been praised by numerous computer scientists and artists for their integration of art and math, which makes his work simultaneously artistic, and educational. In addition, he is also passionate about sharing his knowledge of mathematical aesthetics with a wide range of audiences through various media tools, including: video essays sponsored by the Simon Foundation, Youtube videos, books, talks and workshops.89

Lukas Winklerprins (Brown ‘15) knew of Hart’s dedication to making the convergence of math and art accessible to everyone, so he asked the applied math department at Brown University to invite him to give a lecture. Lukas had previously known Hart from his talk at Northwestern University, and noticed the similarities between Hart’s artistic practice and STEAM’s approach to education, which encourages inter-disciplinary learning that inspires the creative use of different disciplines. According to Bjorn Sandstede, the chair of the division of applied mathematics at Brown:

Bringing artists and scientists who bridge the gap between math and the creative arts is a great way to show that these fields have much in common . . . Showcasing this link is a powerful reminder that even seemingly disjoint(ed) fields often share deep and exciting connections.90

During the lecture, Hart presented his work based off of 3D printings, and gave an overview of how he translates a function into a n artistic embodiment. In addition to the lecture, Hart conducted a workshop called “Sculpture Barn Raisings,” which allowed students to create a geometric sculpture and install it as the public sculpture on Brown campus. During this workshop, the participants had opportunities to expe-rience firsthand how math and art can intersect, and discover how Hart’s hands – on process can construct both the visual representation of a mathematical algorithm and a creative work of sculptural art.

In order to communicate his ideas about how art can represent math concepts and variations, he has been developing educational workshop activities, which use his artistic practice methods to engage stu-dents in thinking mathematically about patterns, structures, and relationships.91 In this section, there will be an exploration of George Hart’s creative use of technology and unconventional materials to link math and art in his sculptures. Then, there will be an investigation of how his approach to assemble and design polyhedra stimulates creativity and novelty as it blurs the boundaries of art and math through tangible form. Lastly, this section will closely look into how this process can supplement learning through its fusion of mathematical and artistic findings. These analyses will help define how Hart successfully practices STEAM processes through his work.

Patterns, Structures, and Relationships

Most of Hart’s work deals with patterns and relationships, and is informed by classical ideals of balance and symmetry, which are represented through polyhedra. Hart is intrigued by the beauty of abstract forms that are both geometric and organic shapes. His research uses algorithms to produce new polyhedral struc-tures in visual and sculptural forms. His process often originates from his genuine curiosity to understand a shape, and the rules of the patterns within that shape. He says, “The best way to learn about the polyhedron is to make your own paper models.” 91 He encourages students to learn, just as he often does, from tactile experi-ence and to observe geometric forms through sensory play.


89 Ivars Peterson, “Polyhedron Man,” Science News, Science News, December 22, 2001, Accessed April 23, 2014.90 Riley Davis, “STEAM Lecture Examines Connection between Math, Arts,” Brown Daily Herald, Brown Daily Herald, March 7, 2014, Accessed April 25, 2014.91 George W. Hart, “Brief Biography: George W. Hart,” Brief Biography: George W. Hart, George W. Hart, April 25, 2014, Accessed April 25, 2014.

Although it appears that Hart uses art as a learning tool to understand and experiment with geometric patterns, he does not ignore the holistic qualities of art in the process of constructing his sculptures. The case may actually be the opposite, which means he uses his mathematical knowledge as a skill to create sculptural art. The fusion of both skills not only allows him to create master works of art, but it also allows him to identify mathematical rules and variants that can lead to new possibilities.93 His works of art harmonize the human mind and mathematical rules, and capture both the aspects of truth and beauty.

Cultivating the Process of Making

Mathematicians try to understand the physical world, to unearth the secrets of nature, to search for truth. They do this by creating intellectual edifices of great subtlety and beauty, guided by their aesthetic judgement.94

— Michael Atiyah

Mathematicians generally act with the determination to solve a problem. George Hart is no different in that he is driven by his desire to find solutions. All the calculations, research, experiments, and collaborations form the groundwork for the construction of one object of art. The process of discovering and representing polyhedra is initiated by Hart’s own excitement about the beauty of mathematics. Using his lecture at Brown University, this section will investigate specific strategies that Hart uses in his approach to his projects.

To begin with, George Hart starts his process by observing the patterns, shapes, and structure of ordinary objects, then he uses the inspiration he gains from his observations to choose a polyhedral shape from his own imagination to create. Then, once he decides what kind of polyhedron he wants to gener-ate, he works with paper models and plays with prototypes until he understands the basic structure of its pattern. Since there are many shapes and patterns that may not be simply interpreted from notations, diagrams, and graphs, Hart notes that having fun with these tangible objects enhances his understanding of the patterns.

As an innovative computer programmer himself, Hart uses the technology as a tool to augment his understanding of forms and structures. 3D modeling programs contain a variety of scale, proportion, and color options. However, there are limits to making prototypes with paper and computer graphics. Therefore, using both tools prevents the limitation of the form to one material or visualization, and optimizes the possibilities of approach, while deepening his understanding of feasible solutions.

The next required step in figuring out the actual assemblage of the polyhedron requires some engi-neering skills. Hart must divine ways to hold pieces together so that his creation is functional and durable. During this process, the focus is on the details of construction, like where hooks should be placed, or where glue needs to be applied. 3D prototypes allow him to test out several possibilities. This course also requires perseverance because in the beginning it often results in failure. In order to create polyhedral models, Hart experiments with an array of materials and objects, which range from paper, pencils, CD discs, brass, pipe cleaners, used books, toothbrushes, paper clips, and other commonly found materials. The use of ordinary objects as materials makes Hart’s approach more accessible and intriguing.

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93 Ivars Peterson, “Polyhedron Man,” Science News, Science News, December 22, 2001, Accessed April 23, 2014.94 Michael Atiyah, “The Art of Mathematics,” Notice of the American Society of Mathematics 57.1 (2010): 8.

The most impressive element of his work lies in the performance of the collaborative construction. Since his sculptures are sizable, Hart often requests the help of team members from different disciplines. He likens the collaborative process of producing the sculpture to the experience of conducting a musical orchestra. He believes that the physical engagement of the group work allows participants to have an emotional experience by engaging in building one piece together. By solving problems together, people face challenges and failures together, and eventually build an emotional bond through the achievement of the same goal. The joy of solving a problem or making a model helps to build empathy skills because it connects an important personal experience to the grander, social event.

Unlocking the Source of Creative Energy

His goal, George Hart said in a lecture, is to use art to make mathematical concepts accessible to everyone. In addition, with the intention of mathematical education, Hart collaborated with Craig S. Kaplan, who currently works at the University of Waterloo, to invent a 3D modeling program that generates new types of polyhedra. This software also allows the production of physical objects via 3D printing. By incorpo-rating artistic practice into his mathematical research, Hart strongly believes that art expands his creative abilities by allowing him to experience connections from different perspectives. To quote Hart:

Just the ways of approaching a problem that artists have often looks at a broader set of possibilities than in a math class . . . More and more people are realizing that, to really use your math or technology or engineering knowledge, you really have to be creative.95

George Hart exemplifies the aims of interdisciplinary learning through his practice of personal expression through self – directed projects, his use of innovative technology as well as computer graphics and tangible models as methods to bring novelty to the experience of objects; his employment of both engineering and artistic processes to explore and assemble materials, and his promotion of collaborative work, which builds emotional bonds between practitioners of different disciplines. These skills and interdisciplinary learning processes should be encouraged through STEAM practices. By utilizing both art and math to solve a problem, learners will be able to experience the advantages of combining artistic practices and mathematical processes, and will gain the ability to apply these skills creatively in real life situations.


95 Riley Davis, “STEAM Lecture Examines Connection between Math, Arts,” Brown Daily Herald, Brown Daily Herald, March 7, 2014, Accessed April 25, 2014.

Figure 49:72 Pencils Isama,George W. Hart.

Figure 50:72 Pencils CMYK,George W. Hart.

Figure 51:72 Pencils,George W. Hart.

Chapter V: The Integration of Art and STEM

“ With these qualities, artists, designers, architects, and curators to can find new ways to see, feel, and create meaning in our world. STEAM education, as a method of innovation intends to help students make connections in multiple disciplines so that young people will have the capability to work across diverse societal occupations and solve real – world problems.”

– Stephen Beal

Art and Design in the Context of Innovation

Innovation is linked to scientists, programmers, engineers, and to companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google. However, people in creative fields generally possess a unique approach to problem – solving, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a deeper understanding of user – experience, which makes them excellent execu-tors of social innovation. Art students, artists, and designers can make social innovation happen, and solve important global issues when they possess these qualities:

Architects and designers practice sustainable processes in order to develop environmentally creative solutions. Artists address societal challenges as many shift towards work that is collaborative and community – based.96

With these qualities, artists, designers, architects, and curators to can find new ways to see, feel, and create meaning in our world. STEAM education, as a method of innovation intends to help students make connections in multiple disciplines so that young people will have the capability to work across diverse societal occupations and solve real – world problems.97 Joseph Piro’s article, “Going to STEM to STEAM,” argues that through arts integration students gain better questioning skills, more – focused periods of concentration, and a greater understanding that problems can have multiple answers. These skills need to be cultivated as a national priority.98

In this section, there will be a survey of key STEAM advocates from the sectors of business and tech-nology. From their expertise as CEOs, presidents, business partners, entrepreneurs and innovators, they articulate the importance of arts integrated education as a solution to foster the future economy. They also claim that there should be a better liaison between arts engagement and scientific domains. As a result of this association, the horizon of possibilities can expand to meet the modern economy’s needs.99

Art, Design, Science, and Technology

John Maeda is one of the most influential advocates of STEAM education. He argues that STEAM should be implemented as a way to challenge children to become future innovators, because it can teach students

Chapter V: The Integration of Art and STEM

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96 Stephen Beal, “Turn STEM to STEAM: Why Science Needs the Arts,” The Huffington Post, The Huffington Post.com, June 11, 2013, Accessed April 23, 2014.97 Stephen Beal, “Turn STEM to STEAM: Why Science Needs the Arts,” The Huffington Post, The Huffington Post.com, June 11, 2013, Accessed April 23, 2014.98 Joseph Piro, “Going From STEM to STEAM,” Education Week, Education Week, March 9 2010, Accessed April 19, 2014.99 Tom Lamont, “John Maeda: Innovation Is Born When Art Meets Science,” The Observer, Guardian News and Media, November 3, 2010, Accessed April 23, 2014.

how to integrate technology, design, and leadership into a 21st century applicable synthesis of creativity and innovation. With his BS and MS from MIT, Cambridge, USA, and PH.D from Tsukuba Institute of Art and Design in Tsukuba, Japan, he developed his mission to foster the growth of what he calls “human-ist technologists” — people who are capable of articulating the future culture through informed understanding of the technologies they use. He states:

Design can be used to communicate complex information, visualize complex data. An artistic approach takes it one step further to make us care enough to do something about it. Scientific data shows global warming — but how do we get people to care? Through expression — art.100

Maeda also emphasizes that, “A good design is what makes tech desirable,” and this impact of good design can be achieved by combining the mind of a scientist or technologist with that of an artist or designer. In our current society technology requires personalization, which means that corporations and businesses will need to seek out creative thinkers traditionally found in the arts. To illustrate this point, Suzanne Bonamici from NIKE argues, “It’s the design that makes things different and gives people choices.” 101

Bob Schwartz, General Electric’s lead health care designer and a RISD alumnus, designed the cardi-ology X – ray system, which is a laser – guided robot that senses the movements and needs of the surgeon that won the International Design Excellence Award in 2012. Schwartz states, “We connected the functionality features of technology with the emotional benefits we want the users to have.” 102 Similarly, Harvey White, who is a very successful entrepreneur, has been leading international innovation by ensuring that he always has the best technologically trained individuals.103 While demanding more support for STEM education, he also argues that “STEM will take a step beyond by assuring the arts are an integral and necessary part of educating our future innovators so they can compete successfully in the world economy.”104 In his article, “Arts and Innovation Gap,” White articulates the importance of the innovative mindset and modern leadership expectations that require executives who are comfortable dealing with ambiguity and doubt. Furthermore, he insists that the humanities, and the arts in particular, stimulate, exercise and train the innovative side of our brains, and without that exposure to stimuli from arts education we do not fully develop the innovative power of the brain. By stating that understanding the arts is an essential characteristic of the best innovators, he argues that we need to get business, government, and media to connect the dots between arts education and economic success. White’s advocacy of STEAM as a successful, innovative businessman shows how the creativity found in arts – integrated courses inspire and carry over to real – life demands.

The Approach to Innovation through STEAM Education

STEAM is essential to training students to work across disciplines, to communicate through visual language, and to experience, share and value each other’s opinions and processes. The mastery of these skill sets has the potential to contribute to economic innovation in the United States. In this section, we have examined several creative individuals who believe in collaboration across multiple disciplines, and who see art and design training as a support of innovation. Through the case study conducted at the Moses Brown School, Providence, Rhode Island, there will be an exploration of how this school approaches to support STEAM programs through arts integrated interdisciplinary lessons. The primary focus of this case study will be an examination of how the school puts arts education at the center of their curriculum, offers design thinking dedicated classes, and promotes interdisciplinary learning through arts integration.

The Integration of Art and STEM 65

100 Designboom, “John Maeda: Design as a Discipline Is Not Designed Well to Be Understood – Designboom | Architecture & Design Magazine,” Designboom, 2013, Accessed April 16, 2014.101 Ron Fournier, “The Art of Technology,” National Journal, February 24, 2013, Accessed April 28, 2014.102 Ron Fournier, “The Art of Technology,” National Journal, February 24, 2013, Accessed April 28, 2014.103 Forbes, “Harvey White,” Forbes, April 22, 2014, Accessed April 22, 2014.104 Harvey White, “Arts and the Innovation Gap,” U – T San Diego, March 11, 2010, Accessed April 22, 2014.

Figure 52:The woodshop class at the Moses Brown School.

Case Study 04:Moses Brown School

Moses Brown School

Moses Brown School, located in Providence, Rhode Island, is one of the oldest preparatory schools in the US. The school was built by and named after a Quaker abolitionist, Moses Brown. This case study became possible when I was able to experience and observe the school firsthand through reoccurring visits.

My observations revealed that the arts play an extraordinary and dynamic role in the school curriculum, which allows interdisciplinary studies to flourish. The visual and performing arts program is built around the philosophy of developing each individual’s whole being, including the student’s mind, body, and spirit. Generating aesthetic learning through personal expression is a core element in the comprehensive educa-tion program at Moses Brown School.

Young children possess a remarkable, intuitive relationship to what they see. Their senses are truly alive. Twenty drawings of the same subject should be as different as the twenty different imagina-tions experiencing that subject. In part, my quest as a teacher is to dispel notions of who is an artist and who benefits from an arts education. Everyone is an artist.105

— Cathy Van Lancker, Visual Arts Program Director

The primary reason why Moses Brown School (MBS) is an exemplary STEAM education practitioner is because of its efforts to put the arts integrated programs and interdisciplinary learning at the center of its curriculum. MBS emphasizes project – based learning and design thinking by promoting collaboration and problem – solving skills through their visual arts program, which includes the iLAB course, design thinking classes, advanced studio courses, along with the Krause Gallery, which is located on MBS’s campus. Additionally in the lower school at MBS, which is comprised of grades K – 12, students utilize the interior space as their own art studio, which makes art an integral part of their weekly routine. The architecture in the lower school enhances students’ physical activity by letting them paint up against the wall, and then they efficiently use both the display space and the ceiling to put up the documentations of their works of art.

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105 Cathy Van Lancker, “FINE & PERFORMING ARTS,” Moses Brown School, April 28, 2014, Accessed April 28, 2014.

Figure 53, 54:The students works of art on the wall at the Moses Brown School.

One of the most remarkable outcomes from the school’s emphasis on arts integration is the iLAB course. iLAB supports teachers in devising lessons with a ‘hands on, minds on’ approach, which pro-vides students with novel ways to showcase and exhibit their learning in multiple disciplines. iLAB was first developed by a group of twenty – five faculty members who dedicated their time to research how to create a school – wide arts integrated curriculum. As a result of the school’s endeavor, iLAB’s main goal is to offer students methods for brainstorming, prototyping, and experimenting; a space that responds to and nurtures students’ natural curiosity and desire to explore, and an environment dedicated to creative problem – solving.

MBS also hosts conferences, workshops and training for teachers seeking expertise in framing essential, real – world problems through arts – integrated education. For instance, David Wasser, a middle school science teacher at MBS, is using programming and robotics to teach collaboration, creativity and problem – solving, and MBS’s iLab has plans to partner with lead designers from Stanford Design school to continue the development of the children’s engineering aspirations.

In this chapter, there will be an overview of the various successful examples of interdisciplinary, project – based learning at Moses Brown School that improve students’ engagement through MBS’s educational framework. The main focus will be to highlight how the qualities and values of art and design education are implemented throughout the campus, and how the students benefit from the courses that Moses Brown School offers.

Case Study 04: Moses Brown School 69

Figure 55:The woodshopclass at the Moses Brown School.

Valentine’s Card

Most of the collaborations at MBS often come together as serendipity. For instance, when teachers bump into each other in the school corridor, they often ask each other what they are teaching in their classes. For example, Ms. Sarah Barnum is an art teacher, and Ms. Carol Entin is a science teacher. One day when Ms. Entin was walking her third graders to Ms. Barnum’s art class, Ms. Barnum asked her what the students were learning in science class. Ms. Entin said that she was teaching the students about light circuits. At the same time, in Sarah’s art class, the students were making Valentine’s Day cards. So, Ms. Barnum asked Ms. Entin, “What if your students brought the light circuits into my class and incorporated them into the Valentine’s cards that we are making?” They both agreed that it would be an exceptionally creative learning experience if the students could make Valentine’s cards that lit up.

As a result, the third graders learned how to manipulate the light circuits in science class with Ms. Entin, and then were able to go to art class with Ms. Barbum and make the Valentines cards by folding and cutting the paper, which is a paper engineering process. Therefore, even though the students were learning different lessons in science and art class, they were pursuing the same goal — to make a Valentine’s Day card that lights up — in both courses. Below is a chart that shows how students receive different lessons from each class:

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Incorporating a science class with an art class by putting the light circuits into a card is a creative and successful project because students are not only building personal ownership by creating their own card, but they are also learning to apply what they have been learning from other classes to produce something completely new, which adds a complex, unique meaning to their education. This memorable and playful experience will allow students to be more engaged in learning, both in science and art. If students were only learning about how to make light circuits work, they might find it boring because they would only be able to follow and replicate instructions. However, by actually making the card with the light circuits, stu-dents can learn how their knowledge extends to experiences beyond the classroom. This example shows how an arts class can be integrated with a science class.


Figure 56, 57:The Valentine’s card, made by one of the students at the Moses Brown School.

Design Thinking Class

Ms. Cathy Van Lancker is director of the visual arts program at Moses Brown School. From her expe-rience, she articulates how her teaching encourages her, especially when her students go to college, take pictures in their engineering classes and send them to her to show how they learned similar lessons in MBS’s “Design Thinking” class. According to her students, they feel more confident when they are faced with comparable challenges in college because they have the basic skill – sets to approach and solve the problems without extensive instruction, especially in STEM – related subjects. Her students are generally equally comfortable when they are given group projects as well.

Ms. Lanker specifically asked juniors and seniors to take her “Design Thinking” class because she wanted the higher – level students to prepare for college. Most of the classes consist of twelve to fourteen girls, and one or two boys. She insists that all of the projects are team – based, and that there is a different group for each project, so that everyone has a chance to work with every student in class. She believes collaborative work can aid students in understanding each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and that it also allows students to feel less anxious about their performance in class. Watching her kids transform throughout the semester is a source of joy for her as a teacher because it allows her to witness firsthand how the students develop empathy through teamwork, and how they are able to collaborate in order to achieve their goal.

Learning Process

The course descriptions of the Design Thinking Class clearly state that the class uses collaborative group work to find solutions to the courses’ challenges:

This course will incorporate content knowledge from many disciplines through an open — ended creative learning process. They will engage in research to aid in the brainstorming/conceptualization process in preparation for their final solution, group presentation and final critique.This course is designed to teach students to think critically and creatively through a multidisciplinary approach with a focus on leadership and social responsibility with a global and historical context through visual means.106

The essential qualities that Ms. Lancker expects her students to build are organizational skills as well as oral and visual presentation skills. These skills are essential to all areas of their life, because these abilities will not only help the students work efficiently, they will also allow them to express their thoughts in a clearer manner. These projects help students build their readiness for the demands of college courses.

Most of the projects are quick and short, which are better than longer tasks since the students can get bored over time. Her class requires the students to work extensively on their projects inside and outside the classroom. There are three partners in a group and the projects are either concept – based or require problem solving. Additionally, each project is given a specific context that usually relates to events in their school or community, and even current events around the world.

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106 Cathy Van Lankcer, “Design Thinking Class Moses Brown School, Providence, RI, 2014.

In order to connect the students to real – world situations, Ms. Lancker provided them with the chal-lenge to create a pop – up shelter as if they were refugees in Argentina when an earthquake occurred. The students learned basic information about the regions in Argentina so that they could define the parameters, weather, and natural resources that would affect their process. Then they planned how to get materials together and assemble them with the minimal assistance available. After their research they organized the data and demonstrated their findings through a visual presentation.

Through this process, students were able to imagine themselves as refugees, which forced them to make quick decisions about the construction of their shelter due to this situation’s limited resources and urgency. Furthermore, students were able to adopt design elements in their construction of the shelter. In this case, design thinking processes were more crucial than aesthetic sensibilities because the nature of the project was to build something habitable.

Ms. Lancker is very open to implementing technology inside and outside her class. For example, she uses Google drive to share the project descriptions so that the students can always go back and review what needs to be accomplished. During the course of the project, the students will post updates and share documents online so others can see what they are doing. These online tools are an effective way for groups to communicate because information can be easily shared with an indeterminable number of people and be accessed instantly.

To provide as many opportunities for collaboration as possible, she divides the projects into several short assignments that are distinctive from one another. Ms. Lancker assesses her students by evaluating the progress of their work within their groups, their final presentations, and through the final critique, which happens at the end of each assignment. She clarifies the assessment procedure at the beginning of each project, so that the students are aware of the purpose and the expectations of the project. Her assessment generally grades both the project’s design elements as well as the visual presentations of the students’ newly acquired knowledge.

During the final critique, she encourages students to speak their opinions in a constructive way. The students are not allowed to state vague opinions such as: “I like this because it is pretty,” or “I like this because it is nicely – done,” because these kinds of comments will not support the others in the class develop new ideas. Rather, the contents of the critique consist of the value of the concept, and the process of observing the challenge and finding solutions. During the group critique, Ms. Lancker promotes students to give constructive and positive feedback that will help the others find appropriate solutions. In order to assess this positive critique process, she has all the students sit at a large, round table and begin a conversation about the projects that they did. Ms. Lancker provides investigative questions that encourage a productive discussion about what could be improved.

Both positive and negative feedback is carefully given by the students. Every student has to state their opinions about their experience and their classmates, which is how Cathy determines their grades. She writes down which students are fully engaged during the discussion, and who gives insightful comments, and who brings up new ideas that would help the other students re – examine their own conceptualization of their work.


Combined Forces I: Hamster Cage

In order to help its young students understand living animals, the kindergarten class in the lower school adopted a few hamsters. The hamsters were kept inside of a protective, plastic ball while the students were given the challenge to create a living space for them. However, the kindergärtners were not able to complete this task on their own, so the upper school students assisted with the creation of a new hamster home. This joint project afforded students a chance to learn how to collaborate with others who have different experience levels and backgrounds. It is difficult to teach how to teach, and to learn how to learn. By pairing the students together, the school dismantled the hierarchy among them, and granted them the opportunity to learn how to teach and collaborate with each other, and make an effective solution together.

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Figure 58, 59, 60:The Hamster Cage, made by the students from the Moses Brown School.

Outcomes

Due to the nature of this project, students were able to develop a better understanding of themselves, and they learned to be patient and to accept each others’ opinions in order to help each other reach the same goal. At the beginning of the project the students had to research the living style of the hamsters so that they could make them a conducive living environment. As a result, the students were able to grasp what characterized the hamster as a living animal. For example, they learned that for their shelter to be habitable for the hamsters, it would need important resources like food, water, a sleeping place, a playing space, and a hiding space. This research also helped them make connections to their own life, and their own needs as humans, and realize that living animals are as precious as human beings because of the care they require.

This project also asked the students to use their engineering skills to create a functional, durable cage. Students needed to build something that would last a long time, and that was resistant to water and damage caused by the hamsters’ movements. Additionally, students could only construct the cage out of recycled materials, which showed the students how to think sustainability, and make environmentally friendly structures. They were then able to learn which material was appropriate for each part, and how to link each piece together. Specifically, students had to learn how to saw, cut, and glue wood, and, with a teacher’s guidance, to assemble the materials together to create the cage. Moses Brown School began this wood shop so that even young children could learn from hands – on projects, and create something on their own. Furthermore, MBS did not integrate the arts just as a means of decoration, but as a way to bring aesthetic sensibility into the construction of the students’ projects, including the hamster cage. In this sense, this hamster cage project enables children to think creatively at a young age.


Combined Forces II: Animated Animals

The “Animated Animals” project was made possible by the collaboration between Moses Brown’s science teacher and the third grade home teacher. The science teacher, Carol Entin, has been teaching at Moses Brown School for thirty years and has been using LEGO learning toolkits for twenty years. The reason why she implements LEGO learning toolkits into her curricula is because she believes that LEGO bricks provide a tactile experience that enhances students’ engagement, and because it stimulates sensory neurons in the brain. She always insists on hands – on assignments through arts integration, which allows students to experience science through a wide range of activities and materials.

While Ms. Entin was teaching her students how to recognize circular motions, she had a conversation with another third grade teacher who told her that the students were learning about the national parks in her geography class, and that the students were interested in learning about how different species of animals live in distinct regions according to the natural environment. This conversation led Carol to the idea to use the LEGO bricks to make animals that the students could manipulate in a stop – motion video. She wanted her students to have fun and use art to learn, but in order to make the project successful, she decided that it should be a collaborative project between her class and the other third grade teachers.

STEAM Process in Geography Class and Science Class

In the third grade geography class, the landscape lessons defined what kind of characteristics are found in specific animals because of the terrain they inhabited. Students also learned about national parks around the world, and each student was able to choose one animal from a national park to research in depth in order to better understand how the anatomy of animals adapts to their environment’s conditions. The animal they researched was also the animal they were required to make for the stop – motion video.In science class, Ms. Entin began by teaching the third graders the five foundations of motion. For example, she used the LEGO toolkit that specifically contained instructions about circular motion to illustrate five simple motions, like side – to – side, up and down. Once each student successfully assembled the LEGO devices to show different circular motions they could move on to the next step, which was the modification of the circular motion. Students were asked to choose only one circular motion to apply to an animal’s body part. Ms. Entin insisted that it was important to limit the students’ options so that they could comprehensively learn about the process of implementation.

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Figure 61:The landscape paintings from the 3rd grade’s geography class.

Figure 62, 63, 64:The iterations of the Animated Animals project from Ms. Entin’s class at Moses Brown School.

Before making the animation, the students had to build many different models with the LEGOs. At the end of their experimentation, they had to decide what kind of the motion and animal they wanted to modify. According to Ms. Entin, many of the children find it difficult to work with the LEGO bricks, especially if they are visually or spatially impaired, and following the diagrams can be extremely challenging for many of them as well. Because of this, she supports her students by asking them guiding questions, which helps them to investigate and learn independently. These questions encourage them to analyze their process in order to find the solution. For example, Ms. Entin often asks students:

What is it that you don’t like about your work?Do you like the way A looks? How about B?What do you wish to have in your model?Do you like the way the tail moves? What do you wish those legs could do?How can you fix it?

These questions led students to notice problems and fix them on their own, which developed their self – awareness and self – reflection skills.

The modification stage was the most challenging stage for children because things often didn’t work out as planned. As a result, students had to persevere and problem solve through a variety of techniques. However, students remained motivated to use the LEGO bricks because they enjoyed experimenting with the toys, and because they felt like they were playing, rather than working. Once the students were done figuring out how to replicate their animal, they had more opportunities to practice personal expression by embellishing their animal. This process was not just about decorating; it also served as an opportunity for students to use their artistic sensibilities to communicate characteristics about the animals that they chose.

This project remains in progress, yet it still represents the many benefits of activity – based learning. By providing students with options, students were able to experiment and become self – motivated to com-plete their project, which, in turn, made them more passionate about their work. During the challenges of modification, students also had to problem solve and learn how to endure failure in order to achieve a goal. The tactile instruments helped students build a deeper understanding of how circular motions work, and broadened their technical skills as well as their knowledge of anatomy. Most importantly, this project acted as a lesson in adaptation that required the students to integrate their geography and science lessons into an entirely unique application.

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How This Makes STEAM

What defines the “Animated Animal” project as a holistic approach to interdisciplinary learning, the kind of learning that the STEAM initiative advocates, is that the interdisciplinary projects from both geogra-phy and science has resulted in creating an animated stop – motion film. Making this video compelled the students to pool their knowledge from both their geography and science lessons in order to creatively interpret their projects’ requirements.

Additionally, the students had to work as a team to produce one piece of art. Teamwork is an essential STEAM process that teaches students how to reach consensus in a large group, how to propose ideas to others, how to give respectful critiques, and how to resolve problems through collaboration. The combi-nation of sound, light, and storytelling elements in the animation also obligated the students to approach their work from a variety of perspectives.

Elements of geography, science and art were embedded in this “Animated Animals” project, and an equal emphasis was placed on each discipline. Project – based learning through an individual’s work and group work maximized the learners’ creativity and self – awareness by appealing to each student’s unique perspective, and interests. Moreover, as a result of this project, students succeed not only in building their own identity, persona, and character, but also in developing empathy skills by interacting with, and respect-ing the other students’ strengths and weaknesses. Because of their work on this assignment, students were able to better utilize scientific and engineering skills, build their geographical knowledge, gain communica-tion skills by creating a narrative, and develop social skills by working as a team.

Conclusion

This chapter analyzed how Moses Brown school implements STEAM practices by offering design centered programs, such as ILAB and design thinking courses, and by promoting art integration and interdisciplinary lessons. Moreover, MBS makes continual efforts to improve their arts education program by providing professional development programs for their teachers, and by nurturing an arts – centered environment, which includes hosting visiting artists and designers to give talks or to exhibit their work in the school’s gallery.

This section examined the three major projects: the “Valentine’s card,” “The Hamster Cage,” and the “Animated Animals” projects. Although MBS puts great emphasis on design thinking processes so that students can make connections to real – world problems, they also succeed in providing a holistic approach to art integrated, interdisciplinary learning.


The Approach to Arts Integrated Interdisciplinary Learning

The former Republican presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee says, “[right – brained people] are often the ones who create the economic engines that create more than music or art — but industry.” 107 In 2011, at least forty MBA programs in professional graduate schools began offering design courses as a way to develop a competi-tive edge within the academic marketplace.108 While higher education implements design courses as a way to promote creativity and innovation, schools seem slow to adopt similar courses in the K – 12 setting. Because of the high emphasis on STEM subjects, art classes have been reduced, and there is a lack of training for current art programs that limits how rigorously schools can actualize design and arts integra-tion. Despite tight budgets, policy – makers should put the arts at the center of the curriculum in order to reach a positive, meaningful, and academically successful result.

Hal Nelson, in his article, “Arts Education and the Whole Child,” argues that current models of edu-cation should be more interactive and interdisciplinary and should build students’ self – esteem through the facilitation of their success, despite students’ differences in language skills or learning styles.109 Research on the benefits of arts integration has shown that it is one tactic schools can incorporate that meets the growing demand for a new kind of system that emphasizes student development and interdisciplinary skills.110

Supporting the Collaborative Culture in School

Kenneth Kosik, a founder of the Learning and Brain Conference, states that “Educators are seriously interested in research; they are hungry for information.” 111 To facilitate arts – integrated learning, schools need to hire high – quality arts teachers and train them to integrate the arts with other content, supply the necessary resources and technology to develop new learning and teaching tools, provide professional development for all teachers, promote performance – based and strength – based learning, as well as balance dedicated resources in order to accelerate growth in areas where students struggle and to build on the existing strengths of learners. Schools can also expand arts integrated lessons by offering artists who can teach art skills and lead arts integration projects residencies or events.

In order for teachers to understand how sciences and the arts might be integrated, an understanding of how the two are inter – related during cognitive development could benefit the design of their curricu-lum. Therefore, additional training in pedagogy, arts integration, curriculum standards, child development, classroom management and collaboration within the classroom is necessary.112 As a result of professional development and training, teachers will be more equipped to design arts integrated lesson plans that stim-ulate students’ engagement with STEAM subjects from a variety of instructional approaches. During this process, a collaborative culture will innately inhabit schools,113 especially among the teachers in different disciplines, administrators, teaching artists, and policy – makers. In an environment where teachers work together to provide a wide range of learning experiences, students will be driven to generate novel ideas and build their creative, analytical, critical, and practical abilities.114

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107 Ron Fournier, “The Art of Technology.” National Journal, February 24, 2013. Accessed April 28, 2014. 108 Christine M. Dwyer, “Re – Investing In Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools,” ERIC, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, May 2011, Accessed April 26, 2014, <http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522818.pdf>. 109 Jane Buchbinder, “The Arts Step Out from the Wings,” Harvard Education Publishing Group, November – December, 2009, Accessed April 24, 2014. 110 Christine M. Dwyer, “Re – Investing In Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools,” ERIC, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, May 2011, Accessed April 26, 2014, <http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522818.pdf>. 111 Kenneth Kosik, Neuroeducation: Learning, Arts, and the Brain, New York: Dana, 2009 112 Christine M. Dwyer, “Re – Investing In Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools,” ERIC, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, May 2011, Accessed April 26, 2014, <http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522818.pdf>.113 David A. Sousa, From STEM to STEAM: Using Brain – compatible Strategies to Integrate the Arts, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2013.114 Christine M. Dwyer, “Re – Investing In Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools,” ERIC, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, May 2011, Accessed April 26, 2014, <http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522818.pdf>.

Additionally, from the article, “Reinvesting in Arts Education,” Christine M. Dwyer claims that another way to support arts integration is to gather evidence about how arts integration intervention enhances students’ divergent thinking skills and engagement in school. She argues that state and regional agencies should help schools identify and document the benefits of arts experiences by developing a new genera-tion of assessment tools that supports the gathering of ongoing data about available opportunities, includ-ing teacher quality, resources, and facilities.115 This effort to prove the positive effects of arts integration will be the groundwork for the implementation of STEAM practices.

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115 Christine M. Dwyer, “Re – Investing In Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools,” ERIC, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, May 2011, Accessed April 26, 2014, <http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED522818.pdf>.

Figure 65:One of the docu-mentations of the design thinking process on the wall of the Moses Brown School.

Figure 66:One of the students from the JCDSRI, drawing the bird from the observation at RISD’s Nature Lab.

Case Study 05:The Jewish Community Day School

One of RISD STEAM's primary goals is to share the importance of arts – integrated, interdisciplinary learning through educational outreach. With this mindset, the Brown+RISD STEAM group entered into collaboration with the Jewish Community Day School in Providence, Rhode Island (JCDSRI). This part-nership was initiated in part by Lukas Winklerprins, a Brown STEAM initiative member who is passionate about sharing the STEAM pedagogy with K – 5 students. As a junior in applied mathematics (Brown ‘15), he thought it was necessary for young children to experience STEAM thought processes before they started advanced courses. Lukas places great emphasis on experiential learning that uses tangible objects to encourage students to build a genuine understanding of form. In January 2014, Lukas shared his interests with Adam Tilove, the Head of the School, and JCDSRI generously opened its doors to student teachers from Brown and RISD to lead discipline – bending lessons as a supplement to the K – 5th grade curricula.

Background

Teachers at the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island (JCDSRI) began developing a project – based curriculum when the school gained a new Head of School, Adam Tilove, who strongly encouraged this effort and supported bold educational developments. In the past, children in grades one through five had weekly class instruction in computers. Tilove dropped this requirement and instead encouraged teachers, with support from an outside specialist, to integrate computer skills into regular instruction. Class time formerly devoted to computers is now devoted to “Design Lab,” which Tilove describes as a combination of “shop class, art class, and science class.”1 His emphasis on creating a space where students can explore their creativity stems from his belief that young people need to be exposed to a wide variety of experiences and to be excited about learning to work with new materials.

Case Study 05: The Jewish Community Day School in Rhode Island

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1JCDSRI, “JCDSRI Design Lab,” JCDSRI Design Lab, JCDSRI, April 23, 2014, Accessed April 23, 2014.

Figure 67, 68:The JCDSRI students and Adam Tilove, the Head of School, during the Design Lab classes.

Figure 69: A JCDSRI student working on her project during the “Living Geometry,” class, one of the RISD/Brown collabora-tive class.

Figure 70:The JCDSRI stu-dents working together on their project during the Design Lab class.

Adam Tilove’s Philosophy

In the article, “The Head of School’s Role in Successful Schools,” Shelly Habegger, an educational con-sultant in Wadsworth, Ohio, states that, in order to create a positive school culture that promotes learning and engagement for students and adults, the head of schools needs to employ certain tactics:

Assure instruction is aligned to state academic content standards. Maintain continuous improvement in the building. Design instruction for student success. Develop partnership with parents and the community. Nurture a culture where each individual feels valued.117

JCDSRI’s Head of School, Adam Tilove, came to the school with the mission to create an environment where the opinions of teachers and students were heard and where both groups could feel comfortable taking on challenges and resolving conflicts independently. His first solution was to launch the Design Lab, which provides students with a strong sense of belonging through the teamwork it encourages. This teamwork engages every participant, including the community around Providence, through the active collaboration with RISD/Brown STEAM members.

Planning the arts integrated curriculum for the Design Lab as an organizational leader of the RISD/Brown Collaboration with JCDSRI, I had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Tilove regarding his vision for the Design Lab courses. During the interview, he expressed his belief that education should be more focused on providing ample learning opportunities while using different media in order to build a student’s success. He supported this idea by mentioning how each student has different strengths and weaknesses and each of them has a different path to follow in their life after schooling. Therefore, Tilove argued that it is the educator’s role to help students identify what interests them so that they can be “happy” with what they do and with how they lead their lives. Talents will be lost when students are not exposed to a variety of experiences, and, for him, the Design Lab is a space where students gain the tools necessary to be successful in what genuinely interests them. The Design Lab focused on student – centered develop-ment, and the format of its courses was charted through the collaboration between JCDSRI teachers and student teachers from RISD/Brown STEAM.

In response to the current state of educational development, there has been a great push to implement STEM – focused curricula in order to push American society toward innovation. Tilove insists that the focus should be more on each student’s own success because, when students are successful in their own lives, they are better able to make meaningful contributions to society. One of the goals of the Design Lab, therefore, is to guide students to discover their own talents and to ignore the barriers between different disciplines so that they can flexibly approach ideas through the process of exploring, playing, and bringing meaning to objects. Tilove’s influence instigated a substantial shift in the curriculum at JCDSRI. However, integrating the arts at JCDSRI was only possible because of the number of the school’s teachers who shared a belief in arts education as a source of creativity. The school’s implementation of diverse, art – cen-tered teaching and learning strategies aims to provide a more rigorous educational environment.

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117 Shelly Habegger, “The Head of School’s Role in Successful Schools,” The Head of School’s Role in Successful Schools 88.1 (2008): 42 – 46, America: History and Life on the Web. Accessed April 23, 2014, <http://www.naesp.org/resources/1/Head of School/2008/S – O_p42.pdf>.

The Design Lab

Design Lab is a room stocked with a variety of construction materials for student – run projects. This place is not just a learning space where students can better understand the design thinking process but is also an environment where students can independently create and experiment with concepts and construc-tions. According to Michelle Karns’ article “Prosocial Learning Communities,” learning only takes place when teachers have positive relationships with their students. Teachers with these kinds of relationships can, she argues, help students make connections and help them understand material in relation to their backgrounds and prior knowledge, thus making instruction more responsive to the students’ personal needs and experiences.118 The Design Lab class, which is also called the “maker’s space,” hosts a variety of project – based lessons and welcomes new expertise from different disciplines. Although there are set crite-ria for the problem – solving projects, teachers do not control the students’ output while they are construct-ing their ideas. The teachers are there to keep students safe and to help answer questions by framing the questioning methods so that students can explore and manipulate materials in order to come up with their own conclusions. Therefore, the hierarchy of teacher and student relationships becomes a partnership, which in turn encourages students to express their feelings and ideas through their work.

Students are given a challenge to solve, and then they use the design – thinking process to find the best solution. While students are engaged in exploring new materials, they also build personal ownership and self – confidence because at the end of their project, the finished products are always displayed or used by their classmates. Since there are some hazardous and age – inappropriate materials in the wood shop, teachers at the Design Lab gladly help students with wood working, but the products always originate from the students’ ideas. As a result, the finished products become meaningful for students because they can see how their work can be useful and appreciated by others.

This carefully designed, communal space allows students to share their mission, vision, and values through action – oriented experimentation and fosters a commitment to continuous improvement through the exercise of multiple iterations. With the aid of teachers, students are able to translate their ideas into forms. Furthermore, by working in groups, students can work both collectively and individually to achieve increased content knowledge, a higher morale, greater job satisfaction, and increased enthusiasm.119 The Design Lab supported many of these qualities in its recent lesson, The Peace Table.

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118 Micelle Karns, “Creating Prosocial Learning Communities,” Leadership 34.5 (2005): 32 – 34, Leadership, Accessed April 21, 2014.119 Richard DuFour, Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree, 2006.

Figure 71:The JCDSRI students working on their project during the Design Lab class.

Figure 72, 73:The Design Lab class at the JCDSRI.

The Peace Table

What is special about this “peace table” project is that the qualities of arts – integration were achieved in a holistic way. Both design – thinking processes and affective qualities were embedded into the procedure of making the table. After its completion, the peace table became a place where students could sit down when they had conflicts or arguments. Instead of having the teacher judge what and who was wrong, students learned to talk and to resolve the conflict on their own. The process of building the peace table also required interdisciplinary cooperation and personalized student interest. Each of the first graders sketched out several versions of a “peace table.” Then students voted on which design elements should be included in the final sketch, a very democratic and all inclusive process. The next step required engineering processes, which meant that the students had to build prototypes with cardboard and test each model to make sure it could support weight. The finished project was complete with the aid of a teacher skilled in woodworking, but everything was based on the students’ ideas and agreements. In addition, these activities deepened the students’ critical thinking abilities by helping them understand the principles of construction and by showing them that there can be multiple approaches to the creation of one table. Through this process, students felt a personal ownership of the project by recognizing that they were the primary instigators of the table’s creation from start to finish. This peace table became a symbol of collaboration, thoughtfulness, struggle, and pride. As a result, the peace table became meaningful to every student who participated.


Figure 74, 75:The JCDSRI students working on their peace table project with the help of the teachers.

A Visit to the Nature Lab at RISD

On January 23, the fourth and fifth graders from Ms. Jennifer Bend's class at the Jewish Community Day School visited the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab at RISD in order to explore and understand the pat-terns and structures of natural design. The students were able to observe and be inspired by the natural science objects housed in the Nature Lab. Then they were asked to draw what they thought was interest-ing. However, this was not only an arts integrated class, but also an interdisciplinary learning experience that interconnected English, science and art. Ms. Bend explained the concept of a chimera, a monstrous creature that is composed of the parts of three animals, and asked the students to create their own version from their observations. At the nature lab, students were fascinated by the natural objects they were able to scrutinize in person. When students are exposed to something interesting and are given an opportunity to observe the anatomy and the structure of the nature objects, and an opportunity to create something freely, they become very actively engaged in the learning process.

After the drawing section, each student was asked to share his or her chimera and to explain which three animals they chose to include. Everyone seemed to be satisfied with the pictures they drew and knew the definition of a chimera by heart. This illustrates that when students are able to generate an authentic enthusiasm to learn, they are more adept at understanding the subject in depth. In this sense, art and design has the potential to arouse students’ attention enough so that they are able to examine the details and to understand the larger picture of a lesson. If this process can be adopted in other subjects, students will find the learning process more interesting and rewarding.

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Figure 76, 77, 78:The JCDSRI students at the RISD’s Nature Lab

RISD/ Brown Collaboration

As a RISD STEAM member with an art and design background, I collaborated with Lukas to create the lesson plans that involved math, science, and engineering. The lessons we offered included “Moon Math,”

“Optical Illusions,” and “Living Geometry.” We plan to offer additional lessons, like “Creative Coding,” “Hardware Hacking,” and “Storytelling” in the future. The participants of JCDSRI STEAM act as the instructors of the lessons, and they are from various backgrounds, including applied mathematics, illustra-tion, neuroscience, history, English, painting, industrial design, art and design education, and bio – chemical engineering. The participating student teachers are compelled to share the knowledge they have gained from their undergraduate and graduate degrees as a way to provide young children with new experiences. This peer – to – peer instruction helps students break down pedagogical barriers so that they can build skills that are not currently offered in the JCDSRI curriculum. This integrated collaboration will inspire students to think from multiple perspectives, to generate their own ideas, and to apply these skills sets to their future interests and studies.

In this rigorous educational environment that combines the skill sets of various educators, the JCDSRI students are introduced to a broader method of interdisciplinary learning. Head of School Tilove insists that exposing students to different disciplines will help them gain more insight about what interests them and will challenge and engage them by introducing new ideas they have not yet encountered in their edu-cation. As planners of this interdisciplinary curriculum, STEAM leaders knew it was essential to discover what the students would learn from arts – integrated lessons. Collaboration with the JCDSRI teachers was key to our planning, since the lessons would need to go along with the subjects that they were already teaching. Getting to know the students was also important since the lessons needed to be centered not only on the development of the concept but also on the relation of the concept to students’ interests. In order to enrich the learning process, the participating teachers tried to connect the lessons to each grade’s curriculum and the students’ overall educational experience.

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Figure 80:Lukas Winklerprins teaching the

“Moon Math,” a RISD/Brown Collaborative class.

Figure 81:Melita Morales teaching the “Living Geometry,”a RISD/Brown Collaborative class.

During the weekly STEAM meetings, the participants gathered and shared their lesson plans in order to make certain that the lessons were relevant to what the students were already learning and to discuss how the exercises could present multiple ways to approach each problem. The primary goal was to encour-age interdisciplinary learning, especially in STEM subjects, by integrating the arts. Most of the discussions were about the real life applications of the lessons and the specific skills students could gain from the activities. Student teachers shared their opinions about which artists and works of art should be presented during the lesson and about how they could impart novel, age – appropriate ideas. Several examples will illustrate the integration of science, math, and art:

Moon Math was taught by Eital Schattner – Elmaleh (Brown '17) and Lukas WinklerPrins (Brown ‘15). This lesson integrated information from the 5th graders' intensive Moon unit and explained ideas of density and ratio conversions through clay modeling.

Optical Illusions was taught by Perry Oasis (Brown '15) and Ria Vaidya (Brown '16). Through hands – on examples, students were exposed to the physics, psychology, and neuroscience of how and why the visual sense can be tricked.

Living Geometry was taught by Ingrid Lange (RISD '16) and Melita Morales (RISD MA '14). Over two sessions students were introduced to seeing geometry in the natural and man – made world around them, with projects that focused on the structure of shapes, solids, and edges.

One additional lesson, Creative Coding, taught by Ryan Brown (Brown '15) and Catherine Schmidt (RISD '14), is in progress.

The curricula were developed with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers Sari Guttin, Melissa Kranowitz, and Jamie Faith Woods, respectively, to fit into the schedules and student needs at JCDSRI. The lessons included input from the entire RISD/Brown student team and encouraged an array of STEAM – embraced principles like metacognition, natural curiosity, documentation, peer learning, storytelling, risk – taking, critique culture, and more. STEAM members are thankful to JCDSRI for the opportunity to develop their skills as educators and to share their passions and pedagogical ideas for the promotion of STEAM in the K – 12 setting.


Figure 82:The JCDSRI students’ works from the “Living Geometry”class.

Figure 83:RISD and Brown STEAM members who participated in the JCDSRI collaborative classes.

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Figure 84:One of the JCDSRI students getting help from a teacher during the Design Lab class

Conclusion

As a visual artist and designer, I find that the actual application of the skills that students build from arts classes, such as observation, the manipulation of materials, and prototype design, have the capacity to propel students to become creative individuals and to succeed in other subjects. Schools are striving towards progressive education through the implementation of STEAM programs, and I am excited to see what will result in future generations. When students are empowered, satisfied with their own talents, and proud of what they do, they will become successful individuals. The path to success begins in an environ-ment where creativity is fueled; in fact, it is the energy of creativity that drives students to become critical thinkers and to reach “self – actualization,” as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs suggests.120

This firsthand case study enables a re – framing of the aims of STEAM education. Often, when educators struggle to design curriculum, standardized expectations and assessments limit their ability to approach their work creatively. These assessments are essential as a way to measure where students are in terms of their academic success. However, true education should come before the evaluation of an academic performance. Students need to be happy with what they learn and achieve through their interac-tions with their peers and through each mode of the learning process. The goals of education should be

“student – centered,” because it is the process of learning, which is initiated by the educator, that leads to stu-dents’ well – being. The value of the STEAM module is that it has the ability to broaden students’ thinking and learning processes through multiple modes of approach. STEAM education stands for what is beyond the arts integration, or the design thinking. With the collaboration of RISD/Brown STEAM, the young students at JCDSRI would be able to enhance the acquisition of the knowledge in STEM subjects through much more diverse and unconventional, teaching methods. Moreover, students can take full advantage of their talents when they adopt the artistic and design – centered skill sets STEAM education offers and learn to apply them to their real – world problems.


120 Harold H. Anderson, Creativity and Its Cultivation: Addresses Presented at the Interdisciplinary Symposia on Creativity, New York: Harper, 1959.

Chapter VI:Conclusion

“ In order to implement the philosophies of STEAM education in a K – 12 setting, art and design should be taught in a holistic manner, which includes the design thinking process and the affective qualities of art as a whole unit.”

– Jennifer Kwack

This thesis endeavored to broaden the rationale for adding art and design to STEM, and to position STEAM practice in relation to interdisciplinary learning processes. I have argued that the addition of art and design to STEM is not simply about bringing “aesthetic sensibilities,” and “design thinking processes” to education, nor does it serve only as a tool to understand STEM – related subjects. Rather, STEAM has the capability to break down the hierarchy of disciplines in the STEM fields, as well as deepen students’ understanding of different cultural backgrounds and the ways other people think.121 I contend that art integration is a means to approach the adoption of STEAM education.

In order to implement the philosophies of STEAM education in a K – 12 setting, art and design should be taught in a holistic manner, which includes the design thinking process and the affective qualities of art as a whole unit. Arts integration benefits K – 12 in essential ways, for example, it can lead to the renewal of students’ engagement and motivation to learn through collaborative, problem – based work that incites students’ curiosity, creativity, and their desire to know more.

Not only can STEAM help students develop socially through its promotion of inter – communication and teamwork, it can also lead students to become better independent thinkers, who are able to self – reflect, critique, and gain a sense of pride from their work. It is not my argument that students cannot necessarily gain these skills through the current, dominant education system, however, I do believe that STEAM encourages a learning environment that allows students to develop more freely, which means that they are encouraged to discover their own unique talents. Many aspects of STEAM also embolden students to work flexibly and intuitively, including its prioritization of technology integration, its engagement with learning through visual and tactile processes, as well as its multi – faceted approach to disciplines and observations.

My thesis research has centered on ways in which arts integration enhances students’ engagement in learning, cognitive development, scientific success, and innovation. The case studies within this thesis present my view of what STEAM practice would, and should, look like when implemented in K – 12 setting. While attempting to delineate the nature of each chapter and case study, it is essential to not to overemphasize the individual disciplines like engineering, science, design and art. Because STEAM strives to blur the lines among disciplines, by distinguishing where each discipline is situated, it is possible to discredit the importance of an interdisciplinary approach. Rather than focusing on how these case studies interpret individual subjects, they should be valued for their ability to turn students’ creative energy into understanding, and for their intent to broaden the range of learning experiences by approaching material from multiple perspectives.

Chapter VI: Conclusion

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121 David A. Sousa, From STEM to STEAM: Using\Brain – compatible Strategies to Integrate the Arts, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2013.

Moreover, the research within this thesis does not just serve as an explanation for why the arts can make education more successful, it also serves to provide a larger picture of what a healthy, well – balanced educational environment can promote. At some point in our education’s history, we became overly con-cerned with the measurable success of students in singular subjects, rather than their development as a whole person. STEAM’s applications encourage a new approach to learning that dismantles attempts to separate knowledge and disciplines because of their perceived function.

Each of this thesis’ case studies has distinct characteristics, in terms of its application of arts inte-gration. In order to truly understand how these projects represent STEAM ideology, it is important to examine how creativity is a crucial element in each example and how each project promotes specific prac-tices and philosophies of STEAM education. The specific attributes of a STEAM – based education which:

Affords equal emphasis to each discipline.Enhances students’ engagement and motivation in class.Brings novelty and variety to the learning experience.Provides problem – based and activity – based learning.Embraces freedom and playfulness in student – driven projects.Breaks down the pedagogical hierarchy.Engages students emotionally.Incorporates design – thinking processes.Bridges lessons with real – world experiences.Endeavors to mix creativity with technology.Promotes the affective qualities of art education.Guides students to find their talents and strengths.Emphasizes group work in order to develop students’ empathy and social skills.Encourages self – reflection through productive criticism.Evaluates the performance of both the process and the product.Allows for receptivity to new knowledge by stimulating curiosity and interest.

Given these attributes, it is my belief the case studies showcased here manage to demonstrate how teach-ers might cultivate creativity and enhance students’ learning in meaningful ways by connecting the learning experience with the current social environment. The fusion of knowledge from art – integrated lessons and acquired technical skills from STEM subjects additionally supports the STEAM practice. It is possible to disagree about the approach each project took and analyze their weaknesses in relation to STEAM practices, however, understanding what STEAM education can contribute to young people’s learning is more important. Through integrative lessons might benefit our modern children to have broader ways to find their talents and define their own“success.” Therefore, what needs to happen in the education for STEAM education is, not only must we create new methods of approach, we must also revolutionize our old practices.

In the approach to adopt STEAM, there needs to be a careful analysis of the value of teaching STEAM disciplines collaboratively, how this approach will work in schools, and how it is different from teaching subjects separately. Final decisions about this approach should be student – centered, endeavor to better the current education model, and to provide necessary skill sets to cultivate more creative innova-tors to ensure, and contribute to the nation’s economic strength.

Conclusion 97

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Appendix Figure 85:A storyboard study for the STEM to STEAM animation by Jennifer Kwack, with the help from a graphic design professor, Doug Scott.

Figure 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97:The note takings for the thesis writing and the sketches for the STEAM animation.

100 Appendix

Figure 98, 99, 100, 101,102: The frame studies for the STEM to STEAM animation by Jennifer Kwack.

Appendix 101

Figure 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110:The frame studies for the STEM to STEAM animation by Jennifer Kwack.

102 Appendix

Figure 111,112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118:The frame studies for the STEM to STEAM animation by Jennifer Kwack.

Appendix 103

Colophon

Writer&Designer: Jennifer Kwack Editors: Paul Sproll, Nancy Friese, Susan Vander Closter, and Elizabeth A. Bearden Printed and bounded in Pawtuket, Rhode Island Typeface: Univers and Garamond

Jennifer Kwack, born in Pennsylvania and raised in Seoul, Korea, expanded her creative thinking skills while earning a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design (2013). As a result of her undergraduate studies, she developed a passion for studying art and design education, and joined RISD’s Master of Arts in Art + Design Education program (2014).

Jennifer’s rich educational experiences in the arts, both in South Korea and in the United States, inspired her decision to conduct thesis research related to the incorporation of art and design with STEM subjects (STEM to STEAM) in the K-12 school curriculum.

In her research, Jennifer has become particularly interested in how students’ creativity can be developed through design thinking processes and how, through a holistic approach to teaching and learning, students can be more effectively prepared to understand what it means to be a whole human, and to be prepared for the world.

Complementary to her graduate studies in art and design education, Jennifer has maintained a professional design practice working on design projects for MITx, the Newport Art Museum, and Toil Boston.

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