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Running head: CAPSTONE-LITERATURE REVIEW 1

Capstone Literature Review

Trisha Carroll-Andersen

National University
CAPSTONE-LITERATURE REVIEW 2

Abstract

The following is a literature review on author Amy Pietrowskis article The History of STEM vs.

STEAM Education (and the Rise of STREAM). I explain the article in reference to my PDQP

Domain C in which my artifacts represent STEAM activities.


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Capstone Literature Review

Trisha Carroll-Andersen

This year my school has become a STEAM school. I love the concept of STEAM and I

am excited to learn more, so I have been doing research since the beginning of the year. I came

across an article by Amy Pietrowski which explains the difference between STEM, STEAM, and

STREAM. The article is very well-written and most of all, it is informative.

Teachers Reflection

STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Mathematics) is something I wasnt very

familiar with until last year. I had previously used the term STEM and I had experimented in the

past with a few STEM activities in my classroom. According to Pietrowski (2017), As

teachers, we no longer live in the single-classroom bubble and neither do our students.

Gather your resources. No matter which path you take STEM, STEAM or STREAM

there are others who will want to be involved (Retrieved from

https://edtechmagazine.com). I appreciate how the author is willing to reach out to others

and include anyone who is interested in her project. Not only is the STEAM curriculum

engaging, but it encourages others to work together.

As I am trying to navigate my way through STEAM, it was interesting to see that it

has already changed from STEAM to STREAM. STREAM is actually more on point since

it includes the reading component in the curriculum. Regardless if its science, art, or

mathematics, there is always a fictional or nonfictional reading component to the lesson,

so I like the new acronym STREAM.


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Strengths1

The best part about analyzing the article is the authors enthusiasm. As previously quoted,

the author encourages the reader to get excited about teaching and to reach out to others. Due to

the low morale around the Clark County School District lately, I enjoyed reading an article that

was written by someone who is inspired and is excited about education. Author Amy Pietrowski

also explains (2017), Second, look for natural correlations between subject matter. For a

simple example, lets use 3D shapes, angles and Earths systems. In my mind, I have

quickly turned this into a fantasy unit about castles and cities (Retrieved from

https://edtechmagazine.com). The authors enthusiasm is contagious and I love how she

thinks out of the box. Many might view STEAM or STREAM as an additional burden on

top of the workload we already have in todays education system. Pietrowski doesn t view

STEAM or STREAM as a burden, but as a way to be inventive and creative with lesson

planning.

Technology and Looking Ahead. The article is not only informative, but the author also

addresses the importance of technology in STEAM. In order to stay up to date and in tune with

our students, teachers must also be up to date on new technology. The author explains (2017),

Envision this: Your content and resources are housed in your Google Drive

or Seesaw account. Depending on the age of your students and their level of

proficiency, not only will they have access at home to the documents, videos and

examples that you have picked for them, they also may be able to interact with the

materials, possibly even working collaboratively outside of class time (Retrieved

from https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/08/history-stem-vs-steam-education-

and-rise-stream). The author continues to explain how technology is there to help the
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teacher create more effective and engaging lessons. Pietrowski also lists many helpful

websites and gives tips in using these specific sites in the classroom.

Conclusion

Since the beginning of this school year, myself and my third-grade team have been

struggling with creating, interpreting and executing the STEAM curriculum.

Unfortunately, part of the problem is the lack of training and the lack of resources. While

reading this article, it was uplifting to read about a teacher who i s excited about the

curriculum. The article is also a great resource since she gave so many excellent tips and

great resources that I can use with my students. I was fortunate to come across this article

and I now have a better outlook on STEAM because of this authors passion for teaching.
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Reference

Pietrowski, A. (2017, Aug. 14th). The History of STEM vs. STEAM Education (and the Rise of

STREAM). Retrieved from https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2017/08/history-

stem-vs-steam-education-and-rise-stream.
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