STEAM and Learning to Use Our Brains

When I think of STEAM, I think of integration. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics and we use these skills everyday without realizing it. The integration of STEAM should be common in our daily life. Our brains are always creating, strategizing and problem solving. Here at Innovate, our mission is to shape thoughtful, passionate and entrepreneurial leaders of culture. Our goal is to teach scholars how to think thoughtfully and creatively in a seamless manner, throughout the day. 

I recently watched the movie, The Wizard of Oz, after many years. As an adult I picked up things from a deeper perspective. The scarecrow wanted a brain because he believed he did not have one. Throughout the movie, as he traveled to Oz, he was challenged to use his brain to critically problem solve and overcome obstacles. He was successful at this without realizing it. Once the wizard honored what each character was looking for, the scarecrow was given a diploma because it represents going to school and being taught how to think. Everyone is born with a brain but we are not always taught how to use it. Just like the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, what we believe about ourselves and what we can accomplish matters. 

Some of our youngest scholars work through assignments that might be challenging. Whether working individually or in groups, we teach them the skills of a Growth Mindset, some of which are patience, perseverance and collaboration. You can see this featured with our kindergarten scholars as they learn about the seven continents. They had to take their time to observe the continent, outline it, and try to cut it out using a push pin. This takes careful strategy. Our scholars also work on coding skills where they must use their brains to problem solve mazes, create mazes and use coding language to write programs. They run into obstacles, but we are teaching them how to think critically during these lessons and to persevere, believing that they can succeed! It reminds me of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, and I pray that this reality penetrates their souls as they press on to learn habits of good thinking and a Growth Mindset each day.