edmagineer.com by isupportlearning

The first time I watched Avatar I was simply stunned. The last time I watched it was right after I had had a long talk about STEM and STEM and the Arts – STE(A)M with my good friend Jim Brazell of RadicalPlatypus. Because of all that Jim had filled my head with I watched Avatar again , but with a different purpose and I was captivated by all of the STE(A)M or STEAM (however you like to say it) it took to make this amazing film. Today, I read that Cameron spoke at the 8^th Annual Microsoft Imagine Cup and continues to promote STEM (as has from back when he did the film “The Abyss”) and is telling students to get into STEM. I believe Cameron’s work really shows why we need to think of STEM and the Arts together as STE(A)M or STEAM.  But I am getting off track with STEM vs. STEAM or STE(A)M. Regardless of the acronym what our students need to hear and hear as early as they can (I started telling my son when he was about 2 years old) is how much creativity and art is part of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. I believe that for far too long we have dissuaded the creative students from entering into STEM. STEM is mistakenly seen by some as sterile non-creative ventures. Yet, when you talk to anyone who is in a STEM career what you hear isn’t about the numbers or the bits but of the passion for creativity, innovation and out of the box thinking. How many students have been turned off by well-meaning but misguided counselors who look at a student’s math score and tell them they should not go into engineering, when  just maybe discovering how creative and fun engineering is could inspire the learner to dig into mathematics. Cameron created an experience and the experience created emotion. Exactly, what we do in education when we get it right. A student experiencing learning that connects to the learner and their passions.  I hope that Cameron’s message about STEM get more press and play. I hope that hearing about STEM and the Arts from Avatar’s director will help some students see through the filters that others put on STE(A)M careers. I hope that students see that some of the most creative, inspiring and life changing careers in this world (and maybe on other worlds too) are waiting for them in STEM and the Arts.