TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023 - STEAM

 TUESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2023 - STEAM

Continuing thoughts about STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics - and today STEAM- Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics

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But, what about STEAM - when the Arts are included.  I tend to think of myself as a STEAM person.  I have a bachelor's and masters in Mathematics, and a Ph.D. in Information Systems.  But along the way, I picked up a minor in history/social science.  Now in my retirement, I am more of a philosopher (right brain area).  I also do musical arts.  

At one point, there was talk of the “renaissance man” (or “Renaissance person”) - the person who could cut across left brain activities and right brain activities. 

I find myself doing some interesting mathematical things but more and more creative things.  

This past weekend I attended the play “Kiss Me Kate” at the local high school. (Aside, one of my friends had a  grandson in the/musical).  I enjoyed my drama activities in high school and college.  (No, I was never a star - but did some bit parts and contributed to the productions). 

Does my logical, mathematical left brain communicate with my creative right brain?  I’m not too sure.  When I write my Saturday blog posts, I think I am trying to be creative in writing fiction.  (And, maybe not always so good with fiction).  

Did my brain divisions work together as a professor?  I think they did!!!  

I learned to be more creative in class, with more imagination.  I would classify “LOVE” as more of a right-brain activity - a humane, creative, and thoughtful concept.  I moved from the left-brain activities of programming to systems analysis and design.  Design can be very creative.  Trying to see how a system might fit a company and be innovative tends to be more of a right-brain activity (at least in my brain).  

I remember a few professors I had who were totally left-brain. They walked into the classroom, faced the blackboard (or whiteboard), wrote, talked, gave canned examples, didn’t do much interaction - and left when the class was over.  There is a concept that sometimes you learn BECAUSE of the instructor, and sometimes you learn IN SPITE of the instructor.  I wanted to be a mentor, an encourager, and a professional friend.

I also believe that I can work on my right-brain skills. There have been times I have been an introvert (okay, Bruce, just blend into the wallpaper).  One particular example was at my first ISECON conference.  Here are all these intelligent professors and here was me - at age 40 a “newly minted” Ph.D.  I was in awe of some of the leaders that I met.  

There was a social hour on the first evening of that ISECON conference (1990 in Chicago).  I went, stood around, smiling, (although I sense now that my body language was awkward), and a half-an-hour into the reception, I slipped out.  (And, nobody noticed).

I went back to my hotel room and watched television.

When it was time for my next ISECON conference, I realized that either I had to get out of my shell and become an extrovert - or not attend.  They were calling for people to run for the board of directors for the parent group (EDSIG), and I put my name in - and got elected.  [Note, it is easy to get elected when nobody else is running!!!].

I started to fit in.  I was on the board of directors!!  I got an extra ribbon on my conference tag.  It was a “fake-it until you make it” situation - and (as a high school actor), I could act the part.  Within ten years I chaired FOUR ISECON conferences, I was a “big deal” (little did they know).  

ISECON is (was) a conference for professors of information systems (technically an acronym - Information Systems Education CONference).  And, many of the attendees were nerds (geeks?) who knew and could teach programming and technical subjects but were introverts.  Bruce White got to be known as the person who walked into the room and yelled “WOOO” (if appropriate).  

I learned to balance my introverted left-brain mathematical, logic, and science with creativity, imagination, and innovation.  (I don’t think any other ISECON chairs ever held a football game at our annual awards meeting luncheon!!!).  

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Back to the question - can we make STEM into STEAM by introducing “A” - artistic/creative ideas into the curriculum?  

Karen says “ABSOLUTELY”. 

Right-brain traits are given as recognizing faces, expressing emotions,  creating music, and reading emotions. appreciating color, using imagination, being intuitive, and being creative.

In computing we’ve sometimes referred to these traits as “soft skills”  And, it is good to integrate those soft skills with the technical skills of left-brained individuals.

I also believe that naturally over time, left-brained people become more right-brained.  

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What skills do you possess?  Can you hone those skills to be excellent?  And, then can you add skills from the other side of your brain?  If you are right-brained (creative), can you learn math and reasoning?  If you are left-brained (science/math), can you add artistic/creative aspects to your skill set?

From a person who was almost totally left-brained to one who has a stronger brain balance, I suggest that you can become a stronger person with a STEAM approach!!

LOVE WINS

LOVE TRANSFORMS

KAREN ANNE WHITE, © JANUARY 31, 2023