The STEAM Revolution

I flew to Pittsburgh not too long ago to attend the opening of a new makerspace at Montour Elementary, a K–4 school that sported a number of innovative learning spaces, which included a Minecraft lab, a Google Lab, a STEAM lab and an upcycling center, with a Fab Lab in the works.

A number of things impressed me about this school — and, for that matter, Pittsburgh itself, which boasts around 200 makerspaces in the immediate area. Among them: the support of both parents and administrators for non-traditional learning spaces and the forward-thinking way the school brought STEAM education into the makerspace in a way that wasn’t so much about the technology as it was about creating an environment in which the students felt encouraged and inspired to explore. (STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, the arts and math, incidentally. It’s STEM education with the arts mixed in.)

The school is a new construction, one that takes into account new modalities in teaching and learning, with a special emphasis on STEAM, and the makerspace was the latest manifestation of that approach to design. This particular makerspace was themed on Lego Education products and included a stop-motion animation studio, a Lego building station and an augmented reality station, among other areas. But again, while the technology and tools were certainly prominent, they weren’t the story.

As Fanning Howey’s John Gladden and Brandon Biniker point out in this month’s Building Blueprints department on makerspaces, “Effective makerspaces aren’t necessarily those with the most technology or digital devices. They are instead spaces where students feel socially and emotionally connected to their peers and can collaboratively or independently explore at their own pace. Technology enhances this experience, but doesn’t drive it.” Their piece starts on page 19.

In other news, I’m very pleased to announce the hire of our new senior editor, Yvonne Marquez. Yvonne comes to us with six years of experience crafting beautiful articles for other publications. You’ve probably already noticed her byline on our site (webspm.com). She’s also involved in our magazine, webinars, podcasts and live events. Take a moment to greet her (and pitch her your story ideas) when you get a chance. She can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management September 2019 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


Featured

  • Embry-Riddle Breaks Ground on New Office Building

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced that construction has begun on a new office building for its campus Research Park, according to a news release. The university partnered with Hoar Construction on the 34,740-square-foot Center for Aerospace Technology II (CAT II), which will be used for research and lab purposes.

  • Fellowes Launches New 3D Modular, Product Configurators

    Contract interiors and architectural solutions provider Fellowes recently announced the launch of new 3D modular and product configurators for several of its product lines, according to a news release. The new products offer SIF file integration and pricing for the Volo, Markerboards, Sena, and Rising product lines in connection with 3D Cloud, which provides 3D product visualization and 3D digital asset management.

  • Spaces4Learning Announces Winners of 2025 Product Awards

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2025 Product Awards! The award program recognizes innovation and excellence in products that enhance learning environments in K–12 schools and institutions of higher education.

  • Average Annual Number of Tornadoes per State

    New Tornado Wind Load Design Criteria in IBC Offer Improvements to Life Safety

    For the first time in U.S. building code history, the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) includes tornado wind load design criteria, marking a significant advancement in life-safety provisions.

Digital Edition