Crossing Boundaries

In Fostering a STEAM Mindset across Learning Settings, Laura D. Carsten Conner, Blakely K. Tsurusaki, Carrie Tzou, Perrin Teal Sullivan, Mareca Guthrie, and Stephen M. Pompea describe their seven-year project to connect both out-of-school and in-school practitioners and settings. They initially developed their conceptions of STEAM mindset in out-of-school summer academies for youth. The STEAM kits they developed in these settings were eventually adopted by the local school district. Their report, in Connected Science Learning (October - December, 2019) describes “a tapestry of STEAM connections between in-school and out-of-school settings.”

Most impressive in their report is evidence that “self-compassion, rather than self-judgment, can help quiet (a child’s) negative inner voice and promote creative practice”.  They describe these key principles:

• Privileging creativity rather than rote practice
• Highlighting “mistakes” as opportunities for discovery
• Stressing the intrinsic value of process rather than product
• Focusing on activities with multiple possible outcomes
• Promoting enthusiasm and playfulness
• Building opportunities for youth to communicate about their work.

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