Wild Rover Travels

From the steamedu.com website:

“STEAM provides an avenue for formally teaching the inter-relationships of how subjects relate in real-life. STEAM-style education can be enjoyably and meaningfully delivered in more engaging and deeply embedding ways within the already well-established realm of education.

STEAM is a substantiated, economical and sociologically adaptable as a framework by which to transition, maintain, create and evolve educational elements, programs and institutions to include multidisciplinary-oriented practices catering to developing more FUNctional citizens.”

I had to read that a few times.  A lot of jargon to say it’s about fun, teamwork and bringing art back into education.  There’s a lot more jargon on the website for those that are in to it.  STEAM stands for Science and Technology interpreted through Engineering and the Arts all based on Mathematical elements.  I’m not sure how you interpret art through mathematical elements, and I’m not sure I want to know, but I quibble.  The intent is good.  The idea is that with art one can unleash the mind to it’s fullest potential, not hamstring it with expectations of meeting prescribed conditions.   A long way of saying Think Outside the Box.  And while we’re at it, how about physical education?  Without art and PE what are you?  Out of shape in mind and body.

To lose the appreciation for what art is and brings into one’s life is to lose the connection with the intangible mystery that is life.  It is from within that intangible place that great ideas originate.  A number of scientific discoveries and useful inventions came about aided and abetted by that most mysterious of occurrences, dreams, the explanation for which scientists still seek.

I think the Navajo say it best, when they say, ‘to walk in beauty’.  I would not want a life where I could not appreciate the beauty that is life.  Art is the expression of that appreciation.

About the image:  my photograph of bubbles on a straw in a glass of soda.