Friday, January 13, 2017

Re: [Yasmin_discussions] Is STEM art good enough?

Hi Ruth,

In terms of educational pedagogy, I don¹t see much critical discussion
from STEAM people detailing and/or critically engaging with what STEM
educators are doing and have been doing in the classroom over the last few
decades (or centuries), just lots of assumptions. If STEM is at the core
of STEAM, why do so many advocates simply assume that the reason to
promote STEAM is that it is adding something that is now missing?

As I said in my earlier email, much of what STEAM wants to add to STEM was
already going on in STEM education in the 1980s. I know this because I was
working with STEM educators in the 1980s and with science museums from the
1990s through the early 21st century. Given the emphasis on all that STEAM
is ³adding² something to practices I must admit that I find the
foundational tenets themselves leave themselves open for skepticism.

I don¹t think discussing educational perspectives per se is the problems
so much as the level of discourse often seems more about advocacy than
substance. I am also amazed that many STEAM advocates seem unaware of
historical discussions from era to era that mirror the STEM to STEAM
discussions.

As for whatever works, in terms of science, I would think the problems
with ³whatever works" are as obvious as assumed benefits, which is why
there is often pushback from STEM people when STEAM advocates start
talking.

In terms of art, if someone does an artwork based on a scientific idea
that proves wrong, does that change the value of the art? I¹ve also been
wondering if and where artists who are not inclined to include science in
their art ³fit² in the educational pedagogy the STEAM agenda promotes?

All the best,
Amy

==========================
Amy Ione
Director, The Diatrope Institute
2342 Shattuck Ave., #527
Berkeley, CA 94704
US

Diatrope.com <http://www.diatrope.com> | AmyIone.com <http://amyione.com>
Art and the Brain: Plasticity, Embodiment, and the Unclosed Circle:
http://diatrope.com/artbrainbook
Email: ione@diatrope.com





On 1/10/17, 1:51 PM, "ruth" <yasmin_discussions-bounces@estia.media.uoa.gr
on behalf of rcatchen@gmail.com> wrote:

>I am posting this email as per Roger Malina. More thoughts about STEAM and
>where we should go from here. Please feel free to comment or email me at
>ruthcatchen@gmail.com
>
>Hi Roger,
>
>I hope you enjoyed the holidays. I have been following the STEM to STEAM
>discussion. There are so many perspectives from those involved in the
>discussion - I find it so interesting. I also sense there is a lot of
>interest in defining and giving credibility to STEAM so best practices
>would be very helpful. One question lingers as to how to approach: should
>it be a pedagogy to help those learn, or a practical method of doing work
>to expand possibilities, connections etc., or both? And, if both, should
>best practices offer opportunities for both directions? The difference in
>these two perspectives affect the validity of STEAM. As a protocol or
>pedagogy, STEAM would have to follow certain best practices. As a method
>or
>enhancement to scientific research, it seems to me that this inclusion is
>obvious. On the other hand, if the researcher does not see this as
>helpful,
>it is not there. And of course, STEM is at the core of STEAM - need to
>remember that! It seems there is not a hard and fast rule as whether it is
>valid to include or not. There are obvious connections that include "art."
> Are they implied or should we make them more deliberate? Perhaps my
>perspective is tilted because I am an educator, but I have also been a
>performing artist and can say from that perspective, you do whatever
>works.
>Why would we discount or not include anything that offers a broader
>perspective and inclusiveness? And that be for an observer or appreciator
>of art, a participant, or one who is on the route of scientific discovery
>or presenting new information. The problem presents as how to do this in
>both K-12 and higher ed as well as in art or science disciplines separate
>from educational venues. Your thoughts?
>
>Again many of the discussions are focused on the content disciplines
>themselves rather than educational pedagogy. I do think the way a
>discipline is approached - such as using art to understand science or
>science to understand art - or the inclusion of mathematics in art or
>music- affects the ultimate way these disciplines are taught. I suppose
>therein is the reason why there are so many proposals as to why or how to
>use STEAM or if we should be using it at all.
>
>I intended this to be a short note to reconnect, since the subject matter
>intrigues, my thoughts continue to explore.
>
>Best,
>Ruth
>
>
>
>
>
>[image: --]
>
>Ruth Catchen, M. Music, MA
>STEM/STEAM Curriculum and Program Development, Teacher Professional
>Development
>http://www.stemartseffect.com/
>http://www.theartseffect.com/
>http://ruthcatchen.wordpress.com/
>@ruthcatchen
>719.660.2705
><http://t.sidekickopen68.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9nMJW7t5XY
>g3N1HhHN5vMG7WdVcClW5vfRWq56dywDf4NrTl402?t=http%3A%2F%2Fabout.me%2Fruthca
>tchen%3Fpromo%3Demail_sig&si=6671496990162944&pi=bee2b48a-16de-4dff-a382-c
>8a2762430fa>
>
>
><http://t.sidekickopen68.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9nMJW7t5XY
>g3N1HhHN5vMG7WdVcClW5vfRWq56dywDf4NrTl402?t=http%3A%2F%2Fabout.me%2Fruthca
>tchen%3Fpromo%3Demail_sig&si=6671496990162944&pi=bee2b48a-16de-4dff-a382-c
>8a2762430fa>
>[image: http://]
><http://t.sidekickopen68.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9nMJW7t5XY
>g3N1HhHN5vMG7WdVcClW5vfRWq56dywDf4NrTl402?t=http%3A%2F%2Fabout.me%2Fruthca
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>8a2762430fa>
>
>
>
>
>³Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.²
>Albert Einstein
>
>On Sun, Jan 8, 2017 at 2:46 PM, Ken Friedman
><ken.friedman.sheji@icloud.com>
>wrote:
>
>> Dear Jon,
>>
>> Yikes! I didn't suggest that people use footnotes in Yasmin posts. I was
>> talking about the problem of poor reference and citation in research
>> articles. I sometimes provide references in Yasmin posts to make it easy
>> for people to find the items I discuss. I value your notes for the same
>> reason. Since Yasmin is a discussion list, references aren¹t needed.
>> Rigorous thinking always helps, with or without footnotes.
>>
>> Yours,
>>
>> Ken
>>
>> &lsqauo;
>>
>> Jon Ippolito wrote:
>>
>> &lsqauo;snip&lsqauo;
>>
>> Others have written at length about how a fresh genre or medium--or even
>> gender--doesn't always measure up to the criteria inherited from older
>> creative forms. Three texts that come to mind are Leo Steinberg's _Other
>> Criteria_, Linda Nochlin's "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?"
>> and Steve Dietz's "Why Have There Been No Great Net Artists?" [1][2][3]
>>(I
>> hope no one will take Ken Friedman's call for rigor to mean you have to
>> footnote your Yasmin posts, which I do only to feign respectability.)
>>
>> &lsqauo;snip&lsqauo;
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> If you prefer to read the posts on a blog go to
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>>
>
>
>
>
>
>[image: --]
>
>Ruth Catchen, M. Music, MA
>STEM/STEAM Curriculum and Program Development, Teacher Professional
>Development
>http://www.stemartseffect.com/
>http://www.theartseffect.com/
>http://ruthcatchen.wordpress.com/
>@ruthcatchen
>719.660.2705
><http://about.me/ruthcatchen?promo=email_sig>
>
>
><http://about.me/ruthcatchen?promo=email_sig>
>[image: http://]
><http://about.me/ruthcatchen?promo=email_sig>
>
>
>
>
>³Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.²
>Albert Einstein
>
>On Sun, Jan 8, 2017 at 2:46 PM, Ken Friedman
><ken.friedman.sheji@icloud.com>
>wrote:
>
>> Dear Jon,
>>
>> Yikes! I didn't suggest that people use footnotes in Yasmin posts. I was
>> talking about the problem of poor reference and citation in research
>> articles. I sometimes provide references in Yasmin posts to make it easy
>> for people to find the items I discuss. I value your notes for the same
>> reason. Since Yasmin is a discussion list, references aren¹t needed.
>> Rigorous thinking always helps, with or without footnotes.
>>
>> Yours,
>>
>> Ken
>>
>> &lsqauo;
>>
>> Jon Ippolito wrote:
>>
>> &lsqauo;snip&lsqauo;
>>
>> Others have written at length about how a fresh genre or medium--or even
>> gender--doesn't always measure up to the criteria inherited from older
>> creative forms. Three texts that come to mind are Leo Steinberg's _Other
>> Criteria_, Linda Nochlin's "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?"
>> and Steve Dietz's "Why Have There Been No Great Net Artists?" [1][2][3]
>>(I
>> hope no one will take Ken Friedman's call for rigor to mean you have to
>> footnote your Yasmin posts, which I do only to feign respectability.)
>>
>> &lsqauo;snip&lsqauo;
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Yasmin_discussions mailing list
>> Yasmin_discussions@estia.media.uoa.gr
>> http://estia.media.uoa.gr/mailman/listinfo/yasmin_discussions
>>
>> Yasmin URL: http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin
>>
>> SBSCRIBE: click on the link to the list you wish to subscribe to. In
>>the
>> page that will appear ("info page"), enter e-mail address, name, and
>> password in the fields found further down the page.
>> HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE: on the info page, scroll all the way down and enter
>> your e-mail address in the last field. Enter password if asked. Click on
>> the unsubscribe button on the page that will appear ("options page").
>> TO ENABLE / DISABLE DIGEST MODE: in the options page, find the "Set
>>Digest
>> Mode" option and set it to either on or off.
>> If you prefer to read the posts on a blog go to
>> http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/
>>
>_______________________________________________
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>
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>
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>If you prefer to read the posts on a blog go to
>http://yasminlist.blogspot.com/



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