STEM and the school library: A marriage that makes sense

Hoff, Jane

IL-STEAM/STEAM

Collins, C. (2016, April 29). STEM and the school library: A marriage that makes sense. Retrieved from http://knowledgequest.aasl.org/stem-school-library-marriage-makes-sense/

Summary:  This article discusses the potentially successful role school libraries and their media programs can have in STEM and STEAM programs.  School libraries and media labs, which are often combined in the school environment, are natural settings for exploration and discovery, and often have the technological provisions necessary for students to flourish in STEM pursuits.  While school librarians already play a variety of roles, providing students and educators a central place for STEM supportive opportunities may prove to be one of the most important.

Review:  It might seem obvious that the modern school library would serve as a central exploratory source for STEM and STEAM programs, but in my experience, I have the least amount of inquiry for use of the library facilities from the science and math departments in my middle school.  The author suggests a program put on by the school librarian called STEM talks that provide STEM related topics for discussion and consideration by students and teachers alike.  This reminds me of the popular platform TED talks, where expert speakers give short talks on a variety of subjects that serve as a jumping off point for continued discussions.  I can imagine a similar platform is used in the STEM talks, but the topics center around science, technology, engineering and math.  This would likely be most useful in schools where the STEM programs are already up and running, or where the STEM programs are needing a boost to gain momentum.  I would love to see more STEM explorations in my library, and think starting a STEM talks program might be the way to go.