Creativity and play are children’s work. They build confidence, encourage risk taking, and ultimately shape the soft skills young people need to negotiate school and careers.
But, as children get older, their playfulness and creative spirit wane. They aren’t so keen on trying new things and are often afraid of failing when they do.
Related content: How our school transitioned from STEM to STEAM
In a recent edWebinar, “Building STEAM Confidence and Creativity in Middle School,” educational technology experts described how enriching STEAM-based learning experiences can enhance the socio-emotional skills students need to succeed now into the future.
Creativity is what the future demands
Being creative is not just about being artistic. It also involves cleverly negotiating ideas, practices, relationships, and complex challenges. These abilities are requirements in a technologically centered workforce, explained Dr. Jenny Nash, education lead for LEGO Education North America.
She noted that the jobs of tomorrow will demand tech-savvy employees: 80 percent of available jobs will require science, technology, and math skills. But careers in STEAM fields will be difficult to secure if students can’t leap into a tech-oriented job landscape where accelerated innovation is the norm.
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