What is S(TEAM) That's LIT!?

Once upon a time, a techie educator realized the power of a good story to provide meaningful context for STEAM-based student learning experiences, and S(TEAM) That's LIT caught fire!

STEAM

An educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.

(Source: https://educationcloset.com/steam/what-is-steam)

THAT's LIT

Fun, exciting, and involves literature or books to bring about emotions, create memories, and stimulate thinking--for our definition :)

Why S(TEAM) That's LIT?

Books have a unique power to bring about emotions, create memories, and stimulate thinking.

The award-winning National Science Teachers Association Press (NSTA) Picture-Perfect Science Lessons do a wonderful job of using children's books to inspire learning. Here's what the authors say are the merits of using books for STEM-based learning:

"The books help engage and motivate students, introduce topics and establish themes, set up investigations and real-world problem solving opportunities, spark creativity and innovation, and explain science and engineering concepts. Science and engineering standards provide the learning framework, while reading strategies, technology, and mathematics are used as tools within this framework to support and extend student learning."

Source: “Why Use Picture Perfect Books to Teach STEM?” Picture-Perfect STEM Lessons, 3-5: Using Children's Books to Inspire STEM Learning, by Emily R. Morgan and Karen Rohrich Ansberry, NSTA Press, National Science Teachers Association, 2017, pp. 1–5.

S(TEAM) That's LIT is not the first to build, integrate, and advocate for such learning experiences, but instead has used research and inspiration from others to design technology-enhanced approaches to literacy and STEAM-based learning.