The acronym STEM is nowadays already a structured reality and the meaning is known by all teachers of Europe and worldwide. Innovative schools already introduced STEM education into the daily curricula and the labor market is open to STEM profiles. One of the main topics is to foster more girls in choosing STEM careers and we are nearer to it. 

Our course is step advanced and the title contains the 3 terms: STEM/STEAM/STREAM which we consider the 3 streams of education. 

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

Integrated STEAM education in European schools is an approach to preparing a quality STEM workforce and literate citizens for a highly technology-based society. 

Understanding science and mathematics knowledge and practices, as well as technological and engineering practices, has become a priority for national education programs across the world (Kelley & Knowles, 2016). The United States Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) include engineering design and practices as primary elements of science education (the NGSS Lead States, 2013). The UK has also put forth an educational policy agenda promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) integration both in and out of schools (STEM Learning, 2018). Germany also created a national STEM forum to promote STEM education for all education levels, formal and informal (Nationales MINT (STEM) Forum, 2014). All these efforts in developed countries to reform STEM education are to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century which require strengthening the workforce in STEM areas to address global issues and STEM literacy for a new era (Kelley & Knowles, 2016).

Our course is focused on understanding the process which brought from STEM to STEAM to STREAM, more trendy at the moment. 

STEAM is named differently from STEM due to its emphasis on arts (fine arts, language arts, liberal arts, and physical arts) as an important component of integration. While the STEAM reform movement is in alignment with STEM reform in other countries, its added component, i.e., arts, was inspired by the concurrent social discourse on education for creativity and a well-rounded citizen in the twenty-first century (Baik et al., 2012). Also, the national concern for students’ low confidence and interest in learning science regardless of high achievement (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2013) factored in promoting the integration of arts with STEM education for effective goals.

Using STEAM education results in students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century! This comprehensive article will help you understand the keys to a meaningful STEAM effort.

STREAM adds one more layer to STEM and STEAM: reading and wRiting. Advocates of STREAM see literacy as an essential part of a well-rounded curriculum, as it requires critical thinking as well as creativity. STREAM projects are similar to STEM or STEAM, but fold in the components of reading and writing.

Teachers representing a school staff have a great responsibility and need training because developing STEAM and or STREAM means completely changing the entire approach to teaching and fostering school coordination for more synergetic cooperation among language and different subject teachers.