For those new to the topic, the first question that comes to mind when hearing this term is: What does STEAM mean? What is a STEAM classroom?

Beyond looking for its translation from English, the word STEAM is the acronym for the subjects that are defined as essential within the classrooms of our schools, high schools, or universities:

· Science (Science)

· Technology (Technology)

· Engineering (Engineering)

· Arts (Arts)

· Mathematics (Mathematics)

Thus, through this new concept that has strongly emerged in the education sector, STEAM prioritizes ensuring the development of cross-cutting knowledge.

But what do we mean by cross-cutting?

In STEAM classrooms, learning is not isolated, with individual learning for each child; rather, the opposite. STEAM classrooms encourage teamwork, and a multidisciplinary approach, with learning that allows multiple disciplines to be combined for the development of significant intellectual growth, in line with the times we live in—a time where technology plays an increasingly prominent role both inside and outside the classroom.

But STEAM doesn’t just encompass the learning of content itself, it also involves the development of specific competencies that will make the new generations great professionals capable of understanding: “What I need to learn, why I need to learn it, and how it serves me”.

After all, schools cannot ignore technology when we talk about digital native students. For many, the use of technology might seem like a distraction, but it isn’t, and studies confirm this. If we know how to apply, direct, and develop it to activate focus and spark curiosity, it will motivate students to keep learning and studying—critical factors for facing life, well-prepared with the necessary tools.

STEAM becomes a new educational approach that seeks to ensure meaningful learning. Today, we are talking about a competitive job market. To ensure that the youngest become strong competitors, we must motivate creativity, as it is the way they will stand out in any academic and later, professional fields.

STEAM classrooms allow us to train new generations within the demands of the current job market, and these demands will continue to sharpen over time. Classrooms that look toward a promising future. That’s why knowing how to motivate students depends not only on the content but also on the container—the space or environment available to practice learning.

FEDERICO GINER, a leading brand in the school furniture sector, bets on the future. A promising future that is already becoming the present, thanks to its school furniture designs that create classrooms adapted to the didactics required by new approaches and trends to promote a better education.