Why Creativity and Innovation Matter More Than Acronyms in STEAM Education

ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice takes a deeper look at the evolution of STEM to STEAM and why it’s time to go even further. While the addition of the arts was a critical step in integrating creativity into education, the use of acronyms like STEAM can sometimes limit our thinking by treating subjects as separate silos. Instead, we advocate for focusing on *creativity* and *innovation*—two concepts that transcend traditional subject boundaries and better reflect the skills students need to thrive in a complex, interconnected world.

Join us as we explore how creativity fuels scientific discovery, how innovation bridges disciplines, and why these two mindsets are more essential than ever for preparing students for the future. We’ll discuss how rethinking our language opens up opportunities for students to collaborate, experiment, and break free from the constraints of traditional academic categories. Whether you're an educator, parent, or simply passionate about the future of learning, this episode will inspire you to rethink how we frame integrated education and encourage every student to tap into their creative potential.

For additional thoughts from Director Alderdice, visit coreyalderdice.com.

You can also follow Alderdice on Twitter/X, LinkedIn, BlueSky, YouTube, Instagram, and Threads.

Learn more about ASMSA at asmsa.org/thrive.

Transcript

Last month, I had the opportunity to lead a delegation of ASMSA students on an exchange with Tennoji High School attached to Osaka Kiyoku University, one of our global learning partners.  They’ve been designated by the Japanese Ministry of Education as a “super science” school, which both sounds and is super cool. 

As they took time this year to evaluate components of their curriculum, they wanted to discuss the emergence of “STEAM” as an acronym in American education.  When we visited during their exchange to Hot Springs in April, I acknowledged it was a term that I generally don’t prefer in describing ASMSA’s work, even though our mission is an integrated STEM and Arts experience.  We had a great discussion on the fly both then and in October, but several weeks later, I’ve had the opportunity to think about it further and wanted to use this week’s extended pod to better lay out my reasons.

So today, we’re diving into a topic that’s been a big part of the conversation around education for the last two decades or so: how we think about STEM and STEAM education. These acronyms have shaped so much of how we talk about preparing students for the future. But I want to challenge us to think even further, to reframe this conversation in a way that opens up new possibilities for how we integrate learning across disciplines. Specifically, I want to make the case for moving beyond the fashionable acronym STEAM and embracing the terms *creativity* and *innovation* instead.

But before we get into why this shift matters, let’s take a step back and look at how we got to this point.  For those who aren’t familiar with the history, STEM was the acronym that first gained traction in education, standing for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The STEM acronym was introduced in 2001 by scientific administrators at the National Science Foundation (NSF). The organization previously used the acronym SMET when referring to the career fields in those disciplines or a curriculum that integrated knowledge and skills from those fields. It’s amazing what a little shift in mindset can create.

The idea behind STEM was to emphasize these fields as critical areas where students needed to develop skills to thrive in a rapidly changing, tech-driven world. And, to be fair, this made a lot of sense. The job market was shifting, and there was a real need to prepare students with strong backgrounds in these areas, especially in industries that were growing faster than others.

But something happened as schools started focusing heavily on STEM. There was a realization that we were leaving out something really important—*the arts*. And that’s where STEAM came in a few years a later. Educators and advocates added the "A" for Arts to the acronym, acknowledging that creativity, design, and artistic thinking play a crucial role in innovation and problem-solving. The arts weren’t just something extra to sprinkle on top; they were foundational to how we approach challenges across all disciplines. This addition recognized that creativity fuels science and technology, just as much as it fuels traditional artistic pursuits.

And so, STEAM was born. The goal was to integrate the arts with science and math, breaking down the silos between these areas to foster well-rounded, innovative thinkers. Schools embraced this concept, and it opened up new avenues for project-based learning, design thinking, and interdisciplinary teaching.

But here’s the thing—while the shift to STEAM was a great step in the right direction, the term often gets watered down.  Often, schools use it as an “add on” or to publicly note, we can’t forget about the arts.  Other times, it’s used to simply reflect what was often referred to as a “liberal” or comprehensive curriculum.    At worst, schools use it because it’s a fashionable term that gets parroted by policymakers, researchers, philanthropists, and others.

Here’s the thing: I believe it’s time to take another step forward. We need to move beyond the acronym itself and focus on the bigger ideas at play. That’s why I’m advocating for thinking in terms of *creativity* and *innovation*. These are the true driving forces behind all the subjects in STEM and the arts. Let’s unpack why this shift in language can make a big difference.

When we use an acronym like STEAM, there’s this unspoken implication that these subjects—science, technology, engineering, arts, and math—are separate, even though we know they’re connected. The very nature of acronyms often forces us to see things as distinct categories. While the intention is good, the result can sometimes feel like a set of checkboxes. We risk turning education into a list of subjects to cover, instead of focusing on how we actually *use* these subjects together to think, create, and solve problems.

What I’m suggesting is that we zoom out and start talking about the bigger concepts at play—concepts like *creativity* and *innovation*, which are not confined to any one subject area. These are the skills, or rather the mindsets, that truly empower students to navigate the complex, interconnected world they will face beyond the classroom.

Let’s break it down a bit.

First, creativity is not exclusive to the arts, and it’s not an optional skill—it’s absolutely essential across all fields. Think about it. When a scientist is designing an experiment, they need to be creative. They have to think about how to frame a problem, how to design a test that will yield meaningful results, and how to approach data in a way that could reveal new insights. That process is as creative as composing a piece of music or painting a landscape.

In technology and engineering, creativity is what drives innovation. It’s the ability to see a problem from a fresh perspective and to devise a solution that nobody’s thought of before. Whether that’s creating a new app, designing a more efficient system, or developing a breakthrough in sustainable energy, creativity is at the heart of it. 

So, when we talk about integrating the arts into STEM—what we’re really talking about is integrating *creativity*. It’s about teaching students to think creatively in all areas, not just in art class. And this is something we can apply across the board, in math, in science, in technology. Creativity doesn’t belong to one domain; it’s a universal skill that’s critical in every field.

Now let’s talk about *innovation*. If creativity is the spark that generates new ideas, innovation is the process of turning those ideas into reality. And again, this isn’t something that’s limited to engineering or tech startups. Innovation happens every time someone takes a creative idea and figures out how to apply it in a way that’s useful or groundbreaking.

Think about the innovations we see in the arts. A musician might develop a new sound using digital tools, blending traditional composition with modern technology. Or a visual artist might use software to create interactive installations that respond to viewers in real time. These are innovations that blend creativity with technology, and they’re just as impactful as any scientific discovery.

In the same way, when a biologist develops a new way to track endangered species using drones, or when an engineer designs a bridge that’s both functional and beautiful, that’s innovation, too. It’s the application of creative thinking in ways that push the boundaries of what’s possible.

So, by focusing on *creativity* and *innovation* rather than the individual components of STEAM, we’re encouraging students to develop the skills they’ll need no matter where they go or what they do. These aren’t just academic subjects—they’re ways of thinking, ways of approaching the world, and ways of solving problems that require a blend of knowledge and imagination.

Here’s why this shift is so important for students. When we think in terms of *creativity* and *innovation*, we break down the mental barriers that students often put up for themselves. They stop thinking, “I’m not a math person,” or “I’m not artistic,” because creativity and innovation aren’t tied to any one skill set. Every student can be creative, and every student can be innovative, no matter their strengths.

This shift also encourages collaboration. If we stop thinking of these disciplines as separate silos, we start seeing how they can inform one another. A project that requires creative problem-solving might draw equally on a student’s knowledge of math and their love for music. A student who loves to code might find inspiration in the structure of a piece of visual art. By focusing on *creativity* and *innovation*, we create space for students to see the connections between ideas, to experiment, and to collaborate in ways that a strict adherence to the acronym STEAM doesn’t always allow.

Another important reason to focus on *creativity* and *innovation* is that these are the skills that matter in the real world. The world doesn’t divide itself into neat categories like STEAM. It’s messy, interconnected, and complex. And the problems we face—from climate change to technological disruption to social justice—are not going to be solved by one discipline alone. They require creative thinkers who can innovate across multiple fields, who can draw on knowledge from different areas and apply it in new ways.

When employers talk about what they’re looking for in the workforce, they don’t say, “We need someone who’s good at science *and* technology *and* math *and* art.” What they’re really looking for are people who can think critically, solve problems creatively, and apply innovative thinking to whatever challenges come their way.

When it came time to name ASMSA’s first truly new classroom building when the project was proposed in 2015, we spent a fair amount of time thinking not only about what kinds of spaces would go into the building but also what we wanted to call it.  Buildings, for starters, aren’t cheap and--whether we recognize it or not--often highlight the values of a school or district.  As we discussed potential names, we landed on the Creativity and Innovation Complex.  The building has spaces for digital arts and music along with computer science programs and our IT infrastructure.  It also includes community spaces for lectures, assemblies, events, and more along with the offices of our Student Success Team.  That may seem like an eclectic mix of things; however, it is a reminder of how we cultivate those traits among students and how they live alongside each other in meaningful ways as part of the ASMSA experience.

In this season of gratitude, let me conclude with a word of thanks to Madoka-sama for bringing this discussion back to the top of my mind.  A word of thanks as well as to Junichi-sama and Morinaka-sama for their long standing personal and professional friendship with ASMSA.  And a word of thanks to all of our ASMSA students, colleagues, and families for what they do to make our community of learning so special.

As Walter Isaacson so beautifully wrote in The Innovators, the future of progress lies in the ability to link beauty to engineering, humanity to technology, and poetry to processors. This isn’t about categorizing subjects into neat little boxes; it’s about cultivating thinkers who thrive at the intersections. It’s about nurturing students who have a rebellious sense of wonder—a curiosity that opens them to the beauty of both the arts and the sciences.

When we focus on creativity and innovation, we’re embracing this intersection. We’re encouraging students to see how design and engineering, empathy and algorithms, art and math can inform and inspire one another. We’re empowering them to see connections that others might miss, to challenge conventions, and to explore the unknown with both their imaginations and their intellects.

The world doesn’t need students who excel in silos. It needs creators and innovators who can flourish in the spaces where disciplines overlap, who see beauty in both a line of code and a brushstroke, and who are brave enough to blend the two into something entirely new.

Let’s take the next step in education. Let’s focus on cultivating those incredible young talents who will shape the future through their creativity and innovation, grounded in wonder and curiosity.