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I can’t say enough good things about public libraries. At the MIT Media Lab we started an innovation exchange with US libraries to co-develop new STEAM educatio

I can’t say enough good things about public libraries. At the MIT Media Lab we started an innovation exchange with US libraries to co-develop new STEAM education programs together (tinkering with electronics, building a “food computer”, using data to tell stories...). We found that libraries are wonderful collaborators. They are also one of the last places where people from all walks of life encounter each other in a friendly environment. More info about the project is at https://PLIX.media.mit.edu https://PLIX.media.mit.edu (and I hope this post doesn’t seem too self-promotional - I just want to share our excitement about working with public libraries).

3rdAccount 8y ago
Sigh...not a big fan of "STEAM" as opposed to "STEM". STEM exists because science, technology, engineering, and math don't get the focus they need in the standard US education system. There is also the arts of music, and drawing/painting/crafts, P.E., History, Literature that are still important, but take the focus away. If you say...well STEM is important, but let's not forget art, pretty soon you'll say well we also need physical education as a healthy body is good too. Before long, you're back at the standard education system. Getting back to the main subject at hand, libraries are awesome and will be even more important when Amazon forces the last brick and mortar bookstores out of existence. I've also started to see library outreach programs that teach classes on various subjects. Neil Gaiman has an essay on libraries in his book "a view from the cheap seats" that you can also see here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-fu... As to the comment I'm responding to, you can probably mostly ignore my STEM vs STEAM argument as it is only mildly important as far as how funds are distributed. What really matters is people like you who are working to make a difference in the world and thank you for that. To think that I might get to bring my children to a library in the future that acts as a knowledge hub is pretty amazing. I've also found the librarians at my local library to be very kind & helpful people.
- Alex3917 8y ago
  > STEM exists because science, technology, engineering, and math don't get the focus they need in the standard US education system. Pretty much every HS kid in America is required to take at least 3 full years of math and science if not 4. How exactly are they not getting the focus over art? Schools are cutting art programs left and right in order to allocate more resources toward things that get covered on standardized tests.
  - eftychis 8y ago
    3? (Kind of Sarcastic) wow! Every single year/quarter of a person's basic education includes math and science (physics and then biology and chemistry, then a bit of cs) where I am from. Thus, worst case scenario a person has spent 9 years on that stuff (among other topics sure). Sure I can see art does not get a lot of focus from what you are saying and I do not have experience in your system to say what the balance kept. But I can see if a school is running under budget and needs to reduce something that art/music is the first to go. Pity.
    - tehwebguy 8y ago
      FYI HS is “high school” which is only 4 years long
      - TheCoelacanth 8y ago
        Also, prior to high school, kids are usually taking math and science classes at all times, so the absolute maximum would be one year without math and science.
        eftychis 8y ago
        That's good. (Although what is the purpose of the off year?) Question: when you say science what does that incorporate?
      - eftychis 8y ago
        I got that. Although not clear if they meant senior high school or what not. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States It is a bit unclear to me when someone says high school in the U.S. if they imply junior or senior or none of the above.
- jazzyjackson 8y ago
  Frankly I think there are a lot bigger problems in the US schooling system that what are balance of ceramics:chemistry should be. (Besides, the chemistry teacher let me borrow lithium salts to spice up my ceramics glaze) FWIW my art classes were basically "get familiar with the viscosity, stickiness, rate of evaporation, and rigidity of a new material every week" class. I'm much better able to reason about interactions between materials because of an hour a day making things with my hands. I agree that libraries are the bomb.
  - 3rdAccount 8y ago
    That's a use case I wasn't familiar with, but I'm not sure how typical it is. Libraries are awesome:)

3rdAccount 8y ago

Sigh...not a big fan of "STEAM" as opposed to "STEM". STEM exists because science, technology, engineering, and math don't get the focus they need in the standard US education system. There is also the arts of music, and drawing/painting/crafts, P.E., History, Literature that are still important, but take the focus away. If you say...well STEM is important, but let's not forget art, pretty soon you'll say well we also need physical education as a healthy body is good too. Before long, you're back at the standard education system. Getting back to the main subject at hand, libraries are awesome and will be even more important when Amazon forces the last brick and mortar bookstores out of existence. I've also started to see library outreach programs that teach classes on various subjects. Neil Gaiman has an essay on libraries in his book "a view from the cheap seats" that you can also see here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-fu... As to the comment I'm responding to, you can probably mostly ignore my STEM vs STEAM argument as it is only mildly important as far as how funds are distributed. What really matters is people like you who are working to make a difference in the world and thank you for that. To think that I might get to bring my children to a library in the future that acts as a knowledge hub is pretty amazing. I've also found the librarians at my local library to be very kind & helpful people.

Alex3917 8y ago
> STEM exists because science, technology, engineering, and math don't get the focus they need in the standard US education system. Pretty much every HS kid in America is required to take at least 3 full years of math and science if not 4. How exactly are they not getting the focus over art? Schools are cutting art programs left and right in order to allocate more resources toward things that get covered on standardized tests.
- eftychis 8y ago
  3? (Kind of Sarcastic) wow! Every single year/quarter of a person's basic education includes math and science (physics and then biology and chemistry, then a bit of cs) where I am from. Thus, worst case scenario a person has spent 9 years on that stuff (among other topics sure). Sure I can see art does not get a lot of focus from what you are saying and I do not have experience in your system to say what the balance kept. But I can see if a school is running under budget and needs to reduce something that art/music is the first to go. Pity.
  - tehwebguy 8y ago
    FYI HS is “high school” which is only 4 years long
    - TheCoelacanth 8y ago
      Also, prior to high school, kids are usually taking math and science classes at all times, so the absolute maximum would be one year without math and science.
      - eftychis 8y ago
        That's good. (Although what is the purpose of the off year?) Question: when you say science what does that incorporate?
    - eftychis 8y ago
      I got that. Although not clear if they meant senior high school or what not. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States It is a bit unclear to me when someone says high school in the U.S. if they imply junior or senior or none of the above.
jazzyjackson 8y ago
Frankly I think there are a lot bigger problems in the US schooling system that what are balance of ceramics:chemistry should be. (Besides, the chemistry teacher let me borrow lithium salts to spice up my ceramics glaze) FWIW my art classes were basically "get familiar with the viscosity, stickiness, rate of evaporation, and rigidity of a new material every week" class. I'm much better able to reason about interactions between materials because of an hour a day making things with my hands. I agree that libraries are the bomb.
- 3rdAccount 8y ago
  That's a use case I wasn't familiar with, but I'm not sure how typical it is. Libraries are awesome:)