After speaking to a group, I am often asked to address the question of how STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education fits with the Charlotte Mason philosophy. What follows are the main points of my response. Maybe my observations will help you discuss with others how a CM education can be a great approach for those wanting to enter STEM fields. (It is interesting to note that I never receive this query after my talk, “The Well-Balanced Mind: The Imagination Factor”.)
- STEM Is For Everyone
The four subjects that make up the STEM acronym are paramount for those who AREN’T going into a specific STEM field. English majors need it, too! You never know where their life path will take them. I have seen a literature-focused son fall in love with statistics, data, and eco systems and another son become fascinated by electricity and mechanical engineering. That son plans on becoming an electrician but currently has a side gig developing a robotic feeding system for a local shrimp farm. (You can’t make this stuff up!). Their CM education had me spreading a wide feast – very wide. All the STEM subjects are covered, albeit in a living way. This is all part of the wonderful “large room” concept. Focusing on just STEM subjects would be doing a disservice to any child. Charlotte said:
Our aim in education is to give children vital interests in as many directions as possible –to set their feet in a large room – because the crying evil of the day is, it seems to me, intellectual inanition. Believing that he is in the world to lay hold of all he can of those possessions which endure; that full, happy living, expansion, expression, resourcefulness, power of initiative, serviceableness – in a word, character, for him, depends upon how far he apprehends the relationships proper to him and how many of them he seizes, we should be gravely uneasy when his education leaves a young person with prejudices and caring for events (in the sporting sense) rather than with interests and pursuits. Principles, we believe, the best of our young people have and bring away from their schools fully as much as from their homes. – Vol. 3, p. 231
- STEM Is Not New
The disciplines in a STEM education are as old as time itself. It’s not just computers. From the pyramids of Egypt, the crazy-accurate Mayan calendars and the flying buttresses of Gothic cathedrals to the automobile and fighter planes of WWII, we can see that the STEM topics have always been important. Charlotte Mason herself was dealing with movies and cameras in her time, among many other technological and scientific advancements. So while it seems like the latest educational emphasis, it’s not new.
- STEM Requires Creativity
Over and over again, we see studies and books proclaiming that creativity and imagination are the #1 attribute for success of those working in STEM fields. Charlotte Mason encourages this (see Volume 4, p. 48) The book Out of Our Minds by Ken Robinson is a title that explores this idea. And then there’s the ubiquitous study by Google in which they discovered that the eight most important qualities of their top employees were all soft skills (good coach, communicating and listening well, possessing insights into others, empathy, critical thinking, able to make connections) with STEM expertise coming in last. All of these skills are cultivated in a Mason paradigm.
- STEM Needs Compassion
As Christians, reflecting the love and compassion of Christ is of first importance. STEM skills and knowledge are needed to help with every natural disaster, community tragedy, agricultural problem and disease outbreak. But without compassion and caring it is a cold, mechanical, theoretical thing. Charlotte Mason places such high value on compassion and caring about people as her philosophy is based on the Gospels and the compassion of Christ. She said,
“The question is not,-how much does the youth know? When he has finished his education – but how much does he care? And about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set? And, therefore, how full is the life he has before him? Vol. 3, p. 171
These points are just the beginning of this discussion. I hope they have given you some food for thought.
Teaching from peace,
Nancy
My kids are required to take a texhnology class due to the funding we get through a charter school, so this year they are doing design and in my research I learned about IDEO and empathetic design thinking. I love that you brought up that concept up in your article. https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-thinking-getting-started-with-empathy. It’s a widespread, albeit fairly new, concept in the STEM world and I’ve loved happening upon it recently. Ihadnt connected it to a CM education yet, but what a great foundation CM lays down for design thinking. Thanks nancy!
Thank you, Nancy. I love this essay! You bring up some wonderful things to ponder. 🙂
Yes, yes, yes!! My husband is a PhD electrical engineer who also plays multiple instruments, loves being out doors, loves to read, etc. He would be the first to agree that imagination is key and that those with a liberal arts background (along with their STEM subjects) have far better communication skills and Imagination than those without. My kids are following suit with a very wide range of interests. I do think an overlooked STEM outlet in many CM educations is handicrafts: photography, web design, and more are all areas older students can learn and enjoy in their afternoon occupations.