STEAM and ICT
My Personal Reflection on STEAM and ICT:
Introduction: I Used to Think School Was Just Books
Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog.
Today I want to tell you about something amazing. I have undertaken a course called "ICT in STEAM Education", as a part of 1 year M.Ed. in STEAM education at Kathmandu University School of Education. I feel myself opportune to get a mentor like Sushil Upreti we guided us through this course.
Until few years ago, I thought school/campus was simple. The teacher comes in. They write on the board. As a student, we copy it into our notebooks. We memorize it. We take a test. We forget it.
Sound familiar? I bet it does.
But guess what? It is wrong. Education is changing. It is changing big time. And I am so happy to share what I just learned.
We are learning about something called eSTEAM+. It sounds like a robot name, right? But it is actually a way to make learning human again.
Let’s dive in.
Part 1: What in the World is STEAM?
You have probably heard of STEM. Science, Technology, Engineering, Math. Everyone talks about it. They say, "Study STEM to get a good job."
But in my class, we learned that STEM is missing something. It is missing a heart.
That is where the "A" comes in.
STEAM = Science + Technology + Engineering + Arts + Math.
Why Arts? Is it just drawing pictures? No.
The "A" stands for Applied Humanity. It means creativity. It means empathy. It means caring about people.
If you build a bridge (Engineering), but you don't care about the people walking on it (Humanity), is it a good bridge? No.
Then, my teacher taught us about eSTEAM+. This is the new KUSOED/Sushil Sir's framework. It is super cool.
The "e": This stands for EdTech. It means using technology to help us discover things.
The "+": This is the scary but cool part. It stands for AI Empowerment.
We are not just using calculators anymore. We have AI co-pilots.
Part 2: Module 1 - The Tools That can Blew your Mind
In the beginning, we learned about tools. I used to do everything the hard way.
The Autocrat Magic
Imagine this. You make a Google Form for a quiz. 100 people take the quiz. Now you have to send a certificate to everyone who passed.
Before, I would:
Open PowerPoint.
Type a name.
Save as PDF.
Email it.
Repeat 100 times.
It was so boring. It took hours.
Then I learned about Autocrat. It is an add-on for Google Sheets.
I set it up once. I made a certificate template in Google Slides. I used tags like <<Name>>. Then, I connected it to the sheet.
Click.
Boom! 100 emails sent in 2 minutes. Every student got their own certificate.
I felt like a wizard. This is what we call "Productivity." If I am not wasting time typing names, I can spend time teaching.
NotebookLM: My New Study Buddy (Not a part of the course, but I explored)
Then we tried a Google tool called NotebookLM.
I uploaded a PDF about "Sustainable Cities." I thought, "Okay, now I have to read 50 pages."
But NotebookLM is smart. I asked it, "What are the 3 main ideas?" It told me instantly.
Then—this is the crazy part—I clicked "Audio Overview."
Suddenly, two voices started talking. It sounded like a podcast. Two AI hosts were discussing my PDF. They were joking. They were explaining hard words.
I sat back, closed my eyes, and learned. I didn't have to read. I listened. This is ICT in STEAM. It helps us learn in different ways.
Part 3: Module 2 - The Big Theories (The "Why")
After we played with tools, our teacher Sushil Sir told us to stop.
He said, "Using tools is not enough. You need to know WHY you are using them."
We learned two big models. They have fancy names, but they are easy to understand.
Theory 1: TPACK (The Sweet Spot)
Imagine three circles.
Content Knowledge (CK): This is what you know. Like Math or History.
Pedagogical Knowledge (PK): This is how you teach. Like asking questions or group work.
Technological Knowledge (TK): This is knowing how to use computers.
Most teachers only have two.
They know Math and Teaching (but no Tech).
Or they know Tech and Math (but they can't teach).
TPACK is the center. It is the sweet spot.
It means using the Tech to teach the Content in a better Way.
Example: I don't just use a computer to type notes about Gravity. I use a simulation to let students throw planets. That is TPACK.
This one is my favorite. It checks if you are actually upgrading your class.
It has 4 steps:
Substitution: You use a computer to do the same old thing.
Example: Typing an essay instead of writing it. (Boring).
Augmentation: The computer helps a little bit.
Example: Typing with Spell Check. (Okay, better).
Modification: The task changes.
Example: Writing on a blog where the whole world can comment. (Now we are talking!).
Redefinition: Doing something impossible without tech.
Example: Talking to an astronaut in space via video call. Or using AI to simulate a black hole.
My goal is to reach Redefinition. I want to do impossible things.
Part 4: The Bridge Story (Putting it into Practice)
Let me give you a real example from my class.
I teach Civil Engineering. We learn about "Stress and Strain." It is about how materials break.
The Old Way (Boring):
I draw a graph on the whiteboard.
I write a formula: Stress = Force / Area.
Students copy it.
They sleep.
I looked at this lesson. I thought about eSTEAM+. I thought about SEL (Social Emotional Learning).
I decided to Redesign it, as a part of assignment and my interest.
The New Way (eSTEAM+):
Step 1: The Hook (Empathy) I didn't start with math. I showed a picture of a broken bridge. I asked, "How would you feel if you were on this?" Students said: "Scared." "Angry." "Sad." I told them, "You are not students today. You are Forensic Engineers. You need to find out why this happened so it never happens again."
Step 2: The 'e' (Simulations) We didn't just draw a graph. We went to a website called PhET. We did a Virtual Lab. We pulled a steel rod on the screen. We watched it stretch. We saw the atoms moving apart. Students were shouting, "Look! It's going to snap!" They generated the data themselves. They put it in a Google Sheet. They saw the pattern.
Step 3: The '+' (AI) Some students didn't understand "Yield Point." I said, "Ask the AI." They used ChatGPT. They typed: "Act as a steel atom. Tell me why you let go of your neighbor." The AI explained it perfectly. It said, "I was pulled too hard, and I couldn't hold hands anymore." The students laughed, but they understood.
Step 4: The 'A' (Creativity) Finally, I asked them to make a project. Not a test. A story. They used Canva and google slides. They made a "Material Biography." They told the life story of the steel beam. They made videos. They added sad music for when the beam broke.
This was Redefinition. They learned the math. But they also learned that engineering is about saving lives.
Part 5: Being Responsible with AI
We also read a very important paper from Google called "Teaching Responsible Use of AI."
This is super important.
AI is powerful. But it can be dumb sometimes.
There is something called Hallucinations than can occur with AI. This means the AI makes things up. It lies confidently. If you ask AI, "Who was the first King of Mars?", it might give you a name! But there is no King of Mars.
So, as students, we have to be Critical Thinkers. We can't just copy-paste. We have to check the facts.
We also learned about Privacy. The Google paper said, "Don't tell AI your secrets." Whatever you type into ChatGPT or Gemini, it might stay there. So, we learned to be safe.
But the paper also showed us the good side. It showed how AI can help students who have trouble typing. They can use "Voice Typing." It showed how AI can change the reading level. If a text is too hard, AI can make it simple. This helps everyone learn.
Part 6: The Future of Learning
I also read a report called "AI and the Future of Learning."
It made me dream about the future.
Imagine a classroom where every student has a personal tutor. Not a human tutor (that is too expensive). An AI tutor.
If I am bad at math, my AI tutor gives me extra practice.
If I am good at art, my AI tutor shows me famous paintings.
The report said that AI will not replace teachers. Teachers are the humans. They give the hugs. They give the motivation. AI is just the helper.
It is like Iron Man. The Teacher is Tony Stark. The AI is Jarvis. Together, they are superheroes.
This is the future of eSTEAM+. "Human-Led." The technology is second. The learning is first.
Part 7: Why I Am Sharing This
I am writing this blog because I am excited.
For many of us, ICT meant "PowerPoint." Now its clear: it means "Discovery."
I have used Khan Academy to learn math on my own. I have used Google Earth to fly over the Himalayas without leaving my chair. I have used Canva to make beautiful posters even though I can't draw. I have used Scratch to make games.
All of these tools are free. They are waiting for us.
My Promise
As a future eSTEAM+ educator, I promise:
I will not be boring.
I will let students create things.
I will use AI to help, not to cheat.
I will always remember the "A" (Humanity).
We are living in a crazy time. The world is changing fast. But with these tools, and with this mindset, I think we are ready.
If you are a student, ask your teacher to use these tools. If you are a teacher, don't be scared. Try one small thing. Try a Kahoot quiz. Try a Canva poster.
It changes everything.
Thank you for reading my journey. The class "ICT in STEAM Education" has opened my eyes. Now, I am ready to open yours.
#STEAM #eSTEAM #Education #AI #Future #MyJourney
Note: This post was written based on my learnings from the M.Ed program, including resources from Google and the eSTEAM+ framework by Sushil Upreti.
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