I see their mistake. Understandable given the paucity of the fine and liberal arts education in spite of all the instruction.
If we are to include "A" in the STEAM designation, it is for the Useful Arts, not the Fine Arts. The manual arts, the vocational arts, machining, welding, carpentry. Those are not normally university topics, except in the most advanced, but do contribute to those who can do something of value to others.
Useful art, or useful arts or technics, is concerned with the skills and methods of practical subjects such as manufacture and craftsmanship. The phrase has now gone out of fashion, but it was used during the Victorian era and earlier as an antonym to the performing art and the fine art.
I once interviewed a terrific young Latina who said she picked engineering over art as a college major because her parents -- no education past elementary school -- had told her to always do what's harder. She was a very happy engineer -- and mentor for Latino teens. She'd told an ex-C student that he needed to get A's to get into engineering school. He was getting straight A's, while working part-time at a high-tech company.
This lady is seriously confused. The "A" is being pushed by the architects. But your rant remains true.
Architect: "Look at this cool building design I came up with!" Engineer: "That cantilevered section won't support it's own weight." Architect: "Why not?"
And I stand corrected. I can't believe the art students are seriously trying to claim equivalence of their degrees to engineering and the hard sciences. Hey, I'm an artist too. I used to make hundreds of dollars a year playing music for weddings and other festivals. I make more in a day designing products people need and are willing to pay for. My parents gave sage advice: "Music is a great hobby, but study engineering. You'll eat better, and won't have to live in our basement."
As a real STEM worker, this piss me off.
ReplyDeleteI see their mistake. Understandable given the paucity of the fine and liberal arts education in spite of all the instruction.
ReplyDeleteIf we are to include "A" in the STEAM designation, it is for the Useful Arts, not the Fine Arts. The manual arts, the vocational arts, machining, welding, carpentry. Those are not normally university topics, except in the most advanced, but do contribute to those who can do something of value to others.
Useful art, or useful arts or technics, is concerned with the skills and methods of practical subjects such as manufacture and craftsmanship. The phrase has now gone out of fashion, but it was used during the Victorian era and earlier as an antonym to the performing art and the fine art.
I've always said it should be STEAM, but with A being Accounting.
ReplyDeleteYou made me laugh. A lot.
ReplyDeleteI once interviewed a terrific young Latina who said she picked engineering over art as a college major because her parents -- no education past elementary school -- had told her to always do what's harder. She was a very happy engineer -- and mentor for Latino teens. She'd told an ex-C student that he needed to get A's to get into engineering school. He was getting straight A's, while working part-time at a high-tech company.
This lady is seriously confused. The "A" is being pushed by the architects. But your rant remains true.
ReplyDeleteArchitect: "Look at this cool building design I came up with!"
Engineer: "That cantilevered section won't support it's own weight."
Architect: "Why not?"
back to the age of steam?
ReplyDeleteAnd I stand corrected. I can't believe the art students are seriously trying to claim equivalence of their degrees to engineering and the hard sciences. Hey, I'm an artist too. I used to make hundreds of dollars a year playing music for weddings and other festivals. I make more in a day designing products people need and are willing to pay for. My parents gave sage advice: "Music is a great hobby, but study engineering. You'll eat better, and won't have to live in our basement."
ReplyDelete