STEAM approaches for refined teaching

2020-1-IT02-KA229-080024_5

CONTEXT
Over the last years, most European countries have revised and updated their curricula, integrating them with the contribution of the new technologies, and have introduced new competences and skills, activities that focus on transfer of acquired knowledge and application in everyday life. We partnered up to initiate this project that brings innovation and variety in STEAM lessons due to updated teaching methods and exchange of experiences that the teachers in the project team will experience throughout the project period.

OBJECTIVES
O1 to create innovative interdisciplinary materials for use in lessons
O2 to develop the critical and logical thinking competences of minimum 60% of students in project target group
O3 to stimulate students’ curiosity and creativity by linking mathematics to real life in different contexts
O4 to promote interpersonal and intercultural communication amongst students across Europe
O5 to increase students’ performance in STEAM, through inquiry-based learning.
O6 to equip students with skills on use of technology and communication software for effective learning

NUMBER AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS
Target group of students in the project will consist of approximately 400 participants aged 12-14 who will be actively involved in local and international activities. Of this group, 120 students will be selected to attend the 4 planned exchanges of groups of pupils, accompanied by their teachers. All students in target group will take on specific project tasks, assume roles and be encouraged to contribute to organization process of the exchange hosted in the school.
Teachers’ team will comprise minimum 5 teachers in each partner school, selected from project area who have already contributed to planning the project from the application process but other teachers who wish to support the project activities are free to join the team. Their duties will be to select students, instruct and support them while implementing project activities, in the process of designing specific materials, communicate with partners and ensure sound project management.

MAIN ACTIVITIES
C1-Approaches to STEAM teaching in partner countries
C2-Geo-Maths: application of Maths in Geography teaching
C3-Mathematical curiosities
C4-Arts & Maths connected
C5-Geometry made easy!

METHODOLOGY
Our project develops an innovative approach that aims to increase students’ interest and motivation in learning mathematics and integrate it with other disciplines. The activities are created to encourage learning-by-doing, discovery, the application of critical and logical thinking skills, creativity, the English language and digital skills. The project implementation strategy is structured to achieve the project goals by applying the inquiry-based learning method. So students’ curiosity will be stimulated while making correlations between mathematics and other school subjects and relating them to real life. In this way they will discover by themselves the profound influence that mathematics has in our daily lives.

RESULTS
The project will produce the following tangible results:

  • initial and final questionnaires
  • project booklet
  • calendar
  • logo
  • topic presentations
  • collection of logical games
  • evaluation tools
  • STEAM mini-digital dictionary
  • project twin space, website, social media page
    Foreseen intangible results: enhancement of interdisciplinary and Steam skills at the level of teachers and students involved, improvement of assessment tools in the disciplines involved in the project: mathematics, art, geography and technology. Enhancement of motivation in learning the disciplines involved, development of communicative skills in English, increased sense of tolerance, understanding towards cultural diversity.

IMPACT AND LONG-TERM BENEFITS
S.M.A.R.T. will provide a model of innovative interventions designed to create the development and enhancement of the teaching and learning process of the disciplines involved, to be applied in all partner schools. Thanks to the sustainability plan, the results of the project will be multiplied
and future students will also benefit from them. Students will develop and practice a range of skills and resources to accelerate the learning process in the field of Mathematics, Art, Geography, digital technologies. Project management skills of the partner schools will be developed and will generate an increase in further opportunities to extend the international network. Schools will benefit from increased visibility in their local communities as well as in the wider international community