During the week of July 6th to 13th, JUMP was hosting an international group of European teachers. Among them, two persons from Romania and four from Portugal were especially interested in methodological contemporary educational shifts, and as a result, they chose the course concerning STEM, STEAM, and STREAM paradigms, which I was honoured to conduct.
The teachers experienced an exceptionally intensive week, commencing with a field game intended to provide participants with an initial understanding of Soverato’s distinctive cultural and natural heritage.
From the morning on the next day, the group of six Romanian and Portuguese teachers, who specialize in science and mathematics, continued the course in the form of a directly thematic part, starting with two theoretical lectures. These lectures, supported by clearly structured presentations, covered the ethical and philosophical foundations of the critical thinking tradition present in European culture, as well as a general explanation of the significances of educational paradigms called STEM, STEAM, and STREAM. They also delved into the differences and similarities between the paradigms, along with the historical reasons for their creation and ongoing implementation.
The morning session started with a short brainstorming, aiming to find out why one should want paradigm shifts in education and in what directions, according to the participants, they should be further developed. Writing down the most important ideas which emerged from this discussion helped the guests to formulate their needs, hopes, and expectations concerning the course. This, in turn, allowed for more targeted explanations from my side during the breaks for questions.
Discussions with course participants revealed their prior experience in organizing and leading interdisciplinary activities. These activities strongly emphasized practical training and outcomes, connected to everyday life. They also integrated artistic elements like scientific posters, presentations, photographs, and printed works into the learning process.
The participants’ strong practical understanding of the topic allowed for a deeper exploration of its conceptual interpretation’s possibilities, which was very well-received and became a key assumption of the afternoon lecture. This session focused on the scientific foundations supporting the thesis of increased relevance and effectiveness of learning through STEM, STEAM, and STREAM systems in our current “liquid modernity”.
The first day concluded with an exchange of chosen results of lessons, both those I had conducted and those documented by the participants in the course of their work. These examples largely align with the principles of STEM, STEAM, or, in some cases, STREAM education.
The exchange of teaching experiences gained in primary and secondary education continued during the morning session of the second day. I shared valuable, easily accessible applications and online resources with the participants, all verified for quality and effectiveness and chosen with contemporary educational needs in mind. In turn, the teachers enriched JUMP’s toolkit with their own interesting suggestions, such as PlantNet and GeoGebra. This – more practical – part of the course included hands-on instructions for using websites and applications, with participants exploring the resources on their own computers. The session also aimed to familiarize them with popular databases of educational materials developed and tested within the STEM, STEAM, and STREAM frameworks systems. The morning session’s final segment explored how to teach foundational computational thinking to elementary and high school students using their daily activities.
The afternoon session took place outdoors. Participants were split into two groups, each including teachers of diverse specializations and from both countries. The goal of this part of the course was to design activities for a one-day school trip, adhering to STREAM principles and referencing three specific “points” within Soverato’s urban landscape. During this time, the teachers were also collecting materials for their lesson plans, to be compiled into illustrated texts or presentations on the following day. The lesson concepts incorporated elements that envision international cooperation between the schools of the teachers involved in the mobility. These materials represent the practical outcomes of implementing STREAM concepts in an interdisciplinary, international environment.
The experiences strengthened participant bonds and cultivated an open, trusting atmosphere, while also demonstrating how engaging with nature can enhance lesson planning.
The participants stressed that in order to achieve a more engaging, effective, and transformative learning and teaching, it is important to break away from conventional lecture methods, moving towards these being revealed by the practices and theory of the STREAM concept. They also declared interest in the self-study supplementary materials, aimed to develop some aspects of the comprehensive knowledge crucial to understand the functioning of new educational paradigms.
Author: Maja Piotrowska-Krawczyk, JUMP Trainer
