STEM/STEAM/STREAM Education – new frontiers for a transversal and innovative school
ERASMUS K1 PROJECT
about the course
course description
The acronym STEM is nowadays already a structured reality and the meaning is known by all teachers of Europe and worldwide. Innovative schools already introduced STEM education into the daily curricula and the labor market is open to STEM profiles. One of the main topics is to foster more girls in choosing STEM careers and we are nearer to it.
Our course is step advanced and the title contains the 3 terms: STEM/STEAM/STREAM which we consider the 3 streams of education.
STEAM Education is an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.
Integrated STEAM education in European schools is an approach to preparing a quality STEM workforce and literate citizens for a highly technology-based society.
Understanding science and mathematics knowledge and practices, as well as technological and engineering practices, has become a priority for national education programs across the world (Kelley & Knowles, 2016). The United States Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) include engineering design and practices as primary elements of science education (the NGSS Lead States, 2013). The UK has also put forth an educational policy agenda promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) integration both in and out of schools (STEM Learning, 2018). Germany also created a national STEM forum to promote STEM education for all education levels, formal and informal (Nationales MINT (STEM) Forum, 2014). All these efforts in developed countries to reform STEM education are to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century which require strengthening the workforce in STEM areas to address global issues and STEM literacy for a new era (Kelley & Knowles, 2016).
Our course is focused on understanding the process which brought from STEM to STEAM to STREAM, more trendy at the moment.
STEAM is named differently from STEM due to its emphasis on arts (fine arts, language arts, liberal arts, and physical arts) as an important component of integration. While the STEAM reform movement is in alignment with STEM reform in other countries, its added component, i.e., arts, was inspired by the concurrent social discourse on education for creativity and a well-rounded citizen in the twenty-first century (Baik et al., 2012). Also, the national concern for students’ low confidence and interest in learning science regardless of high achievement (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2013) factored in promoting the integration of arts with STEM education for effective goals.
Using STEAM education results in students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century! This comprehensive article will help you understand the keys to a meaningful STEAM effort.
STREAM adds one more layer to STEM and STEAM: reading and wRiting. Advocates of STREAM see literacy as an essential part of a well-rounded curriculum, as it requires critical thinking as well as creativity. STREAM projects are similar to STEM or STEAM, but fold in the components of reading and writing.
Teachers representing a school staff have a great responsibility and need training because developing STEAM and or STREAM means completely changing the entire approach to teaching and fostering school coordination for more synergetic cooperation among language and different subject teachers.
LEARNING GOALS:
- Learn about the different terms and definitions of the actual framework related to STEM/STEAM and STREAM
- Discover methods connecting subjects and how to foster teachers’ cooperation
- Experience different lesson plans of STEM/STEAM and STREAM
- Cooperate with teachers of other nationalities
- Create a new way to bring innovation in my school developing a learning and teaching path including STEM/STEAM and STREAM practices and programs.
Target Group
Participants can be any teacher at any level of education working in a public or private school or educational institutions
program/Training Modules
INTRO/METHOD
Like all our programs, the present one is flexible and adaptable to special requests, depending on the subject taught or on the starting level of the participant.
Furthermore, in line with the JUMP Academy method, our courses are based on a strategic balance between formal and non-formal education, indoor and outdoor education and the team takes care of a very important aspect of international mobility which is the intercultural learning which we develop with short excursions and facilitating the interaction with local partners, businesses and citizens of our territory. Each local context has its own economy so it’s always useful, in training programs, to get in contact with concrete examples (experiential learning and real based learning).
We always try to connect our learners to local teachers and students to cooperate in developing innovation and networking for future projects. If possible, inside the program, a morning is spent inside a local school, visiting, observing, and cooperating in the realization of one or more lessons. The proposed program JUMP works, in European dimension and with an international spirit, at the local level and, according to the period of the training along the year and the weather, it is possible to change some sessions and add visits and meetings, in cooperation with our network of partners including schools involved in European projects).
WEEK DAILY SCHEDULE
Saturday or Sunday:
Arrival of participants, transfer and welcome. Lodging and logistic support. Depending on the arrival time the participants are helped to have a meal or fulfill any other need.
Monday morning session:09:30 – 12:30
Meeting in the lobby of Villa Gabriella International, welcome, first briefing by the organizers, presentation of the team, logistics information, gadgets distribution and start of the program. Walking down to the city center. Outdoor team building activity “The Mission Impossible game in Soverato”. Getting to know the important places of the city, the orientation points, traditions and cultural elements, interacting with local citizens.
12:30 end of the morning activity with a debriefing and logistic info
Free time for lunch or to enjoy the beach
Organized lift from the city center to the Villa.
Monday afternoon session: 15:00 – 17:00
“Experience Calabria. A place to live, a place to love”. Presentation of JUMP and of the most important cultural elements of the region. Participants are asked to present themselves quickly and introduce their school in a creative or digital way using the internet and our screen.
Dinner organized for all the groups in a local restaurant.
Tuesday morning session: 09:30 – 12:30
Meeting on the terrace of Villa Gabriella.
First outdoor ice breaking game to get to know each other and create a good working climate.
Division in small groups and start of the indoors or outdoor sessions with the JUMP trainer.
Introduction to Module 1, Why is STEM Education Important? The evolution of STEM education in the time
13:00 – 15:00 lunch break and free time
Tuesday afternoon session: 15:00 – 17:30
1st excursion to develop cultural knowledge, strengthen team building and socialization among participants.
“Walking tour to the old village of Soverato Superiore, visit to the Church of “La Pietà” of Gagini and exploring the narrow streets. Interacting with local people.
Free evening to enjoy the city center
Wednesday morning session: 09:30 – 12:30
Module 2, STEM vs. STEAM
Module 3, Explore the STEAM Education Model
13:00 – 15:00 lunch break and free time
Wednesday afternoon session:15:00 – 17:00
Module 4, How to Use STEAM: Processes and Products
Free evening to enjoy the city center or rest
Thursday morning session: 09:30 – 12:30
Module 5, Connecting STEAM Education and the new STREAM revolution. Developing Literacy skills and bridging subjects
Module 6, 5 Best Practices for Connecting the 3 “streams”. Innovative approaches
13:00 – 15:00 lunch break and free time
Thursday afternoon is (usually) free time.
The staff will provide some suggestions for possible activities or excursions. For example to Catanzaro city, Capital of the region
Friday morning: 09:30 – 11:00 (shorter morning lesson).
Module 7, Design my learning and teaching pathway. Developing transversal and innovative lesson plans. Experimenting and consolidating method to become a STEAM Teacher trainer for other colleagues.
11:00 free time to visit the local market which is nice and folkloristic.
On Friday – at an agreed time – usually in the afternoon – it’s organized as an excursion in a beautiful and unique old village with a final dinner. The staff enjoys it and there’s a professional guide with us.
Depending on the season the excursion starts in the morning or in the afternoon. From July to September it’s usually in the afternoon-evening for the high heat.
Saturday morning session: 09:30 – 12:00
Closing the course: Evaluation and delivery of formal certificates/Europass and admin documents.
Saturday afternoon:
Free time and last moments all the participants together for socialization.
Sunday:
Departure of participants.
The indicated times may suffer some changes depending on the season (earlier in the winter time and later in the summertime).
TRAINING MODULES:
Module 1: Why is STEM Education Important? The evolution of STEM education in the time
Module 2: STEM vs. STEAM
Module 3: Explore the STEAM Education Model
Module 4: How to Use STEAM: Processes and Products
Module 5: Connecting STEAM Education and the new STREAM revolution. Developing Literacy skills and bridging subjects
Module 6: 5 Best Practices for Connecting the 3 “streams”. Innovative approaches
Module 7, Design my learning and teaching pathway. Developing transversal and innovative lesson plans. Experimenting and consolidating method to become a STEAM Teacher trainer for other colleagues.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
At the end of the training week teachers will have:
- Learned about the different terms and definitions of the actual framework related to STEM/STEAM and STREAM
- Discovered methods connecting subjects and how to foster teachers’ cooperation
- Experienced different lesson plans of STEM/STEAM and STREAM
- Cooperated with teachers of other nationalities
- Created a new way to bring innovation in the school developing a learning and teaching path including STEM/STEAM and STREAM practices and programs.
certification details
JUMP certifies 36 hours for 6 days course (6*6) or more if necessary by adding extra hours per day. Or 30 hours for a 5 days course (6*5).
The course can also be extended to a 2 weeks course with the option of 10 days or 12 days if desired and agreed upon, depending on the sending organization’s project.
10 days are without weekend (5+5), 12 days are from Monday to Saturday morning (6+6)
At the end of the training, JUMP issues a formal certificate of attendance, and the team is available to complete the Europass certification document according to the EU template and other documents required for reporting by the sending organization.
Certification details
Our courses are in line with the Erasmus+ Quality standards for courses under Key Action 1 (learning mobility of individuals)
Costs
The costs are fully covered by the Erasmus grant. Write to us: info@associazionejump.it to request information about the costs and the services offered and to plan your mobility project in Soverato with JUMP.
How to apply
For info and registration about the course fill the form below or contact us to our mail.