4 elements – STEAM in early education Erasmus Project

Project Title

4 elements – STEAM in early education

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

Nowadays the young generation live in the world of dynamic changes. From an early age children have been overwhelmed with different technological stimuli. Television, computer and tablet are not luxury goods any more, but they constitute a regular equipment of our homes. Modern technologies have also become the part of educational process strictly connected with the development of key competences indispensable in the modern world. That is why shaping pro-ecological awareness, responsibility and the skill of preceiving the needs of both inanimate and revitalized nature are the necessary conditions for the nature’s preservation. In the world a lot of discussions are carried out how to prevent a crisis connected with a constantly deteriorating state of the natural environment and its deepening degradation (climate changes, frequent floods, gales, smog). Observing the changes happening in the world, also we – the teachers of elementary education have wondered how to evoke sensitivity in young people nowadays and how to show them the beauty of the nature and the power of the elements so that they could take care of the beauty of our planet in the future.
As teachers, we know that learning through experiencing is especially important at both kindergarten and early-education level. That is why we have decided to base our project on modern educational methods, especially on the STEAM method which teaches critical thinking, curiosity, creativity and cooperation through combining sciences with different technologies and art. Such a combination will guarantee this project success. Taking into consideration the project’s subject we have tried to choose the partners from different parts of Europe. Implementing our project we want to show that through shaping pro-ecological attitudes it is possible to change the world for the better.
Our project is addressed to the children at an elementary level and it helps acquire practical knowledge about four elements (water, fire, air, earth) and shows connections between them. The project aims at getting to know the influence of the elements on all the living creatures and teaching pro-ecological behavior which are consistent with the rhythm of our planet’s life. The project assumes an international cooperation which will show how each partner country takes care of the world where we live together and will give us the chance to share our knowledge during the trainings. Apart from acquiring practical knowledge from the field of ecology and nature, the project assumes and enables the development of the project participants’ (both the children and the teachers) key competences (social, linguistic, ICT deriving from STEAM). English will be the project’s language. Inviting the partners to take part in our project, we have searched for the educational institutions which are open to modern teaching methods (STEAM, ICT), using these methods or wanting to work with the children basing on these methods.
During two years anticipated for the realization of the project we have planned 5 trainings (workshops) for the teachers connected with discussion panels concerning the realization of the project’s assumptions, creating modern tools and the e-Twinning project. Each meeting will be held in a different partner country and devoted to a different issue.

The aims of the project:
– shaping pro-ecological attitudes of the project’s participants;
– acquiring knowledge from the field of the partner institutions’ geography and climate;
– developing key competences of the project’s participants ( science and engineering, ICT, social, civil, linguistic)
– creating friendly atmosphere of cooperation and developing communication skills;
– arousing the participants’ interest for sciences being STEM parts;
– promoting interdisciplinary education;
– introducing modern teaching forms and methods in elementary education;
– obtaining European added value;
– promoting partner institutions and the Erasmus+ initiative;
– establishing cooperation with the organizations whose presence in the project will serve the realization of the project’s aims;
– enhancing teachers’ professional profile through sharing experiences and examples of good practice, organizing and running meetings and trainings, acquiring knowledge concerning modern teaching methods.

The above-mentioned aims will be achieved through a variety of activities such as: trips, walks connected with observation, research plays and experiments, mathematical games, construction games with engineering elements, art and technology games, open classes with the participation of parents, classes inspired by the teachers, ………………………., pro-ecological workshops, educational movies, multimedia presentations, art competitions, and thematic celebrations (Day of Elements), virtual children’s mobility (quizzes) and the e-Twinning project.

Project Website

https://twinspace.etwinning.net/92506/home

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 17734,16 Eur

Project Coordinator

Przedszkole Miejskie Nr 163 & Country: PL

Project Partners

• JUDG Detska Radost
• IL GIROTONDO coop sociale srl
• Agrupamento de Escolas de Campo
• Kelmes “Kulverstuko” lopselis-darzelis