STEAM and Project-based Experiential Learning Erasmus Project

Project Title

STEAM and Project-based Experiential Learning

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 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The Erasmus+ project “STEAM and Project-based Experiential Learning” brings together Lithuania, Turkish, Croatian and Latvian kindergartens and preschools that give pre-primary and pre-school education. The results of the needs analysis having been applied in the participating schools have indicated clearly that the pupils have difficulty in acquiring STEAM skills and teachers need to develop new methods in terms of it. As STEAM skills are the fundamental part of basic skills, all participating partners wish to initiate perfect exchange and sharing process to find out new activities while applying experiential project-based learning. Integrating project-based and experiential learning with STEAM elements into educational process made a significant difference in how teachers teach and how students learn. Pre-primary and pre-school curricula focused to perform teaching activities through experiential project-based learning. It inspired creativity, self-expression, critical thinking and problem solving. The project “STEAM and Project-based Experiential Learning” activities cover four main areas: entrepreneurship, digital literacy, nature and the environment and a healthy lifestyle. Selected areas of the project help to provide for experiential education guidelines, adapt existing indoor and outdoor spaces for experiential teaching/learning, and create new, applying the project-based learning methodology to encourage children’s curiosity, creativity and entrepreneurship.
This project aims to improve the functional and creative practices in terms of material and method of STEAM by launching a Europe-wide exchange of professional ideas and activities, improve the students’ basic skills at the highest level, enhance knowledge of European cultures and language skills of the pedagogues and pupils, provide self-confidence and awareness of the pupils by allowing them to take part in cooperative, enjoyable, relaxing, student-centered, hands-on activities, enable the pupils to succeed in their education period, thereby enabling them to be more employable in their future career. It will develop the technological skills of the pedagogues, improve the pedagogues’ cooperation and project implementation skills, create professional networking between European preschool and primary schools, improve curriculum through innovative teaching ways. The application of STEAM contributes to the development of children’s social development, as the child learns to share toys, exchange roles, try new ways of working. During the mobility, we analysed how to create an environment conducive to the development of STEAM, which promotes the child’s ability to be curious, research, think with symbols and develop problem-solving skills. Also, what are the competencies and abilities of educators required in order to successfully apply the STEAM method in their activities.
Four learning/teaching activities carried out in the host schools in a field of entrepreneurship, digital literacy, nature and the environment and a healthy lifestyle. The pedagogues created and presented their teaching strategies; activities carried out in the classrooms, materials about the focused subject in the host school and generate new activities about project-based method, flipped classroom and future classroom scenario.
Three transnational project meetings were held online. The partners informed each other about their teaching progress and helped each other solving the problems that have occurred.
The quality of pupils, pedagogues, kindergartens, preschools and primary schools all over Europe and the world will be enhanced as a long term benefit. The project involved approximately 700 children and 80 pedagogues from four countries.
It was created DVD guide + videos. It is a methodological tool, which contains information about STEAM, explained the experiential method, the peculiarities of its application in the educational process. We also included teacher reports on this disc, which show very clearly the STEAM and project-based education methodologies, the impact on students, the teachers’ own reflection and feedback. Strategies for the application of STEAM and project-based experiential learning have been consistently laid out and the developed STEAM model for pre-school education institutions has been placed.
E-books “Experiential STEAM” about STEAM and project-based experiential learning on the themes of Entrepreneurship, Digital literacy, Nature and Environment, Healthy lifestyle. There are publications of good practice dissemination, reflecting the results of teamwork, international and development cooperation, openness of education and innovative practices in the digital age, pedagogical innovation.
Recorded project presentations and the presentations of the created methods put on YouTube playlist and Blogger “STEAM and Project-based Experiential Learning” https://spellerasmus.blogspot.com/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 52010,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

Rokiskio lopselis-darzelis Varpelis & Country: LT

Project Partners

• 13766250458
• Ludzas pilsetas 4.pirmskolas izglitibas iestade “Pasacina”
• Fikret Haluk Saracoglu Ilkokulu