The ICT road to STEM through TCC (The Information and Communications Technology road to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics through Transnational Collaboration and Communication) Erasmus Project

Project Title

The ICT road to STEM through TCC (The Information and Communications Technology road to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics through Transnational Collaboration and Communication)

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 : Strategic Partnerships for Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Natural sciences

Project Summary

Our project was a project aiming to develop skills in STEM (Science, Technology, Engeenering, Math) and ICT for pupils, teachers in 6 primary schools: Belgium, Finland, Norway, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia. Some met at a Contact Seminar in the STEM field. Norway and Belgium had been partners in two Comenius projects. Poland was experienced as well, but not the 3 others. The beneficiary School was “Årum skole”, Norway.
We started this project with common needs to adapt new learning strategies and teaching methods in order to prepare our pupils for the 21st century skills, adjust our curricula and create high-quality learning environment for our pupils. We also paid attention to girls` motivation for STEM.
The overall objectives;
Promote innovative, motivating methods that will lead to high-quality teaching and learning in STEM.
Improve the teachers` and pupils` skills for transnational collaboration, communication.
Improved skills for teachers and pupils in ICT related to STEM activities.
Develop a program for teaching, learning coding.
Improved digital judgment on e-safety issues.
Increase girls` motivation for STEM.
Making a plan for persistent transnational collaboration in STEM education between partners
Disseminate results to target groups, stakeholders.
Methods, activities:
The document called “The three lanes road” was the main guideline.
Lane 1 for learning, development and innovation of organizations, which was tested, evaluated, adjusted in lane 2 for Transnational Collaboration and Communication between teachers and pupils by means of ICT. Lane 3 was for dissemination of the results during/after the project period. Another key document was an assessment plan with an overall view of the project`s objectives, expected results and the assessment tools that we planned to use, and did use, to measure our achievements. We created a common platform in Office 365 for sharing documents, collaboration and monitoring of the project. The teachers and the pupils took part in 3 inquiries (in English) during the project period, created in Office 365 using Forms.

There were 2 learning meetings for teachers (Finland, Poland), where teachers gained new skills in coding, created manuals for teaching coding to different grades, learned “The Scientific Research Method”, “Nysgjerrigper”, learned different movie making applications, and created ideas for “The Big Challenge” (STEM challenges) on different levels for all pupils and all grades. Participants exchanged their good methods, shared new ideas, knowledge and skills and took it back home, sharing it with their colleagues in workshops.
There were 4 project meetings (Belgium, Latvia, Slovakia, Norway). During these meetings we learned to use Skype for Business, Office 365 as a common platform for communication and collaboration. We increased our knowledge about e-safety issues and developed a plan to teach pupils at all grades about safety on internet and preparing parents` meetings on the same topic.
The project was evaluated; the process, management, communication, making sure that the planned activities were consistent with the objectives and the impact on participants so far. We discussed project reports and analyzed the 3 inquiries.
Partners and participants communicated using Skype, e-mail and some of the oldest pupils tried to cooperate in joint documents. We also monitored and evaluated our project in 2 Skype meetings with all coordinators.
Results, impact achieved:
All activities have been carried out as planned and the objectives have, in our opinion, been met in a successful way.
The participants, participating organisations have:
– improved competences in transnational cooperation, communication
– Improved motivation for STEM
– improved knowledge, skills in teaching STEM; The Science Research Method
– learned how to teach coding on different age levels
– improved skills in using ICT
– increased awareness on E-safety for teachers, pupils and parents
– created a plan for further transnational cooperation,communication between partners
– improved professional development by learning from each other`s expertise on certain domains
– improved skills in using a foreign language, increased awareness of being European citizens
Sustainability
The project outcome has been disseminated by a link from each school`s website to our common platform in Office 365. A revised overview of useful information, documents and other materials is published on https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/projects/
We will integrate the new teaching methods for STEM education through TCC in the school`s curricula and strategic documents.
The working methods, learning strategies used by pupils and teachers in the project have given us valuable experience in deep learning strategies that we will develop further.
Our plan for future collaboration with the partners will ensure that we maintain and further improve our new skills as to ICT and STEM education.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 104775 Eur

Project Coordinator

Årum Skole & Country: NO

Project Partners

• Basisschool weg-wijzer
• Zakladna skola, Skultetyho 1, Nitra
• Tolkkisten koulu
• Gulbenes novada valsts gimnazija
• Zespol Szkolno-Przedszkolny w Studzienicach