Kids Build Their Knowledge and Skills About the World Through STEAM
European project under Erasmus+ programme, KA 201.
Registration number 2022-1-BG01-KA220-SCH-000086879
About the project
STEAM activities are extremely important in school education. More and more schools are aware of the need for this approach. What is the right age to start with STEAM? In our project ‘Kids build their knowledge and skills about the world through STEAM’ Erasmus+, Key Action 2, registration number 2022-1-BG01-KA220-SCH-000086879 we will look at the importance of STEAM in kindergarten. We strive to use materials that last over time. Lego Duplo provides great opportunities – a material that can be used repeatedly and which is a favorite of children in kindergartens. By combining useful STEAM activities with а favorite play material, children will enrich their knowledge and skills about the world around them.
Partners
Bulgaria
Kindergarten 184 "Winnie the Pooh", Sofia - coordinator
Kindergarten 65 "Sunni childhood", Sofia
DZZD "Obuchenie", Ruse
Austria
Epsilon Marketing e.U, Vienna
Finland
Kindergarten Korento, Helsinki
T-OPPI OY, Espoo
Turkiye
Ozel Akdeniz Basari Anaokulu (TR), Manavgat
ERA (TR), Manavgat
Teacher Training Course C1
From March 2nd to March 4th
T-OPPI OY hosted a 'Teacher training course STEM/STEAM in Education'. In
the training participated representatives from Kindergarted 184 'Winnie the
Pooh' (Sofia, Bulgaria), Kindergarten 65 'Sunny Childhood' (Sofia, Bulgaria),
Kindergarten Ozel Akdeniz Basari Anaokulu (Manavgat, Turkiye), Kindergarten Korento (Helsinki, Finland), DZZD 'Obuchenie' (Sofia,
Bulgaria), Epsilon Marketing e.U (Vienna, Austria), T-OPPI OY(Espoo, Finland),
ERA (Manavgat, Turkiye). During a three-day training, participants were acquainted
with STEM/STEAM as an approach to education. During the workshops, different
activities in science, technology, engineering, art, and math were conducted.
It was discussed which of them would be suitable for learners of early
education age. Examples from schools were presented and connections between
different educational stages were discussed. The conclusion is that STEM/STEAM
are methodologies that can be used at any age. These are activities that we
perform in our everyday lives consciously and unconsciously.
Teacher Training Course C2
From 19 to 21 October 2023 in Manavgat, Turkiye, a training course for teachers on "STEAM in kindergarten through constructive activities" was held within the project. The training presented the newly developed methodology for using the STEAM approach in the education of children through LEGO Duplo constructive material. The training was held in the Turkish kindergarten and its lecturers were representatives of the training organizations of the project: DZZD "Obuchenie" (Bulgaria), T-OPPI OY (Finland) and ERA (Turkiye). The feedback received from teachers within the training showed that what has been done so far is at a level that meets their expectations.
Training Day
An exciting training day within the project “Kids Build Their Knowledge and Skills About the World Through STEAM” took place in December 2023. In the training, we got acquainted with the newly developed methodology for using the STEAM approach in children's education through LEGO Duplo constructive material.
We built, coded, and studied acceleration and weight, symmetry, action of mechanisms, and more.
We planned future activities to work with the children.
Special thanks to our host - Kindergarten “Korento”.
The multiplier event of the results of the project work took place on May 21, 2024, at Kindergarten “Korento”, Helsinki. It was attended by over 250 participants; some were on the spot at the venue, and the rest online. The event was led by Anne Mollberg and Tiina Marjoniemi. Tiina Marjoniemi, the principal of kindergarten “Korento”, gave a brief presentation of the main project activities. The project coordinator, Ivailo Ivanov, presented the developed methodology and the created training materials within the project in English, and Tiina Marjoniemi translated it into Finnish. Teachers Sofia Holmström and Hanna Haapalainen from Kindergarten "Korento", who are partners in the project, introduced to the attendees in the seminar to the activities carried out by the kindergarten. The web platform of the project, which is available on the Internet at legoduplosteam.eu, was presented by Sofia Holmström. Krasimira Georgieva-Ivanova, the educational manager of the partner organization T-oppi Oy, presented the developed teacher training course. Within the seminar, a creative workshop was held, in which the participants tried out coding using LEGO DUPLO structural material. A recording of the seminar can be viewed on the Internet at the following address: https://www.youtube.com/live/_5CKJbjL4kU
Project results