Happy Children- Future STEAM Innovators and Explorers
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM
I. BASICS
Applying STEAM activities in preschool education:
STEAM based learning can begin at an early age. The experiences that children have in their early years are extremely important. It is essential to create learning opportunities in a fun and safe environment. Learning through play and simulating real situations is the subject of many educational principles. The key thing about STEAM is that all learning activities are based on finding solutions to real-world problems and emphasize improving children’s skills to learn, interact.
The best way to encourage this activity is to provoke curiosity. If we get to know children’s interests and passions from an early age, we can encourage them to explore and develop them through play in an appropriate environment. Setting up a STEAM programme of activities can become that point of attraction to encourage and unlock creativity in the child.
Principles of STEAM-based learning that we will apply in innovation:
STEAM covers the 4 principles identified as key in 21st century education:
- creativity
- cooperation
- critical thinking
- communication
Ways of applying STEAM based learning in the preschool period:
- learning through play
- learning by doing
Learning through play:
From an early age, children have an incredible natural potential to learn about the world through play. In recent decades, the scientific community has found increasing evidence that children learn continuously by connecting and engaging with their surroundings through positive play experiences.
These innate skills are the same competencies that enable children to become creative, engaged lifelong learners. But to truly flourish, these skills need to be nurtured, supported, and developed as the child grows.
Each type of play / functional, imaginative, constructive, play with rules / has its own important role in the development of the child’s brain, and each type of play affects a different part of human nature – some develop physics, others – imagination, and others help to improve children’s communication and empathic skills.
Learning by doing:
Learning by doing is the simple idea that we can learn more about something when we do the action. The main advantage of this method is the great pleasure that children experience by being involved in real experiments and tasks. In this method, they learn by doing to develop their abilities and imagination. They witness real results of their activities, which makes them happy and encourages them in their future activities.
Activities in the main directions that will be carried out through the STEAM based training:
Science: observation, comparison, description, conducting an experiment, predicting, predicting, asking questions, searching for reasons, creating explanations and drawing conclusions, presenting results.
Technology: identifying a problem, researching possible solutions, how to make something work, trying to shorten the path (faster, more efficient, with less resource) to achieve something, using children’s tools, looking for improvements, inventing.
Engineering: solving real-world problems, using different materials to construct, design, plan and create things that work.
Maths: comparing, measuring, finding patterns, counting, exploring geometric shapes, etc.
Arts: rendering of models, application of techniques and visions, creative re-creation.
Ways of applying the STEAM approach in the project:
The establishment of a STEAM programme of activities will lead to breaking the framework for learning and offering an innovative and attractive environment through which we will support children in exploring their interests and talents.
We need to be creative in our lessons by making them fun and interesting, teaching skills in ways they will be used in the real world.
Within the situation or game, to provide the children with an environment that is as close to the real one as possible. This can be accomplished by providing a range of subject-specific materials. We can use materials and objects from everyday life by having the children independently provide what they need for the various projects, involving the parents as our partners. We can use available toys, constructors, robots, dolls, games.
II. MAIN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT PROPOSAL: Developing STEM/STEAM skills in children of preschool age, by building an innovative creative environment and based learning in STEAM.
Specific objectives:
1)Creating conditions and building an environment for STEAM-based learning, by building a STEAM corner and equipping it with tools, materials and games suitable for the activity.
2)Improvement of the competences of the kindergarten teachers from to directly and remotely apply the STEAM methodology and the STEAM approach to develop the creative potential of children.
3)Realization of STEAM-based learning through the methods of "learning by playing" and "learning by doing" with the help of innovative lessons.
4)Active involvement of the family in the idea of STEAM-based learning, with the aim of partnering with socially and emotionally competent parents, supporting the child in his growth and encouraging his creative manifestations.
5)Development of STEAM learning exercises, games and lessons suitable for the respective age groups.
Specific activities in fulfilment of the objectives
·Theoretical training of teachers on the topic of the project.
·Development of situations/lessons by groups, directions and topics.
·Conducting experiments, trials and research.
·Develop games, practices and activities for observation, experimentation and discovery
·Implementation of informational meetings on the Project.
·Survey of parents with questionnaires and tests to establish their awareness of topics related to STEAM education.
·Trainings with parents to apply innovative practice and acquire practical skills on the subject.
·Participation of parents in open practices under the Project.
· Sharing good practices of the project in the conditions of the kindergarten with teachers from the municipality and the district.
·Ensuring publicity in TV and radio broadcasts, as well as publications in the press and electronic media to promote the project results to a wide range of people.
·Generalization of results realized through Steam education;
·Creation of informational brochures and materials to familiarize parents with the benefits of STEAM training.
- PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE.
| Activity | Deadline for implementation |
| Formation of a Working team to coordinate the project activities. | January, 2024 |
| Working team meetings to allocate tasks and assign responsibilities. | January, 2024 |
| Theoretical research on the subject of STEAM education in Kindergarten – methods, approaches and tools. | February, 2024 |
| Information meetings with parents | February, 2024 |
| Training of the teachers: “Enriching the knowledge of teachers to apply the innovative STEAM methodology and the practical her implementation for developing children ‘s potential ” . | March, 2024 |
| Provide families with brochures and materials to introduce learning through play and learning by doing as a foundation for STEAM learning. | April, 2024 |
| Practical observation of the teachers: ” Practical teachers ‘ skills for applying pedagogical approaches such as learning through play and study through making”. | May, 2024 |
| Classifying and storing information about:- the studies on the subject;- teacher training;- materials for parents;- results of practical observation. | June, 2024 |
| Project research for STEAM situations/ lessons, games and experiments; workshop and discussion. | July, 2024 |
| Celebrating World Water day – water experiments; water sources; water-saving habits. | July, 2024 |
| STEAM exercises and games for young learners in classes /3-5-year-old/ – open practices for teachers and parents “What can I do with….” | August, 2024 |
| Celebrating The Earth Day – history of the day; plant a flower or tree; save the energy – demonstration exercises. | August, 2024 |
| Inquiry to parents with questionnaires to establish their awareness of topics related to STEAM education. | September, 2024 |
| Intermediate monitoring of children’s achievements in relation to the topics outlined in the project. | October, 2024 |
| Experiments with natural materials and sand outdoors, at the playground. | November, 2024 |
| Classifying and storing information about:- research for STEAM situations/ lessons, games and experiments water experiments; The Earth Day activities;exercises for young learners. | December, 2024 |
| Working team meetings to allocate tasks and assign responsibilities for the second stage of the project. | January, 2025 |
| Training / Practicum with teachers on a topic “Development of creativity in children, through STEAM learning” | February, 2025 |
| STEAM exercises and games for 5-6 years old children – open practices for teachers and parents ” The Little Architects “ | March, 2025 |
| STEAM lessons for preparatory group 6-7 years old children – open practices for teachers and parents “The child and science” | April, 2025 |
| Trainings with parents to apply innovative practice and acquire practical skills on the subject of the project. | June, 2025 |
| Sharing good practices on the project in the conditions of the kindergarten with teachers from the municipality and the district. | July, 2025 |
| Classifying and storing information about:- STEAM exercises and games;- STEAM lessons;- results from the training with parents;- meeting the teachers from other Kindergartens. | August, 2025 |
| Celebrating The Universe Day – history of the day; knowledge for planets and space | September,2025 |
| Providing publicity in TV and radio broadcasts, as well as publications in the press and electronic media to promote STEAM education. | October, 2025 |
| Reporting the results, tracking progress and preparing an analysis for the implementation of STEAM- based training | November-December, 2025 |
Happy children - Future STEAM innovators and explorers 