Welcome to the 3rd European Summit of STEAM Educators!

It is with great enthusiasm and satisfaction that we welcome you to the 3rd edition of the European Summit for STEAM Educators, organized by EASE – the European Network of STEAM Educators. This event represents another significant milestone in our educational journey, where we come together to explore, learn, and inspire meaningful changes in our educational practices and, more importantly, in the world in which we live.

Combining STEM education with the challenges adressed by the SDGs

One of the results of the Erasmus+ project ”My Blue Home” was the creation of an Ocean museum in school. Interdisciplinary teamwork,ideas and approaches enhanced primary students creativity and critical thinking, encouraging an innovative mindset among young learners to achieve the SDGs. What were the misconceptions and misunderstandings during implementation and much more!

AI and I

AI models are becoming more accessible to use day by day. We present an engaging way for students to learn about AI with resources to train their own model, thus understanding how big data is involved. In the process they consider ethical problems that arise and how to recognize them. We aim to encompass a critical thinking mindset when using such tools and promote AI and media literacy for young adults.

Hydroponic greenhouse for STEM and coding experience

INDIRE proposed an innovative project about STEM and coding, using hydroponic greenhouse and bifocal method. Students can project, build a hydroponic solution and work, in particular they testing different variables in plants. Paramethers are measured with sensors (Arduino).
The data are collected in software of data analysis. Students in groups created the forecast model of their data, to create a simulation model of future scenarios about plant growth, biomass production, or water requirements.

Math&Move: Engaging Primary School Pupils through Kinaesthetic Learning and Stories

The Math&Move project, funded by Erasmus+, aims to innovate mathematics education for primary school pupils, especially those with math-related learning disabilities and those that suffer from “math-phobia”. Math&Move consists of a dual approach to making abstract concepts more tangible and engaging – kinaesthetic learning (learning by doing and moving) and storytelling-based instruction. Therefore, the project has developed resources for both educators and parents, as well as resources for children. Educators and parents can check out our comprehensive guides and videos on the research and practical application behind this approach. Pupils, on the other hand, have tailor-made resources in the form of movement-based lessons and story e-books, covering everything from how to measure length to how to identify fractions with movement and storytelling.

Network of life – our nervous system

Have you ever touch a hot cup of tea and instantly dropped it on the floor? Who and how did these actions?! Our nervous system. Educational goals were: create and describe anatomic base of a reflex using visual craft support (cardboard), specify 2 reflexes that demonstrate the role of nervous system.
Activity engaged about 65 of 7th grade students , in working groups, with different tasks in order to develop creativity, cooperation and collaboration while manufacturing nervous system cardboard craft; promote STEAM integrated and interdisciplinary approach in nervous system learning process; discover connection between recycling and sustainability.

Enhancing secondary students’ math skills through cultural heritage

The VisitMath project, co-financed by the European Union, aims to enhance the mathematical skills of secondary school students by connecting mathematics with cultural heritage. This innovative project addresses the challenge of engaging students in STEM subjects by making abstract concepts more relatable through real-world applications found in cultural and historical contexts.
VisitMath offers educators a set of resources, including guides and interactive tours that integrate mathematical principles with the architecture and monuments of European cities. By linking cultural heritage sites to mathematical concepts, the project provides a practical and immersive learning experience that can reduce maths anxiety and increase student motivation.
Our session will introduce the VisitMath project and its objectives, showcasing how educators can use these resources to create dynamic and engaging lessons.

Workshop: Use of AI to create gamifications for my classroom

Join my hands-on workshop where you’ll learn to harness the power of ChatGPT to create engaging H5P gamifications for the classroom. Discover how AI can transform traditional teaching methods, making learning more interactive and enjoyable. This session will guide you through the process of integrating AI-driven gamification into your curriculum, enhancing student engagement and fostering a dynamic learning environment. Whether you’re a seasoned educator or new to STEAM, this workshop offers valuable insights and practical tools to elevate your teaching practices using cutting-edge AI technology.

The sound of education

EDrTech, a family-owned business, merges technology and education to support educators. Partnering with an educational organization, we developed the V!beclash speaker, addressing key STEAM challenges:

• Inspiring Innovation: Engaging, practical tools for future tech innovators.
• Tech and Culture: Teaching the interplay of technology and culture.
• Sustainability: Reusable, repairable tools for tech and sustainability amid electronic waste.
• Engagement: User-friendly, genuine learning experiences with real electronic components.

Wind turbine

In the eTwinning project, ”Green education, clean education”, I learned many interesting things, digital applications, carried out STEAM activities, worked with Lego Spike and built the wind turbine. We met online, collaborated, communicated, worked as a team, made interesting common things like a story, a song. I will discuss the wind turbine, which was built from lego by the students of Prep B class. They worked with LEGO SPIKE, they really liked it.

My Box of STEAM: Engaging Elementary Pupils in Inclusive STEAM Education through Storytelling

The “My Box of STEAM” project, funded by Erasmus+, enhances STEM education for elementary pupils, focusing on children with fewer opportunities, including those with learning disorders and girls. Integrating storytelling fosters creativity within the STEAM framework. The project creates 35 STEM boxes with tutorials and pedagogical sequences, providing hands-on curriculum-linked activities. Each box includes storytelling tools like kamishibai, addressing DYS learners’ needs and promoting gender equality. Teachers receive a pedagogical guide, a box creation guide, and an implementation guide with national reports and testimonials. Early implementation shows promising results with high student engagement and positive teacher feedback. This session will introduce the project, its innovative methods, and the positive impacts on pupil learning, offering educators new strategies to make STEM education more accessible and enjoyable.

Understanding the Impact of Earthquakes: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

As a humanities teacher, I coordinated this interdisciplinary STEAM project for lower secondary students to highlight the importance of an integrated approach to education. Students explored earthquakes through various STEM and non-STEM disciplines. The project aimed to emphasize the value of combining scientific inquiry with humanistic topics and artistic expression to foster a comprehensive understanding of earthquakes. By engaging in hands-on activities, collaborative research, and creative projects, students developed critical thinking and teamwork skills, demonstrating the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary STEAM approach in education.

Integrating technology with Intel SFI Starter Pack

Every STEAM teacher knows how important is technology for students’ engagement and skills development. Intel Skills for Innovations is a platform helping educators on their journey of adopting the latest technology and creating learning opportunities that actively engage the students. It offers professional development, lesson plans and a community for sharing ideas.

Aerospace activities

We integrate aerospace activities with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Projects include launching a high altitude balloon, participating in the ESA’s CanSat competition, and using drones for educational purposes. These initiatives enhance STEM education, promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, and instill ethical and social responsibility. Students engage in real-world scientific and technological challenges, demonstrating the feasibility of space missions in a school setting and preparing them for future challenges.

Enhancing physical learning across the curriculum

Articulating ideas through the body, is a form of human communication used both in daily and performance arts practices. We gesture, animate, and enact in a variety of ways to communicate ideas and understandings. Working with teachers and a physical theatre company, we have been exploring the value of using more physical theatre-based approaches to STEM learning in the classroom. The positive effects these had for children’s learning has led us to define and illustrate a variety of ways they can be used in teaching practice, as well as where and when they are more appropriate.

Solar SySTE(A)M Explorers with Merge Cube

The Meet and Code event entitled „Solar SySTE(A)M Explorers with Merge Cube” took place over two days in October 2023 but due to the increased interest of the students involved in the project, we extended the project over 2 months and thus, the resulting products were very rich and creative.
Some of the activities were also presented during the Satellite Conference within the 5th Shaw-Iau workshop on the astronomy for education program.

STEAM activities with recycled materials

The workshop will explain how to build up STEAM related activities starting from recycled or waste materials. For example mini-cars, insects and more starting from cardboard, plastic bottles, old smarthphone etc.

Turning old smartphones into educational robots

I have been researching ways to reuse smartphones as educational robots using only off-the-shelf electronics, avoiding Microbits, Arduinos, and other microcontrollers. Repurposing old smartphones reduces e-waste and teaches kids about sustainability while enabling advanced programming like voice control and object recognition. Smartphones can be easily programmed with MIT App Inventor, making them ideal for coding lessons. In my talk, I’ll present my findings and showcase three different approaches: an open-source PCB, a breadboard version, and a simple method using conductive tape. I’ll also discuss how to use these robots to teach kids about electronics, robotics, and coding.

STEAMS: The Importance of Social in STEAM Education: A Critical Analysis of the Impact on Society

The acronym STEAM, has been widely adopted in education and industry. However, the social dimension of STEAM has been largely overlooked, despite its crucial role in shaping our understanding of the world and our place within it.
The presentation begins by exploring the concepts of social sciences and their relationship to STEAM. It highlights the need to redefine the acronym to incorporate the social dimension (STEAMS), which has been implicit in traditional STEAM approaches. The author argues that this redefinition is also necessary to address the dominant capitalist narrative that has shaped the development of technology and its impact on society, with minor scientific in-depth analysis of cost-benefit analysis.

Workshop: Introduction to Coding Through Drawing with p5.js

This workshop introduces coding fundamentals through p5.js, a JavaScript library for creative coding. By integrating drawing with programming, learners can create visual art, simple interactive games, and engaging simulations. This approach not only makes coding accessible and enjoyable but also allows students to apply mathematical and physical concepts in a practical context. Emphasizing creativity and interactivity, p5.js serves as an effective educational tool, bridging the gap between abstract theory and tangible practice.

Workshop: 3D Constellations

“Somewhere something incredible is waiting to be known.”- Carl Sagan
3D Constellations is an engaging STEAM activity designed to capture the curiosity, wonder, and awe that space and astronomy inspire in young learners. Aimed at primary grade students, this activity introduces them to the stars and their properties, demonstrating how these celestial bodies form constellations. By participating in this activity, learners gain interdisciplinary knowledge, combining elements of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.

Workshop: “Unleashing STEAM Innovation with Magic School AI”

This session will showcase how Generative AI tools can transform your approach to teaching and spark innovation in your classroom. Participants will engage directly with Magic School AI, experiencing its capabilities through hands-on activities designed to enhance lesson planning and curriculum development. You’ll learn to harness AI for generating innovative project ideas, creating engaging learning experiences, and facilitating collaborative student work.

Far Beyond the Barriers

The talk will be about Far Beyond the Barriers project which has been funded under Erasmus+ programme from Polish NA ,carried out by four partners from Türkiye, Poland, Romania. “Far Beyond the Barriers” project aims to address the challenges faced by children with learning difficulties or disabilities in mainstream classrooms by equipping teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills for inclusive education. It also aims to provide the necessary support to teachers and promote the use of multidisciplinary teaching methods such as STEM/STEAM, creative drama, emotional and cognitive games, or sports.

Teaching STEAM with Europeana’ digital heritage

Many educators cite inadequate textbooks and lack of teaching resources as significant challenges. However, the wealth of online platforms and shared project results can address this issue effectively. The key is shifting the mindset to recognize the availability of resources that can be adapted for classroom use. I utilized Europeana’s platform to integrate art, science, and artificial intelligence into my mathematics lessons, focusing on optical illusions, Mondrian’s art, and animal mask design.
This approach not only enriches the learning experience but also demonstrates the potential of interdisciplinary teaching. By exploring and adapting these resources, educators can overcome perceived limitations and enhance their teaching practice.

Augmented virtuality in art and culture

Imagine exploring cultural and artistic heritage through an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment, where you can simultaneously interact with a tangible replica of the artifact. This innovative experience allows users to manipulate physical replicas, move them through space, and apply modifications, all while observing real-time effects on their digital twins within the VR setting.

Revolutionizing Learning with Artificial Intelligence

My speech explores the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, focusing on its application within the classroom. As we navigate the fourth industrial revolution, AI offers unprecedented opportunities to personalize learning, support teachers, facilitate collaboration, and foster digital literacy. By leveraging AI technologies responsibly, we can create a more equitable, engaging, and effective educational experience for all students, preparing them to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

Science in School: Find inspiration, share your ideas

Science in School is a free magazine for STEM (and STEAM!) teachers published and funded by EIROforum; a group of eight European intergovernmental research organizations. It presents an opportunity for scientists to share their passions with a school audience, but also for teachers to share their inspiring classroom activities with the wider teaching community. In this talk, I’ll share a little about what we offer teachers and how you can get involved.

European menu: From Earth to the Moon

I would like to talk about the project carried out with Austria, Spain, Serbia, Turkey and Romania, in which the students grew plants in hydroponic cultures, made audio libraries about 12 female astronauts with the help of makey makey, experienced the taste in space and voted the cards of citizenship of the Moon in online dating during a school year. The project was based on a research carried out by the peer from Austria and was selected as a good practice model that will be presented at this year’s Conference of the European Space Agency.

Muinín Catalyst Sustainable STEAM Introducing STEAM into Mainstream Education for Agentic Learning

Muinín Catalyst Sustainable STEAMis a suite of programmes and learning resources designed to address deficits in the Irish education system’s maintstream curricula. The MCSS approach integrates place-based STEAM education to develop essential skills for an increasingly VUCA world and equip educators with innovative, values-led lessons plans and activities. The Muinín Catalyst platform supports project-based learning with scaffolded resources, fostering confidence and competence in both teachers and students. Engaged in continuous evaluation and improvement, our research-informed methods are designed to be adaptable, scalable, and aligned with contemporary educational needs and standards.

Fun robotics and creativity with Otto

Let your students build and program their first robot. Learn creative design, 3D printing, mechanics, electronics, engineering and coding. No prior knowledge is required to run a successful STEM+A class, easily extend functionality and educational experiences through modular expansions.
CREATE your own robot, customize color or add accessories or change the functionality, make it unique.
CONNECT the electronics and mechanical parts of a robot and interact with sensors.

Successful teachers are lazy and ineffective

The title sounds paradoxical, but it hides a lot of truth. When the teacher is speaking and presenting and explaining the learning material, he is most active. Since he is limited by time, he must do this as efficiently as possible. Sometimes he is so efficient that he doesn’t even pay attention to the students. STEM learning, however, requires a different approach – one where the teacher steps away, at least temporarily, and the learning appears ineffective. The presentation presented some apparently ineffective and lazy approaches of the teacher, which, however, allow for a deeper understanding and greater success of STEM learning.

Robotics in Early Childhood

Incorporating robotics into early childhood education offers a unique opportunity to nurture critical social-emotional skills alongside foundational STEM concepts. Collaborative problem-solving becomes paramount as young learners work together to design, build, and program their robots. Through open communication, active listening, and shared decision-making, children strengthen their ability to collaborate effectively. As they navigate challenges and celebrate successes in this engaging environment, their confidence and resilience blossom, equipping them with valuable tools for future academic and social interactions.

Implementing Cross-curricular STEAM Agendas

The presentation explains the need for bridging curriculum efforts between contrasting subjects, illustrates various collaborations teachers can build around STEAM efforts and gives guidance on the subject of how to approach implementing cross-curricular collaboration with the use of easily accessible technology. The aim of the presentation is to showcase practical examples of collaboration based on the strengths of each member of the educational staff and best practices by teachers in elementary or secondary schools. It will provide you with tools and frameworks for an understanding of how to think about the type of literacy needed in Society 5.0.

Screen-free computational thinking in Early Years

A discussion around screen-free activities that introduce pre-computer coding skills to children through guided play activities.
I will also discuss a brief synopsis of this article I co-authored if it’s of interest https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-021-01236-8

Unleashing Creativity Beyond Earth: A Best Practice for Outer Space STEM Project

Secondary Students STEAM Project to build a space to live on the moon for 10 astronauts. This differentiated project has enabled students to explore the incredible facts of the moon, learn how to survive in a harsh situation, and understand the purpose of current experiments that were doing on the moon. Furthermore, it enhanced critical thinking skill, teamwork, and presentation skill of the students.

Integration of STEM disciplines through real-life problems.

This workshop will demonstrate how STEM disciplines can address real-life challenges. For instance, in regions with sub-zero temperatures, using solar-heated panels and eco-friendly materials such as clay and straw waste to create insulating blocks can maintain indoor temperatures around 15-16 degrees Celsius. The presentation will showcase various real-world scenarios where integrating STEM concepts in schools empowers students to develop prototypes that tackle significant global issues.

Empowering Education through AI for Interactive and Engaging Learning Experiences

The presentation will provide insights into various strategies and approaches, utilizing AI in the classroom to create interactive and engaging learning experiences. It will begin with a discussion about DigComp 2.2, emphasizing the integration of AI-related competences within this framework. The presentation will showcase a range of AI tools, such as MagicSchool.ai or Curipod for creating interactive lessons, image generators, use of different chatbots, hipdf.com for working with PDFs, breshna.io for game creation, etc. The use of each AI tool and its potential to enhance student engagement, fostering more effective learning environments, will be explained.

The PBL potential in a VUCA world

This case study tells the learning story of a multifaceted school- based curriculum model designed to move from a ‘whatever’ learning activities to a ‘wonder’ curriculum in the context of a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world. PBL means different things to different people, schools and organizations. In this session will be presented the PBL learning principles and framework for the primary school to reshape the conversations among disciplines, giving practice-based evidence examples of authentic learning experiences to emphasize the need for a future-ready mindset among teachers all over the world where students “co-create their best possible future”.

Artful STEAM Tellers, Creative STEAM Solvers

During the school year 2022-2023, was created the project eTwinning project “Artful STEAM Tellers, Creative STEAM Solvers, utilized the framework of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, focusing particularly on Goals 10 and 11.” The project aimed to promote the concept of an inclusive city through participatory design. Six Kindergartens from Greece and Turkey, 18 early childhood educators, and 160 children participated in the project, where they envisioned a city that is accessible, sustainable, ecological, emotional, and smart, the “City of their Dreams.” Creating sustainable inclusive cities is vital for achieving collectively agreed sustainability goals at local, regional, and global scales. Cities are not isolated; they interact extensively with their surroundings and increasingly with the rest of the world.

Youth in STEM

Youth in STEM is a project targeting individuals aged 16 and above, designed to introduce them to the real-world applications of STEM in companies and research organizations. The initiative takes participants to visit high-throughput, highly automated companies with complex infrastructure, as well as research organizations equipped with advanced laboratories and cutting-edge research equipment.

Outdoor STEAM Activity – Scientific visit to the garden

The proposed STEAM Outdoor activity aims to promote the interconnection between computational thinking, programming and the various subjects of the 8th grade curriculum. The aim is for students to develop the ability to identify and solve problems, stimulate creativity and innovative thinking, allowing them to explore unconventional solutions to interdisciplinary challenges and develop 21st century skills; by applying active methodologies, practical, project-based learning is encouraged, allowing students to apply what they learn in real-world contexts. As a rule, students are mere consumers of content, working with applications that have already been built. The aim of this project is to encourage students to become consumers and creators of content, with applications created by students for students.

The Coding Choir: Singing and Computing in group

Coding Choir is both a plugged-in and unplugged approach where students will experience the basics of computing through group singing, in the search for collective conflict resolution, bringing computer learning closer to a humanistic and holistic education. Music and computing share many similarities. A score music is a sequence of symbols that determine pitch, duration, articulation, repetitions, dynamics and other qualities of sound. It can be compared to an algorithm, as it is also a sequence of instructions for doing something and achieving a certain result. Considering that music is part of our daily lives and often has a strong emotional connection with us, why not bring it closer to computing? This is the proposal of The Coding Choir: Singing and Computing in group. (part of a doctoral research)

The Future Of Space X Space Messengers: A Steam Educational Experience

The future of space holds immense promise and potential, with advancements in space exploration, technologies, and resource utilisation. As the boundaries and edges of our world – the physical, mediated, augmented or parallel – become increasingly blurred, this presentation shares an example of how STEAM education offers opportunities for the integration of the natural and social sciences with art to facilitate multidimensional ways of approaching challenging issues, such as those characterising teaching about the future of space. The presentation will outline a learning collaboration with Future Focus21c, Ireland and STEMArts Lab, New Mexico and a group of learners in Southwest Kerry, Ireland.

Enhancing the use of drawing for learning across the curriculum

Communicating ideas visually, such as through drawing-like activities, is an important aspect of real-world science, technology, and engineering practices. However, teachers in our research often thought of ‘drawing’ and its development in terms of visual art. With teachers, we are developing a clear, systematic typography of ‘drawing’ that embraces doodling, sketching, and technical drawing as educative and meaning-making communications. Our aim is to generate useful resources that expand the role of drawing as a means of communication across the curriculum, but especially in STEM subjects. As part of this presentation, we will share our latest version of the typography.

Micro:ML : Machine Learning with micro:bit

The presentation is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of machine learning and its applications, as well as practical experience in integrating micro:bit and teachable machines.
By the end of the presentation, the participants will have a solid understanding of machine learning and micro:bit and will appreciate how micro:bit can be used to create innovative projects based on machine learning.

Unlocking Learning: Exploring Escape Rooms and Pedagogical Memes in STEAM Education

In this presentation, we investigate the transformative potential of escape rooms and pedagogical memes in STEAM education. Discover innovative strategies that inspire student engagement, foster collaborative learning environments, and cultivate problem-solving skills through immersive experiences and interactive content.

Closing of the 3rd European Summit of STEAM Educators