Tag Archives: Stem Discovery week

Visible Maths

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”Mathematics is a subject that allows for precise thinking, but when that precise thinking is combined with creativity, openness, visualization, and flexibility, the mathematics comes alive.”

Why?

The starting point of the Visible Maths series of workshops was the fact that students have difficulties understanding mathematical concepts. So, I thought that creating real objects that show mathematical concepts might support students’ understanding.  

Who?

The students involved in this project were 9th graders (14-15 years old) and I worked with Miruna Batin, a professional designer from Scientifica, for designing and implementing the workshops.

How?

The workshops started at the begging of February, and we organised and implemented two workshops each month.

Workshop 1 (3 February 2022)– Launching the task

We started by launching the task.

Choose a mathematical concept (e.g. radian, cone sections, trigonometric circle, function, number, Pascal’s triangle, etc.) and design and make an object to illustrate the concept.

After that, the designer made a presentation about what is the design of an object & how to go from design to object.

Then, the students organized themselves in groups. After that, in the Zoom breakout rooms, they started to brainstorm for choosing the mathematical concepts.

Workshop 2 (17 February 2022) – Defining the idea  

The students’ teams continued their work in the Zoom breakout rooms for deciding on the mathematical concept chosen by the team. They had to vote for their favourite idea as a team. For this, they took time as much as they could to learn about the concept. They reflected on their learning by writing down on the team’s Jamboard:

  • information they already knew
  • 3 unanswered questions
  • 3 new information about the concept they found in their research
  • 1 thing other students should know about “their” math concept.

Workshop 3 (3 March 2022) – Function, form, and materials

Each team presented, in the plenary the maths concept and the object/ the mathematical experiment they intend to create, pointing out how people could interact with the object.

Then, the designer made a presentation on different types of materials and how object creators choose the materials for making stuff.

I never thought about the materials in such a detailed way.

Ana – student

After a Q&A session with the designer, they worked in teams (in the breakout rooms) for designing the objects and for deciding on the materials (type, quantity, providers) they need.

Workshops 4 & 5 (25 March & 13 April 2022) – Prototyping & testing

Each group created a mock-up of their object – from recycled material – as the students wanted to check if the maths experiments can be implemented.  

The Golden Ratio mock-up

Further, the students wrote on Jamboard questions about the prototype, dimensions of the objects, and materials. Both the designer and I gave feedback on the students’ work and tried to support students to find answers to their questions.

The Pascal’s Triangle – work in progress
The Pythagoras’ theorem – work in progress

Before the 5th workshop, the students “asked” for the materials they need by filling out a Google sheet. So, I bought the materials.

Radians & degrees – work in progress

So, the students started to work on the final version of their objects. Some of the groups have already finalised the work, and some are still working on them.

The inverse of a function

Workshop 6 (planned on the 28th of April 2022, postponed for mid-May) – Presenting the prototypes and the work process

As not all teams finished their work on the objects, we had to postpone the last workshop. Can’t wait to try all the maths experiments, together with the students’ teams.

Cone & Cylinder volumes

All the created objects will be donated to the maths teachers in our school – so, next school year we will use them and do the maths experiments with our students.

This series of workshops are local activities implemented in our school, Colegiul National Emil Racovita Cluj-Napoca, within the Smart Hands (Erasmus+ project).

RECYCLE FOR A BETTER FUTURE

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Summary

This project aims to raise awareness of our students about today’s environmental problems with the Steam approach, to increase environmental and recycling awareness in our children who will be adults of the future, to use our natural resources effectively, to avoid waste, to transform waste into art and to ensure that they produce rather than consume, to provide motivation by using technology and Web 2.0 tools and to teach our lessons. to integrate, to increase cooperation and self-confidence among students, to contribute to their foreign language skills. Our project was realized with the participation of 11 schools. Our project appeals to the 12-15 age group.

Participants in the project:

Project partners Ayşegül Kaşka- Nefise Yılmaz İpek Secondary School- İbradı, Cristina Marin- Colegio Cooperativa Al- Bayyana- Spain, Deniz Soydan – Yusuf Ziya Öner Science High School – Döşemealtı, Elisavate Stefanoska- Hristo Uzunov- North Macadonia, Emine Kutlu – Cumhuriyet Gülizar Osman Sarıca Secondary School Korkuteli, Figen Boyacıgil- Çalkaya 75 years Cumhuriyet Secondary School- Aksu, Magdalena Korzynska- Poland, Müyesser Esravaş- Çalkaya 75 Years Cumhuriyet Secondary School-Aksu, Necla Sever-Kargicak Secondary School- Alanya, Olcay Çakır- Private Life Design Schools- Alanya and Raşide It consists of Dayıoğlu – Antalya Science and Art Center – Kepez.

Teaching Resources (Material & Online tools)

Materials

Waste materials

kardboard

Glue

Paint

Online Tools:

https://wordart.com/

https://www.storyjumper.com/

https://www.artsteps.com/

https://www.pixton.com/

https://www.canva.com/

https://learningapps.org/

Learning Objectives

– To make students aware of environmental problems and to enable them to reach possible solutions

– To raise awareness of recycling in students

– Questioning recycling in terms of effective use of resources

– Taking care of waste control in the immediate vicinity

– Gaining the ability to find, understand, analyze, produce and share information

– To enable them to use technology effectively and efficiently

– Creating awareness of safe internet usage

– Supporting them to communicate effectively by developing cooperation, self-control, self-efficacy and self-confidence.

Entrance:

Recycling Wordclouds

In our project, which aims to raise environmental awareness among students, word clouds were created to reveal the readiness levels of students regarding recycling. Students used the WordArt Web 2.0 tool to create their word clouds.

Our WordArt word cloud works

Recycle for a Better Future Book

After revealing the readiness levels of the students, we wrote a joint story using the StoryJumper Web2 tool as a collaborative product work. We used the station technique while writing our joint story. Each group continued the story on the assigned page.

Our story

https://www.storyjumper.com/book/read/116718952/619612cf2e546

Exploring

We Recycle Letters for a Better Future

At this stage of our project, we organized recycling activities with our students. We wrote the initials of the name of our project using waste materials. The teams chose letters from the name of our project and created them using waste materials. We combined the created letters into a collage.

We Recycle Letters for a Better Future Collage

Explanation

In the explanation phase, recycling and environmental awareness, which are the main discipline goals of our project, are explained.

Recycle:

Recycling is the conversion of wastes that can be re-evaluated into raw materials through various processes and included in the production process again. Reuse, on the other hand, is the use of wastes in the same way until the end of their economic life, without undergoing any treatment other than collection and cleaning.

Importance of Recycling

  • It ensures the protection of natural resources.
  • It saves energy.
  • It provides convenience in garbage operations by reducing the amount of waste.
  • Thanks to the resource and energy savings it provides, it contributes to the development and economy of the country.

Elaborate

It is the stage where our project integrates with other disciplines.
Art integration: From Waste To Art
Technology integration: Safer Internet Day- Digital Games
English integration: Acrostic Poem

From Waste To Art

In the “From Waste to Art” activity, our students tried to create art products such as sculptures and paintings using waste products. In the event where science, engineering and art integration was ensured, our students were given a problem situation. The teams produced suitable solutions for this problem situation. Student teams chose the most suitable solution. Our students drew the prototype of the chosen solution on drawing papers in 2D. Then our students started to create the prototype. The products created by our students were presented as a virtual exhibition using the Artsteps Web 2.0 tool.

https://www.artsteps.com/embed/624e9dcabf3e6f07e1aeec71/560/315

Safer Internet Day

For February 8, Safe Internet Day, we created classes using the Pixton Web 2.0 tool and drew attention to safe internet rules.

Acrostic Poem

In the acrostic poetry activity, our students wrote texts consisting of the initials of our project and created a common poem. Here, by completing a text with our students, we used the station technique and integrated English with science.

Digital Games

In digital game development, which is the last activity of our project, technology and science were integrated. For this activity, we created the games of our project from Web 2.0 tools such as LearningApps, Kahoot, Wordwall, Quizizz.

Evaluation

At the end of our project, post-test scales were applied to our students for evaluation. In addition, our students’ opinions about the project were collected through Padlet.

LIFE WITH STEM

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As the 15 Temmuz Ortaokulu , we prepared a stem discovery campaign exhibition.

Before we prepare our posters and invitations.

Our school’s art street studies were carried out. Our teachers worked very hard for the stem exhibition.

 

STEAM and Art Street work was carried out in the corridors of our school under the leadership of our school Technology and Design Teacher Zeynep KAYA and by Visual Arts Teacher Melih Ulaş Kılınç.

https://youtu.be/EVGF02xc6hg


Thanks to (Zeynep KAYA ), Visual Arts Teacher( Melih Ulaş Kılınç) and students for their work.

Exhibition works of our school science teachers.

While we were making our exhibition, all our teachers worked very eagerly, and the students worked towards sustainable development goals.

The students exhibited model houses they made with solar energy panels as a solution to the goal of sustainable development (climate action).,With our exhibition, we partially achieved the goal of quality education, one of the sustainable development goals and our students had the chance to exhibit the materials they produced by doing and living. bridges with cultural significance, structures of historical importance, simple machines, and kindergarten students exhibited their eTwinning projects about recycle in our exhibition.

 

https://youtu.be/JWvsFzPtpLc
15 TEMMUZ ORTAOKULU STEM DISCOVERY CAMPAIN 2022

STEM EXHIBITION TEAM

  • Zeynep KAYA (TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN)
  • Buket İLERİLER (SCIENCE TEACHER)
  • Meltem SITKI (SCIENCE TEACHER)
  • Lütfiye DOĞANAY(SCIENCE TEACHER)
  • Ayla MAHMUT(TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN)
  • Melih Ulaş KILINÇ (VISUAL ARTS)
  • Filiz ÇİÇEKSAY(KINDERGARDEN TEACHER)
  • Bilge GEZER(KINDERGARDEN TEACHER)
  • Yazgül AKAT(TURKISH TEACHER)
  • Kamil KUŞKAPAN ( P.E TEACHER ,SCIENTIX AMBASSADOR)

The opening of our exhibition was held by our mayor and the district director of national education, and it attracted great interest from students and parents.

This exhibition was to increase students 21st century skills and raise awareness of real life problems. Participation was intense as parents, students, tradesmen and neighborhood. Our exhibition came to a very successful conclusion. Thanks to everyone who contributed.The school administration supported our work and always helped us, we also thank them.

https://youtu.be/KxwWXn7AoPk
OPENING CERAMONI

MORE TRADITIONAL RECIPES ETWINNING PROJECT

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INTRODUCTION

Food is a highlighting element of the cultural background of a country. Traditional foods are adapted to the elements that nature brings to people. Thus traditional food is an adaptation to the environment and plays an important role in the cultural heritage.

OUR PROJECT AIM

This is an eTwinning project in which Dr. Işıl Gülmez was co-founder with Guillem Amer (English teacher) who first had the idea of the project. We had partners from Turkey, Spain (Mallorca), France and Italy.

Our aim was to encourage students to promote their cultures through traditional recipes. We also aimed to practice the countable and uncountable nouns, the use of adverbs. In addition we aimed to promote the language exchange.

USING TECHNOLOGY

We used various technologies in our project. Tools such as Canva, Jamboard, Padlet, Flipbook, Google Documents were used in the project.

In order to evaluate the results of the project we used not only post survey but also Kahoot quiz. Within the scope of survey we also got opinions of students about the project. The opinions were shared in Wordcloud.

PEDAGOGICAL INNOVATION

Our project included step-by-step recipes. It overlaps with the algorithm subject in ICT courses. Our project also used multidisciplinary approach that included various subjects.

INTEGRATION OF STEM CONCEPT

Our project promoted key competences as well as STEM concepts. Thus our project promoted competences such as language literacy, Math, science, digital and entrepreneurship.

math competence

In our project students used quantitative data such as weight and time. In addition they used figures, numbers.

scıence competence

Students made experiments and observations of physical and chemical changes in their kitchen while cooking. They also could to do

dıgıtal competence

Students used algorithm when they were working with step by steps the recipes step by step. They also used web 2.0 tools in the project hence promoted digital competence.

Learning to learn competence

Students shared their works and got feedbacks from others. These feedback allowed them to reflect on their own works which helped them to improve themselves.

Entrepreneurship competence:

Each group had a word on how to do the tasks. Students took responsibilities of their own work in creating new contents.

Social and civic competence

Colloborative works in project promoted students’ communication, empathetic thinking and their respect others’ values and opinions. 

Cultural awareness and expression competence

On the whole of the project in which we teamed up with different countries, we learned about different cultures. We found out similarities and differences. We also learned to respect other cultures. 

RESULTS OF THE PROJECT

In conclusion, project improved students’ collaboration, motivation, digital, social skills and cultural awareness. Results of surveys revealed that partners liked the project. To sum up our project reached its goals.

Link of the project: https://twinspace.etwinning.net/209731/home

A Human Network That Shares Its Knowledge To Better Understand the Internet

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“A Human Network That Shares Its Knowledge to Better Understand the Internet” is an eTwinning project which was conducted with partnership of Turkey and France. In this project two teachers worked as co-founder; Dr. Işıl GÜLMEZ from Turkey and technology teacher Jean Philippe VIALA from France.

A Human Network That Shares Its Knowledge to Better Understand the Internet eTwinning project

The aim of the project was to enable students to comprehend computer networks. The project also proposed to teach students web 2.0 technologies through games and animations they created using Scratch. Partners generated images to illustrate the Internet network as part of the project’s scope. They created animations related to Internet networks as well. This project had several stages for making tasks clear for partners. Stages are as follows:

Stage 1

Firstly we tried to create a design to compare a human network and a computer network in a symmetrical way. Our students were divided into teams. We started by introducing the teams with the design of a team-building slogan. To do this, each team designed a word cloud with the slogan of each other team.

Secondly partners chose a network topology for building networks. Next they designed a different word cloud in which they wrote the first names of team members. They used a background image that matches network topology they chose. Afterwards each student in teams made a presentation of themselves using Scratch tool.

In addition, teams attempted to build an animation that included a conversation in order to learn phrases related to a network device or network language. They did this by using Scratch to design characters. One of the characters asked questions about the network the other responded.

Stage 3

Finally, each team designed an evaluation using Scratch application in which each teams suggested one or two questions on the topic. Finally we conducted post-survey to get opinions of partners about the project. The results showed that partners liked the project. Besides the results showed that the project motivated students to learn more about the subject. In conclusion we can summarise that our project reached its purpose.


https://twinspace.etwinning.net/219031/home