Our Happy Kids With STEM project aims to increase our students’ interest in science, technology, mathematics and engineering. Apart from this, it is aimed to train students who can think creatively, solve problems and have 21st century skills by integrating STEM disciplines with each other. In our project, Anna discovered a new planet in space. that’s why she wants to send a reconnaissance vehicle to the planet. However, due to the fuel problem, this vehicle has to move without fuel. With a dream she saw, she solved this problem with a magnet. So she invented the magnetic car.
Our Goals
With this project, we aim to equip our students with 21st century skills. In particular, it is aimed to gain problem-solving skills through project-based learning. Creative thinking is aimed with learning by design. It is aimed to make new designs by using the tools necessary for their imagination and daily life skills. In addition, it is to help the development of hand-eye coordination by making movements that require object control. It aimed to raise awareness about sustainable energy and zero waste. Thus, increasing sensitivity to the framework is among our goals.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Students learn about magnetic energy, repulsion and pull of forces in the field of science. While learning the layers of the atmosphere, he also learns about the clouds. In addition to the concept of time in mathematics, he also learns to measure length. Technology system researches are provided. In engineering, he designs and makes cars that work with magnets. It also develops their vocabulary.
Results
Students’ designs and learning throughout the process are evaluated. They also learn through interdisciplinary collaboration in terms of language development as well as science, mathematics, technology and engineering. With these, it is emphasized that magnetic energy is sustainable energy. It is emphasized that it leaves zero waste.
Within the scope of Airbus Foundation Discovery Space “Aerospace in Classroom“, we discussed the topic of “The Importance of Gravity and Aviation” with our students at our school with an education that includes models and simulators, and to raise aviation awareness. We examined gravity-defying birds, planes, and helicopters, discovered vehicles that fly against gravity. After examining the flight mechanisms, we designed our own flying objects.
Aim of the lesson / Learning Objectives
Students understand that the gravitational pull between the Earth and the sun and the moon is very important, that it is almost impossible for us to live without gravity. They research birds, planes, and helicopters that snow on gravity and understand how they fly.
Results of the lesson
Students who understand the importance of gravity and discover how planes fly, make and fly their planes with materials in their homes.
In Stem education, students integrate science and mathematics courses in the school with other courses. Students make engineering designs using technology. In these studies, students bring solutions to their daily problems in their lives. Through STEM education, students develop their problem-solving abilities.
1-INSTRODUCTİON
Our eTwinning project with the participation of 8 school teachers and students from 4 different countries within the scope of ‘Step By Step STEM eTwinning project’; 2020-2021 academic year; 64 primary school students (Turkey), 40 Elementary School student (Slovakia), 32 Elementary School student (Italy), 25 The primary school student (Romania) was given STEM education.
In the project, sustainability citizenship issues were integrated into the STEM education provided. These STEM activities designed by students, it consists of applications related to creating their own solutions to environmental problems.
In the schools participating in the project, it consists of applications for students to create awareness by designing solutions to daily life problems and to produce their own solutions to environmental problems.
2 – AIMS OF STEM EDUCATION
the requirements of the century have led countries to change their policies in areas such as science, technology, politics, economics and education. Countries now need qualified individuals who produce, question events from different windows. These individuals develop different educational approaches. It is very important that they integrate them into the country system. In fact, the STEM approach is one of the last examples of this worldwide (Karakaya, Avgin and Yilmaz, 2018A).
In other words, STEM is the focus of knowledge and skills belonging to the fields of Science-Technology-Engineering and mathematics on engineering design. It is an educational approach that aims to provide students with interdisciplinary cooperation, open communication, ethical values, problem solving skills using research, production and creativity. (Commandments and Korkmaz, 2016; Karakaya and others, 2018a).
The aim of this study is to raise awareness of the causes of environmental pollution by STEM activities of the students participating in the project. With this education; It is necessary to ensure that students both produce solutions to problems and to ensure that students regulate their lifestyle in order to reduce these problems in daily life.
3- METHOD
HOW CAN START STEM EDUCATION?
At the first stage, the teachers who participated in the project received seminars on STEM projects and Scientix projects from Dr. Tunç Erdal Akdur, the scientist Coordinator of Turkey. After the seminar, teachers formed STEM teams in their schools. Teachers designed learning scenarios for the project.
Teacher webinar- Teacher leaned how can design STEM activities
Students who participated in the project learned about the problem in the STEM script. In each learning scenario, a solution to an environmental problem is sought. Scenarios for achievements in countries ‘ curricula 21.built according to Century Skills.
Students watched videos and animations for the event. After the videos they watched, the students created solution suggestions. In this way, students were able to discover the factors that cause problems. Students designed solutions and inventions for the problems they identified. Students from different countries came together and designed various products to raise awareness about environmental pollution. During the activities; students guided only within their needs; their products were evaluated. The STEM education process has been closely followed with the evaluations made.
Designed online webinars; students, engineers met. At the meeting, the engineers described their profession. Students asked what they were curious about the engineering professions. Thanks to the event, students became familiar with engineering professions.
Students webinar- Students met engineers
The studies were added to the STEM School Label profiles of the schools. At the end of the studies, schools were eligible for the STEM School Label.
4. FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATIONS
According to data obtained from 151 primary school students from 4 countries, students participating in the activities. In the project draft have created solutions to the problems they have identified within the framework of the activities they have determined about their wishes. In the activities, it was observed that the solutions and inventions of the students were original and creative.https://stepbystepstem.blogspot.com/
It has been observed that students ‘ imagination and problem-solving abilities develop in the right proportion with these activities. Thanks to the activities, it has enabled students to both provide solutions to problems and regulate their lifestyle to reduce these problems in daily life.
5. RESULTS
It has been observed that students explore environmental pollution problems with STEM education they attend. In addition, it has been observed that the education in which students receive suggestions for solutions to the problems they have identified and designs for inventions is at the level of analysis.
Students’activities-
By providing STEM education during primary school, it will give students the opportunity to both provide solutions to problems and regulate their lifestyle to reduce these problems in daily life.
It has shown that; students are more easily transferred to their lifestyles by transferring them to practice rather than theory as thought for these trainings.https://padlet.com/dusanabuchtova/oimh2j4xm0e7ysh6
REFERENCES eTwinning projects.: Nature Protectors Karakaya, F., Avgin, P. S. and Yilmaz, m. (2018a). Interest of Secondary School students in the professions of fentechnologyengineering-mathematics (FeTeMM). Ihlara Journal Of Educational Research, 3 (1), 36-53.
Commandment, B. and he is not afraid, d. (2016). FeTeMM awareness scale (FFO): validity and reliability study. Turkish Journal Of Science Education, 13 (2),61-76.
Today, the importance of digital literacy has increased with the development of technology. Therefore, it is necessary to protect our next generation students from information pollution and misleading news. We divided our students into four groups at DIGI TV. The first group worked figured out positive and negative information about the news. The second group was an announcer and gave information about safe Internet use. The third group made a presentation about cyber and peer bullying. The last group gave information about conscious digital citizenship. As a result, they learned how to keep up with the digital age with the TV they made.
How did it start?
Our Digital STEM project aims to increase the interest of our students in the fields of science, technology, mathematics and engineering. Apart from this, it is aimed to train students who can think creatively, solve problems and have 21st-century skills by integrating STEM disciplines with each other. In our project, Ayşe attended the safe Internet lesson given in her school. In this lesson, they learned that not every information they heard on every television was correct and that they had to investigate. She decided to tell this information to her brother through play. Upon this, she became a news presenter by making a television.
The place and importance of Mathematics in STEM Education
STEM education has attracted the attention of educators all over the world in recent years. Since the 21st century is an age of information and technology, new career needs arise every day in the business world. These emerging career definitions also change the expectations of the business world from education and training institutions.
Today, individuals should equip themselves in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. To meet this demand of the business world, many educational institutions, especially the Ministry of National Education of the countries, have focused on the STEM education-training approach. The basic philosophy of STEM education is to realize the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics simultaneously and in an interrelated way within the context of education and training activity.
Since ancient civilizations, mathematics has been one of the most important components of education. Although the nature of mathematics knowledge has changed compared to the past, it easily continues this feature today. While theoretical mathematics knowledge was at the forefront in the past, applied mathematics knowledge has become an important need in the fields of engineering, design, finance, informatics, and similar fields today.
Mathematical modeling that can be applied to problems is very important for STEM. Students grow up as individuals who can produce solutions to real-life problems. They have the equipment required by them and the age of technology.
