STEAM/PBL in the Classroom - A Hands-On Experience Facilitators: Paula Marra, UNIS STEAM activities cross silo boundaries and we believe it can be much more effective to show someone a STEAM project than to explain it in a lecture format. The hands-on format is impactful both because the participants can see how their students would experience the project, and also because they can more easily visualize how they could execute something similar themselves. • This workshop combines a hands-on activity where participants will observe the lesson being given to students at AS Barcelona or at Benjamin Franklin International School. The activity we will use is one we have developed at our school, which we call iCity: using a differentiated approach, the students will work together to develop and build a model city using various materials: recyclables, art materials, and appropriate technology. • We will spend at least the first part of the morning with the students, followed by a 2 hrs session with the delegates to unpack the learning. During the project, the students will discuss geography, urban planning, engineering, architecture, geometry, the atmosphere, weather, and urban plants and animals, all in context. If possible, the children should do two activities beforehand: a neighborhood walk (they should take pictures of what they see); and making recordings of city sounds. All material can be shared with us via Google Drive. The delegates, too, should prepare beforehand, by identifying a unit they would like to work on. After the workshop with the children, we will unpack the session with the delegates who observed the lesson and discuss how they can develop their own STEAM unit using the example of iCity. We will show how subject areas such as technology, math, science, and art can be integrated in a PBL experience; how teachers can collaborate to develop and extend their own STEAM projects; and how to design innovative units together with students, making them stewards of their own learning. We will discuss the use of Design Thinking in addressing implementation challenges. iCity, at its heart, is built around an exercise where the students build a model of a city. We look forward to sharing this with you all. Learning Outcomes The delegates will be able to understand: 1. What is a PBL STEAM experience? 2. How can it be used to make learning content more relevant to students? 3. How can teachers collaborate on a PBL experience? Applicability The delegates will be able to: 1. Develop their own unit using each other and us as resources. Impact The delegates will experience firsthand how learning happens and how rich it is when different subjects are brought together to collaborate towards a common goal.
STEAM/PBL in the Classroom - A Hands-On Experience Facilitators:
Paula Marra, UNIS STEAMactivitiescrosssiloboundariesandwebelieveit
canbemuchmore effective toshowsomeonea
STEAMprojectthantoexplainitinalectureformat.Thehands-onformatisimpactfulbothbecausethe
participantscanseehowtheirstudentswouldexperiencetheproject,andalsobecausetheycanmore
easily visualize how they could execute something similar
themselves. This workshop combines a hands-on activity where
participants will observe the lesson being given to students at AS
Barcelona or at Benjamin Franklin International School. The
activity we will use is
onewehavedevelopedatourschool,whichwecalliCity:usingadifferentiatedapproach,the
students will work together to develop and build a model city using
various materials: recyclables, art materials, and appropriate
technology. We willspendatleastthefirstpartofthemorningwiththe
students, followedbya2hrs session with the delegates to unpack the
learning. During the project, the students will discuss geography,
urban planning, engineering, architecture, geometry,
theatmosphere,weather,andurbanplantsandanimals,allincontext.Ifpossible,thechildrenshoulddo
twoactivitiesbeforehand:aneighborhoodwalk(theyshouldtakepicturesofwhattheysee);andmaking
recordings of city sounds. Allmaterial can be sharedwith us via
Google Drive. The delegates, too, should prepare beforehand, by
identifying a unit they would like to work on. After the workshop
with the children, we will unpack the session with the delegates
who observed the lesson
anddiscusshowtheycandeveloptheirownSTEAMunitusingtheexampleofiCity.Wewillshowhow
subjectareassuchastechnology,math,science,andartcanbeintegratedinaPBLexperience;how
teacherscancollaboratetodevelopandextendtheirownSTEAMprojects;andhowtodesigninnovative
units together with students, making them stewards of their own
learning. We will discuss the use of Design Thinking in addressing
implementation challenges. iCity, at its heart, is built around an
exercise where the students build a model of a city. We look
forward to sharing this with you all. Learning Outcomes The
delegates will be able to understand: 1.What is a PBL STEAM
experience? 2.How can it be used to make learning content more
relevant to students? 3.How can teachers collaborate on a PBL
experience? Applicability The delegates will be able to: 1.Develop
their own unit using each other and us as resources. Impact The
delegates will experience firsthand how learning happens and how
rich it is when different subjects are brought together to
collaborate towards a common goal.
