DREAM “Ideal classrooms always change, are a mess & have no teacher desk. They encourage interactions & personalization.” [B. Arnold, 2017]. CONTEXT Despite the huge advances that we have seen in technology, not much has changed when it comes to how we view learning and how we design learning environments. The transmission model of education is still the name of the game, although in some circles there are signs of its erosion. NEEDS It’s time to change the direction of teaching/learning by for once and for all turning it around and allowing it to originate from the pupil. Imagine a classroom where pupils are the ones driving the learning and are empowered to pursue things that matter to them. To let them employ multiple modalities as they are accessing human and digital resources to drive their own learning. In a 21st century learning model, learning extends beyond the classroom walls, and pupils are exchanging, discussing, questioning, reflecting and making connections anywhere, anytime. Most importantly, pupils are inspired and empowered to act, rather than sit back and have the knowledge brought to them. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The aims of the project are changing the way classroom management is developed, the curriculum and even the pupils’ behaviors, STEAM subjects. These changes will improve the employability, particularly in the technological jobs. We purpose to implement a new strategy in the classroom by integrated real life situations into curriculum, beyond the knowledge of the disciplines, soft skills and positive behaviors facing collaborative work, work routines, new challenges, unpredictability, failure in work, and others. The project will consider the classroom as a MakerSpace, an Innovation Lab promoting all the skills hard and soft, necessary to deal with world’s challenges for our century. With this project we would like to start changing the way to teach, to learn, to know, to do and to use knowledge in real life. It’s important to rethink, remake, reorganize the classroom, not only the physical way, but mainly the pedagogical way of working with and for each and every pupil. In fact, the classroom should be a place where every pupil can learn according his own skills, ways of organizing thinking, methodologies. The classroom must be a place for everybody, where each pupil learns according each one’s abilities. METHODOLOGY FULL STEAM AHEAD will create clear pathways for schools and teachers to adopt to this new way and help them arranging and aligning their policies, the classrooms, the lessons and approach to truly enable a pupil-driven 21st century learning model. SYSTEMATIC GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS, TEACHERS AND COMPANIES For a growing number of schools and areas, pupil-driven learning has become an aspiring framework for how educators, families, and communities partner to promote pupils’ development We realise it is a major task to create full pupil-driven facilities and curriculum within the project timeframe and possibilities. Therefore, the emphasis of the project is on enabling schools to first review what they already do regarding pupil-driven learning and then identifying areas missing. The project will facilitate status quo review and further embedding in schools’ strategic plans, staffing, professional learning, and budgets. FULL STEAM AHEAD drives many of their schoolwide practices and policies, creating a welcoming, participatory, and caring climate for (active) learning. Concretely we will deliver five outputs, three for schools and their teachers, one directly at pupils (IO4) and one specifically aimed at employers (IO3): • IO1 - The Classroom as a MakerSpace Toolkit; • IO2 - FULL STEAM AHEAD - Best Practices guidebook; • IO3 - Young Future Workers – Hosting Guidebook for employers; • IO4 - European Pupil Resource Pack • IO5 - Pupil driven Social & Professional Network Toolkit IMPACT & LONG TERM BENEFITS FULL STEAM AHEAD shapes schools’ partnerships with companies and other (regional) community members, highlighting engagement, trust, and collaboration. Through FULL STEAM AHEAD, young people will be aware of their desires to learn and the endless possibilities it brings. The project applies this awareness to develop all young people’s social, emotional and digital competences, learning behaviour and consequently their media literacy and ability to make sensible decisions. Furthermore, FULL STEAM AHEAD will enhance the learning behaviour of ALL young people (including the disadvantaged or less performing), reducing disparities in learning outcomes. No pupil will be left behind. The FULL STEAM AHEAD consortium consists of 6 partners which operate in the field of secondary education (support) with possess a business cooperation orientation: • Laisterdyke Leadership Academy secondary school (UK) • UMHAIHL secondary school (TR) • AEJE secondary school (PT) • OLEMISEN (FI) • FAMYLIAS (ES) • Open Education Community (BE)
The aims of the project are changing the way classroom management is developed, the curriculum and even the pupils’ behaviours, introducing multidisciplinary STEAM subjects. These changes will improve the employability, particularly in the technological jobs. We purpose to implement a new strategy in the classroom by integrated real life situations into curriculum, beyond the knowledge of the disciplines, soft skills and positive behaviours facing collaborative work, work routines, new challenges, unpredictability, failure in work, and others. FULL STEAM AHEAD has created clear pathways for schools and teachers to adopt to this new way and help them arranging and aligning their policies, the classrooms, the lessons and approach to truly enable a pupil-driven 21st century learning model. The emphasis of the project was on enabling schools to first review what they already do regarding pupil-driven learning and then identifying areas missing.
Imagine a classroom where pupils are the ones driving the learning and are empowered to pursue things that matter to them. To let them employ multiple modalities as they are accessing human and digital resources to drive their own learning. In a 21st century learning model, learning extends beyond the classroom walls, and pupils are exchanging, discussing, questioning, reflecting and making connections anywhere, anytime. Most importantly, pupils are inspired and empowered to act, rather than sit back and have the knowledge brought to them. The project considered the classroom as a maker space, an Innovation Lab promoting all the skills hard and soft, necessary to deal with world’s challenges for our century. With this project we started to change the way to teach, to learn, to know, to do and to use knowledge in real life. It’s important to rethink, remake, reorganize the classroom, not only the physical way, but mainly the pedagogical way of working with and for each and every pupil. In fact, the classroom should be a place where every pupil can learn according his own skills, ways of organizing thinking, methodologies. The classroom must be a place for everybody, where each pupil learns according each one’s abilities.