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Welcome to “STEAM Family”, family workshops spreading the knowledge and interest of STEAM in society. Science and technology arise a travel through different everyday realities to build knowledge into family and complete a challenge at home enjoying. Real and virtual experimentation, and collaboration of institutions and companies complete social learning , a pillar of XXI society.

Description

Image: Puzzle _jpeg

The project develops family workshops to spread the knowledge and interest of STEAM in society. This is in line with the EU’s objective “the need to create a European area geared to the demands of work throughout the twenty-first century“.

Its history began in the year 2013 and has been developed in Libraries of Barcelona and Gerona (Spain) .

• Objectives of these family workshops are: To disseminate STEM contents in workshops, to share parent and child activities as a family, to develop STEM attitudes in the nucleus of families, develop multiple intelligences and abilities, to promote the scientific culture of citizenship and to join the social learning system as a project, living European projects and Europe in multilingualism (Catalan, Spanish, English), to strengthen institutions (libraries, museums) and the collaboration of companies of the field STEM.

• Content is completed as a travel through different everyday realities discovering STEM in workshops. The developed topics are: Are we scientists? Security & Food_Universe_ Molecules_Plants and classification_Scientific Language _ Energy _Archeology _ Colour Language.

• Design. Each workshop requires pre-registration in the family, with participation of children from 9 to 12 years. The time of each workshop is 2 hours; However the contents point to a range of related topics that would justify more sessions and hours of activities to build knowledge. Real experimentation, virtual experimentation and simulation of experiences is a common component of all workshops, and there is a continuous improvement in its design incorporating attention to diversity resources such as those of sign communication. And the resources needed to make the workshops are: volunteer teachers, children, parents, cultural institutions of society, companies, libraries.

• Methodology. Sequence of workshop actions are based on a STEM proposal is framed by an Inquiry methodology that is supported on the Graasp platform within format of the European Go-Lab Project. Go-Lab aims to inspire teachers and trainers in Europe and encourage them to use online research labs in their teaching.

• The different stages of work of the scientific method determines the development of each workshop.
  The Introduction incorporates promoting interest and artistic knowledge and learning flows starting with amazing phenomena that arouse interest and introduce the subject while raising questions, follows the conceptualization sustained by previous knowledge and constructor Hypothesis. We go on to experimentation (real and virtual) to reach conclusions that are consolidated with simulation proposals in which all the participants participate. The final discussion is consolidated with a challenge that gives the opportunity to apply the knowledge of the workshop in everyday life, discovering new perspectives to enjoy STEM at home and with family.

  Each workshop is developed with three scenarios and a challenge to solve in the family after the workshop:
  Scenario 1: approaching the “topic” by surprising, and provoking questions (approaching concepts)
  Scenario 2: real and virtual experimentation
  Scenario 3: conclusions, modelling, and everyday applications
  Challenge: Families receive the answers to their questions via @mail.

• Results. The image reports of the workshops are evidence of success:See the material of the photographic reports (Pinterest URL of the workshops, approaches the dynamics)
  >Https://es.pinterest.com/bibliotecavdm/tots-som-cient%C3%ADfics-i/ EGGS SURPRISE us (experiment with safety)
  >Https://en.pinterest.com/bibliotecavdm/tots-som-cient%C3%ADfics-ii/ SMALL DETECTIVES ANALYZE TRACKS (food and health)
  >Https://es.pinterest.com/bibliotecavdm/tots-som-cient%C3%ADfics-iii/ GIANTS WE CAN NOT SEE (DNA)
  >Https://es.pinterest.com/bibliotecavdm/tots-som-cient%C3%ADfics-iv/ LIGHT OF THE STARS, EXPLANANTS (life of the stars in the year of light)
  >https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5M3LvGbC8SndFhoVVBIMzZZdG8 THE LANGUAGE OF THE COLORS (the science of color)
  >Https://es.pinterest.com/bibliotecavdm/tots-som-cient%C3%ADfics-vi/ GIANTS ATRAPAN WATER MOLECULES (polymeric materials)
  >Https://es.pinterest.com/bibliotecavdm/tots-som-cient%C3%ADfics-vii/ MYSTERY IN THE BOTANICAL GARDEN (Scientific Policy). The next workshops: Little Archaeologists (techniques for the identification and study of different archaeological materials). Cooking with the sun & Living with the wind (renovable energies).

• Evaluation and improvements introduced.

  The registration of assistants and the feedback from the parents show satisfactory results. The small budget of each workshop and SWOT analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) are also positive indicators. The participation of the family provides a very enriching dynamic. Library is consolidated as a local STEM culture and promotion institution. The family is strengthened as the nucleus of society. From Starlight tell us, the compilation of questions with audio recording is systematized.

  

  Article written by: M.Carmen Diez, Scientix Ambassador. 

Tags: Education, Innovation, inquiry-based learning, march for science, Project, scenearios, Space education, STEAM