Our collective experience and research in a variety of STEAM projects, both in formal education settings and non-formal settings such as FabLabs, Maker Spaces and others, has convinced us all that using STEAM approaches of many shapes and sizes in primary education can be extremely beneficial to both students and teachers alike, including:

• for supporting the development of creative, critical-thinking, problem-solving, students through hands-on, practical approaches

• for improving collaboration and communication skills as students work both individually and collectively in diverse teams, acknowledging and embracing differences in skill sets, interests, capacities and more

• for increasing the enjoyment, engagement and motivation of students, including the less academically-inclined students / students with learning difficulties / students who might otherwise feel excluded for one reason or another [gender stereotypes / marginalised groups/ other exclusion issues ]

• for more effective learning, acquiring skills and producing outputs that might have otherwise seemed daunting or very difficult to achieve

• for a more holistic understanding of ‘how the world works’, by engaging multiple disciplines, experts from different fields, and exploring “real life” contexts and connections

• for supporting and enabling teachers to “flip” their classrooms and engage the students in helping to teach each other, work together and enjoy learning and trying new things.

Overall we suggest that this approach can be particularly beneficial in relation to creating a more inclusive, coherent, creative and relevant educational environment for you and your students.

As such we hope that following participation in the program, as a trainer or a teacher, will have provided you with a better understanding of:

• the areas associated with the terms STEM and STEAM

• the use of STEAM approaches in the classroom in the formal education system

• the link between STEAM activities, maker culture and non-formal learning

• how to attempt, define, plan, implement, and evaluate STEAM projects/activities

• the application and benefits of using STEAM approaches to create a more inclusive educational environment

• the space, place, material and technical requirements to maximise your STEAM capacity & match to your specific needs and environment

• some no-tech, low tech and high tech STEAM activities and options, including

• the variety of STEAM resources, experiences, supports, training and more available

Now it’s up to you! Try it, test it, share it!!

Best of luck, and please feel free to connect with us, we would be delighted to hear about your experiences!

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