Short overview of the topic:

The focus of this module is to provide guidance for teachers and educators new to the approach on choosing and matching STEAM activities that are desirable, feasible and viable in terms of space and place, with the technological capacities of the teacher, students, and school facilities.

It is important to manage expectations and start from a realistic position - if you have no access/patchy access to the internet there is no benefit to planning an interactive virtual STEAM activity that requires high-speed access. The very idea of having to use unfamiliar technology may be a barrier to teachers who are new to STEAM and/or not very technically proficient.

Similarly, if you only have a limited space, such as a small classroom with a lot of furniture that will not suit some STEAM activities, but it by no means excludes you from engaging effectively.

Topics covered will be:

- Pre-planning Checklist - Assessing your Space & Technical Capacity

- Space and Place - Options Available, How & when to use them

- “No-Tech” Options - Arts’n’Crafts, Re-use, Upcycling, & Integrating School Supplies

- “Low-Tech” Options - Tinkering with Technology!

Skills Development for Students in any STEAM spaces using No Tech & Low Tech Activities include:

Initiative and intentionality: setting your own goals, asking and responding to feedback, persistence to achieve goals

Social skills: request or offer help in solving problems, inspire or be inspired by new ideas or approaches, make connections to the work of others

Development of understanding: offer explanations for a strategy, tool or result, apply knowledge, strive to understand

Creativity, Imagination & Innovation: using no-tech and low-tech materials and activities encourages creativity and innovation in students. It also encourages deeper understanding of the mechanics of simple materials, and the capacity to use the resources and space available in new and interesting ways.

Duration of the module: 6-8 hours

Learning Outcomes

The participants will be able to:

• understand how to choose, plan and implement STEAM activities that are desirable, feasible and viable in their particular circumstances

• explore a number of space and place options for STEAM activities inside and outside the classroom and understand how to apply them

• explore and test a number of “no-tech” options for STEAM activities and understand how to apply them to engage their students

• explore and test a number of “low-tech” options for STEAM activities and understand how to apply them to engage their students

Activity overview suggested and the steps to implement it:

This module will provide some guidance on simple No-Tech and Low-Tech STEAM based multidisciplinary options both within and outside the classroom. A small amount of planning and matching your STEAM activities to your specific conditions will increase the success of your STEAM activities in a big way.

Step 1: Introduction to the topic (1-2 hours)

The trainer will introduce the module. To begin, the trainer will assess the levels of experience with STEAM activities and spaces in the group - going round the group giving each participant a few minutes to tell the group about their experiences to date, and what they liked about them [or didn’t]. If the participants say they have no experience at all the trainer should ask them to describe instead their favourite STEM or Arts or Outdoor Activity or Area in their school, or even their favourite STEAM related school trip.

The trainer will harvest the information as they go around the room, using a white board/ chart/wall & post-it notes, and looking up online the STEAM/other projects mentioned by the participants so that the group can explore each other's experiences further later.

This should highlight to the group that most people have been involved in or visited activities and spaces that could be considered or used in STEAM approaches, and reduce any fear in the group due to lack of STEAM experience.

Then the participants will be introduced to the following document to assist them with understanding their options “Pre-planning Checklist - Assessing your Space & Technical Capacity”.

The trainer will give the participants a few minutes to go through the document to start them thinking about the specifics of their situation, what they want to do, where and how they might do it.

Step 2: Space and Place Options: How & When to use them (1-2 hours)

The trainer will explain the topic of Space and Place. This can begin with a conversation/discussion about the space the training is taking place in - physically and/or virtually.

The trainer will use this presentation to show a variety of STEAM Spaces, Places and Activities to give the participants a flavour of the variety of spaces and activities that can and have been used for STEAM Activities.

The participants will be provided with a resource sheet using the following document “STEAM Space & Place” providing video and other links showing different types of space and place examples for inspiration and planning.

They will be provided with either large sheets of paper and colouring pencils/markers [or whiteboards] to sketch out rough blueprints of their school and surroundings, on which to highlight the space and resources available to them, to really engage them in planning activities to suit their specific locations. They will be encouraged to print e.g. photos of their school and surroundings, as well as STEAM ideas they have, to add to what will become a sort of “vision board” of their school STEAM planning. This can be added to each individual's collection of templates, checklists and tools provided in the modules so far, and assist them in future planning. They could use e.g. a Google Jamboard and/or Mind Map software to do this either.

Step 3: “No-Tech” Options - Arts’n’Crafts, Re-use, Upcycling, Integrating School Supplies (1.5-2 hours)

The trainer will introduce the topic of “No-Tech'' Options - including Arts’n’Crafts, Re-used/ re-usable materials, Upcycling materials and integrating day-to-day school supplies into new and interesting STEAM activities. Using the document “No-Tech Sample lesson & activities'', the trainer will guide the participants through the sample lesson and activity and, as part of the activity they will discuss the potential for using alternative materials, methods and spaces.

Step 4: “Low-Tech” Options - Tinkering with Technology! (1.5-2 hours)

The trainer will introduce the topic of “Low-Tech” Options - Tinkering with Technology, using the following document “Tinkering - Introduction & Activity”.

The participants will work through the theory, methodology and then a sample activity to increase their understanding of Tinkering and Low Tech as elements of STEAM.