Empowering collaboration and STEM engagement

After they received the equipment, teachers started to actively use it and to integrate it in the educational process. As far as teacher trainings, two teachers are trained to use LEGO robotics and how to incorporate them in teaching and most of the teachers participated in the webinars of the LfE community. Last but not least, six of the teachers obtained two more trainings for Google certified educators 1st level and successfully passed it and STEM for Skills for Innovation training. Nevertheless, the issue of enhancing collaboration within the school and engaging the community in the school life remained.

A first action was the sharing of the equipment and the collaboration among staff. The two interactive displays bought are used daily for presentations, videos, educational games and taking notes in the laboratories of both physics and chemistry and the rest of the devices (VR glasses and Chromebooks) are shared by interested teachers. Some lessons with the VR Glasses of 10th and 11th graders in biology were implemented. Until the end of the school year, they are planning to implement two integrated lessons with students using Chromebooks and the Skills for Innovation; one in chemistry and one lesson designed by the English and Geography teachers.

Different events were also organized for engaging the whole school, as well as the local community with the use of the equipment bought. For instance, on the celebration of the Earth`s day, there was a demonstration with the VR glasses where students from all classes participated. Students explored a digital world where they could learn about volcanoes, earthquakes, time zones or to become part of anatomical organ and see how it works or to mix chemicals, etc. An event was also held in school called “The day of open doors”, during which they presented the school to the local community and newcomers. The school also plans a lot of demonstrations with all devices and their possibilities in teaching, including LEGO robotics, VR glasses, etc. and an IT teacher is planning a robotics club. With the use of Chromebooks, two of the students participated in competition STEM Challenges organized by EduTechFlag.eu and won first place for their digital project “School of the future”.

There was a good example for symbiosis between the two schools of Chelopech – Secondary and Primary. They joined together to work in a project, and organized different activities. both obtained schools obtained the STEM School Label – Competent level officially introduced by European Schoolnet and Scientix, which means that the schools have official recognition of quality for organizing STEM activities among European schools.