How does an educational activity become instructive and constructive, yet at the same time entertaining for students? This was the question explored during the last weekend of May in Bonțida.
In this special teacher training event “Built and Natural Heritage in Non-formal Education with STEAM Methods” at the Bánffy Castle in Bonțida (Romania) on the 24-25th of May participants learned about creative educational methods that integrate multiple school subjects and develop competencies, being at the same time more attractive to children.
This training with Kristóf Fenyvesi, senior researcher at the University of Jyväskylä and STEAM director of Experience Workshop was unique not only because of the beautiful location or the mild summer weather, but also for a number of other reasons:
- Romanian and Hungarian-speaking teachers worked together in a smooth communication flow in Hungarian, Romanian and English.
- Digital and analogue tools to make learning more visual and enjoyable were easily interchanged across generational boundaries.
- Participants thought of their cultural and natural heritage as a truly COMMON treasure.
- Cultural and natural heritage has proved to be an optimal field for learning through play and experience.
- Participants have made concrete plans on how to implement the activities learned here in schools.
All teachers got acquainted with interactive online games and applications and had the opportunity to plan their own extracurricular activities, which they could implement within their school programmes.
We would like to thank the Transylvania Trust Foundation (Bánffy Castle Bonțida), and also Csilla Lázár, teacher and executive director at Spektrum Educational Center, Katalin Rés and Írisz Dobos, members of NECC Nature Education Community Center, as well as Eke Zsuzsanna, art historian, with postgraduate degree in historic building conservation for their professional involvement!
This event was co-financed by the Romanian National Cultural Fund Administration.