From August 11th to 16th, a group of ten educators from primary and secondary schools in Czechia and Hungary participated in an Erasmus+ teacher training course in Jyväskylä, Finland. The focus of the six-day programme was STEAM in school education, a method that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics into a cohesive learning experience.
Meet the Team
The course was led by trainer Jukka Lehtoranta. It began with an introduction to the principles and framework of STEAM, providing a solid foundation for the days ahead. Participants engaged in tools for self-reflection and networking activities, building connections with colleagues from different countries.
See the whole mobility experience through the eyes of teachers from Rózsahegyi Kálmán Primary School: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BDBCdRdZWT4UArQVnp7Z0jUhOw7kOSxO/view?usp=sharing
Take a look at this Facebook post shared by the teachers.
STEAM in School Education Training
A significant part of the training examined STEAM trends from around the world, with a specific focus on the Finnish approach. Sessions covered the Finnish National Core Curriculum and its emphasis on sustainability, showing how STEAM tools can be used to teach these values. The group explored ways to plan and facilitate learning pathways that boost student motivation and engagement through project-based methods.
The theoretical understanding was balanced with practical application. Educators learned how to foster creativity and innovation in the classroom, identifying good practices they could adapt to their own teaching contexts. They received guidance on the design basics for creating a STEAM lesson plan and spent time developing their own STEAM projects. The course also addressed student assessment and the development of key competencies through arts-integrated approaches.
Take a closer look at the course contents:
Cultural Activities
A cultural and educational city tour of Jyväskylä offered insight into its sustainable architecture and environment. The programme also included time for cultural activities that reflected Finnish life, including a visit to the Lehtisaari sauna island reached by rowing boat, and berry picking in the Keljonkangas forest area.
An valuable addition, not part of the official programme, was a visit to Puistokoulu, a local Finnish school. This provided the group with a direct view of a Finnish school environment, its design, and its daily operations.
Feedback from Participants
“Building the Warka Tower together was the most fascinating part. It was a powerful lesson that working together is the best way to achieve our goals.“
“This training inspired me to launch interdisciplinary projects. I’m now planning to collaborate with my colleagues in Maths, Art, and Science to bring these innovative ideas into our classrooms.“
“I discovered incredible new tools like Micro:bit and various AI platforms that I never knew existed. It was a profoundly interesting experience that developed my professional competences in new and exciting ways.”
“A hands-on, collaborative experience that transforms how you think about teaching and technology.”
Photo credits: Jukka Lehtoranta, Ágnes Lak Losonc and participants of the STEAM course
The teacher training were realized in the frameworks of the Erasmus+ KA1 programme.
Would you like to participate in a similar educational program?
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