During the first week of October (02-06/10/2023), Smart Umbrella Management
Solutions E.E. organized the Learning Teaching Training Activity “School to Farm”
– Workshop on STEAM Farm-based Learning Approach” in Thessaloniki Greece.
During the 5-day event we were excited to welcome seventeen experts from all
partner countries and train them on the newly developed Modules and Lesson Plans
combining STEAM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and
Mathematics) and farm-based learning with diverse hands-on activities.
Each day, the participants were introduced to different Modules varying from
Ecological Concepts and Problems, Gamification in the Farm, Farm Life, STEAM
Applications and Prototypes, as well as Art. Among the 24 lesson plans presented,
covering 48 teaching hours, experts got familiar with multiple activities they can
develop with the students either in the classroom, garden or when visiting a farm.
We even had the chance of trying some of them out during the event. As part of Gamification on the Farm Module, experts engaged in the “Fruit basket game” to better understand the roles of students and the learning outcomes.
Introducing the use of Legos, participants engaged in setting up a farm and a cold storage for the STEAM Application Examples Module Made on the Farm. To further engage into STEAM approach, a machine was built and programmed to transfer fruits and vegetables from the field to the storage.
Moving on to Automation and Robotics, participants had the chance to get familiar
to a BBC micro:bit and use coding to take measurements on soil moisture. To better comprehend the importance of technology in farming, experts used Legos and programming to build a products’ sorting machine that can automatically separate the edible items form the damaged ones, depending on the features given (Module for Creating STEAM Prototypes for Ecological Problems on the Farm).
These are just some examples of activities from the modules we are working on to
make available to you.
In the framework of the training, we hosted Dr. Anastasios Kollias, a university professor specialized on STEAM Education, who presented the importance of teaching with a STEAM approach and the ways to successfully implement it.
Each Module and Lesson Plan was separately evaluated by all experts and results are
currently processed so that the final products will achieve the highest possible quality. As we continue to exchange ideas and methodologies, we are excited about the positive impact this cross-cultural fertilization will have on our classrooms and farms.
The final Curriculum will be available on our platform soon so stay tuned!!!
BY ELEME EVGENIA
My name is Evgenia Eleme, and I am a Project Manager working for Smart Umbrella Management Solutions E.E. I am a graduate of the Business Administration Department of the American College of Thessaloniki (Anatolia) and I hold an MSc in Banking and Finance of Stirling University,
Scotland. Through my professional years I have worked extensively in drafting and managing investment projects funded under the Community Support Framework & the National Strategic Reference Framework. In my current position,
I have worked in more than 10 European projects on diverse subject areas such as school education, social inclusion, gender equality, green transition, social entrepreneurship, and innovation. I love taking dance lessons and reading literature but most of all I enjoy getting to know other cultures through their gastronomy.