STEM to STEAM: 21st Century Learning

No comments

Last week some of our Step Up ambassadors and team members were fortunate to participate in the STEM to STEAM Creative Lab, gaining hands-on creative experience with inspiring STEAM resources and ideas.

The Creative Lab was an ambitious event co-presented by Queensland Museum and The Cube at Queensland University of Technology, held at both venues on Friday and Saturday 1-2 May. The event drew together a range of teachers, pre-service teachers, academics and STEM/STEAM enthusiasts from around Queensland and interstate.

Professor Angelina Russo gave a keynote contextualising STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), its history and potential. This is a remarkably resourceful and diverse field, with Nintendo knitting machines, LittleBits DIY electronics, Disco Dog vests – just to name a few starring examples – and many creative solutions to wicked problems. Angelina recommended educators in STEAM tap into culture, identify trends, support convergence, test new ideas in traditional forums, to develop new partnerships and lead change in catalysing students’ participation STEAM. So inspired, it was difficult avoiding fear of missing out when taking part in the interactive workshops over the next two days. We enjoyed working collaboratively with teachers with expertise in science, maths, engineering and other discipline areas, and exploring ideas and practical applications in this forum. There was much to be learnt through various rapid prototyping, educational and problem solving activities, and together reflecting on the teaching and learning dimensions. Creative Lab workshops included:

        • Science in Motion: Identify shape and rhythm through nature

 

  • Animated Creatures: Bring your story to life

 

 

  • Ingenious Engineers: Blueprint your imagination

 

 

  • Collection Electronica: The museum of tomorrow

 

 

  • MakeY MakeY: Using digital hardware to design a video games controller

 

 

  • LittleBits: Prototyping with electronics

 

 

  • Design engineering: Robots in space

 

 

  • Cube Jame: Designing digital STEM content.

 

 

 

On the Friday night was a very special immersive Indigneous dinner at kuril dhagun at the Queensland State Library.

Wrapping up the event, Dr. Kim Nichols from The University of Queensland an our Step Up team joined a panel discussion with Lubi Thomas (QUT), Adam Jefford (Pimpama State Secondary College) and Terry Deen (Kelvin Grove State College).

Tune in here for blog posts and insights from us, and check out the Twitter conversation at #CreativeLab2015. Our blog and social media contributors include:

  • Melissa Blacklock, a pre-service science teacher at QUT who has participated in the STEM Studio and the National Science Teachers Summer School
  • Dr Chris Campbell, Lecturer Digital Technologies at The University of Queensland – a Step Up team member and STEAM Room project leader
  • Dr Julia Davies, Step Up Project Officer
  • Kathryn Gray, Step Up Project Officer – Communication.
  • Donna Kleiss, Step Up Project Officer – Pathways
  • Kathy Nickels, STEM Studio Coordinator.

Old school PACMAN for toddlers #creativelab2015 @QUTTheCube

A photo posted by BlackFox (@kathymillie) on