A project as a synergy’s result of a inspired teachers’ group and their schools’ counselor!

1st step:

After investigating the educational teachers’ needs by a School Counselor in a Primary School district, a group of interested teachers

communicates to her their needs to be trained on the issues of Natural Sciences. Thus, a 15-hour optional training program is organized (in an afternoon non-working time) entitled "Experimental teaching of Natural Sciences" in cooperation with the EKFE.

So, a small group of eleven teachers attended this training program and became practiced in experimental activities mentioned in the sections: Heat, Electricity, Electromagnetism, Acids, Bases, Salts, Acid Rain, Microscopic Observation with Microscopes.

2nd step:

At the end of the training, the teachers were asked by their counselor to apply similar experimental activities to their classrooms.

At the same time, as an extension of the aforementioned seminar, it was followed experiential workshops that were organized at their schools. So, the students had an excellent opportunity to experiment, to come in contact with physics instruments (such as microscopes, etc.) and to discover and distribute through observation, the microcosm that surrounds them. Their reactions were enthusiastic and suddenly Physics became their favorite and most interesting lesson. 

In addition at that time, “the experiments were the bridge of learning the magic of the Natural Sciences inside the classroom -on a daily basis- where they didn't need to memorize, but have fun, a passionate patience and perseverance. The seriousness, with which they dealt with the roles they assumed, was typical. They formulated questions and hypotheses and with methodical observations and experiments they checked whether their hypotheses were correct. So, very soon, they became young scientists!”as Mrs Katerina Nastou claims, who is one of the open-minded teachers of the group, and a protagonist at the next step.

Open-minded teachers contribute to the promotion of STEM education at schools

3rd step:

 The culmination of this experience was given by the organization of the Natural Sciences' Festival. At the initiative of these teachers (Mr. Basilis and Andreas Houliaras, Mrs Nastou etc.) and their School Counselor,  the cooperation of the School of Sciences of the Hellenic Open University, EKFE of Agrinio and the Technical Educational Institute of Western Greece the  " 1st Festival of Natural Sciences for children" was co-organized.

The Objectives of this particular action became:

• to raise students' awareness of the Natural Sciences

• to cultivate children's love for these Sciences

•  to promote a culture of cooperation between teachers, pupils and schools in the STEM education. 

     All primary schools in the city, all teachers and students responded to this invitation. Students in small groups rotated in 13 stations and they had the chance to participate in a lot of experiments, in a variety of fields, such as electricity, magnetism, light, mixtures, robotics, DNA isolation, etc. According to a participating teacher, Mrs Nastou, “The whole action reinforced their love and interest in the Natural Sciences. Their enthusiasm was really too obvious!  As students commented at the end of the event, they were thrilled and they would anxiously await the 2nd Festival!”

4th step:

According to the design and vision of the co-organizers of the project there was a clear thought of the students themselves participating (Group / School Groups) as laboratory managers with a variety of experiments in the next Festival. The ultimate goal / vision would be a Science Festival in the backyard of each school, with “little scientists” taking action through experimentation and transferring the magic of physics to the hearts of their classmates.

Moreover, under the guidance of their teachers, the students of the 5th and 6th grades of each School -after participated in the aforementioned Festival- could undertake the designing and training in similar experimental activities. Divided into small groups they could organize small experimental stations at their own Schoolyards in a "Mini Festival of Children's Natural Sciences”. At  this Festival would be invited all schools’ students (from 1st to 6th grade) and in the included workshops the children would be called to observe carefully the experiments,  to  gain some points by observing the experiments and answering the "exit cardand finally to leave having the diploma of a "Little Scientist"! They will succeed if in each test !

The main goal of this project is children to be introduced to the magic and beauty of the Natural Sciences and learn it by playing.