* By Professor Gregory Makrides
It is widely accepted and documented through studies and references that school students lack competences and skills at the completion of the cycle of their school studies. As one of the key factors that can develop competences and skills in school students, especially in grades 6-12, is the known multi-discipline and multi-science project-based learning activity.
In the last 15 years we have seen the development from STEM to STEAM and now to STEAME (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics and Entrepreneurship) becoming the subject set that through project based learning activity of school students, is considered the kinetic energy for producing the creators and innovators of the future. The catalyst in making this a reality are the subject teachers in service and the future student teachers through their initial training at the university level. This can be accomplished through the development of STEAME Teacher Facilitators Academies networked through Europe and beyond.
These academies will support the change to the future schools with main actors the teacher facilitators as the future professionals and experts of learning change and facilitators of competence and skills development in youth. As Einstein said many years ago: “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” so one needs to imagine the future of learning with todays’ technologies, which is difficult but necessary in order to bring the changes we need and be ready for the change of school infrastructures to facilitate the new learning environments… more
(Khaleej Times)
