This year “How to…” workshops will be conducted on both days of the Summit and will be run in parallel with discussion groups. On Day 1, four parallel workshops will showcase different methods and programmes in the STE(A)M field – from STE(A)M activities in kindergartens through STE(A)M summer camps for high school students to coding for inclusion and learning experiences combining art and technology. Day 2 will offer two workshops on innovative ways to address basic digital literacy using open source software and a comprehensive blended system for teaching digital competences.

“How to…” workshops are designed to give delegates a practical understanding of how to carry out a particular activity. They are hands-on short trainings with practical exercises. Our moderators have experience that could help delegates to understand the pitfalls, practicalities and lessons learned. Workshop leaders will produce a simple ‘guide’ to the subject that will be available to delegates during the session and online on our community networking Unite-IT platform after the event.

DAY 1

1. How to organize a STEAM summer camp
by Paolo Martinelli, ART-ER

Camps are a well-known activity enjoyed by students of all ages, and if planned and organised well, they hold significant potential to render a subject matter interesting and exciting, and to engage learners through out-of-classroom hands-on activities. STEAM summer camps aim to promote STEAM education and digital skills among 12-16 years old students and to contrast the gender gap and the confidence gap in STEAM.

During this workshop, participants will learn the basics of how to organise a STEAM summer camp. They will discuss how to engage institutional stakeholders such as national and regional educational authorities. Hands-on tips and examples will be given from the experience in Emilia-Romagna regarding timing, organization and logistics. Participants will learn what a day at a STEAM summer camp looks like, get examples of a daily schedule and in- and out-door educational activities on 3D modelling, Lego robots, art/music and technology, drones, web radios, social media, etc. Resources needed and possible funding opportunities will also be discussed.

This workshop is supported by La Carovana STEM project.
No specific technical equipment needed for participation.

2. How to design and run art and technology learning experiences
by Alessandro Saracino, Golinelli Foundation

Generative Art is a fascinating gateway for STEAM activities. Already in the 1950s, some computer scientists had perceived the expressive and procedural potential of computers for image generation. Computer code became, for the first time in the history of visual art, the genotype of the artefact, the equivalent of the score in music. Computer code also offered peculiar functions such as randomization or the possibility of verifying conditions and saving information, which made it “co-protagonist” together with the human agent/artist, with authorship dignity in artwork production. Today, thanks to the evolution of artificial intelligence, the computing capacity of modern processors and the multiplication of digital applications, producing generative algorithms to create effects, shaders, music and images has become common and can be accepted as a metaphor for the epochal change that we are living.

In this workshop, participants will learn and experiment with some simple iterations of generative art by using Processing, an open platform widely used even by professionals. The aim is to provide the basics of image control through software code by introducing simple syntactic and mathematical concepts which are behind the expressed shapes and allowing participants to apply these concepts into practice, in order to produce their first original digital masterpiece (in cooperation with their machine).

The workshop with start with an introduction to the Algorists movement and make some historical references before moving to a hands-on introduction into Processing and some free hacking. It will finish with an exhibition and evaluation. Participants will discuss at the intersection of creativity, math and problem solving: how many competences are actually involved into creating art through code?

This workshop is targeted at middle/high school teachers, digital educators and facilitators.

What you need: Fondazione Golinelli will provide all necessary equipment, but participants are allowed to bring their own notebook (PC or Mac) with current Processing version.

3. How to organise coding and gaming activities for social inclusion

by CODINC project partners

This workshop explains how to engage students through a stimulating pedagogical methodology, specifically how secondary school students (aged 15 and over) can teach basic coding and STEAM education to their younger peers – pupils aged 8-12. The “CODing for INClusion” (CODINC) project teaches coding and computational thinking in a fun and playful way promoting inclusion in disadvantaged areas.

The CODINC project aims to ensure that children and young people not only use digital tools, but also actively create technologies and digital products (videos, games, robots), and have an understanding what happens behind the scenes of ICT. Doing so, children improve their 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, problem solving and critical thinking. As the CODINC programme is short (10-15 hours), it can be easily applied to many contexts. The programme is modular and can be adapted to local contexts and needs through the online toolkit.

This workshop will teach participants the methodological foundation of the “Coding for Inclusion” programme, how to support peer-to-peer learning, best practices from digital competence centers and the experience of bringing them into schools. The CODINC project focuses on promoting inclusion through a peer-to-peer STEAM and coding educational training program. The students (15-18 years old) and pupils (10-12 years old) targeted in the CODINC project are specifically from more disadvantaged neighborhoods in comparison to other areas.

This workshop is supported by the CODINC project.
What you need: Participants should bring a laptop, or smart device if possible as this will help prepare the exercises. Some devices will be provided.

4. How to promote STEM education and training for 3-6 year old children
by Antonella Santilli, Open Group

The goal of this workshop is to raise awareness about a conscious and creative use of digital instruments in early childhood education (3-6-year olds) by bringing together digital education and outdoor activities. The project embodies the ambition to move from an education on how to use digital technologies to a digital education supported by a network of partners: digital coaches, kindergarten teachers and parents, who can learn about digital devices education models and integrate them in their practice or the daily life of their families.

Participants will learn how to promote digital culture in the kindergarten and creative use of digital devices at school and at home (by parents) and will then move on to a practical experience in implementing STEM educational activities.

The workshop offers an interactive methodology integrating theory and practice; and the activities proposed are easily replicable (equipment needed includes universally used inexpensive devices and open sources apps such as Quick, Vivavideo, Pic Pac). The most prominent theories about STEM will be presented (e.g. Piaget, Resnick and Tisseron) in the educative school and pre-school planning (digital corner, digital outdoor education, etc), tips will be given on how to engage partners (schools, kindergartens and formal groups of parents), what financial resources are involved and how to avoid common pitfalls. Data privacy issues will also be tackled as the activities involve children and the protection of privacy is of high importance.

The workshop is aimed at teachers and educators working with 3-6 year-old children.
What you need: Mobile devices (laptops, smartphones, tablets) to install and test proposed software.

DAY 2

1. How to use the Digital Competences Development System
by DCDS project partners

In this workshop, participants will be introduced to a flagship initiative of the ALL DIGITAL network – the Digital Competences Development System (DCDS). DCDS is a comprehensive system for teaching digital competences to adults (25+) with low digital skills and covers all DigComp competences at basic level. Participants will get an insight into the Digital Competences Development Methodology behind the system and the supporting online training environment of the system.

The workshop will start with an initial comprehensive presentation of the DCDS project and move to more analytical and practical presentations of its main components (methodology, self-assessment test, online environment). An interactive online quiz will illustrate the contents and levels of the system, the methodology: how to create a training course based on DigComp, which is based on learning outcomes and composed of learning units, modules and paths which make up the full training course. A practical walk through the online environment will also be provided. Finally, experienced trainers will share tips and lessons learned.

This workshop is supported by the DCDS project.
No specific technical equipment is needed.

2. How to move digital skills training from proprietary technology to open technology

by Athanasios Priftis, Ynternet.org and Martina Mayrhofer, COLECTIC

How can Free Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) be used to bridge the digital skills gap? The “Promote OPEN source technologies in non-formal Adult Education” (Open-AE) project has developed an open, free and modular curriculum aimed at e-facilitators to guide them on how to support low skilled and/or unemployed adults be upskilled and reskilled using open source technologies.

Increasingly we see digital skills and competences pegged to proprietary software solutions. New users with low skills are often intimidated or insecure with their own capacities to use FLOSS technologies, and often choose to use proprietary options because some brands are more associated with skills. The OPEN-AE project aims to bridge this gap and promote a method to make open culture and free software more accessible for new users.

Workshop participants will be introduced to:
• FLOSS trends in Europe and the OPEN-AE curriculum
• FLOSS culture: Commons, Copyleft and free licenses
• Bridging the digital skills gap with FLOSS, challenges and way forward: collaboration, communication and FLOSS tools.

This workshop is supported by the Open-AE project.
What you need: own laptops for collaborative note-taking.