STEM Leadership: Innovative Lessons with Micro:bit

On March 24–25, a training for teachers “STEM Leadership: Innovative Lessons with Micro:bit” was held at the Zaporizhia Polytechnic National University, which brought together motivated educators ready to introduce modern technologies into the educational process.

The university’s rector Viktor Greshta addressed the participants with a welcoming speech, emphasizing the importance of supporting pedagogical initiatives in the development of engineering thinking and STEM education.

The training was attended by teachers from educational institutions in Zaporizhia and the region, in particular Zaporizhia gymnasiums No. 84, No. 89, No. 100, No. 106, No. 59, lyceums No. 23, No. 31, No. 15, No. 107, as well as the Technical Lyceum and the Petropil Lyceum. Such a wide geography of participants once again confirms the high interest of educators in the development of the STEM direction and the introduction of innovations in education.

The training program was developed and conducted by associate professors of the Department of Electric Drive and Automation of Industrial Installations – Olena Nazarova, Alina Kazurova and Volodymyr Osadchy, ensuring a combination of theoretical approaches with practical cases.

Over two days, participants mastered practical programming using the BBC Micro:bit; created their own STEM cases for lessons; developed mini-projects for students in grades 5–11; explored the possibilities of integrating Micro:bit into cross-curricular projects; discussed effective methodological approaches to STEM education.

The training ended with interactive activities on automation and mechatronics, participants received initial skills in controlling quadcopters, discussed the prospects for creating joint STEM activities in the field of green energy, and visited a familiarization tour of the Quantum educational and scientific center of experiments.

The ceremonial part of the training was attended by Holly Tann and Adam McQuire, volunteers, founders of the British non-profit organization “Casus Pax”, thanks to whose support it became possible to distribute basic BBC Micro:bit kits among secondary education institutions in the Zaporizhia region.

According to the results of the training, Rector Viktor Greshta presented the training participants with certificates of advanced training, BBC Micro:bit equipment kits for implementing STEM solutions in their educational institutions.

Photos from the event can be found at the link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NtfMUCFKNAYeEDgomYiDJS8Xe-F6A0H_?usp=sharing

Thank you to all participants for your activity, openness to innovation and desire to change education today!

Together we are shaping a new a generation of thoughtful, creative and technologically prepared students!