Today, Thursday, May 12, 2022, the "STEAM Day" took place at the premises of the Pancyprian Gymnasium for the completion of the first year of operation of the Pancyprian Gymnasium's Day School of Interdisciplinary-Interdisciplinary-Disciplinary Learning with the two directions ("STEAM" and "Greek Language and Culture").
The event was attended by all the students who attended this school year at the Full Day School of Interdisciplinary-Disciplinary Learning of the Pancyprian Gymnasium. The students were given a problem-challenge entitled: "Construction of an autonomous passenger vehicle for a visually impaired person". In order to study the challenge and find the optimal solution, the students had the whole morning time (from 07.30 to 13.35) and followed specific action steps. Having identified the need that was presented to them, they searched for information on the topic, for which they developed two possible solutions. They then proceeded to make an informed choice of the best solution, build and program their vehicle, test and evaluate it. Finally, they decided on the name of their vehicle, designed its logo and prepared an electronic presentation of their course of action. After the lunch break, the students were asked to implement the challenge by putting their vehicle in motion on a specific track. In the last part of the day, the students presented their course of action at the Severio Library before the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, their parents/guardians and selected guests.
The event was welcomed by the Director of the Pancyprian Gymnasium, Mr. Loizos Sepos, who expressed his pleasure and satisfaction with the upgrading of the Pancyprian Gymnasium both in terms of facilities and the education offered. As he mentioned: "Students are transformed into researchers by having access to the knowledge and information that is abundantly offered in the modern world. At the Pancyprian Gymnasium Day School, knowledge is acquired through visits, seminars, lectures and activities. The Severe Library, the Museums and Archives of the Pancyprian High School, as well as the Internet, are made available to students, who learn how to learn, self-act, self-evaluate and self-correct."
The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, Mr. Prodromos Prodromou, welcomed the event, stressing his satisfaction with the establishment of the All-day Interdisciplinary-Disciplinary Learning School of the Pancyprian Gymnasium with the two directions ("STEAM" and "Greek Language and Culture"). As he said: "In this new school there is no competition of individuals, but team competition. There is no distinction of excellence and mediocrity, but equality in common effort. There are no tests and examinations, but challenges and presentation of results. There is no passive learning, but active inquiry. There is no grading, but self-evaluation, peer evaluation and redesign. There is not just the classroom, but the world. There is not just the book, but real life. Students work as a team, they are eager and enthusiastic to master knowledge through research and work."
Finally, the Minister thanked the Inspector General of Secondary Education, Mr. Nicolas Yasoumi, who supervised the Full Day High School, the Director of the Pancyprian High School, Mr. Loiso Seppo, who supervised and helped in every way the operation of the Full Day Secondary School, the teachers, who excelled themselves in the struggle to make the Full Day Secondary School a success, the parents/guardians, who entrusted their children to the new school, the students, who demonstrated as a team, zeal and resourcefulness and created exemplary presentations of their own work.
During the implementation of the challenge, the teams were evaluated by Design and Technology Professors Mr. Marios Savvidis, Mr. Tasos Nikolaou and Mr. Andreas Zantis, while the oral presentations of the teams were evaluated by a jury consisting of Dr. Mary Kousselini, President of the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Body of Higher Education in Cyprus, Mr.
After the completion of the presentations, the jury unanimously decided to praise all the groups of students equally and not to award any prizes. The rationale for the decision was explained by Mrs Koutselini: "We consider that we do not single out the voluntary pioneers, those who develop something different from the usual, we reward them all. This is our decision. Every group has something different. And everyone without exception has acquired an exploratory-scientific way of thinking and life skills."
The event was organised by teachers Avramis Despotis, Niki Christodoulou and Fotini Theodoulou.
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