Book of abstracts Ljubljana, 29th and 30th June 2023 Organized by Institute Lila 3. European Education for Life Conference Book of abstracts Editor: dr. Tina Rutar Leban Design: dr. Tina Rutar Leban Publisher: Institute Lila Director of the Institute Lila: Gašper Kemperle Online form only Participants of the Conference: EFL International, EFL School OŠ Lila Ljubljana; Elementary school OŠ Lila Kajžica, EFL School OŠ Lila Maribor; EFL School Peruggia, EFL Institute, EFL School Cita della Pieve, Educational Research Institute, EFL Pordenone, EFL Germany © 2023 Institute Lila, Ljubljana Kataložni zapis o publikaciji (CIP) pripravili v Narodni in univerzitetni knjižnici v Ljubljani COBISS.SI-ID 189474051 ISBN 978-961-93935-6-7 (PDF) TABLE OF CONTENT CONFERENCE PROGRAM 5 KEYNOTE SPEECH 8 PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS 10 Thursday, 29th June 2023 10 Friday, 30th June 2023 17 Program Committee: dr. Tina Rutar Leban, Institute Lila, president of the Program Committee  Nitai Deranja, EFL International  Aryavan McSweeney, EFL International  Nataša Lučovnik, Institute Lila  Gašper Kemperle, Institute Lila Organizing Committee:  dr. Tina Rutar Leban, Institute Lila  Gašper Kemperle, Institute Lila  Nataša Lučovnik, Institute Lila  Maruša Urankar, Institute Lila  Katja Skok, Institute Lila 4 CONFERENCE PROGRAM Schedule of the presentations - Thursday, 29th June 2023 Time Location Activity/Presentations 9.00 – 9.45 1st floor Lobby Registration and coffee break 9.45 – 10.00 Outside stairs Group photo shooting 10:00 – 11:00 Wholeness hall Keynote speech:  Nitai Deranja, EFL International: Integrating EFL into Existing Schools  Aryavan McSweeney, EFL International: How to Share Values with Children 11:00 – 12:00 Wholeness hall Presentation of the EFL Institute  Premjyoti Zandra Mantilla, EFL Institute Presentation of the EFL Resource Library  Aryavan McSweeney, EFL International 12:00 – 12:30 1st floor Lobby Coffee break 12:30 – 13:30 Joy room Teaching English as a foreign language  Ema Peršak: An Example of an English Lesson in the Past School Year  Katja Skok: Using music in the ESL classroom  Paola Bertante: Using My Guitar to Teach English Kindness room Enrolment and assessment processes  Premjyoti Zandra Mantilla: An example of assessment  Maria Domínguez: Psychological Chart of Yogananda  Maja Velej: The enrolment procedure for the new children 13:30 – 14:45 Wholeness hall Lunch 14:45 – 15:45 Joy room Supporting teachers in the public system  Ana Mlekuž: Supporting teachers' social and emotional development and their diversity awareness with HAND in HAND:ET  Cora Chiavedale: Sharing EFL with all teachers and children in the world  Monika Erzeničnik: Principles of Education for life in public school Kindness room The impact of music and classroom atmosphere on the learning process  Maja Anžur Kajzer: Healing with sound  Petra Brglez: Creating Our Own Christmas Song  Sara Aranel: Creating atmosphere 15:45 – 16:00 1st floor Lobby Coffee break 5 16:00 – 17:00 Joy room Personal development for children in the Feeling years  Ana Kolarič: Owls of Feelings – Developing life skills according to the principles of EFL  Vesna Lešnik: Do our words, thoughts and attitude really matter?  Irma Pretta: An activity to help children part from their parents and start the morning circle in the classroom Kindness room Teaching Spanish as a foreign language  Anja Prebil: Soy yo - a booklet creation in Spanish class  Willma Koa: Who will teach Spanish? Or how to overcome oneself  Maruša Urankar: Lights, Camera, Español: Capturing Language Learning through Video Schedule of the presentations - Friday, 30th June 2023 Time Location Activity 9:00 – 10:20 Joy room Creative ways of interdisciplinary teaching  Mito Šinkovec: Sports or circus? How to include project work in physical education  Tala Bevk: Reflecting on different social changes through history in combination class  Katja Lang: Visual learning  Jaka Lipar in Gašper Plevel: Plečnik’s Ljubljana (multiactivity school day) Kindness room Creative tricks for developing life skills  Adrienn Borbely: How to teach in a predominantly Light group of children  Alessandra Monti: The kitchen path  Sonia Bruttomesso: 'Colori-amo': painting together Working with dyslexia  Aleša Žerovnik: Examples of how to teach students with dyslexia trough their strengths and interests 10:20 – 10:35 1st floor Lobby Coffee break 10:35 – 11:35 Joy room Our world, our Universe: The EFL approach to teaching Science  Nataša Bhakti Lučovnik: Biomes of our planet  Veronika Krapež: Chemical bonds  Viola Mengucci: Learning fluidity with water 6 Kindness room Creative Math  Maruša Prešern: Lines vocabulary in geometry  Renata Babič: Games and challenges for students in math class  Renata Babič: Math workshop 11:35 – 11:45 1st floor Lobby Coffee break 11:45 – 12:45 Joy room Personal development for the Feeling and Will years  Elisa Iswari Mazzoli: Holi Fest for teenagers  Aaron Alan Resendiz: How can grace support our efforts in shaping teens' character  Tina Rutar Leban: Helping children reflect on their own behaviour trough imagining a best friend’s behaviour Kindness room Teaching in Nature and with Nature  Claudia Bianco: Blindfolded in the woods  Gioanna Stoppe and Johannes Stoppe: Green classrooms in Germany; The situation of EFL in Germany  Anna Beluffi: The qualities of the forest 12:45 – 14:00 Wholeness hall Lunch 14:00 – 15:00 Wholeness hall Conference closure and goodbyes 7 KEYNOTE SPEECH Integrating EFL into Existing Schools Nitai Deranja EFL International Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Wholness hall Time: 10.00-10.30 Education for Life offers existing schools the opportunity to expand the scope of how children are served. For those who see the current emphasis on the intellect as limited and unbalanced, EFL shows how to offer activities that include broader and deeper kinds of growth. A relatively simple first step is to initiate the Life Skill Laboratories, an activity that can be done without affecting the rest of the school program. Two 45 minute periods are set aside each week where the teacher can work closely with six to twelve students in an ongoing examination of key life skills. Ideally, the themes focus on current concerns of the particular group, but can include such qualities as courage, kindness, honesty, and even-mindedness. The goal is to provide a personal experience of these qualities that motivates students to incorporate them into their daily behavior patterns. A second Education for Life activity is the Awards Ceremony. At the end of each school year, teachers are asked to identify one positive quality that each student excels in. A few examples are: Willingness, Inner Strength, Enthusiasm, Best Listener, Most Improved Math Student, and Joyful Courage. Students receive a certificate listing their award and give a short talk on why they think this quality is a fit for them. Teachers can also explain why this quality was chosen. The Ceremony itself is a means of celebrating diversity, giving the message that each child is important and valued for their unique contribution to the school. Once these two activities are in place, teachers will appreciate the value of Education for Life and want to explore how other aspects of the school day can include an EFL approach. 8 Sharing Values with Children The middle ground between indoctrination and anarchy. Aryavan McSweenwy EFL International Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Wholness hall Time: 10.30-11.00 Parents and teachers today struggle with the question, “Should I share my values with the children in my life?” After generations of religious education, stubborn embracing of ignorance, and it-was-good-enough-for-me syndrome, people have understandably swung in the entirely opposite direction, avoiding offering anything to their children in terms of values at all, so that they might choose their path freely, unconstrained by the dogmas and the “because I said so’s” of their own upbringing. However, the whole purpose of formal education is the sharing of lessons that have been learned over the generations; to take the mistakes and successes of our forebears and make the next generation better prepared than those who came before. One might imagine that, just as algebra was discovered by al-Khwarizmi in the 7th century, a handful of people might stumble upon the concept of variables and their manipulation in formulas on their own, without being taught. The reason a math teacher instructs their students in the science of algebra is in order to accelerate the development of a student's skill in mathematics, so they can reach even greater heights of understanding. The same can – and should – be said for sharing values. But here’s the catch: just as a math or English teacher shares what they know, our sharing of values must be ones that we ourselves as parents and teachers have experienced in their own lives. Far from the dogmatic inheritances we have received, the values we share must be ones that we can say definitively have been tested in the crucible of our personal experience. Only then can we share them in a meaningful way with our children or class. 9 PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS Thursday, 29th June 2023 10 Using music in the ESL Classroom Katja Skok Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 12.50-13.10 Abstract: Using music in the ESL classroom is an effective and enjoyable way to enhance language learning, increase student engagement and participation, and foster a positive and inclusive learning environment. One way of incorporating music into a classroom is by creating a cover of a song. In this presentation, I will talk about a project that was undertaken with year 4 and 5 students (ages 9 to 11). We will discuss the process of creating an English cover of a song, including selecting a song that is appropriate for the level and interests of the students, adapting the lyrics to suit the target topic, and rehearsing and recording the cover. We will look at the process of filming a music video for the song, that was featured in our year-end showcase. Additionally, we will look at some other examples of how to include popular music into ESL lessons. The Psychological Chart of Paramahansa Yogananda Maria Dominguez Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 12.50-13.10 Abstract: When Paramahansa Yogananda founded the Ranchi School, he prepared a document so that teachers could get to know each student in depth and at the same time, understand what kind of help was suitable for each one. As Yogananda says, “Every student is carefully and lovingly observed by two or three teachers, and his conduct and habits as well as intellectual faculties are minutely recorded. These slow and comparative methods (…) furnish the teachers with sufficient data to enable them to know what particular line to follow in regulating the lives of their students in the right way, by various changes of environment, company, discipline, etc.” Swami Kriyananda later based his Progressive Development on this document. The proposed activity is to use the Psychological Chart for the observation of a child who has difficulties; the teacher needs an inspiration so that the help the child receives is more effective. The Psychological Chart can complement the snapshot that is usually taken when observing children. 11 The enrollment procedure for the new children Maja Velej Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 13.10-13.30 Abstract: We conducted a preliminary individual in-depth conversation with the parents of each child. Parents who recognized the EFL program as the right one for their child then brought the child to visit the school, first individually and then to the four group sessions. The last were designed by the teachers in order to get to know each child better and to recognize how each of them integrates into the group. The first session was devoted to establishing contact with each child and addressing their feelings and imagination. To do so, we addressed them with a story written for this purpose and encouraged them to participate in activities such as drawing, planting a seed, and making a mask. In the second session our sports teacher prepared a training ground for them to address their body’s need for movement, as well as their will. In the third session we mainly observed their ability to be focused and how they interact with other children. The goal of the fourth session will be to welcome them in our community. Supporting teachers' social and emotional development and their diversity awareness with HAND in HAND:ET Ana Mlekuž Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 14.45-15.05 Abstract: The HAND in HAND: Empowering Teachers Across Europe to Deal with Social, Emotional and Diversity Related Career Challenges (HAND:ET) project aims to empower teachers throughout Europe in addressing career challenges related to social, emotional, and diversity issues. This policy experimentation project provides support to teachers in developing their social and emotional competencies and enhancing their diversity awareness (SEDA). By nurturing these competencies, teachers are empowered to navigate their careers more effectively, establish productive learning environments, foster positive school climates, and collaborate efficiently in interdisciplinary teams. The ultimate goal of the project therefore is to equip teachers with these skills and knowledge, that are needed to navigate the complexities of working in diverse classrooms, enabling them to adapt to new 12 challenges while prioritizing their well-being. The presentation will focus on the presentation of the HAND:ET programme for teachers, principals and counsellors and their experiences within the programme. Sound Therapy Maja Anžur Kajzer Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 14.45-15.05 Abstract: The theme is suitable for all ages: from 0-100 years old (with variations). The sound healing method of Tibetan bowls will be presented at the conference to adult participants. It is also suitable for children of all ages, with adjustments depending on the age of the children. In the workshop, we will explore the impact of sound on the body. We will use Tibetan bowls with which we will open the way to mindfulness and healing through sound. We will use vibrations and sounds to explore the effect of vibrations on the body. The Schumann frequency and related research will be briefly presented. Participants will be able to experience the sensations of different frequencies: 432Hz and 440 Hz. The impact of vibrations on the body will be described through the research of scientist Masaru Emoto. Participants will perceive the impact of vibrations through different approaches (laying hands on a bowl, water ripples depending on the strength of the frequency, waves through a conductive body - balloon effect, ...). At the end, we will experience the benefits of a sound bath and share our experiences and feelings. Creating our own Christmas song Petra Brglez Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 15.05-15.25 Abstract: As a part of a Christmas and New Year concert students presented a song about the Christmas season, with lyrics and music written by themselves. The creative process of writing a song was achieved through flow learning. A large gift box was drawn on the whiteboard. Each student had the opportunity to write several 13 suggestions about Christmas time in the gift box. It could be a feeling or a thing to look forward to at Christmas time. When the gift box was full of ideas, we linked all the words into a meaningful text. Pleased with the lyrics we started on the melody next. Students experimented with different melodic patterns and were content with the melody one of the students suggested. We spiced the melody up with a rap insert. A simple but beautiful song was created and it stuck with us long after the concert. We also wrote the lyrics of the song on the program list. That way the visitors could take it home and our song would stay with them forever. Creating the atmosphere Sara Aranel Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 15.25-15.45 Abstract: It is known that learning and kind interactions thrive in a loving and pleasant environment. That is why it is important to invest in your classroom. Have you ever asked yourself what makes a place a home? Is it possible to bring a little bit of that comfortable atmosphere into your working and learning environment? Flowers, incense, gentle art, a rug on the floor, some soft music, maybe even a smell of your favorite tea? Whatever makes you comfortable and feeling like you belong there. Only then will you be able to welcome your pupils (and parents or colleagues) into a warm embrace of a place that feels safe and invites kind interactions and vibrant creativity. Owls of Feelings – Developing life skills according to the principles of EFL Ana Kolarič Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 16.00-16.20 Abstract: I will present to you the development of some life skills according to the principles of EFL in the class of 9 to 11-year-old students with the help of the Owls of Feelings – which in the morning circle give us the opportunity to talk and learn about life skills. Each owl shows a different emotion or feeling. The highest one is a 14 CRYSTAL OWL. This owl represents someone who has internalized all the classroom rules and is aware of the importance of goals. We have set the following goals for this school year, which we internalize and realize that this is how we work best as a group: to become as good friends as possible, to perform tasks as well as possible, to understand what we are learning, to be in touch with ourselves. I will present the goals in more detail and show you what kind of motivation and directions the students give me by placing them on the Owls of Feelings and how we connect all this with the principles of EFL (on concrete examples). Do our words, thoughts and attitude really matter? Vesna Lešnik Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 16.20-16.40 Abstract: We read the book “The Message from Water”, children’s version by Masaru Emoto and discussed the following: that our bodies are predominantly composed of water and how different words, music, emotions, pictures and even meditation affect the formation of water crystals. We looked for parallels with our everyday lives: how our words and thoughts influence ourselves and our relationships. This was followed by “The Rice Experiment” in which we wanted to test the impact of different words. We placed cooked rice into four glass bottles. The children suggested kind and harsh words. Then they voted to select two kind and two harsh words. They chose the following words: Kindness, Happiness, I ignore you and (you) Fool. We labelled each glass bottle with one word. Our experiment lasted for over a year. The bottle of rice with the word kindness was the least affected, while the bottle with the word I ignore you was the most deteriorated. An activity to help children part from their parents and start the morning circle in the classroom Irma Pretta Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 16.40-17.00 15 Abstract: The path of welcome stems from the desire to create a moment, within the classroom, in which children and parents can live the experience of detachment in the most joyful way, so as to be able to welcome new experiences with lightness and expansion in the heart. The journey begins with a basin of water, in which the children put their little feet, which represents the tears when they leave the arms of mum and dad. Immediately afterwards, the teachers welcome them on a soft towel for warm cuddles. However, the time for challenges also arrives with a container full of legos that tests their courage. They then arrive at the mirror where they can see themselves growing, to then arrive at a large splash of colour where everything becomes fun and they can leave their mark of their journey. All this is accompanied by books (“The most important thing” and “the Lion Child”). The reading is the end of the path and start the morning circle. SOY YO (This is me) – A Spanish booklet Anja Prebil Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 16.00-16.20 Abstract: In Spanish class, students in the first triad (7 - 9 years old) design their own booklets with the title Soy yo (This is me). During the year, next to each topic they cover, they add a chapter about the topic's connection to them in spanish: personal information, body parts, clothes, family tree, hobbies, favorite animals and food. The booklet is enriched with illustrations, photos and stickers. I will present stages of the creative process and the tools of maturity that are addressed. Students acquire a meaningful context for different cross-curricular contents that they are learning. At the end of the school year, students acquire a tangible result of their efforts and creativity that they present to their classmates. Lights, Camera, Español: Capturing Language Learning through Video Maruša Urankar Date: 29th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 16.40-17.00 16 Abstract: In recent years, the incorporation of multimedia elements in language learning has gained considerable attention. This abstract explores the advantages of incorporating video shooting activities in Spanish classes for adolescents. By engaging students in the creation of videos, professor can enhance the learning experience, promote active participation, and facilitate a deeper understanding of the Spanish language and culture. Additionally, the preparation and recording of videos can be an excellent way of implementing alternative forms of assessment, which contribute to a better understanding of the subject matter. Also, shooting videos allows students to actively engage with the language by practicing their speaking, listening, and writing skills in a real-life context. Through collaborative group work, students can brainstorm ideas, develop scripts, and act out scenes, promoting creativity and fostering a sense of ownership in their learning process. Additionally, sharing the final videos with their peers and professor promotes a sense of community and provides an opportunity for constructive feedback. 17 PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS fRIDAY, 30th June 2023 18 Sports or circus? How to include project work in physical education Mito Šinkovec Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 9.00-9.20 Abstract: I finished my first year at Lila school as a sports teacher. This is also my first year of experience working at a school, but I have significantly more experience as a fitness trainer. I have been in this business for over 25 years. As a coach, I try to find an appropriate stimulus for each individual, which would trigger the appropriate desired adaptation, regardless of age, goal or condition. However, this process differs in one essential detail from that of a school. People come to training voluntarily and motivated, and in school, students come to sports lessons because it is compulsory. Motivation is also suitable for this. Of course, there are still the majority of children who like to chase the ball and there is no need for any additional motivation. But there are always some in the class who just don't like sports. I was wondering what to do in such a case. Mainly because of the experience I have as a fitness trainer. It is not uncommon for a lady to come to my training and say 'I hate sports, ever since elementary school, when the teacher chased us around the stadium and we had to run. It made us want to vomit...' So the very person who should have inspired them for sports with the wrong approach did the exact opposite. I want to be better and I don't want to be a source of frustration or cause trauma to the students. That's why I tried to find an activity for all those 'who are afraid of the ball'. It started with arialhoop, a circus skill on a metal hoop. The girls were excited about it. The hoop became the most desired activity. The girls were so taken over by this activity that they even surpassed most of the boys in terms of commitment and motivation, who feel the same way about football, for example. Later, I added many similar circus skills and performance art, which are great for developing coordination, for different age groups. However, I had to solve an essential problem because I am not sovereign in all these disciplines. In most cases, I can only show one basic element, so I had to derive a project method from this. Which is not exactly normal on a physical level. 19 Visible learning in elementary school - learning through the eyes of pupils Katja Lang Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 9.40-10.00 Abstract: I would like to present my examples of visible learning (6 - 9th grade elementary school) and talk about: - why making teaching and learning visible is important, - how to set learning intentions and success criteria (with pupils), - why it is important to teach pupils to make a learning plan, - the importance of giving feedback to pupils, - putting effort into learning, - why and how to teach pupils to evaluate their own learning, - how to be inspired by the success of others. Hattie: »I think the most important outcome of our schooling is kids who want to reinvest in learning. Not reinvest in a narrow excellence.« Plečnik's Ljubljana Gašper Plevel in Jaka Lipar Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 10.00-10.20 Abstract: Our idea was to combine sports, culture, and science day. Plečnik was a famous architect from Ljubljana, who designed quite a few extraordinary buildings in our capital. It is about our Slovenian cultural heritage. We wanted the students to see most of these masterpieces, which are in different parts of our capital city. At the same time, we are aware of the impact on the environment and children who spend a lot of time either in class or at computers. We chose the route by bicycle. We have prepared a cycling route through all the attractions and for each one there is also an appropriate explanation and story. We also visited NUK with a guide and visited tour of the library. What we saw: Žale Barrier on the river Ljubljanica Three bridges in city center NUK Križanke and obelisk Trnovo's bridge The house of Plečnik We rode few kilometers on our bikes, and at the same time repeated safe driving in traffic. Before the start of the day, we checked the safety of the bikes and the 20 appropriate equipment. Observed nature in the city and all Plečnik's details. So sports and cultural day in one. Examples of how to teach students with dyslexia trough their strengths and interests Aleša Žerovnik Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 10.00-10.20 Abstract: Teaching children with dyslexia through their strengths and interests can be an effective way to help them learn and develop new skills. Encouraging the development of a child's strengths and interests is an important way to help build their confidence and learning self-esteem. In this presentation, I will present some specific examples of how I use and adapt various board games and activities through children's interests and strenghts to teach children with dyslexia the elements needed for learning reading and writing skills. I have individual lessons with four boys with dyslexia aged 9, 11 and 13 years old. Teaching children with special needs always requires an individualized and flexible approach that takes into account their unique strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. The practical examples refer to the children with whom I work individually about three times a week. Dyslexia can be mild, moderate or profound and can be caused by several different specific weaknesses or combination of weaknesses. In my case three of my students have moderate and one has profound version of dyslexia. Bioms of our Planet Nataša Lučovnik Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 10.35-10.55 Abstract: During our 3-month project, the students revised various previously acquired knowledge and learned many interesting new facts about a certain biome. They researched the location of the biome on our planet, its climatic conditions, adaptations as well as the impact of animals, plants, and humans on its environment. From the biome they chose five representatives of plants and animals and researched them in detail. Great emphasis was also placed on researching people's lives in than and now and the influence of humans on the environment 21 (biodiversity, pollution). Each biome was researched by two students who divided the tasks. The goal of each pair was a handwritten term paper, a 3D model of the biome and a presentation. Before starting the work, the students signed a, so called, "didactic contract" with the teachers, in which it was written what were their tasks, what help they needed from the teachers and which part of their project the teachers should pay the most attention to during the assessment (where they believed they would be most successful). In this project, the students used a lot of knowledge and skills they got from biology, physics, geography, technology, fine arts, and at the same time learned a lot of new, interesting and exciting things about biomes and about themselves. Chemical bonding Veronika Krapež Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 10.55-11.15 Abstract: Integrating the mind, will, feelings and body into chemistry class is often a big challenge that many teachers face. In the following, I would like to present to you how I tackled this with the 8th grade students. We start the chemistry class with a joint activity for both age groups. This time we revised chemical symbols and names of elements. Next, on the playground, we repeated already known content about the structure of the atom and the ionization of elements - so that the students drew with chalks. Thus, we repeated the ions (cations and anions) well and continued with the revision of the ionic bond. From the narrated story, the students uncover information about ionic bonds and learned about the basic characteristics of covalent bonds. We have incorporated information from the story into a detailed explanation of covalent bonds. The students wrote down and drew the entire explanation in their notebooks. At the end, the students confirmed the difference between an ionic and a covalent bond with a movement game. Lines vocabulary in Geometry Maruša Prešern Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 10.35-10.55 22 Abstract: Teachers tried to introduce geometric elements related to line vocabulary (point, line, ray, line segment…) to students through a story (awaken enthusiasm - emotions) about an alleged crime. We played the story in which we mentioned all the line vocabulary and performed the argue between husband (ray) and wife (line segment). To focus their attention students had to listen carefully because at the end they had to report to the policeman all the participant at the crime scene. We also acted out each line with our bodies. Then every student had to individually fill a police report, which were their worksheets (mind). We checked them by running in class to the label with the correct answer. Later in groups they recreated a picture for the newspaper in which they had to include all the geometric elements with offered material (will, mind). At the end every group showed their picture to the class explaining the lines on the picture, meanwhile other students had to make a pre-arranged body move every time they heard a line word and they also share inspiration. The Games and challenges for students in math class Renata Babič Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 10.55-11.35 Abstract: Math classes can be a synonim for something that is boring and too abstract. The formulas and symbols to most students seem unrelated to real life and they find continues pratices too repetative or strenuous. Adding games and challenges to a class is a good way of introducing a fun and practical element of math. At the workshop a selection of games and challenges will be presented and the participants will have an opportunity to try them out. The focus will be on the ones that help the students develop numerical thinking and creativity. The games were developed in a way that the students are using some materials or trying something out or using their body to make the concepts more tangible. Posing challenges to students in turn help ignite their curiosity and help them form a deeper connection with the topic. Practice shows that games and challenges if done on a weekly bases help students relax into mathematical thinking which is the main goal of a math class. 23 Holi festival Elisa Ishwari Mazzoli Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 11.45-12.05 Abstract: This year middle school students have experienced non-violent communication, that is, a communicative model that is based on empathy so as to be able to learn to communicate collaboratively with others in a serene and harmonious atmosphere. Each week a morning circle was dedicated entirely to listening and self-expression activities in the group, creating opportunities to get to know each other more deeply, have fun and communicate their moods in the circumstances of everyday life. We celebrated on the occasion of the beginning of spring and so the rebirth, the Holi Festival that is the festival of colors as a special day to let go and purify within themselves heavy attitudes that do not like and the boys / girls have consciously opened up to see joyful and brilliant parts of them with the desire to express them with friends. How can grace support our efforts in shaping teens' character? Aaron Alan Resendiz Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 12.05-12.25 Abstract: Teenagers are in the process of finding out who they are, and most importantly, who they want to be. More often than not, they are misguided by their environment into paradigms, and thus behaviors, that are not healthy nor for themselves nor for those around them. Within this age range, where they are developing their will power, guiding them and shaping them must be a facilitation for their own experiences and inner realization, for they tend to reject the spoken advice of others as a way to affirm themselves. How then, can we provide experiences for them that are authentic and meaningful? This is something I personally believe it is impossible to do on our own, therefore, we must rely upon a reality bigger than our little selves. When we establish a solid connection between ourselves and the child's soul, and between ourselves and the flow of grace, then we can become a bridge for grace to flow into their lives and thus provide the experiences needed for 24 their soul's growth. This talk intends to provide an example, a story, about this process, as a way to convey the method for achieving this result. Helping children reflecting on their own behaviour Tina Rutar Leban Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Joy Room Time: 12.25-12.45 Abstract: The purpose of the activity was to help a class of 2nd and 3rd graders to reflect on their own behaviour. The teachers already tried many different strategies to get the children see the perspective of others and act respectfully towards them. But nothing seemed to work. The children were first asked to find fleshcards of a certain color around the classroom. Then they had to read the text that was on the cards. Each card contained one behaviour of a child their age. The behaviours were taken from the Progressive development chart and were describing different levels of energy/counsciousness. Students were asked to first group different behaviours, for example: cooperation, interaction with others, responsibility, etc. Then they had to choose the behaviours that they would like to see in their best friends. They made a poster with all the most desired behaviours of a best friend. When they finished they presented their posters to the class and evryone together contemplated on how many of the desired behaviours are tipically seen in the classroom and if each of them would be choosen from themselves to be their best friends. Blindfolded in the woods Claudia Bianco Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 11.45-12.05 Abstract: Focus: experience the silence and the connection with the nature; control of the body's energy; personal connection; patience; focus the attention. Materials: bandage Place: a forest or an open wild space How to: One of the children is placed in the center of a choosen space and it's blindfolded. The others have to place themeselves away from the center and “hide” 25 their energy (so they really need to be still and silent). One by one everyone is asked to come closer to the child in the center trying to not let him feel them approacing (this can be very hard on a soil full of leaves or sticks). When or if the child feels something , he has to point out where and if he's right, the other child who's approaching needs to stop. The game doesn't end until one has reached the center or everyone has been discovered. Green classrooms in Germany; The situation of EFL in Germany Gioanna Stoppe and Johannes Stoppe Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 12.05-12.25 Abstract: Gioianna and Johannes Stoppe will present their work with Education for Life in Germany. Gioianna is currently working with several schools in Germany as a nature teacher, both with students in the “green classroom” (Klassenzimmer im Grünem) projects and with teachers in the teacher training setting. In the “green classroom” projects she takes a school class outside once a month and experiences with them a meadow orchard during the changing seasons. She combines the curriculum with elements from Education for Life. Johannes is currently in university to become a public-school teacher and at the same time in training to become an EFL teacher and will present the state of the translation work into German. He is coordinating the translation effort for the EFL Institute Website and courses. Both Johannes and Gioianna are actively working on reaching out to establish EFL in Germany. The quality of the forest Anna Beluffi Date: 30th June 2023 Room: Kindness Room Time: 12.25-12.45 Abstract: This is an activity for families, which aims to make participants live the experience of connection with nature from an emotional, cognitive, sensory and value point of view. It also wants to create positive relationships in the group, enhancing awareness of everyone's positive qualities, taking inspiration from nature. The group has parents and children as participants, it is divided into two subgroups, 26 one for the children and one for the parents. Each group will be offered an excursion experience in nature and a workshop. In the workshop for parents, the participants will connect with a plant of the forest and then in groups they will draw a forest where each plant represents itself and its own quality. In the children's workshop, the kids will guess a mysterious animal and attack it in the wood created by the adults. Then they will choose an animal that represents them and a positive quality. At the end, the whole group of parents and children gathers to look at the "forests of qualities" created, remembering the message of unity in diversity and celebrating together with a song. 27