The Department of English Language and Culture, Faculty of Education, CPU in Nitra, as part of the Science and Technology Week in Slovakia, prepared two consecutive workshops for future teachers of English language and literature and for children from elementary school Makovičky in Nitra on November 8-9, 2023.

The events were led by Miguel Luengo, president of the Spanish branch of Design for Change, which is based on the concept of design thinking. The I CAN methodology, focused on changing thinking through a 4-step cycle (feel, imagine, act, evaluate), develops critical thinking, creative thinking, teamwork, reflection and action. At the same time, it is based on the need to realize the importance of active participation of children and teachers for changes in their communities (school, district, city).

Pupils were given interesting tasks - to familiarize themselves with the environment of the park on the grounds of the Faculty of Education, use their imagination and look for objects in it that were not actually there (desert, sea, moon, etc.). Then they should bring ideas of what they would like to find there and use in the future. It emerged from their presentations that they would like if there were e.g. a pond with fish, a playground, a fountain, a herb garden or a place for creative ideas, the so-called “creatorium”.

As part of their language education, pupils developed their plurilingual competences during the activities, as they actively communicated not only in Slovak and English, but also learned cardinal numbers in Spanish to understand the instructions. For future teachers, cooperation with students represented a valuable experience, as they saw them work in spontaneous interaction with their peers. They tried out the role of facilitators, supporting the children in the discussion, asking them questions, but not evaluating their opinions or creations. Through supportive dialogue, they allowed them to develop their imagination and creativity, but at the same time guided them to fulfill the goals of their activities.

For children from elementary school Makovičky and students of English language and literature, the workshops brought various activities and challenges, but if we had to sum up their main idea in one sentence, it would be the motto of Design for Change - Children and teenagers are not the future, but the present.

The events were created as part of the IN-HABIT Nitra project in cooperation with Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (doc. Ing. Katarína Melichová, PhD., Mgr. Henrieta Gergelová, PhD.)

 

Text: Mgr. Diana Židová, PhD., PF – Department of English Language and Culture
Photo: Mgr. Diana Židová, PhD., Mgr. Henrieta Gergelová, PhD., Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra

 

Posted: November 23, 2023