Some of the main questions that interest all participants in the educational process are how to approach students, motivate them to work, give them new insights, and at the same time arouse and exploit their natural curiosity and desire for new knowledge. Through this course we will try to answer these questions by respecting the developmental process of each child, and proposing and presenting activities, exercises, games and didactic materials, which will suggest how to motivate each student, and include movement in the teaching process. The emphasis will be on teaching methods and didactic materials modelled on different pedagogical directions/concepts (especially on Montessori and Waldorf approaches), as well as on the ideas of traditional education that brings learning closer to life, and life closer to learning. In our short lectures we will touch upon modern insights into developmental psychology and psychology of learning, connecting them with the principles of Montessori and Waldorf approaches. Afterwards we will provide examples from practice, i.e. practical activities during which all participants will have the opportunity to experience and participate in exercises and games, as well as to try to independently design and/or create didactic material.

• give an overview of the possibilities of using alternative pedagogical concepts, their methods and didactic materials in traditional education,
• learn how to include movement in the teaching process,
• become aware of the importance of an individual approach to each student with regard to their developmental process,
• get acquainted with various didactic materials that can be created independently, and were modelled on the materials used in alternative approaches,
• experientially participate in activities,
• learn how to create interesting and purposeful didactic material,
• independently design and create didactic material/exercise/game,
• exchange examples of good practice with colleagues.

DAY 1 SUNDAY

• Participants arrival
• Meeting in a hotel
• Practical information about the city, currency, etc.
• Walk through city center
• Dinner in one of Vukovar’s restaurants

DAY 2 MONDAY

• Course introduction
• Lecture + workshop (Introduction activities; Special features of Montessori and Waldorf pedagogy; First steps in using specific didactic material; Practical life exercises)
• Practical work (participants try presented didactic materials and actively participate in exercises)

DAY 3 TUESDAY

• Visit to Vučedol or Eltz museum
• Lecture + workshop (Montessori Great Lessons; Telling stories with using didactic materials; „Science of storytelling“- How do you tell stories involving students in it?)
• Practical work (participants try presented didactic materials and actively participate in exercises/storytelling)
• Guided visit to city Ilok and dinner near river Dunav (Ilok’s famous vine cellars) OPTIONAL

DAY 4 WEDNESDAY

• Lecture + workshop (From stories to discoveries; Three Period Lessons in Math, Language, and Cosmis Education)
• Practical work (participants try presented Montessori didactic materials, design and make own cards for Three Period Lessons)

DAY 5 THURSDAY

• Lecture + workshop (The importance of movement in teaching; How to connect movement and didactic materials in theory and practice?; The principle „from catch to realize“)
• Practical work (participants try presented didactic materials, participate in activities, exchange ideas and experiences)

DAY 6 FRIDAY

• Lecture + workshop (The importance of silence in the education; Silence exercises in circle (Silence game); Content integration and prepared environment; Benefits of using didactic material)
• Practical work (active participation in silence exercises; group work on the design and presentation of didactic material)
• Certificates ceremony
• Writing reviews