2019.01.02
To promote child-friendly communication, CHF organized two seminars for elementary school teachers in Kaohsiung and Taipei in 2018. CHF invited Ms. Li-Jun Liu from Taiwan Association of Game-based Education to introduce board games and how to apply them into teaching materials. Ms. Liu used Mystic Mountains Adventure, the board game designed by CHF, as an example to guide participating teachers to utilize this game in teaching children and help children learn to listen, empathize with others, and communicate with care, especially when they encounter disadvantaged people.
During the seminar, Ms. Liu spoke vividly to an audience of more than 20 elementary school teachers and introduced the merits of integrating board games into teaching. She said that board games can help students develop abilities for strategic thinking, group cooperation, social interaction, etc. In addition, through fun games, capabilities for various areas will come naturally to children.
Ms. Li-Jun Liu from Taiwan Association of Game-based Education introduced board games and
how to apply them into teaching materials.
Moreover, different types of board games can fulfill different learning goals. Take Mystic Mountains Adventure for example, the goal of this game is to help children know how to listen to others. Therefore, players cannot see the cards they are holding and have to rely on the hints from team members to decide how to proceed. To enrich the game, there are also different communication scenarios such as telling hints in English, in a noisy environment, or with body gestures.
After the introduction, all participating teachers began to play board games and share their thoughts with each other. One of the teacher has a hard of hearing student, and she found that students with special needs tend to be muted in the mainstream society, but this does not mean that they don’t have the need to be listened. The participants hope that they can become the one who drive the change. If they expect their students to listen to others, they have to do the same first.
Teachers played board game together, discussing how to make good use of it.
Another teacher thought that board games are interesting and meaningful; games can enhance interaction between students and their peers as well as between teachers and students. She also thought that feedbacks and contemplation after the game is critical. The learning sheet that CHF designed for Mystic Mountains Adventure can help children think about if they are willing to listen to their classmates as well as how they communicate when encountering different opinions.
Two seminars ended with passionate discussion among teachers. CHF will continuously organize relevant events and invite both adults and children to create a more friendly communication environment!
