Page 106 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, et al., eds. (2015). Stone narratives: heritage, mobility, performance. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
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stone narratives
trust, team potency), team processes (e.g., coordination, communication) rather than on
cognitive outcomes (e.g., declarative knowledge of teamwork competencies) or team per-
formance outcomes (e.g., volume of sales, productivity measures). One example of a team
building workshop where a mosaic construction was performed is presented in the follow-
ing case presentation.
Case presentation: DARWIN Eco-Système, Bordeaux
In June, 2014 a workshop was performed in DARWIN Eco-Système, Bordeaux, where a group of entrepreneurs work
in a shared working environment, called coworking. Usually companies located in such settings consist of one or only a
few employees. These small companies can join different resources and perform certain activities or projects together in
a flexible and expeditious way. As these companies are usually independent legal entities, a high degree of individuality is
still present in such environments.
We were invited by the coordinator of this group to improve the cohesiveness of these entrepreneurs by performing
a mosaic workshop. It consisted of three activities: (1) mindfulness exercises were performed in order to increase the
group's ability to be present here and now; (2) the presentation of techniques and tools; and finally (3) the mosaic con-
struction. The tree of life motif was chosen for the following reasons: first, this motive alludes to the interconnection of
all life on our planet and, thus, represents an explicit symbol for improving group cohesiveness; second, this group con-
sisted of people of different nationalities and religions, hence, a motif used in various world theologies, mythologies and
philosophies was selected. The result of an eight-hour workshop is presented in Figure 1. The participants of the wor-
kshop confirmed that after the workshop there was a substantial increase of social activities at the coworking site, which
resulted also in new collaborations. Two team building outcomes, i.e., affective and team processes, were evident in this
case.
Mosaic construction as a children’s game
Children’s play is an important developmental part of their life. It has many functions:
e.g., learning relevant life roles (Elkonin, 1975 from Duran, 2003), enhancing creativity and
problem solving, (Faizi, Azari & Maleki, 2012), gaining social skills such as collaboration
and confrontation (Duran, 2003), physical and mental preparation for the learning process
(Faizi et al., 2012).
Fostering children’s creativity has become a very important issue in contemporary re-
search (e.g., Ahmadi, Mustaffa & Ahmadi, 2014; Danescue, 2013; Faizi et al., 2012; Palei,
2014; Rizi, Yarmohamadiyan & Golam, 2011). It has many beneficial effects for children,
for example it provides a sense of well-being, happiness, creative thinking, self-esteem, and
activation (Rubin, 2005). It is also very important as creativity represents the fundament of
the development and survival of the society (Danescue, 2013). Hence, caring about the chil-
dren’s creativity is, in effect, caring about the future of the society. Faizi et al. (2012) find
that child’s curiosity, play participation, stimulation by the natural elements and flexibil-
ity of function in residential space play an important role in the stimulation of creativity.
Mosaic as a technique requires all these elements. In this technique different natural
and artificial materials become a new idea, a new structure, through the play of diversity of
shapes and colours. Mosaics also allow the individual to tactilely experience and explore the
materials used. As this is a relatively complex technique (Škrbina, 2013), it can help to im-
prove the psychophysical development of the child. Hence, the use of the mosaic technique
as a part of children’s game can have a significant impact on the development of creativity.
Two cases of mosaic construction projects, performed as a children’s game, are pre-
sented in the continuation of this subsection: the first project was performed in a kinder-
garten with preschool children, and second one at a summer festival where primary school
104
trust, team potency), team processes (e.g., coordination, communication) rather than on
cognitive outcomes (e.g., declarative knowledge of teamwork competencies) or team per-
formance outcomes (e.g., volume of sales, productivity measures). One example of a team
building workshop where a mosaic construction was performed is presented in the follow-
ing case presentation.
Case presentation: DARWIN Eco-Système, Bordeaux
In June, 2014 a workshop was performed in DARWIN Eco-Système, Bordeaux, where a group of entrepreneurs work
in a shared working environment, called coworking. Usually companies located in such settings consist of one or only a
few employees. These small companies can join different resources and perform certain activities or projects together in
a flexible and expeditious way. As these companies are usually independent legal entities, a high degree of individuality is
still present in such environments.
We were invited by the coordinator of this group to improve the cohesiveness of these entrepreneurs by performing
a mosaic workshop. It consisted of three activities: (1) mindfulness exercises were performed in order to increase the
group's ability to be present here and now; (2) the presentation of techniques and tools; and finally (3) the mosaic con-
struction. The tree of life motif was chosen for the following reasons: first, this motive alludes to the interconnection of
all life on our planet and, thus, represents an explicit symbol for improving group cohesiveness; second, this group con-
sisted of people of different nationalities and religions, hence, a motif used in various world theologies, mythologies and
philosophies was selected. The result of an eight-hour workshop is presented in Figure 1. The participants of the wor-
kshop confirmed that after the workshop there was a substantial increase of social activities at the coworking site, which
resulted also in new collaborations. Two team building outcomes, i.e., affective and team processes, were evident in this
case.
Mosaic construction as a children’s game
Children’s play is an important developmental part of their life. It has many functions:
e.g., learning relevant life roles (Elkonin, 1975 from Duran, 2003), enhancing creativity and
problem solving, (Faizi, Azari & Maleki, 2012), gaining social skills such as collaboration
and confrontation (Duran, 2003), physical and mental preparation for the learning process
(Faizi et al., 2012).
Fostering children’s creativity has become a very important issue in contemporary re-
search (e.g., Ahmadi, Mustaffa & Ahmadi, 2014; Danescue, 2013; Faizi et al., 2012; Palei,
2014; Rizi, Yarmohamadiyan & Golam, 2011). It has many beneficial effects for children,
for example it provides a sense of well-being, happiness, creative thinking, self-esteem, and
activation (Rubin, 2005). It is also very important as creativity represents the fundament of
the development and survival of the society (Danescue, 2013). Hence, caring about the chil-
dren’s creativity is, in effect, caring about the future of the society. Faizi et al. (2012) find
that child’s curiosity, play participation, stimulation by the natural elements and flexibil-
ity of function in residential space play an important role in the stimulation of creativity.
Mosaic as a technique requires all these elements. In this technique different natural
and artificial materials become a new idea, a new structure, through the play of diversity of
shapes and colours. Mosaics also allow the individual to tactilely experience and explore the
materials used. As this is a relatively complex technique (Škrbina, 2013), it can help to im-
prove the psychophysical development of the child. Hence, the use of the mosaic technique
as a part of children’s game can have a significant impact on the development of creativity.
Two cases of mosaic construction projects, performed as a children’s game, are pre-
sented in the continuation of this subsection: the first project was performed in a kinder-
garten with preschool children, and second one at a summer festival where primary school
104
