Creating stability within uncertainty:
Flexibility, surrender, presence and initiative
18-20 August 2020
An international online conference
educational conference Seminal Challenges 2
An online conference was held on 18-20th of August 2020, intended for education professionals and the general public.
The conference focused on a major educational challenge: coping with experiences of uncertainty and chaos.
Addressing uncertainty involves not only asking “how do we cope?”, but also which qualities should we, as education professionals,cultivate and encourage in ourselves and in our students to make the best of such times of uncertainty? The conference suggested that flexibility and surrender, presence and initiative can offer some stability within the chaos.
How to view and take part in the conference:
Registered participants received an email on each morning of the conference, containing links to the following:
- Pre-recorded lectures (some in English and some in Hebrew): lectures given by leading experts from Israel and abroad, featuring practical educational tools, which you can view any time you like.
- A daily live lecture (in English and in Hebrew) via zoom: every day at 12:00 pm you can watch a live lecture including demonstrations. Details on these fascinating lectures will be posted next week.
- A daily concluding session (in Hebrew) discussing the day’s lectures: every day at 8:30 pm we met for a live Q&A session via zoom. The day’s speakers were available for viewers’ questions and comments.
- A bonus “Ideas Booklet” (in Hebrew) with approxmately 400 practical ideas which have already been successfully implemented in educational settings, contributed by the participants of the 2019 MOOC “Cultivating a Benevolent and Caring Environment in Education” at the University of Haifa.
- Files you can download to further delve into the various topics discussed in the lectures.
The conference included online lectures and discussions with leading scholars and professionals from educational and therapeutic fields from Israel and abroad
14 different countries including Australia, Canada, U.S.A, Denmark, Finland, Bhutan, Germany and more
The conference also featured many inspiring principals, teachers and other educational professionals.
General schedule
8:00 am – registered participants will receive an email with links for pre-recorded lectures available for viewing.
12:00 pm – daily live broadcast
8:30 pm – concluding session: viewers can participate in a liveq&a with the day’s lecturers
Schedule for the international online conference Creating Stability Within Uncertainty: Flexibility and Surrender, Presence and Initiative
Tuesday August 18, 2020
Opening Lecture
Uncertainty as an opportunity for change and development: With which qualities should we encounter it?
Dr. Aviva Berkovich-Ohana in conversation with Prof. Ofra Mayseless, University of Haifa
Speakers from various countries share how the educational systems in their countries cope with uncertainty
Prof. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, University of British Columbia, Canada
Prof. Peggy Kern, University of Melbourne, Australia
Dr. Philip Snow Gang, Endicott College, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Dr. Åse Fagerlund, Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland
Prof. Pavel Luksha, Moscow School of Management, Russia
Pre-recorded lectures from leading Israeli experts
Pre-recorded lectures from leading Israeli experts
A program for kindergarten teachers and their students designed by The Center for Compassionate Mindful Education
Dr. Ricardo Tarraschin conversation with Dr. Ronnie Berger and Moriah Rosenberg, The Center for Compassionate Mindful Education
Supporting the supporters: The importance of supporting teachers’ psychological needs in times of uncertainty
Prof. Idit Katz, Ben-Gurion University
Meaning in life as a resource for coping and growth in times of uncertainty
Dr. Pninit Russo-Netzer, Achva Academic College and University of Haifa
Philosophy with young learners in the midst of uncertainty Prof. Arie Kizel, University of Haifa
Loving uncertainty Guy Oren, Merhavim
Being, seeing, accepting: Psychological flexibility in times of uncertainty Savion Or, University of Haifa
Principals and teachers share stories from the field
Shosh Kiper, Peres Campus Holon in the spirit of High Tech High
Shiri Bar and Dana Hirschfeld, Ziv School (Pashosh Program – Pedagogy of Belonging and Partnership)
Live broadcast at 12:00 PM
Educational challenges around the world Prof. Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills, OECD
Concluding Panel: Discussion and Q&A (featuring questions from the viewers) 8:30-9:30 PM
Inspiring Opening Remarks: What sets successful people apart? Dr. Daphne Kopelman-Rubin and Efrat Dvir, SEL.IL – IDC Herzliya
Live discussion with the speakers from the day’s pre-recorded lectures
Wednesday August 19, 2020
Good Morning: Opening insights for the second day of the conference
Prof. Ofra Mayseless, University of Haifa
Lecturers from various countries share how the educational systems in their countries cope with uncertainty
Prof. Mark Greenberg, Pennsylvania State University, U.S.A.
Prof. Anne Bamford, City of London, UK
Prof. Maren Lytje, University College of Northern Denmark, Denmark
Thakur Powdyel, former Minister of Education of Bhutan
Pre-recorded lectures from leading Israeli experts
Cultivating a mindful presence in the face of uncertainty
Dr. Nava Levit-Binnun & Amos Avisar, Sagol School Program, IDC Herzliya
Watering the seeds of compassion, creating change in the world Naama Katan, University of Haifa
Mindfulness in education: A pedagogy for the development of emotional skills, personal efficacy and emotional resilience
Dr. Nimrod Sheinman, Mind-Body Center
Leading an educational organization in times of uncertainty Dr. Shiri Lavy, University of Haifa
What do we know when we don’t know?Self-inquiry of not knowing Amir Freimann, University of Haifa
Principals and teachers share stories from the field
Watfa Kinaan – Non-formal education in the Druze sector (lecture + mindfulness exercise in Arabic)
Yael Biber-Aviad, Omer Beckerman and Avishai Burla, Alonim School, Rishon Lezion
Live broadcast at 12:00 PM
Resilience in times of uncertainty: Insights from positive psychology research
Prof. Anat Shoshani, Maytiv Center,IDC Herzliya
Concluding Panel: Discussion and Q&A (featuring questions from the viewers) 8:30-9:30 PM
Inspiring Opening Remarks: Discovering sustainability in a world of uncertainty
Prof. Oded Maimon, Tel-Aviv University
Live discussion with the speakers from the day’s pre-recorded lectures
Thursday August 20, 2020
Good Morning: Opening insights for the third day of the conference
Prof. Ofra Mayseless, University of Haifa
Lecturers from various countries share how the educational systems in their countries cope with uncertainty
Prof. Patricia Jennings, University of Virginia, U.S.A.
Dr. Nicole Albrecht, Flinders University, Australia
Dr. Marianne van Woerkom, Tilburg University and Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Dr. Claudia Harzer, University of Greifswald, Germany
Bob Miller and Hope Griffin, Stonefields School, New Zealand
Pre-recorded lectures from leading Israeli experts
Uncertainty is common to us all: The unique needs of the Arab population Prof. Fadia Nasser-Abu Alhija, Tel Aviv University
Emotions as a fundamental part of teaching Dr. Hava Friedman, Director of the Psychology Department at the National Psychological Counseling Service
Emotional resilience of education professionals Dr. Daphne Kopelman-Rubin and Efrat Dvir, SEL.IL – IDC Herzliya
Growth in the midst of uncertainty through self-compassion Yafit Orbach, University of Haifa
Learning from nature: Incorporating natural surroundings into the curriculum Lia Naor, Ways of Knowing
To the gate of uncertainty and back – discussion and exercise Yishai Zinger, Herzog College
Principals and teachers share stories from the field
Hassan Agbaria, Bridge on the Wadi bilingual school, Kfar Qara
Gal Alter, Guatemala School, Jerusalem
Live broadcast at 12:00 PM
Get your pulse up to get your spirits up
Maayan Fuchs, Time2Play – Experiential Education
Experiential workshop via Zoom for the first 25 participants (non-participants can view the workshop live on YouTube).
Concluding Panel: Discussion and Q&A (featuring questions from the viewers) 8:30-9:30 PM
Inspiring Opening Remarks: Mindfulness
Dr. Ricardo Tarrasch, Tel Aviv University
Live discussion with the speakers from the day’s pre-recorded lectures.
