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Kriegler-Education

Professional Learning Your Way

About Kriegler-Education

Kriegler-Education specialises in consultancy and customised professional learning design for Preschool and Junior Primary Leaders, Educators and Curriculum Coordinators. Your professional goals and aspirations are the foundation for consultancy and course design. Whether face to face, or online, Kriegler-Education will help you develop innovative practices that will benefit your staff, students and education community.

Lili-Ann is an education consultant and author with experience at all levels of education.

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Engaging young minds in the present, whilst paving the way for future learning.

Based on decades of experience, Lili-Ann Kriegler's book, 'the Power of Play, outlines seven distinctive learning zones that operate in early education to enhance students' conceptual understanding.

From totally free play, along a continuum to direct teaching, the seven zones outline different curriculum intentions and methodologies. The book aims to honour the agency of both educator and student.

Learn the art and science of being a champion of play and project-based learning. 

Unlocking the potential of play in early education, this book offers a groundbreaking approach to enriching children's learning experiences. Drawing on her extensive expertise, educator Lili-Ann Kriegler presents a practical roadmap for educators to embed conceptual understanding from the earliest years.

 

Through 7 dynamic learning zones, from free play to auto-generative creativity, Kriegler illuminates how to seamlessly integrate concept formation into daily activities, empowering educators to elevate their teaching practices and nurture young minds for lifelong learning.

Accessible and brimming with real-world examples, The Power of Play is essential reading for early childhood educators seeking evidence-based strategies to optimise children's development. With its insightful guidance, this book equips educators with the tools to cultivate rich, purposeful learning environments that inspire curiosity and ignite a love for learning in every child.

It is with great delight that I announce 

Roots and Wings

A Parents' Guide to Learning and
Communicating with Children

was awarded
Bronze
in the
Reader Views Choice Awards for 2022-2023. 

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Read the Five-Star Review Here
 

Roots & Wings: A parent’s guide to learning and communicating with children to forge a family with mettle Lili-Ann Kriegler Independently Published (2022) ISBN: 978-1922714855 Reviewed by Sacha Fortune for Reader Views (06/2022) Opening with the infamous poem (and one of my own personal favourites!) “The Tyger” by William Blake, the author uses Blake’s exaltation of creation as inspiration to frame her own analogy of a blacksmith’s workshop as the “creator” of the “mettle” of a family, which she defines as a proactive point of view and spirit of resilience that one can adopt to improve the chance of life success. Her framework explores the idea of the family as a system that works with “mettle” bows and arrows, which contain the shifting perceptions, values, and beliefs that evolve as you grow with your family. The goal is to craft positive interactions moment to moment — “small joyful routines” which weave “the golden thread of the future” that thereby “forge” the family life you wish to have. Admittedly, there is quite a lot of preamble at the beginning, but once the bulk of the book gets underway, you realize that much of this introduction was necessary to frame your own mindset as a reader. She delves into the early infancy years and the importance of sensory stimulation and eye contact even from the earliest “conversation” you have with a newborn — the parent/child communication (or lack thereof) influences language development. From this stage, the toddler’s level of understanding also needs additional consideration to enhance communication, for example providing an out-loud “commentary” by explaining day-to-day actions helps to connect their actions to their emotions, and one should “tune in” to what interests your toddler to adapt accordingly — your own patterns will help them construct language; “they meet the world in words.” For later phases of child development, the focus should shift to encouraging activities related to sports and arts, which leave a significant impression on the developing mind at that stage. Into the teen years, there are many “hard conversations” that should be carefully navigated; though there is no clear method to approach any of these, she does provide a short synopsis with key points and useful resources for further information. One point that stood out to me (and can apply to any age/development phase) was her discussion of the role of the parent as a “mediator” rather than a teacher when introducing new ideas to a child — being readily available to support them, but as a partner in the learning who follows their pace rather than setting your own. Overall, I liked the varied concepts Kriegler uses in her analysis, which are a combination of quotes from authors such as Kahlil Gibran and Rudyard Kipling, interlaced with psychologists including Maslow, Piaget, and Bronfenbrenner, as well as academic theorists or other renowned thinkers. She also looks at scientific aspects, such as comparing the communication within a neuron to the connection of a family that works together; and even drops in contemporary news articles and pop-culture references, including TV shows for comparison, as well as her own personal anecdotes. Well researched and conveyed in a part-conversational, part-academic voice, this book packs a powerful punch. I especially appreciated that despite the wide array of sources (which can sometimes weigh down or disorganize a non-fiction book), here the overall layout is cohesive and everything ties together nicely to make an enjoyable read for a wide audience. With clear sectioned headings and summary pages at intervals, it is easy to follow along. This format will particularly appeal to those who read short bits on a regular basis, and can be a motivational tool as part of a morning or nightly routine. I thank the author for taking the time to compile and produce this valuable collection of information, and I am pleased to recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about ways to nurture your family life by practicing mindful parenting.

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Testimonials

"I thought your presentation of everything was excellent, Lili-Ann. The group was wholly engaged and on-task, even when we were tired and a bit brain-fried! You had a lovely mix of stories, anecdotes, physical movement, activities and theory. All with your very engaging, gentle style of presentation."

– Kerrie Gambly, Music & Special Education Teacher, Education Queensland

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Amazon Author Central

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Thank you Ticker TV and Holly Mae Stearnes for this interview on 26 November! The message is that what parents say and how they say it has a profound impact on children's later development. How you talk to children becomes their inner voice. It was so much fun being in the studio with Holly today. I hope parents see how they can embrace the power to create a positive family culture! All primary caregivers, including foster parents, guardians can work on creating an optimistic view and harmonious relationships in their family unit.  DR Kate Engler and Natasa Denman, thank you for supporting me to find a platform to deliver this vital message.   #parentinglife #selfesteem #positivemindset #familylife

On 29 October, Pooja A S and I once again joined forces to present this exploratory session on leadership. If you missed it, you can catch it here bit.ly/3DHO3Ju Our inspiration for this presentation/workshop is the idea of Organic Leadership. I first encountered these ideas on a presentation online on LinkedIn by Kathleen D Allen, M.S. GSCM, CPSM, CPSD. I was so inspired by it because it made absolute sense to me that I immediately downloaded her book 'Leading from the Roots'. Kathleen creates a metaphorical analogy between a forest and an organisation. When we view a forest, we imagine that each tree is only trying to survive for itself, but recent studies have found this is not the case. In this presentation, I talk about what is going on, because beneath the soil there is a connective network called the Wood Wide Web which allows messages to be transferred through the ecosystem. Our organisations are ecosystems. A small change in one area can have an impact and change the system. So, why not make our changes positive and send messages of positivity to the organism? I recently read an article, The Right Way to Respond to Negative Feedback by Tasha Eurich in which small acts of change act as harbingers. A harbinger is a message to announce something, like a change on the way. A harbinger is like the first blossom announcing spring. We can consciously create harbingers announcing our changed perceptions, ideas and intentions. Pooja A S and I so enjoyed this online encounter with global attendees from far and wide. If the pandemic has taught us anything it is that we are more closely connected than we are apart. Like the trees in the forest. Watch the video and please share your thoughts with us. If you would like to download a copy of the workshop questions and a description of the GROWTH MODEL for planning, go to my website. Navigate to 'More' - click on Public PDFs and it is there for you. We framed questions related to each pearl. https://lnkd.in/gPXM_NUA #woodwideweb #ecosystems #organisationalculture #organisationaldevelopment #organisationalchange #empathymatters #share #leadership

Elevate your Impact in Your Workplace with
Six Simple Communication Strategies

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Once again, I have joined forces with Pooja A S to present an online seminar. 'Leverage Six Communication Strategies to Elevate your Impact at Work' seeks to attune participants to how they communicate with themselves and with others. There are four golden rules of communication: 1 - Communication works for those who work at it. 2- First be kind to yourself and calibrate your self talk towards a positive mindset. 3- Be aware that you might be acting on assumptions rather than fact. 4 - Communication is a two-way street. The six strategies discussed in this video are: Purpose Planning Time and Place Style Communication Loop Feedback Click the link to join us for this conversation.

Watch Here

I was greatly privileged to join 35 presenters from across the globe for Empathy Wee from 24-28 October 2022. In this presentation I talked about how just four simple concepts can enhance preschool and primary school children's thinking. You can listen to the talk here. See below to download a handy PDF about the Four Concepts.

Click the image and navigate to the Ab Initio-To Initiate
YouTube Channel to watch this presentation

Global Online
Education Conference

24-28 October 2022

I was privileged to be invited to be one of 35 international speakers at the Global Online Education Summit for Empathy Week arranged by education Influence. The conference ran from 24-28 October 2022. i listened to numerous of the speakers and it was enlightening and inspiring. I was humbled and delighted to receive this certificate of excellence.

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Podcast Interview

It was so much fun having a podcast interview with the lovely Katey Street based in Sydney. If you want to learn a little about my background and professional career, I covered some of it in respons to Katey's thoughtful questions.

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It was such a surprise to receive news that I had been nominated for the Bx Business awards in the category New Small Business. But doubly surprising when I was announced as a finalist. Every milestone towards creating your business identity is something to be celebrated.

I felt truly honoured to receive a medal for winning the
Next Generation Indie Book Award in the category Education/Academic

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When you are sitting at 2.00 or 3.00am writing while your family is fast asleep, you never anticipate the incredible honour of receiving a book award. On Friday 24 June, I had the joy of receiving the medal for winning the category Education/Academic at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards in Washington DC. At the event, I met authors who were among the category finalists and winners of the 2022 awards. I also had the privilege of attending the American Library Association ALA conference to do a book signing gig! It was overwhelming seeing the exhibits of about 2000 different publishers from the smallest independent publishers to the giants like Penguin, Random House, Scholastic, Sage, Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, The New York Times and The Wall Street journal all housed in the Washington Convention Centre. Nothing in life is achieved alone and I am so grateful to all my colleagues, friends and family who have supported me along the way! You guys rock. Especially my husband, Pierre, who said 'Just go there and get it!' Thank you to Ultimate 48 Hour Author and Natasa Denman for their role in this journey. A casual scroll through Facebook led me to your incredible expertise and all the support from writing through to publishing. If you would like a copy of 'Edu-Chameleon - Leverage 7 Dynamic Learning Zones to Enhance Children's Concept-Based Understanding' visit https://www,kriegler-education.com 'Edu-Chameleon' gives Kindergarten and Junior Primary educators clarity and practical ideas about how to support and structure play and design projects for children's enhanced learning outcomes. #educators #university #playbasedlearning #playmatters #inquirybasedlearning #inquiry #authorlife #earlychildhoodeducation #educhameleon #educationalleadership #educationalconsultant #education

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I'm excited to announce the release of my new book
ROOTS and WINGS!

A Parent's Guide to Learning and Communicating with Children to Forge a Family with Mettle

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What is it about?
 

18 months ago, I did a Facebook live to release my book Edu-Chameleon. Even as I was writing that people were saying, ‘Lil, you have to do a book for parents.’ So today, here it is. I am releasing my new book ROOTS and WINGS – A parents’ guide for learning and communicating with children to forge a family with mettle. I have poured 40 years of education and nearly 35 years of parenting into this book and my deepest wish is that it will be helpful for parents and primary educators no matter where they are or what their situation. The book sees the family as a kind of blacksmith foundry. Blacksmiths create an amalgam of liquified metals and cool them into ingots. An ingot is a workpiece full of potential. It can become anything. Parents create an amalgam of all their values, wishes and hopes for their children. They have no idea what their children will become but I’m sure they all do their best to see them become successful in life. 'ROOTS and WINGS' was inspired by my parents, particularly my father, Bob Erasmus, who always said, education gives you ROOTS and WINGS. No one can strip you of your education and it will enable you to be who you want to be. ​ The book is about everyone in your family achieving their unique potential. Self-actualising to become the person they aspire to be. And beyond that to become someone who contributes their talents and skills to make the world a better place. The book is written in two parts: ​ ROOTS is a look at what you can do to support children as they go through five stages. Readers will learn the key areas of development for each age group – infants, toddlers, preschoolers, primary years’ children, and tweens and teens. They will discover great ways to support communication, arrange the environment and choose the activities that will enhance the potential of their children. The second part of the book WINGS talks about parents’ and primary caregivers' power to create a positive family culture. Many families are living out a default culture, but there are ways to enhance, transform and harness culture for life success. The second part also addresses some of the hard questions young people face today. I’m not a psychologist, but the responses to hard questions are well-researched and offered in the spirit of sharing potential solutions. The first moment you look into your infant’s eyes is already filled with your values, beliefs and dreams for your child. From that moment forward you are forging the golden thread of the future! I wanted to have this book available for families before Mother’s Day. It is available for purchase at the great pre-launch price of $20.00 and $5.00 postage including GST. https://tinyurl.com/rootsandwingsparentguide I have been so incredibly supported in my authoring journey and even if you don’t buy this book, I know you will recommend it to others in your network so they can benefit from the information between its covers. As I say on the back of the book: 'Bringing up a family in the 21st century is nothing short of heroic! Life is unpredictable, complicated, and at times, hard. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have a red-hot go at creating the kind of family we want and supporting our children to be their best.' No one can predict the future, no one can control all of life’s events, but the goal of this book is to give readers the tools to inspire their family’s success. Read it and do all you can to forge a family that is resilient, cohesive and high functioning. A family with mettle.

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ROOTS and WINGS  
received a FIVE STAR review from Reader Views in the US



Read the Review Below

Roots and Wings: A parent's guide to learning and communicating with children to forge a family with mettle Lili-Ann Kriegler Independently Published (2022) ISBN: 978-1922714855 Reviewed by Sacha Fortune for Reader Views (06/2022) 5* A wealth of information for mindful parenting Opening with the infamous poem (and one of my own personal favourites!) "The Tyger" by William Blake, the author uses Blake's exaltation of creation as inspiration to frame her own analogy of a blacksmith's workshop as the "creator" of the "mettle" of a family, which she defines as a proactive point of view and spirit of resilience that one can adopt to improve the chance of life success. Her framework explores the idea of the family as a system that works with "mettle" bows and arrows, which contain the shifting perceptions, values, and beliefs that evolve as you grow with your family. The goal is to craft positive interactions moment to moment — "small joyful routines" which weave "the golden thread of the future" that thereby "forge" the family life you wish to have. Admittedly, there is quite a lot of preamble at the beginning, but once the bulk of the book gets underway, you realize that much of this introduction was necessary to frame your own mindset as a reader. She delves into the early infancy years and the importance of sensory stimulation and eye contact even from the earliest "conversation" you have with a newborn — the parent/child communication (or lack thereof) influences language development. From this stage, the toddler's level of understanding also needs additional consideration to enhance communication, for example providing an out-loud "commentary" by explaining day-to-day actions helps to connect their actions to their emotions, and one should "tune in" to what interests your toddler to adapt accordingly — your own patterns will help them construct language; "they meet the world in words." For later phases of child development, the focus should shift to encouraging activities related to sports and arts, which leave a significant impression on the developing mind at that stage. Into the teen years, there are many "hard conversations" that should be carefully navigated; though there is no clear method to approach any of these, she does provide a short synopsis with key points and useful resources for further information. One point that stood out to me (and can apply to any age/development phase) was her discussion of the role of the parent as a "mediator" rather than a teacher when introducing new ideas to a child — being readily available to support them, but as a partner in the learning who follows their pace rather than setting your own. Overall, I liked the varied concepts Kriegler uses in her analysis, which are a combination of quotes from authors such as Kahlil Gibran and Rudyard Kipling, interlaced with psychologists including Maslow, Piaget, and Bronfenbrenner, as well as academic theorists or other renowned thinkers. She also looks at scientific aspects, such as comparing the communication within a neuron to the connection of a family that works together; and even drops in contemporary news articles and pop-culture references, including TV shows for comparison, as well as her own personal anecdotes. Well researched and conveyed in a part-conversational, part-academic voice, this book packs a powerful punch. I especially appreciated that despite the wide array of sources (which can sometimes weigh down or disorganize a non-fiction book), here the overall layout is cohesive and everything ties together nicely to make an enjoyable read for a wide audience. With clear sectioned headings and summary pages at intervals, it is easy to follow along. This format will particularly appeal to those who read short bits on a regular basis, and can be a motivational tool as part of a morning or nightly routine. I thank the author for taking the time to compile and produce this valuable collection of information, and I am pleased to recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about ways to nurture your family life by practicing mindful parenting

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More Reviews


 

Lili-Ann Kriegler forges her place in the literary and arts world, through creating a performative foundry of metaphoric, poetic and pedagogical tools in her latest book, ‘Roots and Wings’.  Novelist, Booker Prize winner, and Sydney Peace Prize awardee, Arundhati Roy, suggests we take our place in the world and are not given it. Through the pages of this compelling book, Lili -Ann draws on her experiences in the broad education field, to firmly take her own place and inspire others to do so. Dr Avis Ridgway Adjunct Research Associate, Faculty of Education, Monash University ​

Lili-Ann Kriegler’s book Roots and Wings contains powerful messages and practical advice on how to rear a family with mettle. Lili-Ann uses common sense, humour, anecdotes, quotes, learned educators’ studies, psychology and philosophy to illustrate the themes that the family is the foundry which supports the child from birth to adulthood and that education and communication are the anvils upon which successful lives can be shaped. The family with mettle is closely bonded, high-functioning, strong and resilient and each child within the family is likely to be able to achieve their fullest potential of his or her talents and interests. Lili-Ann writes eloquently and builds her arguments in a readable, easy to follow manner. Many of her messages can be applied not just in raising children but in all aspects of life. Do not delay your gratification! This is a book to read now.

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Edu-Chameleon Garners International Literary Award

Dear Friends and Colleagues, it is with great excitement that I can share Edu-Chameleon was awarded a Silver Literary Award in the Education Category by a US organisation called Reader Views. This recognition is beyond a dream come true.

There are so many people behind this success. My husband. Pierre, son, Sean, and daughter, Candice who supported me all the way. Judy who walked and talked with me when I was writing, Eric who was living with us when I wrote in the wee small hours of the night.

All the colleagues I've worked with and learned from for the past decades, so much of our combined experience has been captured in these pages.

Ultimate 48 Hour Author, you have been amazing! The processes Natasa Denman and the team put in place made the writing and publishing go from an unlikely possibility to a reality.

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Book Review

Edu-Chameleon: Leverage 7 Dynamic Learning Zones to Enhance Young Children’s Concept-Based Understanding

Lili-Ann Kriegler

Independently Published (2021)

ISBN 9781922497864

Reviewed by Jill Rey for Reader Views (7/2021)

Author Lili-Ann Kriegler does not do things halfway, whether it be her love of golf or passion for education. Using the foundations of other scholarly work, she has created a model for play using seven learning zones. Targeting early educators and administrators alike she provides readers an in-depth immersion into structuring play for learning. In keeping with the title’s theme, “Edu-Chameleon” is broken into four parts as readers traverse the Chameleon—The Eye, The Head, The Body and The Tail. This animal is aptly used to represent the structure of this book as educators similarly have to adapt their skills, perspectives, toy box, classroom and planning to that of the Chameleon as it changes its color. ​ The body of this book (pun intended), outlines the seven learning zones which set this book apart from that of other scholarly work. These zones range from Free Play to Clarity of Concept and Auto-Generative Creativity. They are independent of one another and are not expected to be completed in “stages.” Kriegler is detailed as she crafts each of these zones for the reader to embrace, structuring them by proximity of the educator to the student and the range of freedom in meeting the goals and activities that fall within the zone. Each chapter also begins with a comprehensive definition, what the teacher and students’ role may involve or look like as it pertains to this zone and even includes examples from the author’s own schools and classrooms. ​ This book may be densely populated with research and support of the learning zones proposed by the author, solidly landing it within a niche designed for educators and administrators alike. However, the examples of play and crafted themes she provides within the pages, such as water, which is carried from visual artistry to engineering and physics concepts, gives parents excellent ideas for structuring play for kids within their own homes, whether over the summer months or concurrently with school subjects. Kriegler brings her concepts to the table fully formed and significantly well supported through her own examples and learning as well as through the use of peer-reviewed scholars, as she shares her work with the masses in this read, “Edu-Chameleon.”

Seminar at Box Hill Tafe

10 September 2022

I felt so privileged to spend a day with pre service teachers at Box Hill Tafe. We worked on designing, presenting and assessing a play-based curriculum. the testimonials were very gratifying. Wow! This was an opportunity to extend and build upon knowledge of how as an educator l can extend the way I support children's learning. I am challenged, inispired, and my heart is appreciative of the opportunity to learn more! Thank you! Signed and dated 10 9 2022 Lili-Ann, this was such an inspiring presentation which allowed student and educators to reflect on many concepts . I loved your observational lenses. Thank you for inspiring us. Lecturer BHI Signed and dated 10 9 2022 I am really amazed to know how we as an educator should have a pedagogy of listening, I.E. listening not only through ears, but also through eyes, brain and emotions. Through this workshop, I am really motivated to be an 'Educator Supernova' in my teaching career. Signed and dated 10 9 2022

00:00 / 39:08
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Thank you Gavin McCormack, philanthropist, Montessori School Principal and Author, for this interview on 

Rotary and Community Radio 94.1 FM 3WBC on 21 January 2022. 

Gavin McCormack is a 2020 finalist of School Principal of the year, a TEDX speaker, and Australian LinkedIn Top Voice of 2020. He is also an author. Gavin works as a principal and teacher. He is trained in both mainstream and Montessori education. 

 

He uses his experience and training to inform teachers and parents about what it means to educate the whole child. His recently published book, ‘The Potential of Every Child’, captures his passion for educational reform in both the school and home environment.

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Educational gift ideas for children - from babies to teens!

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Don't know what to buy for your children for their special events including Christmas? Listen to the podcast with Jennie Lenman to get the perfect gift for the perfect age. Thank you Jennie for hosting me on your great program Power FM SA. 

In this video I discuss Edu-Chameleon, my book for educators, curriculum coordinators and leaders working with children 3-9 years of age. The conceptual framework of the book often draws on the theory and methodology of Feuerstein's Instrumental Enrichment (FIE). FIE presents a range of thinking skills that are navigated with increasing novelty and complexity. The thinking skills or cognitive functions are the atomic level thinking skills for any mental task.  The talk is introduced by Dr Alex Kozulin, a foremost scholar of the work of Lev Vygotsky and co-author of 'Rigorous Maths Teaching'. 

The first half of my book examines concepts and thinking skills. The second half demonstrates how conceptualisation and cognition are used within seven dynamic learning zones in the classroom. 

 

Although this sounds complex, the goal of my book was to make thinking, concept learning and language acquisition practical and accessible! 
 

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Science Fun to do at home!

Scroll down for a
week of  fun and easy science
experiments for children  at school or at home!

Tip: click on arrows and view in presentation mode!

Edu-Chameleon in the Media

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