"Principal Poon Says" - Different education methods, how so?
When it comes to categorising primary schools, parents usually only consider traditional education and activity-based education as the two options. However, is this really the case? What kind of impact do different education methods have on children's learning? And what kind of education method does our school adopt? In the third episode of "Principal Poon Says", Principal Poon will explore different education methods with us and explain their effects on students' learning. This will help us understand the education method adopted by our school and how to provide a better learning experience for our students.
One of the key considerations in curriculum development is how schools can use their existing time, space, and resources to set the curriculum goals. Teaching methods, on the other hand, refer to how corresponding teaching strategies and methods are used during the teaching process to achieve these goals.
Certainly. Take the English language as an example. Our goal is to cultivate students' interest in English, appreciate other cultures, and master the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Therefore, we will set a general learning level and standard for each grade.
In terms of classroom teaching, teachers can use a variety of teaching methods, such as lecture-based teaching, blended learning, experiential learning, and task-based learning, to help students better grasp knowledge and skills.
I would describe our teaching method as "diverse" and not limited to the classroom. We provide various electronic platforms, such as Edmodo, for students to continue learning outside of class. We also have a "BYOD" (Bring Your Own Device) program in place for upper primary students, which seamlessly integrates classroom learning with online resources and is helpful for completing project assignments. Additionally, we place great emphasis on students' communication and collaboration skills, which is why we have various group projects. We also encourage students to have an exploratory mindset and learn through observation, experimentation, and hands-on experience.
The diverse teaching method highlights that different students may benefit from different learning methods, making learning more efficient. For example, using drama as a teaching tool in Language Arts allows students to immerse themselves in the role and think from a first-person perspective, which is more memorable than simply listening to the teacher tell a story. Through project-based learning, students can gain a deeper understanding of the topic and learn different skills through communication with their peers on how to present their project. Students can apply their knowledge to practical situations instead of just absorbing information.
Certainly. For example, we have noticed that some students who are weaker in English language ability are very brave and proactive in speaking a lot during Process Drama in Language Arts, immersing themselves in the role. This allows students to temporarily set aside concerns about grammar or vocabulary and simply use English to communicate and converse.
Generally, we set a major direction for school development every three years. In 2020, the Education Bureau's Curriculum Review Task Force set seven directional recommendations, such as how to enable children to have more diverse learning abilities. We based our teaching methods on the Education Bureau's major direction while combining our own school philosophy.
Different teaching methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. Our school and teachers will adopt different teaching methods according to the situation of different students, striving to assist them in achieving the maximum learning outcomes. Thank you, Principal Poon, for your detailed sharing. In the next episode, Principal Poon will share with us the character education that our school values greatly. See you in the next episode!