preparing for the nss english curriculum – from social issues to debating ling liang church e wun...
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Preparing for the NSS Preparing for the NSS
English Curriculum –English Curriculum –From Social Issues From Social Issues
to Debatingto Debating
Ling Liang Church E Wun Secondary School
School background
• A co-educational school in Tung Chung
• Level of students: intermediate with a wide range of abilities
• A participating school in the project
“Social Issues for Thinking & Debating” (SITD) for 3 years (2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09)
Objectives of the project
Student development• To increase world
knowledge & enhance social awareness
• To develop higher-order thinking, speaking and other generic skills
• To form a learning community within school and across schools
Curriculum leadership development
• To develop holistic & long-term subject plans and school-based curriculum
• To deploy teachers strategically
• To develop teachers professionally
Preparing for the NSS English Curriculum
Teacher development
• To plan and teach the non-LA Elective Part (esp. Learning English through Social Issues)
• To learn new knowledge and skills by forming a learning community within school and across schools
Curriculumplanning & development
Curriculumimplementation
School & beyond level
Overview of the school-based English curriculum development
Subject level
Capacity building (e.g. lesson co-planning time, sharing of good practices)
Teaching & learning level
Curriculum level
• Use a variety of materials & activities• Adopt suitable strategies• Provide a supportive learning
environment
Horizontal and vertical Planning
Leadership development (e.g. identifying needs, setting priorities and goals, etc.)
Building learning communities among teachers and students within schools and in the district
• Involved a core teacher at each level• Developed other teachers
Integrating social issues into the school-based curriculum
3-year development of the project
1st Year 2nd Year 3rd Year
S1 (one class)
Activities in class -
individual presentations,
group discussion & inter-group
debates
S2 (one class) S1(whole
level)
Inter-class & Inter-level
debates
S3 (one class) S1-2 (whole
level)Involved 3 core teachers
District-based
Inter-school debates
Extension mode
Infusion mode
Whole-year & cross-level curriculum planning
Linking formal & informal curricula
building a network outside school
Integrating social issues into the school-based curriculum
• to develop teaching units in a task-based fra
mework• to adopt an extension mode in the first two y
ears and infusion mode in the third year• to teach and reinforce elective-related knowl
edge and skills systematically and progressiv
ely• to use different text types and resources• to employ student-centred activities• to display the final products in written and sp
oken form
Integrating social issues into the school-based curriculum
An example
• Level: S3 (*The first cohort of NSS students)
• Theme: Teen Problems
To integrate elements of the elective module (Social Issues) with the textbook materials
• Approach: Infusion mode
To supplement and/or replace textbook materials with the elective module (Social Issues) materials
To be taught together with the textbook unit
SurveyFavourite Hobbies
Joys(Leisure Activities)
Problem Page
Advice column
Teenage Life
Role-play
Letters to the editor
Survey
Forum
Tears Teen Problems
Personal levelPersonal level
Family & school levelsFamily & school levels
Society levelSociety level
Teenage dating
Underage sex & teenage pregnancy
Problems & solutions (e.g. strict/busy parents, school work)
Infusion of social issues in a task-based framework
Infusion of social issues in a task-based framework
Teen Magazine
Knowledge Core part – e.g. describing personal
problems, asking for advice, giving advice on personal matters
Elective -- e.g. knowledge about how an issue is related to a person and society
Forms & functions - e.g. adjectives and expressions to describe personal feelings and views, linguistic and structural features for causes & consequences
Textual features – e.g. letters on a problem page, survey reports
Output: (spoken) a role-playing debate (written) letters on a problem page of newspaper
A teaching unit “Teenage problems” integrating knowledge & skills of the Social Issue elective with the textbook units (approx 10 - 16 periods)
Explicit teaching of subject knowledge, thinking & debating skills
Skills
Thinking skills - e.g. identifying pros and cons, analysing causal relationships, adopting multiple perspectives, evaluating arguments, making judgments & justifying views
Debating skills – e.g. gathering informed opinions, presenting arguments and counter-arguments persuasively
To present argumentsin a debate
To understand how theproblem is related to a
person and society
To analyse pros and cons,causes and consequences
To look at a problemfrom different perspectives
To make judgmentsand justify views
To gather informed opinionsand present arguments
Teenage Dating
Choice of
issues
Elective-related learning objectives & content
Describing personal
problem & asking for
advice
Giving opinions & suggesting
solutions to the problem
Exploring & researching the problem in societ
y
Development of
knowledge
& skills
A variety of text-types and resources to enhance four language skills
A variety of text-types and resources to enhance four language skills
Viewing Youtube for more teen problems in a society
Reading news articles on survey reports, letters to the editor about “teenage dating”- pros and cons- causes & consequences- arguments & counter-arguments- suggestions to tackle the problem
SpeakingExplore common teen problems at home and at school
Reading & Speaking Discuss the possible consequences and solutions of the problems
Reading letters on problem page for personal problems and advice
Writing• a debate speech• a letter to the editor
Speaking (Role play) Debate on “teenage dating”
A variety of debating activities as a teaching & learning strategy in classroom
A variety of debating activities as a teaching & learning strategy in classroom
Group Discussion
Role play
Oral presentation
Forum
Problem solving activity
Inter-group debate
(Spoken) role-play
a teacher-parent meeting
(Written) A page of a newspaper - “Letters to the editors”
Display of final productsDisplay of final products
Jenny’s dadClass teacher
Social workerJenny
Reflections It is hard to find suitable teaching materials • for students of diverse needs, interests and abilities• on controversial issues that are relatively up-to-date and related to students’ experience.
Flexibility should be exercised and modification of their teaching scheduleis needed.
Reading a long text in class poses difficulties to some students. Pre-reading at home is recommended.
Step-by-step scaffolding of students’ learning is important.• provide adequate language input and guidance• build up confidence in expressing views and sharing opinions
Whole-year & cross-level curriculum planning
• to organise the curriculum based on themes• to plan the curriculum holistically to ensure coherence within and across junior secondary year levels• to enhance the interface between KS3 and
KS4• to adopt an explicit and integrative approach
with equal focuses on content, language and generic skills
Whole-year & cross-level curriculum planning
Curriculum planning within and across year levelsCurriculum planning within and across year levels
Core units Text-types in the extended unitsExtended units
Preservation Vs Redevelop -ment : Sneaker Street
Sensationalism & paparazzi
Global warming
The problem of addiction
Leisure and Entertainment
Role model
The environment
Modern life
Non-LA- Letters to the editors- News articles - Debating speeches
LA-Advertisements -Scripts -Songs
S2 year plan
S2 year plan
Goal Setting - Planning Ahead for My Life
School bullying
Stealing for Money - Is Money Everything to You
Charity – Helping Those in Need
Cruelty to Animals
Food safety and deception in TV commercials
Managing My Life Units: At School + In My Free Time Key to Getting Along with Others – Respect
Enjoying Life - Shopping
Let’s Celebrate Together
Animals
Eating Out
LA-Fables and stories-Comics -Poems and songs-Screenplays & script- Advertisements
Non-LA-News reports -News articles-Debate speeches
S1 year plan
S1 year plan
Teen dating, underage sex and pregnancy
Animal rights
Teen problems
The environment
Non-LA- letters to the editors- News articles- Debate speeches- Survey questionnaire and reportS3 year p
lan
S3 year plan
Going beyond textbook units
More non-LA
Greateruse of
authentic materials
More LA
Widercoverageof themes
Depth
Breadth
Thinking skills Debating skillsExtended units
Goal Setting - Planning ahead for my life
School bullying
Stealing Money - Is money everything to you?
Charity- Helping those in need
Cruelty to animals
Food safety and deception in TV commercials
- identify and analyze causes and consequences- understand more than one point of view in a situation- suggest creative solutions to problems- distinguish between facts and myths- identify “obvious” fallacies with supporting reasons
- collect information from various sources- give supporting reasons for an argument - give counter-arguments to show disagreement in groups- put forward arguments with confidence- voice opinions in public
S1 year plan
S1 year plan
Teen dating, underage sex
and pregnancy
- identify and analyse causes, consequences, pros & cons- understand a social issue from different points of view- support arguments with examples figures, statistics & expert opinion - suggest creative solutions to problems
- define a problem/ an issue- establish team line- present arguments clearly with supporting details and forcefully through voice and intonation- making rebuttalsS3 year p
lan
S3 year plan
Food safety and deception in TV commercials
Preservation vs Redevelop -ment : Sneaker Street
Sensationalism & paparazzi
Global warming
The problem of addiction
- identify and analyze causes, consequences, pros & cons- identify and adopt different points of view- support arguments with figures, statistics and examples- suggest creative solutions to problems- distinguish between facts and myths
- apply basic research skills to collect information- form arguments for a particular point of view with supporting details- present arguments using appropriate tone of voice and facial expressions to convince the audience
S2 year plan
S2 year plan
Pro
gressive d
evelo
pm
en
t of skills
Linking formal and informal curricula
& building a network outside school
• To enrich students’ learning experiences inside and outside classroom
• To foster inter-school peer learning in the district
• To encourage other teachers to infuse debating skills into task-based units and include them in co-curricular activities
• To network different schools in Tung Chung for professional sharing
Linking formal and informal curricula & building a network outside school
Extending classroom learning and co-/extra-curricular activities to other learning experiences
Extending classroom learning and co-/extra-curricular activities to other learning experiences
Classroom learning
e.g. oral presentation, group discussion One-off events
Daily events
Frequency
Classroom learninge.g. group discussion, oral presentation,
inter-group debates
Co-/ Extra-curricular activities
e.g. inter-class & inter-level debates
S2
S1- S3
Other learning experience
e.g. district-based inter-school debates (workshops & competitions)
S3
Peer
learning
Within school
At the same year level(S1, 2 & 3)
BrainstormingOral presentationGroup workInter-group debate
Inside classtime
Across different
year levels
Inter-level debateOutside
class time
Between schools
At the same year level /acrossDifferent year
levels
Inter-schooldebates
Outsideclass time
Go beyondclasstime
Be in a varietyof formats& contexts
Cross yearlevels
Break downSchool
boundaries
Peer Learning within school and between schools in a variety of learning contexts
Peer Learning within school and between schools in a variety of learning contexts
Brainstorming ideas on social
issues relevant to students’ lives
Group discussion & inter-group debates
Presenting arguments from
different perspectives (by individuals
or in groups)
Peer learning in the classroom through a variety of speaking activities
Peer learning in the classroom through a variety of speaking activities
We should teach him what is right when he is still young. He needs to bear the consequences himself. He should learn a good lesson…(teachers)
The school should be fair to all students. He has committed a crime. If the school does not send him to the police, other students in school may follow his wrong doing…..(students)
If the school does not report the thief to the police, the public will lose confidence in the school….. (the public)
Some snapshots of inter-group debate in class
Some snapshots of inter-group debate in class
Some snapshots of inter-level debate within school
Some snapshots of inter-level debate within school
Affirmative side formed by S2 & S6 students
Negative Side formed by S2 & S6 students
Motion:
Playing online games
brings more harm than good
Some snapshots of district-based inter-school debate workshop for
students
Some snapshots of district-based inter-school debate workshop for
students
The motion “That smoking should be banned in public places” was used to illustrate some essential debating skills.
Quiz: How much do you know about debating?
Peer Learning among students from different schools in the debate workshop (practical session)
Peer Learning among students from different schools in the debate workshop (practical session)
Motion:
School work should be
submitted on-line
Feedback from studentsFeedback from students
Debating is fun! Make new friends and
work in a team Think deeper and from
more perspectives; Gain more knowledge
by reading more (e.g. newspaper) to research an issue
Debating is fun! Make new friends and
work in a team Think deeper and from
more perspectives; Gain more knowledge
by reading more (e.g. newspaper) to research an issue
Speak English more confidently
- in public - with people just met Learn to argue with
evidence Improve speaking and
presentation skills
Speak English more confidently
- in public - with people just met Learn to argue with
evidence Improve speaking and
presentation skills
Peer Learning among teachers from different schools in the training
session
Peer Learning among teachers from different schools in the training
sessionI’m more aware of the need to enrich students’ learning experiences inside and outside the classroom as well as the school.
Debates can be in different formats (e.g. court trial, forums, role-play) with varied cognitive demands on students.
It’s a valuable opportunity to share
teaching ideas & experiences with
teachers in the district.
I’ll try to infuse debating skills in teaching the unit of “Cruelty to Animals” to get students prepared for the debating competition.
I’ve gained some knowledge and skills in planning the school-based English curriculum holistically.
Debates are for ALL students, not just the elite students
Collaborative effort in the production of a Teacher’s Manual for the
participating schools
Collaborative effort in the production of a Teacher’s Manual for the
participating schools
Attending the inter-class debating competition in YMCA
Christian College
Attending the inter-class debating competition in YMCA
Christian College
Ms Cheng was invited to be one of the adjudicators.
Students from Ling Liang Church E Wun Secondary School were invited to watch the debate.
• Deepening understanding and knowledge of the issue through participating in the debates
• Enriching the knowledge of the issue through research on arguments and evidence• Receiving intensive training on persuasive skills
• Understanding & gaining knowledge of the issue• Knowing the rules & format of a debate
Teaching in class(April)
Coaching & independent learning
outside class
Debating competitionwith other schools
(May)
Getting students involved and prepared for the event
Theme: Cruelty to Animals
Should animals be kept in zoos?
Should animals be used as objects for sports & entertainments?
Should animals be used to develop products and medicines for human beings?
Teaching in class Coachingoutside class
Debating competitionwith other schools
Groupleader
Groupmembers
Groupleader
Groupmembers
Groupleader
Groupmembers
Groupleader
Groupmembers
Debating team
Research team
Debaters
Stand-by
Chairman &Time-keeper
Audience
Maximizing students’ participation in the event
Maximizing students’ participation in the event
Motion: Human beings should not use animals as objects of sport
and entertainment
Some snapshots of inter-school debate in Tung Chung
Negative Team (Ling Liang Church E
Wun Sec School)
Affirmative Team (YMCA
Christian College) Team 2
Semi-final
Semi-finalMotion: Human beings should not use animals as
objects of sport and entertainment
Negative Team (YMCA Christian College)
Team 1
Affirmative Team (Tung Chung Catholic School)
Some snapshots of inter-school debate in Tung Chung
Some snapshots of inter-school debate in Tung Chung
Affirmative Team (Tung Chung Catholic School)
Grand Final
Negative Team (Ling Liang Church E Wun Sec School)
Motion: The government should ban people from using animals to develop products and medicines for human beings
Chairman & Time keeper
Affirmative Side Negative Side
Adjudicators
Research TeamResearch Team
Active participation of different parties in the competition
AudienceAudience
The most exciting moments of the inter-school debate in Tung
ChungThe best debater of each school team
The Winning team – Ling Liang Church E Wun Sec School
A happy ending with all the debaters from three participating schools having their photo taken
Myths versus Facts
Debating is too challenging for average and weak students. Only a very few outstanding students can benefit from it.
Debating is too challenging for average and weak students. Only a very few outstanding students can benefit from it.
Myth
Debating must be conducted in a formal setting outside the classroom with rigid rules
Debating must be conducted in a formal setting outside the classroom with rigid rules
Myth
It is not easy to link debating with classroom learning
It is not easy to link debating with classroom learning
Myth
Debating can be included inside and outside the classroom using different formats and rules flexibly to create both fun and learning for students.
Debating can be included inside and outside the classroom using different formats and rules flexibly to create both fun and learning for students.
Fact
Students of different language abilities have taken part in different forms of debating and benefited much from learning basic debating skills.
Students of different language abilities have taken part in different forms of debating and benefited much from learning basic debating skills.
Fact
Many of the themes of modules are related to issues or social issues with much controversy or room for discussion
Many of the themes of modules are related to issues or social issues with much controversy or room for discussion
Fact
1. Student Learning - Learning is done inside and outside class time (e.g. researching for more information) - Learning among peers (Teacher is NOT the only source of knowledge and/or information)
1. Student Learning - Learning is done inside and outside class time (e.g. researching for more information) - Learning among peers (Teacher is NOT the only source of knowledge and/or information)
Getting prepared for the NSS Curriculum
Getting prepared for the NSS Curriculum
3. Curriculum development - Classroom teaching and Other learning experiences (OLE) are complementary and can be infused into the school-based curriculum - Experiences and resources are accumulated for the development of the NSS Curriculum
3. Curriculum development - Classroom teaching and Other learning experiences (OLE) are complementary and can be infused into the school-based curriculum - Experiences and resources are accumulated for the development of the NSS Curriculum
2. Student-centred Approaches to Learning and Teaching - All students, not just the elite, can debate on social issues - Debating in different formats and contexts is fun and motivating
2. Student-centred Approaches to Learning and Teaching - All students, not just the elite, can debate on social issues - Debating in different formats and contexts is fun and motivating
4. Alignment with the Education Reform - life-long learning - whole-person development
4. Alignment with the Education Reform - life-long learning - whole-person development