Student sharing - “Schools Online Teaching Support (SOTS)” Programme
Chiu Hiu Ching, Noel
Great Partnership Regardless of Distance
Chiu Hiu Ching, Noel
Postgraduate Diploma in Education in English (Primary)
Ms Yeung
P.L.K Vicwood K.T. Chong No.2 Primary School
For pre-service teachers, the teaching practicum is of the utmost importance in enabling them to try out different pedagogies and interact with different students. Unfortunately, the scheduled teaching practicum had to be suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of this, the Faculty’s School-University Partnerships (SUP) Office initiated some voluntary programmes for the student teachers, so as to provide alternative teaching opportunities.
One day, Chiu Hiu Ching, Noel, an English (Primary) Major on the Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme, received an email from the SUP Office about such additional opportunities, one of them being the School Online Teaching Support (SOTS) Programme. In this programme, our student teachers had the opportunity to assist in preparing online teaching materials. Without any hesitation, she joined the Programme so as not to miss out on potential teaching experiences during the class suspension.
At the same time, Ms Yeung, an English teacher from the P.L.K Vicwood K.T. Chong No.2 Primary School found out about the SOTS programme from her school principal and became interested in joining. As she had just started using Google Classroom for online teaching and was not too familiar with the software, she was keen to gain some help from younger teachers.
The two were paired up by the SUP Office. After discussion, Noel had a new task: assisting in the preparation of online English lessons for Primary 3 students with the help of educational technology.
Taking reference from the website of the Faculty’s Centre for Information Technology in Education, Noel chose a useful tool to record an English lesson focusing on vocabulary. She also prepared a Google Form as a worksheet to consolidate students’ learning. She found it particularly challenging to generate students’ interest and maintain their focus because it was a recorded lesson. To motivate students, she incorporated several interactive elements into the lesson, ranging from teaching with a more engaging tone and adding many colourful pictures to designing a matching game.
Noel and Ms Yeung finally met for the first time in the interview coordinated by the Faculty. “It’s so nice to meet you at last!” they both exclaimed. Before the interview, they had only communicated via instant messaging apps and email. Their partnership turned out to be wonderful despite the fact that they had never met before.
Ms Yeung was very satisfied with Noel’s performance and was delighted to collaborate with new teachers in such an unprecedented way: “It was a rather new concept to me, and I was somewhat unsure about it. Nonetheless, Noel did a fantastic job and she was very helpful. Also, this kind of dynamics would probably not appear in a face-to-face teaching practicum. We both learnt a lot from each other!”
Noel was grateful for the experience: “Not only did Ms Yeung share a lot of teaching experience with me, but she also gave me constructive comments on my video lesson. She and the other teachers pointed out that the students are more familiar with British accent, so I changed some of my pronunciation and made the lesson more intelligible. I also realised that teachers should be mindful of every detail which will affect the quality of teaching and learning. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the SUP Office and the School for this fruitful learning experience!”
A screenshot of one of the teaching videos produced by Noel
Contributing to the Education Community
Yeung Hoi Lam, Crystal
Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science
Ms Isabelle Kwok
Impressive Performance and Dedication
Ms Isabelle Kwok
St. Johannes College (Primary Section)
Ms Isabelle Kwok, a Chinese teacher from St. Johannes College (Primary Section), has greatly benefitted from the School Online Teaching Support (SOTS) Programme organised by the Faculty School-University Partnerships (SUP) Office during the pandemic.
As a result of the suspension of schooling, teaching was greatly disrupted. For many teachers, it was a struggle to shift to completely online teaching, which involved new teaching methods, use of more advanced technology and the adjustment of curricula.
In Ms Kwok’s school, one teaching video per subject was needed each week. Some teachers, including her, were not too familiar with video production. Understanding the difficulties faced by school teachers, the SUP Office swiftly arranged the SOTS programme to provide assistance whereby one to two student teachers from the Faculty would be assigned to each applicant school. After reading the email about the programme, the school principal spread the news to the teachers and encouraged them to sign up. “It was a very timely offer of help and I signed up very soon,” Ms Kwok said.
Yang Heng and Zhang Yaoyao from the Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Teaching Chinese as a Second Language) programme were assigned to assist Ms Kwok. Skilfully utilising online resources and animations, they compiled several lively videos teaching Chinese idioms and rhetoric. In addition, they also found some great articles for reading comprehension exercises. “Heng and Yaoyao were extremely helpful! I would not have been able to finish so much work without their help. They also finished their tasks independently and with very high quality. It was a good selection of materials too.” added Ms Kwok excitedly.
The two student teachers also had a strong sense of responsibility, and were able to utilise their creativity: “I did not give them many guidelines, but only some basic information and the framework. They were able to design teaching materials that were engaging and suited the students’ level. Moreover, they asked me if any improvement was needed after handing in their work. Their performance and attitude are simply impressive.”
A Rewarding Experience and a Unique Bonding
Tsang Cheuk Lung, Leo
Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Social Sciences
Tsang Cheuk Lung, Leo from the Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Science programme participated in the Schools Online Teaching Support (SOTS) programme, in which he supported students' e-learning during the suspension of schooling caused by the pandemic. It was in this unprecedented situation that he gained a rewarding learning experience and a unique bonding with his mentor, both of which he treasured very much.
In the programme, Leo helped a local secondary school develop online assessment tools for the Geography subject taught in junior forms using Google Forms as a basis. They were used as pre-lesson quizzes to encourage students to prepare before classes, and also as post-lesson tests to check their understanding afterwards. He tried to include constructive feedback in relation to each question to make the assessment more informative. In order to enhance students’ interest in learning Geography, he also added multiple multimedia resources such as pictures or videos. The tools that were developed will continue to be used even after classes resume. He regarded it as a pleasure to contribute what he has learnt to the real classroom.
Leo also had an eye-opening moment during his visit to the school. His mentor at the school showed him the use of augmented reality (AR) technology and the sandbox in Geography classrooms. With this device it is possible to simulate a mountain’s topology and a cross-section of the slope was instantly plotted on the screen thanks to the technology. It can also be used for demonstrating lava or water flow on slopes. Leo was very impressed by this device, as it ran very smoothly, and it integrated the latest technology with student-centred learning.
More importantly, Leo bonded with his mentor. Not only did he give Leo constructive comments on designing the online tests, but he also shared experiences in his own teaching life. They discussed the latest changes in the HKDSE Geography curriculum and how fieldwork could be planned with reference to the curriculum. Leo’s mentor also gave advice on job interviews for future teaching positions, which was extremely helpful for a final-year student like Leo.
Leo was excited when he talked about his participation: “This programme provided me with the opportunity of helping local schools. It was also a rewarding and eye-opening experience which allowed me to become a better teacher. Therefore, I am so glad to have joined the programme.”
Ms Eva Kam (third from left)
Bringing Positive Changes to Students during COVID-19
Ms Eva Kam
Vice-Principal
Hotung Secondary School
The Schools Online Teaching Support (SOTS) programme provided timely assistance to schools across Hong Kong in supporting students’ e-learning during the school suspension period. Ms Eva Kam, Vice-Principal of Hotung Secondary School, would like to share how her school has benefitted from this programme.
In total, four student teachers from the Faculty offered help in Chinese, English and Liberal Studies: Lee Wun Yi, Katrina and Ho Yik Yan, Rebecca (Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education in Language Education – Chinese); Riar Saimanbir Kaur (Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education in Language Education – English); and Ko Ming Yan (Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Social Sciences). For each subject, the student teachers helped by producing videos which incorporated screen recordings of PowerPoint slides and voiceovers.
The performance of the student teachers was remarkable. For the English teaching materials, the school’s English teachers praised the design of the exercises and clips, and added that the presentation style and the delivery were effective. The student teachers also spoke English fluently.
For Liberal Studies, the panel chairman was impressed by the comprehensive resources list compiled by the student teacher and the well-structured worksheets on comic and values analysis.
As for the Chinese Language, Ms Kam also spoke highly of the student teachers’ performance: “Katrina and Rebecca were delegated to teach our Secondary 2 students how to write expository essays. They prepared step-by-step guides and skilfully utilised relevant examples. The teaching materials selected were also closely related to Chinese culture, allowing our students not only to gain practical skills but also to enhance their cultural knowledge.”
Ms Kam appreciated this programme as it offered huge support to the school, and it provided the student teachers with an experience similar to the teaching practicum. Highly satisfied with the student teachers’ performance, she has written recommendation letters for all of them.
The programme may also bring a significant change to the school. Normally, the school only allows their own graduates who study Education at university to complete their teaching practicum there. However, seeing the impressive work of the Faculty’s student teachers, Hotung Secondary School has now said that it would welcome our student teachers for their teaching practicum in the following year.
“The student teachers were dedicated. They had good attitude and worked well with our colleagues. They collaborated well with our teachers, who have rich teaching experience and are familiar with the subject matter, whereas the pre-service teachers bring in new resources and technology to enhance the teaching and learning effectiveness.” explained Ms Kam.
When asked what advice she would like to give to our student teachers, Ms Kam said: “I’m sure that the pre-service teachers already have much knowledge in the subjects they teach, as it was covered during their studies at university; but they will need to explore ways to deliver the knowledge to students in order to engage students on tasks. It is also crucial to maintain the passion for teaching. Even if your teaching skills might not be very strong at the beginning of your teaching career, please don’t feel discouraged. Embrace new challenges with confidence and keep abreast of your professional learning. With passion, drive and determination, you will become good teachers in schools.”