Professional Development Programmes for English Teachers 2011 - 2012

This tailor-made program was prepared by the HK Institute of Education for English teachers of HK Catholic Diocesan Secondary Schools in the school year 2010-11. The programme aimed at upgrading teachers' knowledge and skills in the teaching of English at secondary level. It focused on areas of English language knowledge and skills relevant to the current needs of teachers in the local school sector with particular emphasis on the implementation of significant changes in the English language curriculum. All the participating teachers had to attend a 5-day course in Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School from 13th to 17th Jun 2011 (Mon -Fri). Our English teacher, Ms K Wong, joined the programme and she found that all the demonstrations during the course enhanced her understanding of aspects of the English language system, English language learning and teaching, and knowledge about the Hong Kong secondary curriculum.
In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the Strategies for English Learning through Language Arts and Reading (STELLAR) programme in the coming year, the NET Section of EDB has arranged an induction programme day for all new STELLAR teachers at HK & KLN Chiu Chow Public Association Secondary School on 26 August 2011. Since there are THREE parallel workshops running in the afternoon session, all English teachers from NWCSS attended different workshops according to the form they were teaching in 2011 to 2012. Those three workshops were: 1. Learning and Teaching Strategies Using Language Arts Texts 2. Exploring Text Features and Materials Design 3. Say It in Words, Say It in Pictures, but Be Persuasive
In the morning of 26th October, 2011 (Thursday), the Education Consultant, Ms K Pun, from Nebula Group Ltd. came to our school and observed the lesson taught by Mr Robert (the tutor from Nebula Group Ltd.) in class S2A. Ms Pun shared the learning and teaching with our English teachers, our English panel chairperson and other English teachers. The teachers and consultant shared the ideas in teaching English speaking and writing with reference to the performance of our S2, S3 and S6 students.
The Chairperson and Vice-Chairlady of English Language Education Committee (ELEC) from HKCDSS participated in the seminar “Elements of Persuasion in the Workplace” which was held by HKVTC in Wanchai on 11th February 2012 (Saturday). The seminar provided extra insights for English teachers in teaching Workplace English. The Chairperson and Chairlady of ELEC from 2011 to 2013 is Mr W Wai (from NWCSS) and Ms R Sit (from Raimondi College) respectively.
With the support of SCOLAR (Standing Committee On Language Education And Research) Support Unit, SIX English teachers from our school had been chosen to participate in the programme of SCOLAR English Alliance 2011/2012 – English is Everywhere (Teaching English Through Wine Appreciation) on 1st June, 2012 (Friday). The venue of the programme was in “Shakespeare4All Rehearsal Studio” in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. The programme allowed all the participants to recognize and discuss wine characters and tones, and make report, enhance their social cultural interaction; and strengthen their spoken English including vocational jargon. The activity included introduction of wine country and region, wine production, wine characters and tones and wine palate test. Special thanks to the support by Mr W Wai, Ms L Chan, Ms A Chow, Ms A Leung, Ms S Wong and Ms K Wong for the event.
With the funding from Refined English Enhancement Scheme by EDB, Ms Heather Lear from the service provider helped to conduct the professional development course for all Life Education teachers in the morning of 7th June, 2012 (Thursday). The main theme of the workshop was to develop the knowledge about debating skills. Special thanks to the support of Ms KY Choy (Vice-Principal), all Life Education teachers, Ms C Cheng (the Panel Chairlady of LS), and the English teachers: Mr W Wai, Ms A Chow, Ms A Leung, Ms S Wong, Ms A Tse, and Ms L Leng (our Teaching Assistant of Refined EES Programme) in running the workshop successfully.
Our English teacher, Mr B Tse, participated in the One-week Professional Development Programme “Catering for Learner Diversity in English Language Learning for Secondary Teachers of English” in HK IEd starting from 25th to 29th June 2012. The programme equipped teacher participants with a deepened understanding of learner diversity, important concepts such as learning styles, schema, socio-cultural proclivities, and multiple intelligences were analyzed with concrete examples in this course. Through the use of a variety of teaching and learning approaches, techniques, activities, materials adaptation, and classroom arrangement strategies, participants learnt how to address learner diversity effectively in a language classroom.