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| Ideas beyond
the class |
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| EL Café at Catholic
High Primary School brings the learning of English
and critical life skills out of the classroom. |
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A
total of over 300 participating schools, more than 100
talks for parents, over 1,200 “live” classroom lessons
and some 600 Innovation and Enterprise exhibits. These
and more made the Ministry of Education (MOE) ExCEL Fest
2006 the largest event of its kind the ministry has ever
organised.
“Some say that teaching
is a work of art. That is true, but it is more than that.
Above all, teaching is a work of heart,” said RAdm (NS)
Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State for Education.
“The impact and influence of a teacher on a student can
extend well beyond those few short years they have together.
I know because much of what I am was shaped by someone
just like you three decades or so ago.”
RAdm Lui, who was addressing those present at the MOE
ExCEL Fest launch event on 7 July, said the theme “Touching
Hearts, Engaging Minds” reflected MOE’s focus on enhancing
the quality of interaction between teachers and learners,
so that students will be more engaged in the learning
process.
Many “ground-up” initiatives showcased in 22 host schools
over the two-day festival attest to the wide-ranging efforts
that school leaders and teachers have made to this end.
One such initiative is EL Café at Catholic High Primary
School. Although the teachers conceived the idea of the
English book café, it is the students who make all the
business decisions, conduct market research, work out
the menu, prepare the food, plan and implement marketing
tactics, decorate the place and run the café at recess
time.
The café brings the learning of English and important
life skills out of the classroom. The working experience
also helps to foster team spirit and develop positive
character traits in the students. Most of all, running
the café is a fun learning experience!
The students shared: “We enjoyed brainstorming for ideas
and the discussions where everyone was involved and worked
as a team. We enjoyed the market research. It was very
enriching. We also know that we have to be honest when
handling money.”
Other ExCEL Fest 2006 projects on show included a tic-tac-toe
game to motivate students to learn Chinese, an instrumental
karaoke system that has sparked overwhelming enthusiasm
for music lessons, a two-string guitar that brings together
multiple disciplines to generate students’ interest in
diverse subjects, a live demonstration of how to extract
silk threads from “school-grown” cocoons, and much more.
Said Wellington Primary’s teacher S. Siva on captivating
the hearts and minds of young ones: “Learning becomes
almost effortless when something fascinates students and
reflects their interests and goals. By developing pupils’
inquiry skills, we hope to spur them to continue their
quest for knowledge through life.”
Keen to empower school leaders and teachers to implement
ground-up initiatives, MOE has disbursed more than $17
million to schools over the past five years. It also provides
curriculum expertise and more autonomy for school-based
customisation of curriculum and teaching practices.
And to recognise education officers for their innovation
efforts, MOE gives out a slew of ExCEL awards. Eight-eight
officers were happy winners this year. |
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By Challenge Editorial
Team
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