Briefing Session
(3 February 2018)
English Language Education Section
Curriculum Development Institute
Education Bureau
Collaborative Research and Development “Seed” Project: EE0518
Advancing Secondary Students’ Literacy Skills through
Promoting Interdisciplinary Learning in the English Classroom
Aim of the “Seed” Project
To develop teachers’ capacity in:
understanding the role of English Language teachers in promotingwhole-school initiatives such as Reading/Writing/Language acrossthe Curriculum and STEM education;
adopting effective teaching strategies to guide students to integrate,apply and transfer knowledge and skills across disciplines and otherlearning experiences; and
designing suitable learning, teaching and assessment activities toengage students in processing and producing texts to achievedifferent communication purposes across disciplines.
To enhance secondary students’ literacy skills by connecting theirlearning experiences through promoting interdisciplinary learningin the English classroom.
Objectives of the “Seed” Project
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Promoting Interdisciplinary Learning in
the English Classroom
integrating and applying knowledge and skills developed
across KLAs
Strengthening
students’ ability in
Five Essential Learning Experiences
Intellectual Development
Community Service
Moral & Civic
Education
Physical & Aesthetic
Development
Career-related
Experiences
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Co-curricular activities
Life-wide Learning
OLE
Possible Entry Points for PromotingInterdisciplinary Learning
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Providing students
with holistic
learning
experience and
enhancing the
connection among
different domains
to facilitate their
whole-person
development.
Reading
Science
History
Geography Values
Education
P.E.
ITE
Arts
Education
Music
Mathematics
School
Curriculum
Promoting Interdisciplinary Learning in the English Classroom
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Strengthening
the connection
between English
Language and
various cross-
curricular
domains
ELE
Reading
Science
History
Geography Values
Education
P.E.
ITE
Arts
Education
Music
Mathematics
Designing a Cross-curricular Task
Connecting Students’ Learning Experiences with
Cross-curricular Domains in the English Classroom
Cross-curricular
Domains
English
Language
Focuses, e.g.
• Topics
• Text types
• Reading/writing strategies
• Language features
Connecting
Reading & WritingFocuses, e.g.
• LaC/STEM
education
• Values Education
• Information
Technology
Education
• Life-wide Learning
• Entrepreneurial
Spirit
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Designing a Cross-curricular Task (Example 1)
Connecting Students’ Learning Experiences with
Cross-curricular Domains in the English Classroom
Cross-curricular
DomainsEnglish
Language
Focuses, e.g.
• Topics
• Text types
• Reading/writing strategies
• Language features
Connecting
Reading & Writing
Science,
Mathematics,
ICT
MRELaC/
STEM
Education
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Integrating the use of information texts in planning and implementation ofLaC / RaC
Connecting Students’ Learning Experiences with
Cross-curricular Domains in the English Classroom
English for general purposes
English for academic purposes
Language Content
Using the relative clause to give elaboration
Making descriptions
Theme: Living Things
A dog has a good nose that is many times more sensitive than that of a human.
…He wanted to breed bees that produced more honey…
…Within all living organisms is a chemical reaction, which produces substances that have to be gotten rid of…
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Designing a Cross-curricular Task (Example 1)
Connecting Students’ Learning Experiences with
Cross-curricular Domains in the English Classroom
Integrated
Science
English
Language
Topic
Pets
Topic
• Praying Mantis
Reading strategies
• Following the development of
main ideas
• Identifying stylistic features
Language features
• Text structure
• Rhetorical functions
(e.g. to make descriptions
using relative clauses)
Topic
Living Things
Text type
• Description
Reading &
Writing Focuses
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Designing a Cross-curricular Task (Example 2)
Connecting Students’ Learning Experiences with
Cross-curricular Domains in the English Classroom
Cross-curricular
DomainsEnglish
Language
Focuses, e.g.
• Topics
• Text types
• Reading/writing strategies
• Language features
Connecting
Reading & Writing
Life
Education
MREValues
Education/
ITE
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Information
Literacy
• To provide students with authentic learning experiencesso that they know how to put positive values and attitudes into practice
• To nurture students’ empathy and positive attitudes towards life
• To enhance students’ understanding of positive values and attitudes and skills in making moral judgements and decisions
Connecting Students’ Learning Experiences with
Cross-curricular Domains in the English Classroom
Integrating the elements of cognition, affection and action for thepromotion of values education
Cognition
Affection
Promoting Positive Values & Attitudes
Action
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Designing a Cross-curricular Task (Example 2)
Connecting Students’ Learning Experiences with
Cross-curricular Domains in the English Classroom
English
Language
Reading & Writing
Focuses Life
Education
Topic
Managing
AdversityTopic
Cyberbullying
Module
• Getting along with Others
Language features
• Text structure: Problem-solution
• Tone & style: To suggest/
persuade
Text type
• Articles, social media platforms
Reading strategies
• Analysing the development of ideas,
views or arguments in texts
• Distinguishing facts from opinions by
using semantic and syntactic clues
Cognition & Affection
• Responding to
adversity
Action
• Activity: Agony
Aunt
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Designing a Cross-curricular Task (Example 3)
Connecting Students’ Learning Experiences with
Cross-curricular Domains in the English Classroom
Cross-curricular
DomainsEnglish
Language
Focuses, e.g.
• Topics
• Text types
• Reading/writing strategies
• Language features
Connecting
Reading & Writing
Co-curricular
Activities/
Competitions/
Community
Services
MRELife-wide
Learning/
Entrepreneurial
Spirit
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Extending: First-hand experience deepens understanding of knowledge, skills & attitudes
Enriching: the associated knowledge & life experiences develop potentials & broaden horizons
Enabling: the engagement nurtures generic skills & life skills & in turn facilitates classroom learning
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Connecting Students’ Learning Experiences with
Cross-curricular Domains in the English Classroom
Organising and participating in English-related life-wide learning
activities to enrich and extend language learning experiences
Life-wide
Learning
Engagement
in
Community Service
Lifelong Learning Capacity
Designing a Cross-curricular Task (Example 3)
Connecting Students’ Learning Experiences with
Cross-curricular Domains in the English Classroom
English
Language
Reading &
Writing Focuses Life-wide
Learning
Topic
Food Rescue
Topic
Good Food Going
to Waste
Module
• Green Living
Language features
• Text structure: Problem-solution
• Tone & style: To suggest/
persuade
Text type
• Articles, infographic
Reading strategies
• Acquire, extract & organise information
relevant to specific tasks
• Relating facts, opinions & information
from a variety of print & non-print
sources
Extending & Enriching
• Writing a proposal on
Food Angel
Recruitment
• Running a Campaign
“Food Rescue”
Action:
• Community Service:
Collecting &
delivering food
donations to a
food charity
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School Year (2018/19) School Year (2019/20)
School Participation: Up to 2 School Years
Planning & Implementation of the “Seed” Project
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Class Level
S1 - 6
• Conducting the tryout in at least one class of students
• Conducting the tryout in at least one class of students;
• Continuing with the same area of focus to deepen the experience; or
• Adopting a new area of focus to broaden the experience
Implementation (1-2 weeks)
• To try out the unit, i.e. the strategies and materials, in at least one class of students
Development
• To collaborate with/seek advice from teacher representative(s) of other cross-curricular domains
• To design and develop materials for one unit of work (about 6 – 8 lessons) with the CDI officers
Development
• To design and develop materials for one unit of work (about 8 – 12 lessons) with support from the CDI officers as appropriate
Implementation
(1-2 weeks)
• To try out the unit, i.e. the strategies and materials, in at least one class of students
• If possible, to provide opportunities for the application of knowledge and skills in authentic situations
Evaluation • To participate in the end-of-the-year evaluation
Planning & Implementation of the “Seed” Project
Phase I(Small Scale)
Phase II
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2018/19 s.y. (Interdisciplinary Learning: Whole-school Initiative 1)
Implementation (1-2 weeks)
• To try out the unit, i.e. the strategies and materials, in at least one class of students
Development
• To collaborate with/seek advice from teacher representative(s) of other cross-curricular domains
• To design and develop materials for one unit of work (about 8 – 12 lessons) with the CDI officers
Development
• To design and develop materials for one unit of work (about 8 – 12 lessons) with support from the CDI officers as appropriate
Implementation
(1-2 weeks)
• To try out the unit, i.e. the strategies and materials, in at least one class of students
• If possible, to provide opportunities for the application of knowledge and skills in authentic situations
Evaluation • To participate in the end-of-the-year evaluation
Planning & Implementation of the “Seed” Project
Phase I
Phase II
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2019/20 s.y. (Interdisciplinary Learning: Whole-school Initiative 2)
nominate one experienced andcommitted English teacher to be theschool project coordinator, and wherepossible, identify more teachers to bethe members of the project team;
build on the school’s existing reading /writing programmes and incorporatethe tryout into the school-basedEnglish Language curriculum; and
School
Project
Team
School project
coordinator
Project teachers
The “Seed” School is Expected to
assist in the collection of evidence (bysupporting classroom observations,including video-recording the tryoutlessons and interviewing students /teacher(s)) on the impact on studentlearning.
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Role of the School Project Team
Identifying entry point(s) for interdisciplinary learning
Collaborating with/Seeking advice from teacher representative(s) of other cross-curricular domains
Working in collaboration with the CDI officers to identify suitable texts and resources forthe units of tasks/learning activities
Developing and trying out teaching strategies, tasks and materials
Producing deliverables including two units of tasks illustrating how students’ literacyskills can be developed through promoting interdisciplinary learning in the Englishclassroom
Collecting evidence (by supporting classroom observations, including video-recordingtryout lessons and interviewing students / teacher(s)) on the impact on student learning
Disseminating good practices for teachers’ professional development
School Project Team
CDI Officers
“Seed”Project
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Benefits for the “Seed” School
The “Seed” school will
build up the capacity of the English Panel in supportingstudents in the development of literacy skills throughpromoting interdisciplinary learning in the Englishclassroom; andgain an insight into how to incorporate the MREs anddevelop a holistic plan for curriculum development.
Teachers from the “Seed” school will
develop the competence in developing effectivestrategies and resources to enhance students’ ability inreading and writing through promoting interdisciplinarylearning in the English classroom.
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Deadline for Application5 March 2018 (Monday)
For details, please refer to the
EDB Circular Memorandum No.2/2018:
Appendix A(16), Annex 1 of Appendix A(16) & Appendix C
Human Resource Management Unit of EDB,4/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices,
2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong
Return the application form (Appendix C) in duplicate to:
Results of the applications will be announced in June 2018.
Drop-in Box(Box No.: EDB02
- Staff Interflow
Schemes 2018)
Located at 2/F Entrance,
East Wing, Central Government Offices,
2 Tim Mei Avenue,Tamar,
Hong Kong
By post By hand
or
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