Promoting active student engagement and deeper learning through cross-curricular collaboration

Date :

2 March 2016

Time :

2:15 pm - 4:15 pm

Place :

Lecture Theatre, West Block, Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, Kowloon Tong

Aims of Activity :

To share how different schools adopt activity-based strategies to

• engage students actively in the use of English in different content subjects

• promote deeper understanding of subject knowledge and concepts

Speakers / Participating Schools :

• SKH Li Ping Secondary School

• Buddhist Kok Kwong Secondary School

• Tseung Kwan O Government Secondary School

2:15 pm - 2:25 pm

Teachers from three secondary schools shared how they used a variety of activity-based strategies such as project work, interactive games, group discussion and presentations to develop students' academic vocabulary and knowledge in content subjects.

2:25 pm - 2:55 pm

• KLAs involved: English and Integrated Humanities (SKH Li Ping Secondary School)

• Teachers can promote Reading across the Curriculum by:

    - selecting relevant English reading materials that complement other content subjects;

    - relating learning content to students' daily life so as to promote learning interest and motivation;

    - incorporating essential skills such as critical thinking skills into different reading activities in a progressive manner; and

    - including a reading product such as a final project which allows students to put the target knowledge into practice.

2:55 pm - 3:25 pm

• KLAs involved: English and Mathematics (Buddhist Kok Kwong Secondary School)

• Teachers can consolidate students' mathematical concepts and meta-language by

    - highlighting the vocabulary and language related to the Maths concepts;

    - developing their confidence through collaborative activities;

    - requiring them to apply the presentation skills learned in English lessons in other content subjects; and

    - inviting them to explain the mathematical concepts to their peers.

3:25 pm - 4:05 pm

• KLAs involved: English, History and Geography (Tseung Kwan O Government Secondary School)

• An adapted version of the "Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol" (SIOP) model was used to illustrate how History and Geography teachers could design learner-centered lessons that help students learn the concepts/ content knowledge and practise the academic language

4:05 pm - 4:15 pm

Through varied LaC implementation strategies, students' interest and engagement in learning English and content subjects were enhanced. Apart from gaining confidence in using English, they were also equipped with life-long learning skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills.