By Ms. CHENG Ngai-Ching, Irene & Mr. NING Sin-ping Ling Liang Church E Wun Secondary School

1. Using Social Issues to Widen Students’ Horizons for Richer Writing and Implications for Teacher Development and Deployment By Ms. CHENG Ngai-Ching, Irene & Mr. NING Sin-ping Ling Liang Church E Wun Secondary School

2. I. Background – Planning of the Pilot Project

3. Why Choosing Social Issues as an Entry Point? • School Leaders • Capacity building and strategic deployment of teachers to • support the smooth transition to the NSS • Language Teachers • Gaining experience in new areas in the NSS • (e.g. non-language arts components) • Students • Helping students build a firm foundation

4. How to Support A Smooth Transition to the NSS English Language Curriculum? • Carry out longer term planning • Deploy manpower in areas requiring more capacity building • Devise teacher development strategies and build on teachers’ strengths • Identify teacher pioneers to gain experiences first Four Key Tasks at Our School

5. From Objectives to Expected Outcomes 2009-2010 and onwards Objective: Curriculum Development Expected outcome: 50-period elective plans with feasible strategies for the NSS Objective: Teacher Development Expected outcome: 70%-80% of teachers to gain skills in new areas Objective:Student Development Expected outcome: Improved productive skills to build a firm foundation at KS3

6. II. Implementation Plan and Strategies

7. How to Get Started: Longer Term Curriculum Planning – Three-Year Plan

8. Knowledge • Related linguistic features • Social issues • A basic concept of cause-effect relationships Skills • Applying thinking skills for writing • Using multiple perspectives • Using discussion and presentation skills Output: Writing or Performance Approach to Covering Social Issues Core units from the textbook Extended units with enriched content & skills (approximately 3-7 lessons every four weeks)

9. Phase I Planning (2006-2007) Extended units Core units Text-types in the extended units Goal Setting - Planning Ahead for My Life • Planning with progression & • sustainability • Capacity building in non-language arts • & language arts components using • social issues as an entry point Managing My Life Unit: At School Unit: In My Free Time -Fables School bullying Key to Getting Along with Others – Respect -Comics -News reports -Screenplays Stealing for Money - Is Money Everything to You Enjoying Life - Shopping -News reports -Speeches in a debate Let’s Celebrate Together -Songs -Newspaper articles Charity – Helping Those in Need -Poems -Newspaper articles Animals Cruelty to Animals Fast food and deception in TV commercials -Advertisements -Scripts Eating Out S1 year plan

10. Phase II Planning (2007-2008) • “Prototypes” of elective plans • Helping other teachers gain experience • in new areas • Extending the Project to S2 and • adapting the piloted project in S1 (06-07) • to meet students’ differentiated needs Extended units Core units Text-types in the extended units Leisure and Entertainment Preservation Vs Redevelop -ment : Sneaker Street • Letters to the • editors • -News articles Role model -News reports -Advertisements -Scripts Sensational-ism & paparazzi Global warming The environment -News reports -Songs -News reports -Debating speeches Modern life The problem of addiction S2 year plan

11. What are your views on the fast food sold a at McDonald’s ? Interviewing classmates on the spot Peer Assessment What are the Consequences of eating too much fast food?

12. Students’ Work: Educating Peers on the Social Problem “Fast Food and Obesity” “Fat” or “Fit’ Is Up to You!

13. Enriching writing content More elaboration of ideas in writing Help students explore more aspects & perspectives • Increase students’ • world • knowledge Implementation strategies to widen students’ horizons for richer writing Explicitly cover thinking skills and related Language features Adding coherence, clarity & logic in writing

14. Strategy I - Increase Students’ World Knowledge for Richer ideas Texts and scenarios on social issues relevant to students’ lives Covering knowledge about social issues Pre-writing activities such as discussions to help students generate more ideas Integrating multi-types of Input

15. Scenarios or dilemmas for students’ discussion Short news articles for discussion and thinking

16. Showing Video Clips http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2e35qrG4w4 • From feelings to reasons to thinking • Inspiring students to think from different points of view

17. Knowledge about social issues focusing on reasons, causes, consequences and solutions What is bullying? What are the effects? When does it happen? Where does it happen? How can we stop that? Why does it happen?

18. With Increased world knowledge, students… -wrote about a variety of topics and touched on social issues in different text-types -had mini-debates and dramas as pre- & post-writing activities to help them think about social issues -wrote reflections on social issues

19. Students’ Written Reflections on Social Issues By Esther Tsz Ching LAU I feel the food in McDonald’s is unhealthy because the food is quite oily. I think eating too much fast food is bad for my health. Usually, I eat McDonald’s fast food once a week. If I eat too much, I think I will become a fat girl. In this project, I can understand more about how McDonald’s food affects our health. I can also advise people not to eat too much fast fool because it is really bad for them. The government should tell people not to eat too much fast food because it can affect our health in a negative way. We shouldn’t eat too much fast food but eat vegetables every day.

20. Extracts of Students’ Projects on Exploring Poverty & Under-privileged Groups Take action for a social cause by donating money!

21. Strategy II - Exploring Different Aspects and Perspectives

22. Including Multiple Perspectives to Enrich Elaboration Reasons or arguments given by different parties Advantages Vs disadvantages Keep or redevelop Sneaker Street ?

23. Dear Editor, I am writing in response to Mr. Lee’s letter dated 3rd November, 2007. The title of the letter was “Prevent Further Damage”. In the letter Mr. Lee asked the SAR Government to preserve the old buildings in Hong Kong. In fact, I agree with Mr. Lee’s opinion. There are some advantages if we preserve old buildings. The shop owners near the old buildings can keep working and keep going on their livelihood. Second, whenwe keep our old buildings, the buildings will become our history and they can attract tourists. Lastly, if we demolish the old buildings, people will lose their homes. Soresidents can keep their homes if we preserve the old building. I hope the SAR Government can keep the old buildings for the benefit of Hong Kong. Yours faithfully, Cici Lam Tung Chung • Giving reasons from different points of view as elaboration in a letter to the editor

24. Animal Protection By Zoe On Ting LEUNG (S1) They cannot love and care Or protect us, Yet money made merchants blind. Because of merchants’ blindness, They do not see we are very rare! Cruelty please go away, we are very poor, because you cut my tusks to make chopsticks and ivory decoration. Soon we will die out and become extinct. So please don’t hunt me. Touching on the issue of endangered animals On cruelty to animals

25. Writing Short Speeches for an Inter-group Mini-debate If the school does not send him to the police, other students in school may follow his wrong doing…..(students) ….the public will lose confidence in the school….. (the public) …He needs to bear the consequences himself.… (teachers)

26. Strategy III - Covering Thinking Skills & Related Linguistic Features for Coherent Writing Cause Consequence

27. Strategy III - Covering Thinking Skills & Related Linguistic Features for Coherent Writing Explicit teaching of discourse markers for grouping similar or different ideas

28. Teachers’ Observations of Students’ Writing • Writing longer texts with more perspectives included as elaboration • Writing about a greater variety of topics • More coherent ideas included in paragraphs • More positive values and attitudes included in writing

29. Difficulties Encountered in the Process Heavy workload on pioneer teachers Very limited manpower Tight teaching schedule How to overcome difficulties to sustain the work done? Some readjustment of duties Mission & passion Space created & support

30. III. Implications for Teacher Development and Deployment

31. Teacher Development Strategies • Teacher pioneers as trainers for other teachers • The Project as “Training the Trainers” • Lesson observation by peers • Sharing in panel meetings • Evidence collected to shorten the time to change mindsets

32. Teacher Deployment Strategies • Building on strengths • Readiness and expertise • Seeking support Deploy and employ manpower to pilot new initiatives • Setting priorities Division of labour within the panel Making administrative arrangements • Space for piloting & • co-planning

33. Different Roles in the Planning Process • School leaders / Panel Heads • Plan ahead with foresight • Set goals and priorities based on teachers’ • strengths • - Obtain consensus and give support • English Teachers • Plan and implement the curriculum • Help school leaders set directions

34. Concluding Remarks • School leaders • - Early and longer-term planning • Finding the right entry points • Language Teachers • Picking up knowledge and skills through sharing • - Language teachers as curriculum leaders to • work together as a team in exploring new • areas.