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Implementation of Reading Cycles - May 27, 2006
Developing Multiple Intelligences in the English Classroom - June 17, 2006
Developing Lifelong Learners through the Five Reading Strategies - December 2, 2006
After much positive feedback from the 18-hour Reading to Learn Teacher Training Programme, we were able to run two additional training seminars earlier this year for primary English teachers. The presenter for the seminars in May and June was Mabel Sieh, Senior ELT Manager (Curriculum Development), Longman Hong Kong Education.
Implementation of Reading Cycles - May 27, 2006
This seminar was one the most requested by teachers as it is extremely practical and helps teachers implement the reading cycles into their school in a very systematic way. In fact, one teacher said that there were 'Lots of ideas and [it was] very organized, allowing [for] an easy flow of understanding.'
During the seminar, Mabel showed participants the necessary steps to implement a successful reading curriculum in the English curriculum, from setting the curriculum objectives, to selecting the right texts for the right reading strategies, to planning the lessons according to the various strategies, to assessment. She also shared tips on how to develop a reading culture in the classroom.
The seminar was attended by over 50 teachers who were all very interested in learning how to choose books, prepare focus questions and choose an appropriate reading strategy or strategies for the book(s). Almost 80% of the participants found the seminar to be 'useful' or 'very useful'.
Developing Multiple Intelligences in the English Classroom - June 17, 2006
This was a new seminar that previously had not been part of the 18-hour programme. Teachers were provided with theoretical information as well as practical class activities that focused on different intelligences. One teacher enthused, 'There is a lot I learned from the seminar. Especially the different activities that I can expose my students to that use the different intelligences.'
In the first part of the seminar, Mabel took teachers through the definitions and misconceptions of the eight intelligences and led them through an interesting activity called "How Are You Smart?" where participants learned about themselves. In the second part, she demonstrated a variety of classroom activities designed to help students to uncover and utlilise their different intelligences. Participants were happily involved in the activities and amazed by the learning potential they offered to students.
90% of the 60+ participants found the seminar to be 'useful' or 'very useful'. A participant also shared thoughts on what she found to be the most useful idea in the seminar, which was that we must 'allow for different entry/exit points to learning.'
Overall, both seminars were very successful and teachers were able to take valuable ideas away with them.
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Some comments from participants:
Implementation of Reading Cycles
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I got more information and knowledge of Reading Workshop.
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It gives us a better idea on teaching our students.
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Examples were shown and given. The sample assessment tasks suggested are useful.
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[The seminar was] fruitful and [provided] new insights.
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[This seminar helped to] clarify some concepts in reading strategies.
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Developing Multiple Intelligences in the English Classroom
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I found the MI test most interesting, as I can understand myself & the students better.
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I found the implication of MI on education most useful.
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All the activities introduced in the seminar were useful. The video clip used at the beginning of the seminar was thoughtful.
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I learned to design activities which cater for individual differences and I liked the Music and the Typewriter activities.
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It's an interesting presentation with a ppt on theories followed by a questionnaire, then [classroom] activities, and concluded with a Rap!
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Developing Lifelong Learners through the Five Reading Strategies - December 2, 2006
On December 2nd, 263 teachers from 160 primary schools gathered together at Kowloon Tong to learn about ways to help students to become lifelong readers. It was a very productive and lively event for the participants as well as for the presenter Ms. Mabel Sieh, Senior ELT Manager, Curriculum Development Team of Longman, and Mr. Terence Poon, English Panel Chair from Sun Fong Chung Primary School who was invited to share how he and his colleagues implemented Reading Workshops in the school.
During the seminar, Mabel shared the purposes for reading and how they relate to the various text types. She then went on to introduce different ways of implementing the five reading strategies in the classroom. Last but not the least, Mabel showed the importance of helping students to connect with what they are reading through: Text to Self, Text to Text and Text to World. These connections help students to enhance their understanding of the text, internalise reading skills and become lifelong readers. The seminar ended with a sharing by Mr. Terence Poon on how reading workshops were implemented at his school. Lots of classroom examples and students' work were shown.
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Some comments from teachers:
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It's wonderful!! Brilliant ideas about reading strategies. I can't wait to try it out in my classroom and share it with my colleagues.
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The seminar was very informative with relevant examples from real-life. It introduced lots of ways of organizing reading workshops.
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Mabel provided us useful strategies to teach reading [in the English classroom]. Mr. Poon gave us good models [of implementing Reading Workshops].
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Ms. Mabel Sieh's presentation was one of the most attractive seminars I've had. Thanks, Mabel
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