Making a Difference in Programme Editing

Pui Ching Middle School is now actively developing information and technology. Apart from constructing network of school, they are also putting effort on knowledge innovation strategy these years. To improve students’ interest in computer science and solving problems, the most effective way is to help develop their computer programme editing. Thus, some computer teachers added elements of this programme in the class, and enhance students’ ability by Online Judge System.

During the teaching process, group teachers would watch students’ technique of programme editing, then picked up the students with the 10th most potential, and offered specific training after the class and during the holidays, in order to improve their professional skills. Besides, teachers took the students to take part in regular national and regional open competition. Facing professional programme editing competitors from other countries and regions, students’ field of vision was widened, which could motivate them in better studying and developing.

Recent years, four teachers in this school taught students by a new function “Online Quiz” by Google, which was seen to be in a good result. Professor Marr explained that “this kind of teaching could change the traditional teaching mode single-way to an in-time interaction between teachers and students, and analysing problems and answers together. Meanwhile, students were motivated to discuss online, which could be better directed by teachers after the class.

(Professor Leung helps cultivate students’ ability of problem solving by interactively in-time practice.)

Now it is a Web 2.0 time, when the information and technology in education focus on involvement from people to people. Then, online discussion become a perfect platform for people to speak and share ideas. Based on this background, teachers in Pui Ching School built an “Electronic Community” for students and there parents to be a virtual teaching and learning platform, which was a breakthrough in the traditional education system. Professor Lo Yin Ming said that  students today can actively discuss and share their ideas, and can upload or download useful teaching materials. Their successful mode of teaching and learning have attracted schools from China and Singapore, which promoted and expanded their good experience of information technology in education.

Since the year 2007, school has started the use of Google Apps and Online Tables for school communication system, and created a new learning scheme “Mobile Learning”, through which PDA and Smart Phone are commonly used for a faster distribution of test and exercise. Every students are also teachers in the same time, as then actively play a role in “Online Judgement”, and then can better overcome difficulties in programmes one by one. 

(Online Testing leads to a better sharing of students’ work in time, which can help in the further discussion.)

To conclude, the computer department of Pui Ching School keeps on supporting the ICT teaching, and share their successful experience all over the countries. Besides, they also promotes and helps improve the examination system, computer courses, and some new teaching system among schools in Hong Kong. Teachers in Pui Ching School said that “We feel proud that we can share and make a difference.”

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Post by Ricky CHAN KWOON KAY

Exploring Institutional contexts on the innovation – An innovative case from Spain

Written by Liu, Feifei

Ø  Case Background

The case chosen is ES001 which focused on the innovation practice inside a primary school in Spain, called Lavinia School.

The case happened in 1996 and in this case, 6^th grade pupils from four different schools participated in an innovative co-operative project with ICT. Every week, students from the four schools share meteorological date in the internet with partner schools. They then finally carried out comparative research on weather variables. Specifically, in Lavinia School, teachers provided suggestions and guidance for students learning, whereas students working in groups made the final decision of what they wanted to learn and how they were going to do.

Ø  Case Analysis

Overall speaking, this case is a well designed innovative one as shown in the 7-point likert scale below.  The case achieved a high score in all the six dimensions of understanding innovativeness. With a broad community support, the school successfully achieved its curricular and methodological goals. Along the process, students took charge of their learning, contributing to knowledge building, while teachers only coached for building a learning community. Additionally, the project involved specific ICT use to facilitate the collaborative project.

The table below shows the institutional contexts on innovativeness at school level analysis.



Ø  Conclusion

The successfulness of this innovative case is not happened by accident, but with detailed design, well support and facilitator. At the national level, the government education policy encouraged the innovation and provided sufficient support which made the fundamental basis for the implementation of the innovation.

At the school level, as analyzed above, the principal and school policy highly supported the innovation, which created a collaborative and innovative working environment for teachers to carry out the innovative practice. The teachers had done and were willing to do the necessary effort of time and training to implement the innovation.  

In addition, even seemed old fashion and not advanced enough, the ICT and technological support were enough to carry out the innovation at that time in 1996.

Resource: http://sitesdatabase.cite.hku.hk/M2/case2/ES001/Index.asp?case_ID=ES001

Written by Liu, Feifei (2011882300)