OLEP - China & Hong Kong (2009)

30 participants attend the World Association of Lesson Study (WALS) Conference in Hong Kong. They were divided into 3 groups. The first group of 10 participants visited 1 primary school and 3 kindergartens in Beijing, China before joining the second group of 11 participants who were there to attend the conference as well as to visit 4 schools. The last group comprised 9 participants who went on to visit 5 pre-schools in Guangzhou and Wuhan, China after the conference.

WALS International Conference 2009

The WALS international Conference was an eye-opener and an inspiring event. It was a well-organised platform for global networking and for the exchange of ideas and experiences in teaching and learning.

Concurrent Sessions: 

Child-centred and Problem-solving Approach

The topic was presented by professionals from Hong Kong and Japan. It was entitled 'Understanding the Concept of Fraction through Children's Minds'. The teacher presented the problem to the students in the class; each student was encouraged to come out with an idea on how to solve the problem.

Self-motivated Learning and True Child-centredness - the Japanese Experience

This concurrent session was delivered by Mr Kuno Hiroyuki from Japan. His topic was centred on the understanding of each child's needs and capacity through the Lesson Study Research Pedagogy.

On Problem-solving and the Teaching of Division of Fractions

Lesson Study Project that was implemented in a primary school in Hong Kong, was presented by Mr Leung, YL Allen. The project resulted in the formulation of a set of teaching methods to guide children in constructing knowledge and understanding.

China and Hong Kong Kindergartens

The OLEP Participants embarked on the Overseas Learning Experience Programme (OLEP) to reputable pre-schools in China and Hong Kong. The schools and kindergartens visited included the Singapore International School, Tack Ching Kindergarten and St Paul's Kindergarten in Hong Kong.

The OLEP group visited Fengtai Schools and Puhuangyu Kindergarten in Beijing.They also visited 5 kindergartens in Guangzhou and Wuhan, namely, Guangzhou Dong Fang Hong Kindergarten, Guangzhou Ti Yu Dong Lu Kindergarten, ShiYan Experimental Kindergarten, ShiYan Liu Ling Kindergarten and Shi Yan Xiang Ge Li La Kindergarten.

The OLEP Group was most impressed by Tack Ching Kindergarten in Hong Kong. It has an 80-year history. It leverages on its niche in Informative Communication Technology (ICT) which supports the curriculum.

Guangzhou Dong Fang Hong is a prestigeous school. The school has a tiled wall, situated in the garden area. It is a long stretch of wall covered with white tiles on which children do their painting. The paint used is washable so that the wall can be used again and again.

All at the ShiYan Experimental Kindergarten are committed to the care for nature. The school emphasises recycling and reusing of materials. The teachers and children have created interesting learning tools and toys using recycled materials and materials from nature.

Ling Kindergarten can also be described as the 'adventurous kindergarten'. Teachers use movies and drama as teaching tools. They would edit suitable clips from movies and use them as materials for class discussions. The kindergarten has won several awards for this innovative idea. This Kindergarten also values each child's talent in music-making.