Assessment for Learning Positive Growth Mindset
Looking back at the past year, we can see that our teachers and students have been endeavouring to accommodate themselves to the new normal of alternate classes of face-to-face and online learning under the influence of the Covid-19. Practising online teaching is not just simply for the pandemic. More importantly, it allowed us to review the transformational learning and teaching models. In the future, we will enter into a new era where face-to-face classes and online learning coexist. We must make good use of diversified electronic platforms to promote the effectiveness of face-to-face classes.
The highlights of this year are to make optimal use of assessment data to enhance learning effectiveness, deepen self-directed learning, adopt diversified modes of assessment, provide extended learning experiences, and enhance students’ participation. On the other hand, we foster students’ positive growth mindset, develop their character strengths, and boost self-efficacy.
According to their distinguishing features, different subject groups utilize diversified electronic assessment tools and specific grading guidelines and instructions to improve learning and teaching effectiveness this year. With the advantages of the Specialized Teaching Scheme and professional teaching team, we have continued to develop in the three aspects of learning, teaching and evaluation. We put effort into applying multiple assessment approaches such as instant assessments, process evaluations. Encouraging students’ autonomy, we value their learning process and recognize their hard work. Under our three-year plan and the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) scheme, teachers have been employing various electronic platforms to improve the quality of interactive assessments allowing students to conduct an instant assessment, self-evaluation, and record their learning process. Therefore, students can keep improving their learning effectiveness and achieve fruitful results.
According to the self-directed learning cycle, the Chinese Language subject panel incorporated writing instructions and self-grading guidelines into the teaching materials of the writing modules. Some writing tasks can be shared and shown through electronic platforms like PADLET and NEARPOD. Students can further improve and optimize their content by the enhancing advice given by teachers to keep working on developing their self-monitoring and reflection skills.
The English Language subject panel continues to upgrade their standard of language teaching on reading and writing by online research, composition enrichments, formulating evaluation criteria that instruct students to develop self-evaluation and self-improvement habits, leveraging lesson time and electronic platforms to revise students’ articles. This year, we have organized multiple school-wide activities, incorporated thematic designs, published English festival publications, and used reading platforms to promote an all-around English-speaking environment for our students. In addition, we have been encouraging students to speak in English during recess time to continue to create a rich English language learning environment.
The Mathematics subject panel has put great emphasis on the learning process of mathematical concepts and pattern recognition. This year, to consolidate students’ mathematical concepts and cater for different learning needs, we placed particular importance on the effectiveness of instant feedback by using the Classroom Practice System (CPS) for immediate identification and the Self-regulated Learning and Diagnosis System (SDS) that provides different levels of practices.
The school-based unit of General Studies is problem-oriented with the aim of cultivating students’ problem-solving skills. We emphasize using existing knowledge and various skills so that students can learn comprehensively and solve real-life problems. Problem identification, active exploration, motivating, and learning from problem-solving and tactic series are adopted in each unit to encourage students’ sense of accomplishment. Students can also use their knowledge and skills to provide solutions. Moreover, they can share and display their work through e-platforms such as GOODNOTE and PADLET.
Using self-made videos, self-compile electronic teaching materials, e-platforms for evaluation, and extended learning activities, the Physical Education subject panel lets students learn without boundaries. The Visual Art subject panel has high regard for art appreciation and creation. We hope to facilitate the record and sharing of students' designs by offering abundant e-learning resources and online teaching materials for art appreciation. Learning how to make use of assessment criteria to improve their work is essential as we value students' learning process and the ability to assess one's work. The Music subject panel stresses the importance of the combination of creativity, performance, and listening. Making use of Sketch-A-Song for composing and archiving at home or in school, students are expected to govern their own creating progress and understand the assessment criteria and ways to improve their production.
The main focus in Life and Spiritual Formation this year is to develop students' growth mindset and positive education in order to enhance their sense of self-efficacy. We hope by showing real-life examples and videos, students can learn the positive growth mindset from multiple angles and directions so that they can overcome difficulties and march forward with the strongest willpower and courage. Another feature of this year is to develop students' character strengths. Different teams in our school work together to inspire students to build their 24-character strengths through numerous methods and strategies. Our Comprehensive Student Guidance team had organized a design competition called "Positive Kids". Students are encouraged to design a figure with one of the 24-character strengths to construct gratitude and pursuit for elegance and excellence. The student Activities team promotes team spirits encourages students to use the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, and Time-related) to write their goals and objectives. They can practice this method at home to strengthen their self-control.
Through online and face-to-face life education lessons, we help students to discover their potentials and appreciate others. A character strengths booklet, which is designed to help students discover their character strengths, will be given to each student for stamps collection. Teachers will award a stamp to students when their virtues are shown. We believe that with this booklet and teachers' recognition, students' confidence and self-efficacy can be boosted. We also guide students to think critically and make appropriate choices through different life curriculums and cartoons. Our school-based student guidance activity Little Time Masters encourages students to utilize long vacations for self-planning and acquiring new knowledge. Our teachers are delighted to see our students defeating different challenges.
Sincerity and Hope is the central theme of our diversified religious activities. Our religious panel is dedicated to inspiring students to be sincere and hopeful children, establish proper values and attitudes, and follow the example of Christ through activities such as school decorations, online assemblies, the fellowship, and The Joy of Devotion.
To meet the new trend of future learning, we must develop new resources to upgrade our electronic devices. We have successfully received nearly HKD 2 million grant from the Quality Education Fund (QEF) and upgraded our equipment in the summer holiday to build an E-campus to improve our learning and teaching quality. We make use of e-learning and go beyond the limits of classrooms. Constructions had been carried out during the summer vacation. The All in One E-Blackboard G6 replaced blackboards and projectors. We have also added eight touch screen portable monitors that turn every corner of the school into a mini classroom, LED display walls in the covered playground and the podium on the first floor, improved the light and sound systems, in order to provide a better, more interactive e-campus for our teachers and students.