— update 27/3/17 —
– revised DOE webpage URL in footer
– be able to think for and express themselves confidently (revised to include SDL at pri level)
— update 27/7/15 —
revised the headings of the comparison table
— end of update
3-4 years back, our team attempted to rationalise the link between mp3 student goals (self-directed learning “SDL”, and collaborative learning “CoL”) and MOE’s 21st century competencies.
in my professional development work with primary and secondary school teachers, a question that has been lingering at the back of my mind for a very long time but somehow i couldn’t figure out a way to make things more manageable for teachers: “among the many SDL/CoL competencies, what is expected at primary level, and what is expected at secondary level?” to a teacher, it would mean the ‘extent to teach’, and in turn affects the design of teaching and learning activities. in other words, with a ‘baseline’ in mind, a teacher will be able to know the minimum expectation, while working towards stretching his/her students’ potential.
and this morning, i may have found a way: in our context, teachers teach towards the Desired Outcomes of Education, and key stages with related attributes have been defined. i attempt to map keywords in the outcomes at different stages, with SDL and/or CoL, depending on which competency the outcome is closer to. as i argue that an SDLearner is found in the CoL situation, some ticks in the the SDL column could see a tick in the CoL column too if i choose. if. and here is my attempt in Acrobat X PDF:
therefore, if i am a primary school teacher, i am expected to develop an SDLearner who knows his/her strength, is curious, and takes pride in his/her work. in terms of CoL, s/he needs to be able to cooperate (cf. collaborate), share & care for fellow group mates, and be able to express him/herself in a group.
if i am a secondary school teacher, i am expected to develop an SDLearner who is able to adapt to change, creative, and takes on responsibility for his/her own learning. in terms of CoL, s/he is an empathetic team player who appreciates the diverse views in a group; effective communication is a group is but an extension from primary school.
of cos that being said, there’s no stopping for any teacher from stretching and developing their students beyond the above ‘baseline’. an effective teacher is one who is able to 因材施教 (：