STAFF DEVELOPMENT 2014 - 2015
The mission of our staff development is to enhance the professional competence of our staff and to provide a variety of programmes to support them to become proactive and life-long learners.
The Seventh PDS seminar 2014-15
The seventh PDS seminar entitled ‘Enhancing Students’ Critical Thinking Skills’ was held on 12th June 2015. A total of 14 persons from our school and three partner schools attended the seminar. Ms. Sherry Lau from St. Paul’s Convent School presented a power point to show how critical thinking could be enhanced and mistakes could be avoided in the thinking process. Online tools in teaching and interactive learning were shared and demonstrated for practice. Participants were given some time to learn to apply these tools by using iPads.
Edexcel IAL & IGCSE Academic Trainings
From 20th May to 5th June 2015, a total of 5 training sessions on various IAL and IGCSE subjects (including IAL Physics, IAL Chemistry, IAL Biology, IGCSE Mathematics and IGCSE English as Second Language) were organized by Edexcel in our school. All sessions were conducted by examiners from Edexcel flying from UK to Hong Kong. The aim of these trainings was to bring into focus the issues, which include planning of the course and preparing students for examinations. All participating teachers found these training sessions very informative and useful.
The Sixth PDS seminar 2014-15
The sixth PDS seminar entitled ‘Lesson Observation on the Topic of Organ Donation’ was held on 12th May 2015 at HKSYCIA Wong Tai Shan Memorial College. A total of 13 persons from our school and three partner schools attended the seminar. Mr. Lau Cho Wing from HKSYCIA Wong Tai Shan Memorial College demonstrated how to tackle the topic of organ donation. A video was shown and a simple survey was conducted in class and students were asked to share their personal views on the result of the survey. Then the real figures of organ donations in Hong Kong and Asia and its trend over the years were shown for comparison. Students were asked to examine the factors affecting the phenomena. They were invited to take part in a role play representing stakeholders’ viewpoint. Important concepts like traditional value, personal and family considerations, voluntary donation, involuntary donation etc. were highlighted to stimulate students’ thinking. Participants were very impressed by the excellent organization of the whole lesson. Different types of teaching skills were employed and the atmosphere of the classroom was highly responsive. All participants agreed that it was indeed a valuable opportunity to observe lessons with good practices.
The Fifth PDS seminar 2014-15
The fifth PDS seminar entitled ‘Lesson Observation on the Topic of Drug Patenting was held on 8th May 2015 at St. Joseph’s College. A total of 11 persons from our school and three partner schools attended the seminar. Mr. Christopher Lo from St. Joseph’s College demonstrated how the lesson was conducted. The flow of teaching was extremely smooth and students were able to elaborate their arguments. Participants were marveled at the good practice demonstrated in teaching and questioning skills. Moreover, students’ attempt in synthesis and teacher-student interaction was remarkable.
Educational Trip to University of Macau and United International College
A total of 24 people, including our Principal, teachers, parents and students, paid a short visit to the University of Macau (UM) and United International College (UIC) in Zhuhai, China, on 7th and 8th May 2015.
On 7th May, we set off for Macau after the Swimming Gala. That evening, we had the opportunity to see the spectacular show, “The House of Dancing Water”, a production which combines acrobatics, ballet, high performance diving, drama, graphics and a love story!
Early the next morning, we all headed for the University of Macau. After a briefing on the development of the university in the past ten years, we met Professor Kevin Thompson (Appointed Inaugural Master, Director do Colegio, Universidade de Macau), former Director of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. He took us on a tour around the university campus, showing us various facilities, which were aimed at promoting teaching and learning, such as the university library.
After lunch, we crossed the border at Hengqin to go to United International College (UIC), which is affiliated to Baptist University, Hong Kong. After a warm welcome by the President, Mr. NG Ching-fai, we attended UIC’s 24格微型電影Prize Presentation Ceremony as well as the exhibition on new film-making equipment. Then, we were given an introduction to the college and its recruitment criteria. We were also taken on a tour of the new residential facilities for students and teachers before returning to Hong Kong. At UIC, we met Secretary for Education, HKSAR, Mr. Eddie NG Hak-kim, who was also visiting UIC. We were pleased to have the opportunity to talk to him and take photos with him.
Staff Development: Jesuit Education Forum, 2015
On the 11th of April, 15 of our teachers and our Principal have joined the Jesuit Education Forum organized by Wah Yan College Hong Kong and Wah Yan College Kowloon as part of their anniversaries’ programmes. Educators and scholars across the world shared their experiences and insights on the ideals and goals of Jesuit education. It was a fruitful experience for the teachers to deepen their understanding towards Ignatian heritage and education vision. The speakers offer important inspirations into the continuous education for the younger generation in the 21st century.
The Fourth PDS seminar 2014-15
The fourth PDS seminar entitled ‘Analysis of Mock Papers’ was held on 17th March 2015. A total of 13 persons from our school and three partner schools attended the seminar. This seminar focused on examining students’ performance in their mock papers, their common errors and ways of improvement. Teachers from four schools shared their analysis. Students’ scripts and the marking guidelines were used for illustration.
International GCSE Redevelopment – Customer Focus Groups
We were very happy to have Ms Lucy Stewart, Senior Academic Portfolio Manager, along with Ms Catherine Kwan, Senior Regional Development Manager and Ms Tiffany Cheung ( Sales and Marketing Executive) from Pearson (International) to come to our school on 10th February 2015 to host a focus group meeting with our Academic Team and teachers on the redevelopment of the IGCSE curriculum. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss about the existing qualifications and how it can be improved, progression requirements, as well as teaching and learning support Pearson can provide for teachers. Suggestions addressing the learners’ needs were given to the Pearson team and all teachers found the meeting informative and fruitful.
BTEC Portfolio Building
The BTEC Portfolio Course was held on Thursday, 18 December, 2014 in room G6. The Instructor was Mr. Robert East from the UK. He gave a most informative lecture about how BTEC courses should be delivered and administered. Dealing with issues such as proper assessment guidance, how to track student performance and how to keep student work organised, he illustrated all his points with both slides and exemplars. He was clear, helpful and informative, and he addressed every question from the floor promptly. He was most concerned that all BTEC students would be enabled to do their best and that schools could run the BTEC system easily and smoothly.
The course had originally been scheduled for the Pearson headquarters building in North Point, but due to the large take-up by SPCS staff it was thought more efficient to hold the meeting at SPCS. There was a complete range of BTEC providers represented, from level 2 and 3 (SPCS and ESF) to levels 4, 5 and 6 (university providers and adult education institutions). Over 40 teachers and administrators attended the meeting, and some had flown in from as far away as Malaysia just for this course. It is good to see SPCS at the center of the very latest in educational trends.
The Third PDS Seminar 2014-2015
The third PDS seminar entitled ‘Helping Students to Handle Difficult Questions’ was held on 16th December 2014. A total of 13 persons from our school and three partner schools attended the seminar. Teachers from two schools used the past exam papers for illustration. Students’ scripts and marking guidelines were used to demonstrate the level attained by students. It was unanimously agreed that the teaching of the module ‘Modern China’ and background knowledge were complex and difficult tasks for teachers. All participants agreed that strengthening the ability of students to establish a thinking framework for the analysis of ‘question words’ was the most important task.

Staff Development Visit to the Learning and Teaching Expo 2014

This years annual Learning and Teaching Expo took place from the 11th-13th December in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over the course of the three days the Principal and staff attended many talks, workshops and presentations to discover the latest developments in educational resources and learning technology.
The Expo hosted a combination of more than 200 exhibition booths showcasing new technology, furniture, e-learning platforms, robotic programming, mobile apps, game-based learning and many, many more. It was a fruitful experience for the teachers to get out of the classroom and mingle and mix with different professionals on the cutting edge of technology.

The Second PDS seminar 2014-15
The second PDS seminar entitled ‘A Review of Globalization through Cooperative Learning’ was held on 28th November 2014 at Queen’s College. A total of 15 persons from our school and three partner schools attended the seminar. Teachers from Queen’s College gave lesson demonstration and shared their valuable experience of lesson design and teaching resources. It was exciting to see students contribute to the lesson design process, set cross-modular questions, prepare the sources of data, work sheets and suggest marking guidelines. Subsequently, the teacher outlined guidelines on good practices and stressed the four elements essential for setting cross-modular questions namely, factual information, concepts (both explicit and hidden), social phenomena and controversies.
BTEC Start-Up Training Course
St. Paul's was privileged to host a BTEC Training Course on 25-27 November, 2014. Mrs. Lesley Davies, Director of Quality and Standards for BTEC, and Catherine Kwan of Pearson (BTEC) HK, led a series of presentations that explained how St. Paul's could become an approved BTEC training centre. Present on the course was Sr. Margaret, and other senior management figures, as well as teaching staff interested in delivering a BTEC curriculum. Mrs. Davies toured the school and noted how impressed she was with the school's facilities. Areas of interest included Dance, Drama, Art and Design, Cookery, Sports, Business and Media. Mrs. Davies highlighted how BTEC courses are more skills-based and could enable St. Paul's students to gain accreditation for the excellent work they already do in DIP sessions and outside normal lessons. This additional certification would give St.Paul's students an edge in university or careers applications, as they would be prima-facie evidence that they were multi-skilled individuals and not narrowly academic. She also demonstrated that BTEC qualifications are globally recognized and will therefore also help students in the competitive international market.
Staff Development Outing: Innocarnival 2014
On the 5th of November a group of English and Maths teachers visited the Innocarnival – a showcase of over 500 interesting and educational activities. This interactive exhibition took place at the newly opened phase 3 of the Hong Kong Science Park as part of the annual InnoTech month. The theme this year was “Technology for a Better Future” and teachers were able to learn about and participate in a diverse range of activities with a focus on Intelligent Living, Quality Living and Green Living.
The First PDS seminar 2014-15
The first PDS seminar entitled ‘Concept Application in Contemporary Issues’ was held on 17th October 2014. A total of 15 persons from our school and three partner schools attended the seminar. Teachers from two schools demonstrated their pedagogy in teaching students how to apply relevant concepts when answering past exam questions of controversial contemporary issues. Focuses were highlighted on common errors in identifying important question words, selection of relevant major and sub-sets of concepts and elaboration. Generally, teachers found that many students were not strong in applying knowledge from real life situation. All participants agreed that the need to strengthen value and concept clarification in teaching was significant in order to avoid mismatching and irrelevancy.
Staff Development Day
The first Staff Development programme for this year was held on 26th August 2014, on the theme “21st Century Skills Required of Teachers”. It was conducted by Dr. Stephen Wu, a psychologist, who instructed teachers on different ways to renew their strengths, in order to embrace the 160th Anniversary of SPCS.
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