“A” Contribution @ Special Education The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) has always been committed to nurturing SEN (Special Educational Needs) teachers for Hong Kong so that they can contribute to the special education profession and help students with special educational needs to integrate into the community and develop their strengths. In this issue, the Alumni Affairs and Development Office has interviewed three alumni to take a Content look into their effort and contribution for special education. Alumna Twiggy Chan Cheuk-ki was Feature “A” Contribution @ Special Education diagnosed with dyslexia when she was young. 02 Being enlightened by a teacher, she gradually Alumni Events gained confidence and completed her studies 08 with perseverance. She started a special Congregation education institute to provide services for SEN 10 students in order to fill the gap in our education Alumni News system. As someone who has been through it all, 12 she taught these students and produced suitable Support EdUHK teaching materials for them. She hoped for a life 16 to bring transformation in another, just like her EdUHK News teacher. Alumnus Lee Ngok-tsun participated 19 in a special project related to special learning needs and had the opportunity to reach out to students from special schools when he studied at EdUHK. Alumnus Lee, who had planned to teach in mainstream schools after graduation, decided at this point to dedicate himself to special education. His efforts were recognised within a short period of time, having received the “Teacher Commendation Award” and the Support environmental protection “International Outstanding E-Learning Award”. Stay tuned for the EdUHK Updates Alumnus Lam Ho-man was a naughty boy who loved making fun of people. At that time, his To keep you up to date with the information regarding EdUHK, family did not know anything about special to support environmental protection and to comply with education. They did not understand the root the guidelines from the Privacy Commissioner for Personal cause of the problem and only tried to discipline Data Hong Kong, we invite you to log on to the website for him through beating and scolding. It was not submission of information (www.eduhk.hk/aado/reg) until Form 5 when he got himself into trouble and decided to “radically change his ways”. Later Let us stay in close contact on, he enrolled in the Bachelor of Education EQUALITY EQUITY (Special Needs) Programme at EdUHK and was diagnosed as a person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). As a person who 《AADO Magazine》 had come all the way through, he decided make Courtesy: Interaction Institute for Social Change | Artist: Angus Maguire a contribution to the special education profession Photo courtesy of Twiggy Chan Cheuk-ki interactioninstitute.org and madewithangus.com with his personal experience. © copyright We hope that through these feature stories, readers can have a deeper understanding of SEN. Just like these three alumni, each and Publication Alumni Affairs and Development Office, every of us can show our care for SEN students, The Education University of Hong Kong by identifying their strengths, helping them to Address 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, build up self-confidence and identity, and hence unleashing their potentials for the betterment of New Territories, Hong Kong the community. Tel 2948 6069 Fax 2948 8466 Website www.eduhk.hk/aado Facebook www.facebook.com/EdUHKAlumni 02 Features “A” Contribution @ Special Education Features “A” Contribution @ Special Education 03 A gap in the education system Teaching experiences acquired from different kinds of institutions – Overcoming Dyslexia and mainstream school, international school, special education centre – led Breaking New Ground to the conclusion that there was a gap in the education system. Usually, students with special learning needs will go to therapeutic centres for Alumna Twiggy Chan Cheuk-ki was diagnosed with dyslexia when she assistance, but such centres focus mainly on speech therapy and was young. Studying was always very hard for her. Not only would fine motor skill training. For academic improvement, mechanical drills she cry whenever she had to study, sometimes she got so anxious provided by tutorial centres are not only ineffective but also detrimental that she would even break pencils and pull her own hair. Twiggy was to children’s learning motivation. Through her firsthand experience, later enlightened by her teachers Ms Carmen Cheung and Ms Vivian Twiggy understood their problems. In 2013, she started a special Ng. Her self-confidence strengthened gradually, and different methods education centre catering particularly to students with dyslexia. In were used to overcome her learning disabilities. With perseverance, doing so, she was at the same time closing a gap in our education she completed her studies one step at a time, and finally obtained system. her Postgraduate Diploma of Education at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK). Realising there was a gap in the education Twiggy admitted that she faced many difficulties when she first operated system, Twiggy started a special education centre to help students with the centre as a teacher and a dyslexic person. Later on, she learnt to dyslexia. She guides her students as someone who had gone through put herself into the role of a manager and discovered the importance the same difficulties that they are facing and develops suitable teaching of multi-perspective thinking and the opinions of various stakeholders. materials for them, hoping to impact their lives with that of her own. Alumnus Chan Cheuk-ki (back) employs She knew it was equally important to promote her own beliefs so that visualisation and kinesthetic skills to help more people will accept them. students recognise words. Twiggy believes that education is mainly for children to understand A mentor appeared concepts, and to show what they have learnt by doing worksheets. Therefore, when designing teaching materials, she will focus on the Affected by dyslexia, young Twiggy hated going to school as little could be achieved even though double efforts quality of the questions and how the questions are put. She will consider had been made. Her attitude changed completely when an important teacher in her life appeared. School became the content, level and frequency of the questions so that they can truly likeable and learning there actually had become something to look forward to every day. What exactly had this reflect a child’s ability and understanding. mentor done? “Ms Cheung helped me find my strength – sports. She made me understand that everyone has his own special strength and can therefore shine and make contributions,” Twiggy said. However, Twiggy still had to work much harder than the other students. In learning new words, for example, she needed strategies while others could do so simply by repeating them a few times. She had to use stories and employ visualisation and kinesthetic skills to help her recognise the words. After entering university, she had to spend much more time on preparing a presentation than her fellow students, who needed just two or three hours. She would resort to the mind map to organise her ideas. Twiggy’s learning path was not an easy one. Her outstanding Multi-pronged approach academic achievements had everything to do with her remarkable perseverance and diligence. Twiggy said, “If I had not met my mentor, my life would not have changed so dramatically.” Subsequently, she enrolled in the It is Twiggy’s wish that society could assist students with special Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Primary) Programme at EdUHK to become a teacher, aiming to influence other learning needs by a multi-pronged approach. For the school, people positively as her mentor had done. she hopes that teachers will understand that these students may not be able to master abstract ideas like prepositions (of) or articles (the) by themselves. A passage requires explaining at great length before challenged children can understand it. Studying at EdUHK Teachers are also encouraged to build up the self-confidence of their students by helping them discover their own strong The best part of a university education for Twiggy was the teaching points. As for teacher training, Twiggy believes that apart practicum. She said, “For my practicums, I had been assigned to from theories, learning techniques should also be taught to both mainstream and international schools. I compared my childhood teachers such that their pupils will be equipped with those learning experience with the teaching approaches of those schools, and techniques and apply them in tackling school subjects. In this realised the upsides and downsides of both types. I came to know which way, teachers are helping their students to overcome barriers strategies were more beneficial to students with special learning needs.” and acquire knowledge effectively. Within the community, Besides, the innovative teaching methods used by the professors at Twiggy hopes that there will be more dialogue between the EdUHK also inspired her. “In a creative dancing class, the professor general public and the working members with dyslexia, used the questioning and experiential learning techniques, which resulting in the latter’s abilities and needs being understood. allowed me to learn and create my own steps from scratch. In turn, I This will enable dyslexic individuals to contribute towards the will encourage my students to use their strengths to create their dance. community through their strengths. This student-oriented approach was very different from the traditional Alumnus Chan Cheuk-ki (middle) teacher-oriented approach. I was amazed!” 04 Features “A” Contribution @ Special Education Features “A” Contribution @ Special Education 05 An Experience Leading to a Determination to A heavy responsibility entrusted was repaid with Join the SEN Professionals contributions Alumnus Lee Ngok-tsun graduated from The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), majoring in primary After graduation, Alumnus Lee was recruited by a SEN school.