Two awards that honored teachers of elementary schools and junior high schools for designing creative teaching methods and curriculums were given out yesterday by the Minister of Education Huang Jong-tsun (黃榮村) at the National Taiwan Normal University.
The prizes, dubbed the GreaTeach Creative Teaching Awards, were awarded to 77 schools for designing curriculums and teaching methods that encouraged students to generate creative ideas and problem-solving abilities in eight subjects. These were Chinese, English, mathematics, social science, natural science, art, physical education and information education.
An award called the InnoSchool Award was granted to 42 schools for accomplishments in administrative cooperation.
The two awards were sponsored by the Chinese Creativity Development Association under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and the National Science Council. They aim to recognize creative teaching strategies and methods and the capability to implement education reform, said Hong Jung-chao (洪榮昭), the association's secretary general.
"We think that fundamental education reform first and foremost calls for a radical change in curriculum selection and a transition of the teacher's role from an instructor to a researcher," Hong said. "We think that curriculum and teaching are important to the quality of students' learning experience."
"Under the structure of the Standard Curriculum for the Nine-Year National Education, creative teaching and the curriculum focused on integrating the existing subjects into different fields and promoting teachers' autonomy," Hong said.
Minister Huang said at the ceremony that he believed many students were waiting to discover their learning potential.
"I believe campuses with innovative teaching methods play a critical role in the course of education reform," Huang said. "As long as the curriculum becomes more diversified and flexible, I believe students will definitely benefit from the teachers' efforts."
Su Lan (蘇蘭), a teacher of the Minsheng Primary School, who won the creative teaching award for Chinese Language last year, emphasized that teachers all work very hard to improve the quality of teaching regardless of the brouhaha over education reform.
"No matter what policies will be implemented after the education reforms, and no matter how violent the disputes over reform are, teachers are still dedicated to design interesting curriculums for our students," Su said. "We endeavor to make our children learn more effectively and happily."
The National Taipei Teachers College is going to establish a Toy and Game Design Graduate School which will focus on designing toys and games that have educational or commercial purposes and develop students with professional skills that meet the industry's needs, Hong said.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Alumni Clubs, Uni Airways Corp and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co sponsored the awards, and hope to develop children's initiative and creativity, Hong said.
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