Teachers always do their best within the confines of a classroom, but actual, authentic learning happens outside those four walls during school excursions and field trips, says Sherielyn Choi, a native English teacher at the all-girls secondary school, Canossa College, in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong.
“Excursions offer valuable hands-on learning opportunities and help students consolidate what they learn at a theoretical level in class,” Choi says during the latest edition of EdTalk, South China Morning Post’s recurring video series of interviews that discuss pertinent issues surrounding education.
“Additionally, every time our students return from their excursions, I observe that they improve socially and emotionally, with better communication and cooperation skills.”
She speaks from fresh experience since her students recently took part in the educational tour, “Macau Unlocked: A Journey of Discovery for Students 2023-2024”, jointly organised by the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and the Post.
The day trip has been specially designed for young Hongkongers to help them learn about Macau’s rich history, vibrant culture and sustainable practices.
“The tour was meaningful and enriching,” Jaydee Lai, a Year 11 student at Canossa College. “It gave me a deeper understanding of Macau as we got the chance to go deep into the local streets, beyond just the famous tourist attractions.”
Willa Tang, a Year 10 student, says: “I’d never been to Macau prior to the tour, so as a newcomer, I felt that the tour did a good job of compacting Macau’s 400-year history into a day’s event. I definitely learned a lot of fun facts, history and culture of Macau.”
The tour was led by experienced MGTO tour guides, who are well-versed in Macau’s history and culture. Students taking part in the tour went to many historic sites that are not often visited, including the Old City Walls, Na Tcha Temple, the Ruins of St Paul’s, Macau Museum and Mount Fortress.
However, Tang says her favourite part of the tour was the organised lunch, when the students were treated to a Macanese feast comprising codfish cake, roast Portuguese sausage, Portuguese fried rice and biscuit mousse.
“As a big foodie, I really felt that lunch was my biggest highlight,” she says. “The dishes were similar to Hong Kong’s food, but also different – they came with a twist because of the special blend of spices that Macau has accumulated over the years from its wonderful culture.”
Lai says she was most fascinated to learn about some of Macau’s sustainable practices during a visit to the Macau Tea Culture House. “Besides the exhibits, we also learned how tea leaf residues are recycled to produce items such as cups, utensils and even furniture,” she says. “We were asked to smell these products, and they really do smell like tea!”
The tour’s programme also featured an English writing class about city reporting, conducted by the Post. Tang says: “We learned various tools that can help us write captivating and compelling stories with a climax. We were taught to be more observant and to be more expressive in our writing – the devil is in the details.”
Choi says she is grateful that her students had the opportunity to go on such an interesting tour, which they clearly enjoyed. “They were gushing excitedly about the activities they did and I think the tour really helped to arouse their curiosity,” she says. “Field trips and excursions are truly necessary for students to become well-rounded individuals.”
Watch the video to find out more about other exciting activities on the ‘Macau Unlocked’ tour and what the students learned.
Source: scmp.com
