Teachers
Conference on Use of Newspapers in Teaching and Learning
To be jointly presented by the Press Foundation of
Singapore and News For Kids
Singapore,
22 October 2003 - The daily newspaper is a wonderful source for all types of information.
Newspapers help students make connections with the real world and with
the communities in which they live.
It is a
"living textbook" that can help stimulate a student's interest
in many subjects. Research shows that making curricular links with the
real world helps students understand the potential value of their academic
curriculum at school. Knowing what news is and where to find it is a
necessity of modern-day life.
To encourage
the use of newspapers in creative and meaningful ways for teaching and
learning, the Press Foundation of Singapore, a new charity body,
and News For Kids will jointly present the first conference for
300 primary and secondary school teachers to help promote the newspaper
reading habit among students.
This one-day
conference will be held on Monday, 17 November 2003, from 8.30am to
5.00pm, at the Grand Hyatt Singapore. The speakers at the plenary sessions
and concurrent workshops will include veteran journalists and education
experts. Mr Patrick Daniel, the Managing Editor of the English and Malay
Newspapers Division of the Singapore Press Holdings, will be the keynote
speaker.
The first
plenary session, titled "Behind and Beyond the Headlines: The News
as Life", will focus on the role of professional journalism in
society.
The speakers
for this session are:
- Ms
Braema Mathi, a Nominated Member of Parliament and a former journalist
- Mr Alan
John, Night Editor of The Straits Times
- Mr Koh
Boon Pin, Assistant Editor of The Straits Times Life! section
The second
plenary session, titled "New Children, New Economies, New Media",
will focus on the child. The speaker is Prof Allan Luke, the Foundation
Dean of the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice at the National
Institute of Education. A Canadian trained primary teacher, Prof Luke
was formerly Dean of Education at the University of Queensland and Deputy
Director General of Education. His publications include 12 books and
more than 150 chapters and articles.
There will
also be two sessions of concurrent workshops that will go in-depth into
the use of newspapers in specific subject areas. For example, there
will be workshops on the use of newspapers in teaching language arts,
social studies, art education, science and mathematics. In addition,
there will be workshops that will explore the use of newspapers for
moral education and in teaching about inclusion, peace, etc.
Mrs Sng
Ngoi May, General Manager of the Press Foundation of Singapore, said:
"The newspaper is a wonderful, exciting gateway for children to
a larger world of knowledge, learning growth and pleasure which they
sometimes cannot get from textbooks.
"We
hope through this conference, the teachers will be able to spread the
newspaper appreciation message and help inculcate newspaper reading
in our students."
Dr Cherian
George, a director of News For Kids, which publishes the children's
newspaper What's Up, said: "Many teachers already recognise the
value of newspapers in education, but wonder how they can use newspapers
without adding to their heavy loads.
"The
workshops, led by leading educators and other specialists, will give
them the practical guidance they're looking for."
With the
sponsorship of the Press Foundation of Singapore, the conference fee
is at a subsidised rate of $100 (for early bird registration), $110
(for regular registration - by 25 Oct) and $120 (late registration -
after 25 Oct). The fee includes resource materials, lunch and two teas.
For more information, please contact:
Juliana
Chong
Press Foundation of Singapore Limited
Tel: 6319-1895
Email: julianac@sph.com.sg
About
Press Foundation of Singapore
The Press Foundation of Singapore is a charity foundation set up to
help build a life-long learning community that embraces language enrichment,
creativity, diversity, healthy living and sports. Singapore Press Holdings
has contributed $20 million to the Foundation.
About News For Kids
News For Kids was established this year to bring current affairs to
children through publications and events. It was founded by a child
development specialist, Dr Mary Cherian, and a media scholar, Dr Cherian
George. Its monthly newspaper, What's Up, was launched in August and
is now distributed through 20 primary schools and institutions.
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