Academic Staff Activities

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Faculty of Education Newsletter Issue 26, January-February 2013

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FED NEWSLETTER

Mission

To disseminate educational ideals and

report on faculty and student activities of

FED;

To provide an easy and user-friendly

platform for academic staff;

To promote a sharing culture and boost

teacher education and professional

development.

Editorial Board

Prof. Sylvia S.L.Ieong SLIeong@umac.mo Xi Ji Ma95907@umac.mo

Lina Wang Mb14901@umac.mo

Room J527 8397 8727

Issue 26 Contents

Academic Staff Activities

1. Guest Lecture on “Effect of Elastic Band Exercise

Training for the Frail Elderly” 1

2. Guest Lecture on “Classroom Management in Macau

Primary School” 2

Student Activities

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1 Guest Lecture on “Effect of

Elastic Band Exercise

Training for the Frail Elderly”

On 1 February 2013, a guest lecture on “Effect of Elastic Band Exercise Training for the Frail Elderly”, organized by the Faculty of Education, was held in J213, Silver Jubilee Building, University of Macau. Wook Song, Associate Professor of Department of Physical Education, Institute of Sports Science, Seoul National University, Korea, was invited to be the speaker. Dr.

Kong Zhao Wei, FED Programme

Coordinator of Physical Education, Fine Arts and Music Courses, chaired the seminar. Physical education teachers from schools in Macao and FED students majoring in Physical Education and Sports Studies participated.

Dr. Kong Zhao Wei first made a welcome speech and gave a brief introduction of Prof. Wook Song’s academic background and research area.

Prof. Song mainly focused on four aspects: aging in skeletal muscle (Sarcopenia); frailty in the elderly, healthy aging and happy aging (HAHA I) and frailty in the elderly (HAHA II). In the first part, Prof.

Song gave a clear explanation on

“Sarcopenia” and “Obesity/muscle

impairment (geriatric) syndrome”, unfolding a discussion on the related research. He illustrated the mechanisms underlying sarcopenia and possible consequences of sarcopenic obesity in the elderly through graphs, and emphasized that as a factor of functional limitation and poor health for the elderly, muscle strength is more important than muscle mass. On “frailty in the elderly”, Prof. Song presented the cycle of frailty, the correlation between age and frailty and the incidence of adverse outcomes associated with frailty.

In the end, Prof. Song compared HAHA I with HAHA II and pointed out that the advantage of HAHA II lies in its focus on the exercise of the frail elderly without the supervision of the researchers. Then he shared the idea with the participants that the elastic band training lasting for 18 weeks significantly improved the physical function of the frail elderly and self-directed group exercise is effective to boost physical function.

In the Q&A session, Prof. Song gave detailed answers to the questions raised by participating teachers and students on issues of the choice of elastic band and the measurement of the strength. Dr. Kong presented souvenirs to Prof. Song and all the participating teachers and students took a group picture to mark the occasion.

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2 Guest Lecture on “Classroom

Management in Macau

Primary School”

Guest Lecture on “Classroom Management in Macau Primary School” was held in J316, Silver Jubilee Building, University of Macau, on 26 February. Mr. Tam Un San, from Pui Tou Middle School, was invited as the key speaker. Dr. Hsiang Tien Ping, Assistant Professor of Faculty of Education, chaired the lecture. FED students of the Primary Education Programme attended the lecture.

Dr. Hsiang Tien Ping first made a welcome speech and gave a brief introduction of Mr. Tam Un San. Mr. Tam used to teach at the Affiliated School of the University of Macau after graduation from University of Macau. Now he is the panel chair of the Chinese subject in the primary school, Pui Tou Middle School.

Mr. Tam shared with the students his experience in teaching and getting along with the students. The sharing included “Five Dos and Don'ts”. He suggested student teachers should be well-prepared

before class, be punctual, polite, and well-mannered and appropriately dressed so as to leave a good impression to schools and students. Mr. Tam emphasized that teachers need to pay more attention to their own behaviors and set good examples for their

students. When dealing with the

misbehaviors of the students, teachers should always uphold the principle of fairness and justice, take into account the self-esteem and characteristics of pupils, so as to guide students appropriately.

As primary school pupils are still very young, student teachers may encounter

some unpredictable situations. While

maintaining a teacher-friend relationship with students, teachers should also keep in touch with their parents in order to keep

communication unobstructed between

school and home. Student teachers should ask experienced colleagues for help in classroom management when necessary.

After the sharing, the students raised some questions about how to handle the

student-teacher relationships, how to

communicate with students’ parents,

challenges and fun at work, etc. Mr. Tam gave detailed answers to all these questions.

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3 Exchange Study Experience

in Taiwan

In the first semester of 2012/2013 academic year, 4 students from Faculty of Education, the University of Macau, went to Taiwan for exchange studies. Li Yu Wei and Kuok Meng Chon studied in National Taiwan Normal University while Ng Ut Mei and Chi Jiami studied in National Taipei University of Education. They have gained a lot from experiencing a different life style and study for one semester. Here are some of their reflections:

During the 144 days I spent in Taiwan, I have been aware of the importance of curiosity and the seeking for oneself and feeling for the unknown. You will never be surprised unless you step out of your comfort zone. Sometimes, you will find new things and a new inner place by reaching a certain point. And then you will be surprised by your longing for the intimacy with something or your interest in it. To walk, to pause, to find, to feel, to seek and then understand, and hence you comprehend the greatness of reading and travelling and the essence of experiencing in life.

--- Li Yu Wei, FED year-2 student majoring in Chinese (Secondary Education)

I benefit a lot from the exchange study in Taiwan! First of all, I want to extend my gratitude to Faculty of education of University of Macau for granting me such a precious and memorable opportunity. Upon my arrival in Taiwan, I set a few goals for myself and I felt proud on fulfilling most of them towards the end. National Taiwan

Normal University is a prestigious

university with notable professors and advanced facilities, and I felt at home during the four months I spent there. I felt so touched by the accompany of the teachers, students, classes, libraries and playgrounds. International Affairs Office also held activities to provide us with a very good platform to meet students from different countries. Overall, the exchange experience is fascinating because it helps boost my growth in academia, life and personal feelings.

--- Kuok Meng Chon, FED year-3 student majoring in Chinese (Secondary Education)

“It is better to travel far than to read voluminously.” The exchange experience in Taiwan for one semester is not long but meaningful. After classes, I also travelled a lot during holidays to experience different cultures and customs. Recalling the dribs and drabs during these four months, I have assorted feelings that cannot be simply expressed in words. At the very beginning, I was homesick, yet in the end, I was too happy to leave Taiwan. Because of the exchange study experience, I have gained a lot in making friends, studying and traveling, which left me deeper understandings and made me stronger and more independent. Moreover, the enthusiasm of the Taiwanese is also very touching. This experience really has my vision expanded, and for the first

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4

time I feel that the world is so large, and walking out of Macao to the outside world is absolutely memorable and fantastic! --- Ng Ut Mei, FED year-2 student majoring in Pre-primary Education

4-month exchange study in National Taipei University of Education boosted my self-improvement. The detailed and steady instructional approaches of Taiwanese teachers taught me knowledge of my area and expanded my horizon. During the communication with the classmates, I gradually got to know the lives and hobbies of my peers and a vivid Taiwan that I could never see elsewhere. All these experiences are memorable. Besides, I participated in many activities and met a lot of new friends. I am really grateful for the teachers and classmates who once helped me and I sincerely wish that more students from the University of Macau could have such great opportunities.

--- Chi Jiami, FED year-2 student majoring in Primary Education