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| April 2000 Farewell to old TV shows On its 29th anniversary, it’s time for Educational TV to say sayonara to its old TV series By Lauren Lam Article from the same section: Thanks to advanced technology, teaching is no longer chalk and talk. Additional teaching aids are provided to teachers and students. Educational Television has been serving both teachers and students in Hong Kong for almost three decades. ETV is a joint venture by the Education Department and Radio Television Hong Kong. The Department is responsible for the contents of the programmes while RTHK is responsible for the production. According to Mr. Sheridan Lee, a curriculum development officer in the Education Department, when ETV broadcasting commenced in 1971, it primarily served as a training tool for teachers. “As many teachers did not receive proper education during that period, ETV served as a ‘TV teacher’ and teachers shared their experiences in teaching.” However, the main functions of ETV changed as time passed. Said Mr. Lee: “Conceptually, ETV plays a supplementary role in teaching and it serves as a kind of visual aid for both teachers and students. “It provides a stimulus for teachers and leaves room for students to think. Teaching is no longer spoon-feeding and students have become active in the learning process. “Teaching concepts are materialized in the form of dramas and songs. Also, real-life examples are used in the mathematics programmes so that students can apply what they have learned in daily life. As a result, students’ interests can be aroused as they find learning easier.” Changes have been taking place regarding the contents of the programmes. Said Mr. Lee: “In the past, the contents of the programmes mainly provided students with knowledge of a certain subject. “Now they also teach students skills on thinking, communication and various concepts on values and ethics.” Mr. Chor Kin Bun, a Form 3 student at Po Leung Kuk Tang Yuk Tien College, had been acting in ETV programmes for over a year. He was recommended by one of the actors of the ETV programmes. When asked about his opinions on the programmes, he said that the contents of the programmes are outdated. “The scripts of programmes written several years ago are similar to those of the newly produced programmes. Some of the information is outdated.” Nancy Chan, a Form 4 student of Ho Lap College, agreed. “I think the contents should be more up-to-date. When I watched the programmes last year, I found that the talents’ clothes were very old-fashioned and the way they spoke was not realistic.” However, according to Mr. Lee, attempts are made to update the contents of the programmes. “For programmes related to current affairs, the contents change more frequently. For example, after 1997, the names of some government departments changed and we had to make corresponding corrections. “For other programmes, they are renewed according to a renewal cycle. We make changes based on needs and costs. Sometimes we renew programmes by changing the voices or pictures if we find that the contents are not outdated.” Nancy said that she does not watch ETV very often at school. “It is because of the difference in the medium of instruction. My school is an English school but most of the programmes are in Chinese, so it is hard for our teachers to use them.” Chor Kin Bun also said that he does not watch ETV very often at school. “We only watch the programmes once every three weeks. Many teachers prefer using the time for teaching rather than watching ETV. Some think that the contents of the programmes are not related to the syllabus.” Said Mr. Lee: “This is one of the difficulties for us. We cannot follow the teaching timetables of all schools and it depends on how teachers use the resources. “Our expectations are also different from that of some teachers. Some of them prefer sticking to the syllabus and they may find our resources not useful. “For instance, a science programme which shows pictures of flowers may be used by a science teacher. However, we think that the programme can also be used in different fields like teaching descriptive writing in Chinese or even art. “The contents of the programmes are not restricted to syllabus and it really depends on how teachers use them.” Miss Clare Ip, a teacher of Po Yan Catholic Primary School agreed. “Take Chinese composition as an example. “As we cannot organize outdoor activities for students very often, ETV programmes are useful as they provide a stimulus for students when they are writing compositions. They also help teachers teach students writing techniques like the use of metaphors. She did not consider the tight schedule a problem. “As the timetable of our school is drawn in accordance with the broadcasting schedule of ETV, we can arrange times for students to watch the programmes.” Besides, starting from January 2000, a new series of resource programmes for the teachers was introduced. Some thematic video segments for flexible classroom use and teacher development programmes are being broadcast. “Teachers can choose the contents that they think are suitable for their teaching from these programmes. “We think that teachers but not ETV should play a leading role in the teaching process.” In addition, teachers can choose the programme whenever they want by using the video-on-demand service. In general, Chor Kin Bun said that ETV programmes are useful for his learning and they help him develop a deeper impression on the things that he has learned. Said he: “There is interactivity in the learning process as questions are often raised in the programmes and we can think and ask questions freely. “On the other hand, I find it rather weird to ask questions during lessons when teachers are talking.” Nancy agreed that ETV is good and said that it is useful when it comes to subjects like science. “As the concepts are materialized, it is easier for me to understand,” she said. Miss Ip also said that programmes on mathematics and general studies are interesting. Said she: “Many real-life examples are used in these programmes.” Both Miss Ip and Chor Kin Bun suggested the use of more animations in the programmes as it can be more interesting and appealing to students. |
Some actors in ETV programmes are recommended by their teachers. (Courtesy of the Education Department)
Students said most educational TV programmes are out-dated. (Courtesy of the Education Department)
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