Given the urgency of the upcoming teaching innovative program promoted by Ministry of Education, an international conference on the relevant subject was held between November l and 2 at the Chueh Sheng Memorial Hall, T.K.U. Many dignitaries including Dr. Colin Marsh, a Dean from Australia’s Joondalup University had attended the conference.
The conference was jointly sponsored by College of Education and Center for Teacher Education. T.K.U. The full name of the conference was;“The New Millennium International Conference for Curriculum Revolution and Teaching Innovation”.
It had attracted many principals from primary (grade) and middle (high) schools. They all came to hear the feedback or added their own input on the subject. More than 20 people had come. They include, for instance, Ms. Huang Shu-hsin, Principal, Da Li Senior High School; Mr. Lin Chiu-feng, Principal, San Tse Primary School; Mr. Lee Po, Principal, Fu Hsing Middle & Primary School; Ms. Kuo Tse-wei, Principal, Chung Her Primary School ; Cheng Hsien-Shan, Principal, Li Shan Senior High School and Mr. Chen Chiang-sung, Principal, Lao Mei Primary School. As Associate Professor Dr. Fang Chih-hua, Ming Chuan University, put it, “Given the challenge of new curriculum, we have to develop a new teaching method. This is the turning point that the new millennium brings with it. In dealing with the new situation, we teachers indeed have a lot to learn.”
Dr. Wu Tieh-hsiung, Deputy Minister, M.O.E., in the opening ceremony address mentioned that there will be a program called “Local-colored (Regional) Language Studies” in the newly implemented 9-year primary school curriculum. To accommodate this program, corresponding projects relevant to this study should be set up in colleges and universities.
Dr. Wu’s words had attracted Dr. Colin Marsh from Australia, but he seemed to take exception to his innovative proposal. “In the education revolutionary program, no one is more important than the teacher. But if the curriculum has adopted a multiple-leveled innovation, what worries me is that a teacher may not be able to sink in as deeply as he possibly can and should.”
Prof. Huang Ping-huang remarked, however, that any innovation or renovation needs a great deal of attention and discussion from the participants. For this purpose, we have prepared 3 papers and held 4 panel debates and have caused many heated discussions from the participants. These were the concluding words he told the conferees.
