Assoc Prof Mark Baildon and Dr Imelda Caleon Conduct Workshop for Teachers

Assoc Prof Mark Baildon, Associate Dean (Partnerships and Analytics) at OER and Dr Imelda Caleon, Assistant Dean (Partnerships) at OER conducted a workshop on Educating Learners in Mixed-Ability Settings: Addressing Diversity and Forging Connectionsat Gan Eng Seng School on 18 November 2019. The workshop was attended by 87 teachers and school leaders.

In a mixed-ability classroom setting, catering to the needs of every child and forging meaningful connections come as a challenge. The workshop aimed to address these challenges that teachers faced in these classroom settings.

In the first segment, the participants were given an introduction on the nature and principles of differentiated instruction. Assoc Prof Baildon and Dr Caleon also shared practical tips and strategies that the participants can adopt in their classes.

Assoc Prof Mark Baildon interacting with the teachers

In the second segment, Dr Caleon presented on the topic of positive psychology with respect to the social domain of students’ experiences. She also introduced two lesson packages that can be incorporated into their lesson plans.

Dr Imelda Caleon interacting with the teachers

These lesson packages were developed by Dr Caleon and her team for her research studies administered by the Office of Education Research. The research studies were namely, Nurturing Positivity: A Positive Psychology Intervention to Enhance Well-Being, Engagement, and Achievement among At-Risk Students and Nurturing Positivity And Resilience In Singapore Schools: Development And Evaluation Of An Arts-Based Positive Psychology Intervention Toolkit.

According to her research findings, these packages were effective in building positive relationships and promoting well-being and school resilience among adolescents attending selected secondary schools in Singapore.

Workshop activity at Gan Eng Seng School