What’s Next Project: Nurturing Innovation of Primary School Students Through Design Thinking

Overview

In today's tech-driven world, innovation has become a crucial competitive edge. ‘What's Next Project’ is an innovative curriculum tailored for primary school students, which fosters creative thinking and problem-solving skills from an early age. This project blends design thinking with cross-curricular, project-based learning, seamlessly integrating the Education Bureau's eight key learning areas and national security education into a comprehensive learning experience.
The heart of ‘What's Next Project’" is encouraging students to collaborate on diverse projects, challenging themselves with real-world problems. The curriculum, centred on design thinking, nurtures six key innovative competencies: collaboration, empathy, creativity, storytelling, problem-solving, and digital literacy. Students apply these skills to address genuine social issues, such as preventing dementia, finding homes for stray dogs, reducing school food waste, etc. This approach instils a sense of social responsibility and transcends traditional subject boundaries, promoting holistic thinking.
S.K.H. St. Timothy’s Primary School exemplifies the success of the ‘What's Next Project’. Teachers there champion innovative education, fostering teamwork to bring the teaching philosophy to life. They create authentic learning experiences by inviting non-profit organisations and experts to share insights while valuing student feedback. These educators also bridge the gap between school and parents, helping parents grasp the project's concept and encouraging their involvement. The speaker will outline strategies for school-wide engagement in project activities and methods to overcome implementation challenges. Ms Cheung's insights will offer valuable guidance and inspiration for other schools.
The speakers will explore the project's philosophy, curriculum design, and innovative teaching methods. They will explain how to nurture students' six key innovative competencies through cross-curricular, project-based learning and effectively integrate the Education Bureau's eight key learning areas with national security education.
• Participants of this seminar will understand:How to cultivate students' innovative abilities progressively through spiral curriculum design;
• How to guide students to tackle real-world social problems; and
• How to integrate the Education Bureau's eight key learning areas with national security education