「厄瑪烏教學法」工作坊

Workshops on the Emmaus Pedagogy

        「天主教教育事務處」轄下的「宗教及道德教育課程發展中心」於四月二十一日、五月五日及十九日舉辦了三場工作坊，分別向約三百名中學、小學和幼稚園的宗教科教師介紹「厄瑪烏教學法」。

        工作坊中，「發展中心」的總課程主任陳乃國博士首先重點推介源自路加福音的「厄瑪烏事件」( 24 : 13-35) 教學法的理念和方法。當時兩位門徒在耶穌被釘十字架後，失望地離開耶京前往厄瑪烏村莊；在途中，主耶穌與他們同行，先聆聽他們的經歷，繼而引用聖經解釋默西亞必須死而復活，才完成祂的救世使命；當門徒終於明白過來並認出主耶穌時，他倆立即折回耶京向宗徒報訊。

        課程主任指出，「厄瑪烏教學法」基於這聖經事件中耶穌教導門徒的方法，發展出有效教學的四個步驟： (一)發掘學生有關某課題的個人經驗，(二)引導學生認識相關的聖經故事，(三)讓學生以聖經教訓檢視自己的經驗，回答：「耶穌在我的處境會怎樣想和怎樣辦？」問題，及(四) 鼓勵學生以言行表達新體會。

        在工作坊的下半部，課程主任吳子欣即場示範「厄瑪烏教學法」，在出席的教師前給一班中三學生上了一節宗教課，讓同工進一步了解這教法的精髓。隨後，全體參加者交流對「厄瑪烏教學法」的看法，並探討引人香港天主教學校宗教課的可行性。出席的教師均對此教學法深感興趣，及願意在自己的宗教課堂試用。

        此次工作坊是「發展中心」本學年內第二輪的大型工作坊，以支援宗教科教師的專業發展。

        The Religious and Moral Education Curriculum Development Centre of the Catholic Education Office conducted three lesson demonstration workshops on Emmaus Pedagogy for secondary, primary and kindergarten religious education teachers in April and May 2007.  These sessions were the second round of workshops the Centre had organized to provide professional training for teachers.  The participants included panel chairpersons and teachers who were interested in the new teaching pedagogy.

        The sessions began with Dr. Francis Chan, Chief Curriculum officer of the Centre explaining the rationale and methodology of Emmaus Pedagogy which originated from the Gospel of St. Luke (24 : 13-35).

        After the crucifixion of Jesus, His disciples, having lost their hopes, headed towards the village of Emmaus.  On their way, Jesus appeared to keep them company, to listen to their experience and, quoting from the Scriptures, explained to them the mission of Messiah.  When the disciples at last recognized Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to inform the apostles.

        The four steps of Emmaus Pedagogy derived from the way how Jesus taught His Disciples:

1)  to discover the life experience of the students in relation to a specific topic,

2)  to direct students to understand the related scriptures,

3)  to allow students to examine their own experience based on the values they have learned from the scriptures, and

4)  to encourage students to live out true Gospel values.

        In the second part of the workshops, the curriculum officer Ms Christina Ng gave a demonstration lesson to a group of Form 3 students using the Emmaus methodology.  Participants exchanged opinions on the new teaching methodology and would like to try it out in their own classrooms.