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Seminar-Workshop on the Essentials of Values Integration in Teaching and Learning Jingdou Language Centre was honored to have one of the Philippines' prestigious educator, Dr. Severina M. Villegas last May 1 to 4, 2008. Dr. Villegas gave lectures and facilitated workshops for Jingdou's teachers on how to integrate values in teaching English. Jingdou aims not only to teach English but also to impart to its students ideas and values for character-building. During the four-day seminar, Dr. Villegas talked about a teacher's "inner landscape" as an important factor in Values Education. To be an effective teacher of the mind and heart of children - which is what Values Education is all about - one must keep on nourishing his or herself through regular self-introspection and personal and professional mentoring. Dr. Villegas emphasized that it is not enough for teachers to know their subjects, they need to chart their own identity and integrity, and to know themselves as well as their students. "The focus should be on the learners. Teachers must learn to connect with their students," said Dr. Villegas adding that it is necessary to know them as individuals with their own strengths and weaknesses and recognize their potentials. She also spoke about the art and science of mentoring which is, simply put, cultivating a culture of care in the classroom. Individual mentoring helps teachers create a bond with their students and through that bond, the student is given help according to their needs. "Teachers should foster an appropriately friendly and trusting atmosphere," she added. Home, School and Community Collaboration Dr. Villegas also made the participants realize that for students to effectively imbibe positive values it is necessary that they see and hear the same ideas from their parents, their teachers and the larger community in which they live in. "There must be a collaboration between the parents, school and the community because children receive their first education in the home, from their parents, and the school's role is to re-enforce what the students learn at home. The community must also echo the values that the children learn from home and school. Unfortunately, children have to be protected from a very influential "member" of the community - the Mass Media (i.e. Internet, TV, video games)," according to Dr. Villegas. The participants were divided into three workshop groups. During the workshop sessions, they discussed some of the seminar's salient points such as "The Identity and Integrity of the Teaching Profession" and "Effective Learning and the Role of Parents, School and the Community". Each workshop group presented the important points of their discussion to the other participants of the seminar. Dr. Villegas is Program Director of Master of Arts in Values Education of the School of Education of the University of the Asia and the Pacific (Philippines). She has more than 30 years of experience in the field of education. She is a founder of various Technical Schools for women on Home and Residential Management. She also helped establish the College of Arts and Science of the University of Asia and the Pacific. She has lectured and conducted workshops in Beijing, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Macau, Toronto, Scotland, Spain and Nigeria. Feedback from some participants "As I'm not an education specialist I found the new terminology related to teaching quite useful and applicable. " -- Werner Botha "I'm thankful to Jingdou for giving us this seminar." -- Annie Chan
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