A sharing corner for you

Community Voices is a corner where readers can share their thoughts with other members of the FLASS community. We welcome submissions on education-related topics, inspirational life experiences, heart-warming stories that took place at EdUHK, and anything you believe would be a meaningful contribution.

The Department of Cultural and Creative Arts (CCA) aims to provide the best arts education in the region and is committed to building a creative and dynamic learning environment in music and visual arts. Over the years, it has nurtured many skilled, knowledgeable and caring graduates. CCA graduates have been empowered to achieve academic and artistic excellence through their roles as musicians, music and visual arts educators, community-based arts practitioners, stage-directors, multi-media artists, curators, and cultural leaders in the 21st Century. This issue of FLASS FORWARD features personal stories from four CCA graduates.

Mr Yung Ching-pok, Mr Eric Ng Kwok-hei, Mr Ng Chin-hung, Mr Kwong Kai-tak

I graduated in 2022 with a Master of Arts in Visual Arts Education and Creative Practice from CCA. Throughout my studies and career, I have been involved in various art-related activities, such as stage design for small theatre groups, creating murals and conducting art education programmes in primary and secondary schools as well as the community. In recent years, my work has incorporated 3D printing and scanning technologies, adding a new dimension to my artistic endeavors.

Currently, I am working as a show and paint specialist at Hong Kong Disneyland. In this role, I am responsible for overseeing maintenance projects and production activities related to the painting aspect of the central workshop. This includes participating in workshop operation management, project planning, and schedule coordination to ensure the perfect appearance of mobile attractions, show sets, and props for performances.

During my time at EdUHK, I participated in various art projects. On a larger scale, I collaborated with the Tourism Board to create murals for exhibition space in the West Kowloon Cultural District. On a smaller scale, I created murals for shared campus spaces. I still remember the excitement of submitting project proposals and mural designs to different event organisers. Although not all of them were successful, I learnt that failure is an opportunity to rise again. So, I continued to participate because every large-scale collaborative project offers an opportunity to test my creativity. Through these experiences, I met like-minded friends, and through collaboration, we influenced and learnt from each other.

These experiences have taught me that being rejected at times is not a big deal. Instead, it is important to not easily give up and handle every task earnestly. I have learnt how to listen, observe, reflect, and think. This life philosophy has helped me better understand human dynamics in the workplace and how to handle different situations. When I am tired, I take a break, and when I am confident, I unleash my potential.

My study journey at CCA of EdUHK has shaped me into a resilient and determined individual. With a focus on continuous learning, attention to detail, and an open mindset, I have been able to pursue a successful career in the field of art and design. I have come to understand that setbacks are merely stepping stones to success, and by approaching life with a positive attitude and unwavering dedication, I can achieve even greater accomplishments in the future.

After graduating from CCA of EdUHK in 2021, I started working as an assistant music officer at the Music Office. In 2023, I took on a new role as the Ensemble & Music Development Director at Ying Wa Primary School. I am extremely thankful to CCA and the University for providing me with numerous opportunities and practical experiences during my time as an undergraduate. These experiences have been invaluable in helping me overcome the challenges I face in my current workplace.

Moving from the government sector to the education field was a big decision for me. When studying at CCA, I’ve already decided to focus on my personal growth in music after graduation. I am glad that the BA(CAC) & BEd(MU) double degree programme I pursued opened up various career paths, allowing me to choose my own direction. Instead of becoming a regular school teacher, I joined the Music Office as an assistant music officer. In this role, I taught instrumental training classes, performed in school music tours, and conducted different ensembles. Teaching students with diverse backgrounds has brought me great satisfaction. After spending two years in the Music Office, I embarked on a new journey at Ying Wa Primary School as the Ensemble & Music Development Director.

My position at Ying Wa Primary School is unique for a local primary and secondary school. Unlike regular music teachers, my main focus is on music ensembles and activities. The school places a strong emphasis on students' musical development. As a result, I have the responsibility of managing and organising these activities on my own. It was a challenging start as I had to effectively coordinate all ensemble activities, motivate the students to compete with other schools, and encourage them to push their own limits.

At first, both students and parents had concerns because of my young age and limited experience in running an ensemble at an elite school. To address this, I established specific guidelines for students and created video demonstrations and explanations to help them understand areas for improvement. Over time, I was able to demonstrate my teaching and ensemble management abilities, which led to winning numerous awards as well as helped me develop strong relationships with my students. It has also become my passion to teach them positive values and foster moral development during their music and ensemble training.

I am truly grateful for all the teachers at CCA for their dedicated cultivation. I am also indebted to the ample opportunities provided by CCA and EdUHK to enhance my teaching skills. I wholeheartedly encourage current students to seize and cherish every opportunity that comes their way!

At CCA, I have exposed myself to different kinds of artform which has proven useful throughout my career. Since my university days, I've been dedicated to researching how teaching strategies can enhance students' learning interests and creativity. After graduation, I implemented Maker Education, an educational approach that emphasizes hands-on, project-based learning to tackle real-world problems, and developed school-based STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) courses in my affiliated schools. During the pandemic, I established "Mr. NG Maker Space" on Facebook to promote hands-on toy making using household materials, enabling children to continue learning at home. Luckily, my teaching designs have been widely welcomed by the academic, social welfare, and parental communities

Furthermore, I have collaborated with academic institutions such as The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Education University of Hong Kong, and the Educational Publishing House to integrate interdisciplinary content and develop STEAM materials focusing on Chinese culture, arts, programming, and science. Last year, I completed a Master's degree programme in Education (Learning Science and Technology) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and was awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award in the Education Research category by the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers for both 2022 and 2021.

Currently, I serve as the STEAM Education Coordinator and the Head of General Studies at CCC Kei Faat Primary School. I am also an executive committee member of the Hong Kong Society For Education in Art (HKSEA) and a consultant for the Hong Kong Association for Science Education. With the rise of generative AI, I have devoted more of my time in researching how to enhance the learning efficiency of primary school students through generative or artificial intelligence in the curriculum.

During my time at the HKIEd, the predecessor of EdUHK, I was determined to become an educator for life. The lecturers and professors I met at HKIEd, along with the diverse learning opportunities and teaching practicum experiences it provided, have enabled me to realise the importance of cherishing every opportunity to develop my skills and become an inspiring educator for the next generation.

My first job after graduation was teaching Visual Arts at a secondary school. In my first year of teaching, I had the opportunity to teach DSE students. Some of them have now become renowned artists, professional landscape architects, and illustrators, and many more have become visual arts teachers, working as my “colleagues” to nurture young talents. Perhaps this is how knowledge and passion for art is passed down from one generation to the next.

In order to further promote the development of visual arts education in Hong Kong, I served as the President of the Hong Kong Society for Education in Art (HKSEA), the largest visual arts education non-profit organisation in Hong Kong, from 2016 to 2020. As President, I led the team to advance visual arts education in Hong Kong. I organised territory-wide visual arts exhibitions, showcasing the artistic achievements of students from different schools in Hong Kong. I also initiated art scholarships to encourage students interested in visual arts to pursue further studies. I also participated in art education exchanges in Japan and South Korea, establishing connections with overseas art education organisations to promote the artistic talents of Hong Kong students and the achievements of our art educators.

I dislike boredom, so over the past decade and more, I have continuously pursued further education. I first pursued a Master's degree in Expressive Arts Therapy, enabling me to integrate art into student counseling work. I was selected as an “Innopower@Jockey Club” Teacher Fellow in 2017 to drive innovation in art education. I was granted a 10-week study leave to conduct research and studies in Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark to understand their educational innovations. I then combined these experiences with the local context to bring innovation into Hong Kong’s education system. My research focused on incorporating elements of well-being into formal Visual Arts curriculum to enhance students' mental health. Currently, I am pursuing a Doctor of Education degree in the same area, aiming to bring new insights to the design of visual arts education curriculum in Hong Kong.

Seeing how art transformed the lives of my students and made them into better people has been incredibly moving. I am now working as a Senior Graduate Teacher responsible for Arts Education and Counselling. I deal with various student issues every day and attempt to use art to help them overcome developmental challenges. In the past two years, I have been offered a golden opportunity to serve my alma mater, the Education University of Hong Kong, as a Guest Lecturer. At EdUHK, I teach courses on Visual Arts Curriculum studies and Therapeutic Arts in Education and Community Practice. I earnestly hope to inspire the next generation of teachers through teacher training and spread the beauty of art.