Inspiring Students to Embrace Challenges and Ignite Self-Directed Learning (耀中開放日展示未來教育成果 鼓勵學生勇於嘗試點燃自主學習動力)
- Cutie Ben
- Apr 6
- 6 min read
Translated English version:
To spark students' curiosity and passion for discovery, the school has created an immersive space for learning about ecology and management. Students transformed the rooftop garden on the 9th floor into a vibrant Chinese herb garden, incorporating herbal plants and a smart farming system. This initiative allows students to engage with a biodiverse environment, develop systems thinking skills, and explore topics like sustainability through hands-on experience.
Before this transformation, the rooftop garden hosted an exciting “Space Seeds” project several years ago. Students were given seeds that had been sent to space and asked to plant them alongside the same types of seeds that had not been to space. By observing and comparing the growth of these seeds, students gained insights into the effects of space environments on plant development. This project, part of a forward-thinking education initiative, not only enhanced students' scientific inquiry skills but also ignited their interest in space and plant science.
With the new transformation, students aimed to make the garden more visually appealing and educational, encouraging greater participation from their peers. “Our goal is to attract more students to visit the rooftop garden and learn about the value of Chinese herbs,” said Ethan, a Year 12 student involved in the project.
The garden transformation project, which incorporated Chinese herbs, smart farming, and a maze walk, was completed through the collaborative efforts of four students: Ethan, Linda, Fiona, and Abbie. Working like a small company, each student took on a specific role. Fiona led the overall project, managing the timeline and ensuring tasks were completed on schedule. Abbie handled design and layout, organizing the placement and display of plants. Linda managed the budget, ensuring resources were allocated efficiently, while Ethan coordinated with teachers and other teams to align the project’s goals.
The project, which began in late September 2024 and took about three months to complete, showcases a Chinese herb-themed garden. Students conducted extensive research and, with guidance from their teachers, selected plants that provide health benefits. “We all did a lot of research and even consulted primary school students, as they learned about Chinese herbs during their Chinese language classes. They gave us a list of plants, which we then narrowed down based on seasons and uses,” Ethan explained.
Although the main setup of the garden is complete, some facilities are still under development. For instance, the irrigation system has yet to be installed. The students shared their inspiration, citing the garden design at Yew Wah School in Guangzhou, which features a smart irrigation system. “We hope to implement a similar system here in the future to reduce manual watering and improve efficiency, making the garden even more sustainable,” Ethan added.
The students carefully planted herbs in different areas of the garden based on their sunlight and water requirements. Next year, they plan to install the smart irrigation system to further enhance the sustainable Smart Farm.
In addition to fostering a multilingual learning environment, the school is committed to creating opportunities for students to develop multicultural skills. Educational Director and Executive Principal Shona said, “By integrating Eastern and Western teaching methods, we create a diverse environment that inspires our students to explore global cultures and prepares them to become empathetic global citizens.”
“We learned so much about teamwork through this project. The biggest challenge was the time constraint, as we only had two to three months to complete everything. However, we used our after-school and holiday time to hold meetings and, with our teachers’ guidance, completed each step,” Fiona shared. On the night before the garden’s open day, the students were still finishing the final touches, such as creating cards and planting the remaining herbs, to ensure visitors had the best possible experience.
“What I enjoyed most was seeing the transformation throughout the process. At the beginning, this space was empty. Now it’s a garden that showcases our hard work and efforts. It’s a great sense of accomplishment, especially knowing the garden is not only beautiful but also helps educate others about the value of Chinese herbs,” Fiona said.
學校有個中藥園 多樣性環境培育全球公民
為了滿足學生的求知和探索的好奇心，學校建創了一個能夠沉浸式學習生態學和管理知識的空間， 學生們將9樓天台的空中花園大改造，加入中草藥植物和智慧農場系統。學生可以接觸生物多樣性的環境，透過管理學習培育系統思維，認識可持續發展等議題。
在改造之前，9樓的空中花園於數年前曾經進行一個非常有趣的「太空種子」項目。學生們從老師手上領取了曾經上過太空的種子，並將它們與同種類但沒有上過太空的種子一起種植在學校的空中花園。這個屬於未來教育部項目的宗旨，讓學生觀察和對比這兩種種子的生長情況，從而了解太空環境對植物生長的影響。這不僅增強了學生的科學探究能力，還激發了他們對太空和植物科學的興趣。
這次改造空中花園，學生們希望通過這次改造，讓這個花園變得更美觀、更有教育意義，吸引更多同學參與其中。「 我們的目標是讓更多同學會來到訪這個空中花園，並且了解中草藥的價值。」項目參與同學，就讀Year 12的Ethan說。
綠化學校計畫（中藥、智慧農場和迷宮漫步）項目由Ethan、Linda、Fiona及Abbie（左至右）分工合作完成，把原本的花園改造成生氣勃勃的中草藥花園。
團隊與負責老師（右3）及已畢業學生（左3）合照。
花園改造項目由4位學生主導，他們分工合作，以如同運作一間小型公司般的方式完成整個項目。Fiona負責領導整個計劃，統籌進度並確保按時完成；Abbie負責設計與佈局，規劃植物的擺放和展示方式；Linda則負責管理經費，確保資源分配得當；而Ethan則負責與老師和其他團隊溝通，協調各方需求。學生表示，這樣的分工讓他們學會了如何在協作中發揮個人所長，像真正的職場團隊一樣運作。項目從2024年9月末開始，歷時約三個月完成。花園的設計以中草藥為主題，學生們進行了大量的研究，並在老師的指導下選擇了對人體有益的植物。「我們四個人，每個人都做了很多研究，我們還訪問了小學部的學生，因為他們在中文課中學過中草藥。他們給我們提供了一份植物清單，我們再根據季節和用途進行篩選。」Ethan說道。
雖然學生們已經完成了花園的主要佈置，但部分設施仍在計劃和準備中。例如，灌溉系統的安裝尚未完成，學生們提到，他們參考了廣州耀華的花園設計，希望未來也能在本校安裝類似的智能灌溉設備，減少人工澆水的需求，並提升管理效率。Ethan補充道：「我們希望未來能夠採用像廣州耀華那樣的智能灌溉系統，這樣可以讓花園更加達致可持續發展。」
同學們因應植物對日光與雨水的不同需要，在花園不同位置種植不同植物。來年將安裝智能灌溉系統，進一步實現可持續發展的Smart Farm。
可見耀中除了多語言的學習模式，亦致力創造多文化的技能學習環境。教育總監及行政校長尚爾娜表示：「通過融合東西方的教學法，我們創造了一個多樣性的環境，激勵我們的孩子探索全球文化，為他們成為具有同理心的全球公民做好準備。」
「我們在這個項目中學會了分工合作，遇到的最大挑戰是時間限制，因為我們只有短短兩三個月的時間去完成所有的工作。不過，我們利用課後和假期的時間開會，並在老師的指導下，逐步完成了每一個步驟。」Fiona提到，開放日前一天晚上，他們仍在完成最後的卡片製作和植物種植工作，以確保開放日當天前來天台花園的訪客能有更完美體驗。「最讓我感到享受的是整個過程的轉變。一開始這裡什麼都沒有，現在卻變成了一個能夠展示我們努力成果的花園。這讓我們覺得很有成就感，特別是看到這個花園不僅美觀，還能教育大家認識中草藥的價值。」
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