Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Develops and Distributes Teaching Support Materials for New Semester Elementary School Classes

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced on the 6th that it has developed and distributed various support materials for elementary school classes at the start of the 2023 new semester.

First, it developed and distributed teacher support materials linked to the curriculum that focus on practical character education, titled ‘2023 Narang Neorang’ and ‘Animal Love and Respect for Life.’

As the importance of character development has emerged alongside advancements in technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has been conducting cooperative character education to help Seoul students build collaborative relationships beyond competitive logic and live together in harmony.

‘2023 Narang Neorang’ and ‘Animal Love and Respect for Life’ are materials designed to continuously support and internalize character competencies such as empathy, respect, consideration, participation, communication, responsibility, cooperation, fairness, and the public good through educational activities.

They are organized into four themes related to ‘Understanding Myself’ and ‘Enhancing Community Spirit’ by grade group. Each theme includes four activities linked to the curriculum, totaling 16 activities by grade group, and teacher PPTs are separately provided for immediate use in classes.

‘Animal Love and Respect for Life’ is divided by grade group into stages: △Stage 1 ‘I Love Animals’ △Stage 2 ‘Getting Close to Pets’ △Stage 3 ‘Considering Animal Welfare,’ with sub-themes of learning, feeling, practicing, and sharing. The detailed activities consist of a total of 17 sessions and can be utilized during creative experiential learning’s autonomous activity time or through curriculum restructuring linked to subjects.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education plans to hold training sessions on the use of these materials and workshops for sharing character education cases in April, centered on elementary character education councils organized by education support offices composed of teachers responsible for school character education.

Additionally, to support educational recovery and daily life recovery through the revitalization of physical education classes, it developed and distributed ‘Physical Education Classes Completed in One Page,’ organized by grade and physical education curriculum areas. The aim is to transform elementary physical education classes, which were limited during the COVID-19 pandemic, into substantial, physical activity-centered classes that students can enjoy and improve their health.

Each grade is composed of four areas with four representative activities, and each activity provides the activity name, representative photo, QR code, and activity method to offer practical help in designing and operating the physical education curriculum. Teachers can also access video materials in various ways to prepare for classes.

Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, said, “Through the development and sharing of various teaching materials, we hope that our Seoul students will grow into healthy and upright individuals with character who lead a world of coexistence within high-quality school education.”