WOU’s Kuala Lumpur Regional Office hosted the 2nd MELTA National Literacies Day to explore the different genres of literacy.
The event, held in conjunction with World Literacy Day, was organised by WOU in partnership with the Malaysia English Language Teaching Association (MELTA).
The three workshops conducted by WOU academics to promote and develop various literacies drew about 25 participants each, and they comprised mainly teachers, lecturers, parents, schoolchildren, postgraduate students and working adults.
SELC DEAN ASOOC PROF DR MALACHI EDWIN VETHAMANI LEADS THE PARTICIPANTS IN THEIR DISCUSSION.
At the first workshop on “See Wall to Wall: E-Literacies in the Digital Age” by School of Education, Languages and Communications dean Assoc Prof Dr Malachi Edwin Vethamani, participants learnt about the use of computer-mediated applications and digital communications.
He shared on social media and its relevance for effective communication in the 21st century. Since most of the participants were preparing to be teachers, it was useful for them to be introduced to new communication resources and a variety of internet search engines..
SELC LECTURER LEONG HAN MING GESTURES TO MAKE A POINT.
SELC lecturer Leong Han Ming summarised the research findings and recommendations of the National Reading Panel in the US on effective literacy instruction at his workshop on ‘Literacy in Special Education’. He covered three key features of effective literacy programmes for low-progress readers, namely, “phonics” or word attack skills, sight words recognition, and guided student reading.
The workshop benefited teachers working with students having difficulties reading in English as they received guidance on phonics and guided reading skills.
WOU DEPUTY VICE CHANCELLOR U K MENON HIGHLIGHTS THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS.
Meanwhile WOU Deputy Vice Chancellor U K Menon strived to educate Malaysians on political literacy and to critically evaluate political decisions through his workshop on “Political Literacy – Creating Good Citizens”. He emphasised the importance of understanding the fundamental liberties which are guaranteed under the Federal Constitution in order to empower the community.
Menon encouraged the participants to think wider, understand and defend their rights, critically examine the constitution, and to communicate and create awareness among the Malaysian community.
The one-day event, in which a total of nine workshops were held, proved to be informative and useful for the participants. Among the presenters of the other workshops were representatives from USM, UKM and MELTA – and the topics covered included promoting emotional intelligence (EQ) among teachers, teaching pronunciation and public speaking.
