By A Staff Reporter — MUSCAT — At the conference for English Language Teaching at Sultan Qaboos University to be held last week, Dr Peter Waters (pictured), English lecturer at the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) demonstrated how to implement current research on the educational value of writing. His workshop entitled “Writing to Learn” emphasizes that writing is essentially a means of learning not merely a record.
Dr Peter, who has worked in Oman for many years, has a firm understanding of the teaching practices and learning needs of students within the Sultanate. He argues that despite the widespread use of the digital media, the art of writing should not be abandoned or given a secondary role in education. Dr Peter Waters believes that one of the truly satisfying aspects of being an educator in Oman is the access to opportunities for professional development.
“Teaching is a unique profession that ought be constantly renewing itself. Professional educators need to be at the forefront of tirelessly exploring and developing improved ways of understanding how best to teach and what to teach,” said Dr Peter. It is no surprise for him that the latest technologies can be readily adopted to support newer methods that ensure best practice.
During his presentation on Wednesday he will explain how writing actually improves learning because it is multi-dimensional. It helps students make connections between what they read, view and hear, with what they think and understand. Writing strengthens understanding of what has been read because it allows immediate reflection and questioning of ideas.