Friday, May 03, 2013
Abu Dhabi: It was his first visit to the UK and Hussein Maghawry Hussein was overwhelmed by the experiences that awaited him. As a teacher of English in Al Ghazali School, Abu Dhabi, he was happy to be in the midst of native English speakers. “It gave me an opportunity to practise my English and observe their accents,” he says. Hussein was chosen with 90 of his pupils from Grade 6-9 by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Abu Dhabi Education Council to be part of British Council’s Connecting Classrooms education programme in the UAE.
Over the last three years, around six teachers from six UAE government schools, teaching different subjects, have been chosen for study visits to the UK to implement the concept of Connecting Classrooms.
“It is a golden opportunity for me to be part of this programme,” says Hussein. “I was really fascinated with the curriculum, activities and school education system I witnessed in the UK. I believe that by entering into international school partnerships, pupils will gain a fuller understanding of other countries and cultures. It also helps educators to share best practices with their colleagues at home and overseas and to learn from education systems in other countries,” he says. Hussein stayed for one week in the UK during his trip in October 2011, and he visited 5 schools during his stay. “I spent a whole day with each school, from 8am to 4pm. It was the most interesting experience to interact with teachers, talk to students and observe how they do things.”
A significant component of the Connecting Classrooms concept is the professional development courses and workshops for teachers in Coordination, Time Management and Interpersonal Communication, key elements in a teacher’s area of work. “I have attended over 10 workshops in the UAE and they all helped me to deepen my knowledge and develop my skills in various fields, not just in English,” says Hussein.
On a flip side, the workshops he attended in the UK were totally different and diverse. Geared for children, they had subjects such as cooking and tailoring, carpentry. “It was amazing to see girls holding saws and working away in the carpentry classes,” says Hussein. Boys and girls worked together displaying exemplary cooperation and turning learning into a fun and collaborative exercise. “I came back and told my students about my experiences and they were astonished that there could be such diverse courses children were being taught and that there were so many activities to choose from. They all dreamed of doing something like this here too.” While budgets are to be considered to introduce some of those elements, Hussein is proud of the media centre he initiated in his school where students are trained and supervised to make short documentary films.
While Hussein’s visit pushed the boundaries of his own learning, he also contributed a lot to the understanding of UK teachers.He cites examples of the two-way learning process. “I was very eager to know the latest teaching strategies and innovations they were bringing to the classroom. I wanted to know how far they apply the latest teching methods and technologies.” He says he was deeply impressed with the level of engagement teachers and students enjoyed. “The other thing that I took away as a great example of classroom strategy was this concept called ‘My Place in the Race’. It’s a involves the teacher keeping a chart in the classroom that tracks the performance and behaviour of each student. The students compete to perform at their best as they see the graph and how it depicts their efforts.” He returned with a resolve to introduce the same concept for his students and he says it has been extremely efefctive. “I implemented it in my classes and today, my students compare their performances and strive to do better. The concept works not just between students in the same class but also intra-classes in the same grade.”
On his part, Hussein walked away with full hounours when he gave a presentation to the UK teachers on the Kagan principles in his teaching methods. (Dr. Spencer Kagan is an internationally acclaimed researcher, presenter and author, and a professor of psychology and education. His instructional strategies are used in teacher training institutes in many countries. “They were very impressed. I told them that we had been doing it for 10 years now, and it was interesting to learn that they had just begun using the Kagan method 10 days ago!” The UK teachers were also keen to know about the educational system in the UAE. “They would ask so many questions about it. They were impressed at the many courses and the volume of learning we impart to our students here.”
During his week-long interaction with the UK schools, Hussein also gave a presentation on tecahing the Arabic language to non-native speakers. “Some students were interested in learning the Arabic language. Perhaps they wish to join the diplomatic services later on or opt for jobs in the field of translation,” he says.
As a young graduate from Cairo University, Hussein’s interest in the English language was not a given. “I didn’t want to be teacher when I studied English. But in certain colleges in Egypt then, it was obligatory to work as a teacher for one year after graduation. After one year, you were free to do anything else you wanted.” The compulsion, however, turned out to be a catalyst. “I fell in love with the teaching process during this one year,” he says. “The relationship and rapport I built with my students convinced me that this is what I wanted to do.”
Hussein came to the UAE in 1991 and his journey of teaching English to Emirati students has been, he says, a continually fruitful experience. “It is my 22nd year,” he says with justifiable joy.
A student’s perspective
Saif Humaid, a 12-year-old, who is a part of the Connecting Classrooms project, is exuberant about his participation. The idea of joint curriculum activities appeals to him enormously. “Our activities are mainly focused on thinking of ways to save the environment,” says Saif. The idea of connectivity with another school helps them spread their ideas wide and also benefits from receiving viewpoints and suggestions from other students on the other side of the world. This attention to a common cause fosters a greater understanding of the world they live in, the problems it faces and how they can, together, help in making it a better place, thus making them see the issue in the right perspective.
“The planet we live on is suffering from different kind of pollution,” says Saif. “We are cutting down trees, exploiting nature and killing animals. Therefore, resources are depleting, posing a threat to human existence on the planet. It is the time to do something to save our planet.
“I started with my Emirati colleagues in our school and in cooperation with UK-based pupils prepared brochures, booklets and flyers about how the UAE government works to tackle the environmental pollution by introducing recycling and green programmes,” he explained.
The Connecting Classrooms project on environment focused on pollution of outdoor and indoor air, water contamination, global warming and contamination of various foodstuffs along with occupational health risks, which emerged as the top priorities to resolve in both the UAE and the UK. “Pupils and teachers in the UK schools provided us with many PowerPoint presentations and scientific materials to help us with our environmental project,” Saif added.
The joint activities also focused on cultural and heritage issues.
“We received several letters from pupils in the UK telling us about their lives and hobbies. We bought several postcards which included the history, culture and traditions of the UAE such as, camel racing, henna, hospitality and weddings, and mailed it to them.” The exchange of ideas and information brought to the fore the fact that many of students on both sides of project shared common hobbies and interests. This was more evidence of the fact that reaching out to others beyond the community can open the windows of the mind and reveal how much we have in common with others around the world. This ushers in a sense of belonging that leads to better ties and understanding of people across the world.
The post cards students here sent to the UK were displayed in an exhibition for both parents and pupils to learn more about the UAE’s heritage,” says Saif Esmail, a 12-year-old pupil of Al Ghazali School.
Speaking of the connecting Classrooms project, he says, “it has had a significant impact on me as a global citizen. I feel I am part of this world and global community, not only part of my country.” Working together with students from another country has, in his view, enhanced his communication and cooperation skills dramatically.
By Sara Sabry, Staff Reporter Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
Abu Dhabi: It was his first visit to the UK and Hussein Maghawry Hussein was overwhelmed by the experiences that awaited him. As a teacher of English in Al Ghazali School, Abu Dhabi, he was happy to be in the midst of native English speakers. “It gave me an opportunity to practise my English and observe their accents,” he says. Hussein was chosen with 90 of his pupils from Grade 6-9 by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Abu Dhabi Education Council to be part of British Council’s Connecting Classrooms education programme in the UAE.
Over the last three years, around six teachers from six UAE government schools, teaching different subjects, have been chosen for study visits to the UK to implement the concept of Connecting Classrooms.
“It is a golden opportunity for me to be part of this programme,” says Hussein. “I was really fascinated with the curriculum, activities and school education system I witnessed in the UK. I believe that by entering into international school partnerships, pupils will gain a fuller understanding of other countries and cultures. It also helps educators to share best practices with their colleagues at home and overseas and to learn from education systems in other countries,” he says. Hussein stayed for one week in the UK during his trip in October 2011, and he visited 5 schools during his stay. “I spent a whole day with each school, from 8am to 4pm. It was the most interesting experience to interact with teachers, talk to students and observe how they do things.”
A significant component of the Connecting Classrooms concept is the professional development courses and workshops for teachers in Coordination, Time Management and Interpersonal Communication, key elements in a teacher’s area of work. “I have attended over 10 workshops in the UAE and they all helped me to deepen my knowledge and develop my skills in various fields, not just in English,” says Hussein.
On a flip side, the workshops he attended in the UK were totally different and diverse. Geared for children, they had subjects such as cooking and tailoring, carpentry. “It was amazing to see girls holding saws and working away in the carpentry classes,” says Hussein. Boys and girls worked together displaying exemplary cooperation and turning learning into a fun and collaborative exercise. “I came back and told my students about my experiences and they were astonished that there could be such diverse courses children were being taught and that there were so many activities to choose from. They all dreamed of doing something like this here too.” While budgets are to be considered to introduce some of those elements, Hussein is proud of the media centre he initiated in his school where students are trained and supervised to make short documentary films.
While Hussein’s visit pushed the boundaries of his own learning, he also contributed a lot to the understanding of UK teachers.He cites examples of the two-way learning process. “I was very eager to know the latest teaching strategies and innovations they were bringing to the classroom. I wanted to know how far they apply the latest teching methods and technologies.” He says he was deeply impressed with the level of engagement teachers and students enjoyed. “The other thing that I took away as a great example of classroom strategy was this concept called ‘My Place in the Race’. It’s a involves the teacher keeping a chart in the classroom that tracks the performance and behaviour of each student. The students compete to perform at their best as they see the graph and how it depicts their efforts.” He returned with a resolve to introduce the same concept for his students and he says it has been extremely efefctive. “I implemented it in my classes and today, my students compare their performances and strive to do better. The concept works not just between students in the same class but also intra-classes in the same grade.”
On his part, Hussein walked away with full hounours when he gave a presentation to the UK teachers on the Kagan principles in his teaching methods. (Dr. Spencer Kagan is an internationally acclaimed researcher, presenter and author, and a professor of psychology and education. His instructional strategies are used in teacher training institutes in many countries. “They were very impressed. I told them that we had been doing it for 10 years now, and it was interesting to learn that they had just begun using the Kagan method 10 days ago!” The UK teachers were also keen to know about the educational system in the UAE. “They would ask so many questions about it. They were impressed at the many courses and the volume of learning we impart to our students here.”
During his week-long interaction with the UK schools, Hussein also gave a presentation on tecahing the Arabic language to non-native speakers. “Some students were interested in learning the Arabic language. Perhaps they wish to join the diplomatic services later on or opt for jobs in the field of translation,” he says.
As a young graduate from Cairo University, Hussein’s interest in the English language was not a given. “I didn’t want to be teacher when I studied English. But in certain colleges in Egypt then, it was obligatory to work as a teacher for one year after graduation. After one year, you were free to do anything else you wanted.” The compulsion, however, turned out to be a catalyst. “I fell in love with the teaching process during this one year,” he says. “The relationship and rapport I built with my students convinced me that this is what I wanted to do.”
Hussein came to the UAE in 1991 and his journey of teaching English to Emirati students has been, he says, a continually fruitful experience. “It is my 22nd year,” he says with justifiable joy.
A student’s perspective
Saif Humaid, a 12-year-old, who is a part of the Connecting Classrooms project, is exuberant about his participation. The idea of joint curriculum activities appeals to him enormously. “Our activities are mainly focused on thinking of ways to save the environment,” says Saif. The idea of connectivity with another school helps them spread their ideas wide and also benefits from receiving viewpoints and suggestions from other students on the other side of the world. This attention to a common cause fosters a greater understanding of the world they live in, the problems it faces and how they can, together, help in making it a better place, thus making them see the issue in the right perspective.
“The planet we live on is suffering from different kind of pollution,” says Saif. “We are cutting down trees, exploiting nature and killing animals. Therefore, resources are depleting, posing a threat to human existence on the planet. It is the time to do something to save our planet.
“I started with my Emirati colleagues in our school and in cooperation with UK-based pupils prepared brochures, booklets and flyers about how the UAE government works to tackle the environmental pollution by introducing recycling and green programmes,” he explained.
The Connecting Classrooms project on environment focused on pollution of outdoor and indoor air, water contamination, global warming and contamination of various foodstuffs along with occupational health risks, which emerged as the top priorities to resolve in both the UAE and the UK. “Pupils and teachers in the UK schools provided us with many PowerPoint presentations and scientific materials to help us with our environmental project,” Saif added.
The joint activities also focused on cultural and heritage issues.
“We received several letters from pupils in the UK telling us about their lives and hobbies. We bought several postcards which included the history, culture and traditions of the UAE such as, camel racing, henna, hospitality and weddings, and mailed it to them.” The exchange of ideas and information brought to the fore the fact that many of students on both sides of project shared common hobbies and interests. This was more evidence of the fact that reaching out to others beyond the community can open the windows of the mind and reveal how much we have in common with others around the world. This ushers in a sense of belonging that leads to better ties and understanding of people across the world.
The post cards students here sent to the UK were displayed in an exhibition for both parents and pupils to learn more about the UAE’s heritage,” says Saif Esmail, a 12-year-old pupil of Al Ghazali School.
Speaking of the connecting Classrooms project, he says, “it has had a significant impact on me as a global citizen. I feel I am part of this world and global community, not only part of my country.” Working together with students from another country has, in his view, enhanced his communication and cooperation skills dramatically.
By Sara Sabry, Staff Reporter Gulf News 2013. All rights reserved.
