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A great way to share and receive ideas, links and resources with your colleagues on the RAK Teachers Network is to start a discussion. Here are a few discussions you might like to get involved in. Feel free to leave a comment or post a link.
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Name: Mohamed Elabasery
School: Al Munai School for Boys / Cycles 2 & 3
Role: Chemistry teacher
Number of years in education: 17 years
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What have been some of your favourite experiences teaching in Ras Al Khaimah?
As I have a modern chemistry lab in my school, my favorite experiences teaching are project-based learning, experiment-based learning, and teaching with technology. As a result, my students enjoy the lessons and have fun with science and chemistry. Also, I have an important educational role with my students in guiding their behaviour positively and discovering their abilities and creativity through a variety of activities.
How has teaching in Ras Al Khaimah allowed you to expand your career?
Teaching in Ras Al Khaimah has given me great opportunity to join the Al Qasimi Foundation and participate in the many professional development programs for teachers, which improved my career through global teaching standards. Also I gained overseas experience by traveling to Switzerland through RAK-SWISS Teachers Exchange Program. As a result, now I'm a member of many global educational websites.
In a few bullet points, describe your dream school:
* Modern school with technology & IT tools
* School provides students more extra-curricular activities outside classroom such as music, arts, and sports activities
* School seeks to build a partnership with the local community institutions
* An attractive school with fun for students
How did you hear about the Al Qasimi Foundation?
By email from my colleague who joined the RAKTN during a course at the Foundation in 2010.
How is the Ras Al Khaimah Teachers Network useful?
It gives me the chance to share my experiences and ideas with other teachers and to follow up on events and new courses for teachers from the Al Qasimi Foundation. Also, the Network helps all teachers with social networking and expressing their thoughts and experiences.
Why would you recommend that others join?
Others should join in order to take advantage of the programs and courses offered by the Al Qasimi Foundation and to exchange experiences and discuss the problems of the teaching profession with colleagues. I'd like to tell them that the great distance between my place and Ras Al Khaimah City (130 km) did not prevent me from participating in all courses of the Foundation over a period of four years.
What suggestions do you have for teachers who are currently on the Ras Al Khaimah Teachers Network?
* To increase their cooperation through the exchange of worksheets and lesson plans
* Exchange classroom visits with those schools close to each other
* Encourage their colleagues to join by giving presentations about the Network and professional development programs
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If you have a really great colleague you'd like to nominate for the Teacher Feature, just let us know. Send a message to Hanadi
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Dear Member,
Welcome to our last newsletter for this academic year! It has been another active semester rounded off with the Award Ceremony on the 13th of May during which we celebrated our 5th anniversary. Five years of the Professional Development (PD) Program has seen it grow from one course in 2009 to eight to 10 courses every semester plus a number of one-off workshops. We were excited to see so many of you join us in the celebration and contribute your thoughts about our programs on video and in conversation. Read below for more details. In this newsletter, you will also read about how to become an Al Qasimi Foundation ambassador, some school news, an interview with a great teacher, and what to expect after the summer. Finally, we would like to wish you all a very well-deserved break and look forward to seeing you refreshed after the holidays.
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Al Qasimi Foundation PD Awards Ceremony, Spring 2014
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On Tuesday, May 13, 170 teachers, school principals, and supervisors received certificates for participating in the Al Qasimi Foundation's professional development courses. This semester eight different courses were offered and covered technology, classroom management, leadership, special needs and brain research. In each course one participant was also recognized as the star participant for showing the greatest enthusiasm, an excellent attendance record and submitting consistently high quality homework assignments. The following teachers received the award:
* Mokhles Nadm Said - Innovating for Better English Classes
* Aida Amin Sweileh - Innovating for Better English Classes
* Moza Al Tenaji - Leadership
* Maryam Khamis Kalaf - Leadership
* Laila Salem Mohammed Al Mahboobi - Brain Research
* Aziza Al Ghafari - Brain Research
* Reda Hassan Ali Ebraheem - Brain Research
* Amal Al Chikh Hussain - Create Creativity in the Classroom
* Aisha Abdullatif Al Shehhi - Create Creativity in the Classroom
* Sabahat Iqbal - Special Needs
* Khalid El Sayed Ahmed Mohamed Qaitbey - Special Needs
* Ahmed Sultan Al Shehhi - Teaching with Technology (Part 1)
* Ibrahim Ali Husain Al-Aamaireh - Teaching with Technology (Part 1)
* Fawaz Mohammad Aljabr - Teaching with Technology (Part 1)
* Amna Abdulla Al Shehhi - Teaching with Technology (Part 2)
* Aisha Jasim Aldahab - Teaching with Technology (Part 2)
In addition, two special awards were presented this time-one for the most active Teachers Network contributor and outstanding ambassador for the Foundation, Ms. Ghada Abdullah Alagol, and one to Mr. Isam Abdul Rahman for his consistent high-quality contribution to the PD program, right from the beginning. Unfortunately, Mr. Isam is leaving the UAE for Qatar but we wish him all the best in his new venture.
The Foundation was delighted to present certificates to so many participants. We look forward to working with many more of you on the courses again in September. Details of the program for the next semester will be published in August.
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Do you ever tell other teachers about our PD courses? Do you ever invite a colleague to sign up with the Teachers Network? If you answered yes to one of these questions, why not become an official ambassador for the Al Qasimi Foundation?
All we ask you to do is to distribute information about our new courses to your colleagues and be a representative for us in your school.
You must be currently employed in education in the Ras Al Khaimah or other northern emirate and to make sure that you are well informed about the program, you must have successfully attended at least two courses at the Foundation.
Interested? Please contact Luke Zimmermann
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Ever wonder what's going on at other Ras Al Khaimah schools while you're hard at work teaching your students? Here's what three schools have been up to over the last month. If you'd like your school's news to be featured send a message to Hanadi
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 Al Rams School Cycle 3 for Boys
Al Rams Secondary School held two workshops in the professional development week: the first workshop entitled "Circle In, Circle Out," is a learning strategy that enables students to exchange information by asking the teacher to discuss a subject and giving their opinion and moving students into an inner circle to take new roles with new friends so they can share their ideas and experiences. This workshop was presented by Mr. Mohammed Hosni, Instructional Leadership Coordinator in Al Gad schools.
The second (Smart Learning) workshop taught to teach trainees how to work smart, with an interactive learning site for each teacher to enter grades, assignments and projects for students and showed how students send assignments and homework through a program called Easy Class. Mr. Ahmed, an Arabic language teacher, introduced the workshop. It was attended by approximately 22 teachers from the school.
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Al Dhait Cycle 3 School for Girls
Al Dhait Secondary School held an exhibition on Thursday, May 29. The exhibition presented the productions and creations of students in Information Technology. The opening of the exhibition was in the presence of the director of the Education Zone Ms.. Sumaya Hareb, Amna Al Sakb, and the school principal Ms. Maryam Darwish. The exhibition was organized by Ms. Amal Al Kaz, Ms. Laila Al Hayas, Ms. Mahab, and Ms.Huda Al Shamsi. |
Al Jawda School Cycle 3 for boys
Al Jawda Secondary School won the first and fourth places in the Olympic National Geology competition, held in Ras Al Khaimah Mall sponsored by the Ras Al Khaimah Educational Zone. Zakaria Al Ouni won the first place and Salem Mohammed won the fourth in the competition, which was attended by approximately 60 students representing all school districts in the state. The school principal, Mr. Ibrahim Al Zabbi, followed up with the students and encouraged them to enter the competition. Mr. Ahmed Subhi Al-Rifai with the two winners. |
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Next semester, a number of new courses will be offered: to start with, a School Leadership Institute (for principals and vice-principals), followed by Innovating for Better English Classes for cycle 1 and English conversation classes for teachers of all subjects. On request, we will also offer a course on ASL for ESL, meaning American Sign Language for teachers of English as a second language, and a course on writing valid and reliable test items. Technology will now be a series of three-hour workshops.
Five other courses will be carried over from last semester, including the very popular Creating Creativity and Special Needs. All courses will be advertised in the first week of September and start in the third week of that month.
Finally, as a result of the questionnaires you filled out, we will be piloting a new way of translating. Generally, the feedback is that translation takes too long. The Foundation will invest in some equipment so translation can be done simultaneously and with fewer interruptions.
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Ras Al Khaimah Delegation Receives Training on Hands on Learning in Australia
Between April 28 and May 4, 2014, a group of ten educators, policymakers, and researchers traveled from Ras Al Khaimah to Australia to learn about a targeted student engagement program, Hands on Learning (HOL), based in Frankston, Victoria. The program aims to re-engage "at-risk" students in school and improve their outlook on life so that they may be able to achieve more at school and, thus, have a good chance at further education and employment in the future. It does so by taking small groups of students outside of their regular classrooms one day a week to work collaboratively with artisan-teachers to build meaningful projects that help serve schools and communities alike. Through the building of these projects, students form strong, long-term relationships with each other and their artisan-teachers, learn the skills needed for the project, build their self-esteem and confidence, and typically become newly motivated in school life.
With high levels of male disengagement in particular in schools in the UAE, such a program holds great promise if correctly implemented in schools across the country. Knowing the potential of the program, the Ras Al Khaimah delegation sought to observe the program in action across public schools in Frankston and received training on its implementation in different contexts.
While in Frankston, the delegation visited five schools where the program has been implemented in Frankston and met with principals, HOL staff, and HOL students at each school. They learned about their current projects, size of the program at each school, individual student achievements, outcomes of the program, and plans for future projects. The delegation was also introduced to the on- and off-site HOL projects that were completed by the students, including the HOL huts, work sheds, wooden platforms, motor car restoration, mosaic art work, pizza ovens, a boardwalk, a foot bridge, and picnic tables.
Finally, the team met with a programmatic HOL staff to discuss implementation in Ras Al Khaimah, and they are currently in the planning phase of piloting the program at two Ras Al Khaimah schools in the next academic year.
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Are you or your students planning to do IELTS over the summer? Here is the greatest IELTS resource. There are practice tests for speaking, listening, reading and writing as well as example essays at all levels-real students' essays with teachers' corrections. Just ignore all the advertising; the website is free!
Did you know that the director of Stars Wars has an inspiring educational website? Yes, George Lucas sponsors edutopia.org, which explores the latest best practices and ideas in education. Read this article about student engagement.
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Our Mission
To enable educators within Ras al Khaimah to collaborate, share knowledge and support one another.
All teachers within Ras al Khaimah are welcome to join, to share their experiences, to ask questions and to help one another make Ras al Khaimah an inspiring and transformative teaching and learning environment.
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