ELC (283)
Educational leadership has gained immense popularity in the field of education. This is because of the widespread belief that the quality of leadership makes a significant difference to educational organizations and student outcomes.
Ms Ayat Islam addressed the teachers of ELC on Educational Leadership on Thursday, November 14, 2021, and shared her views on how to improve and progress as school leaders and realize the difference between management and leadership. She also made the audience conversant with different strategies to gain an overview of one’s strengths and weaknesses and work on the areas of development.
Ms Ayat stated that educational leadership and management has to be centrally concerned with the purpose or aims of education, and these goals provide the sense of direction to fortify school management.
She was of the opinion that an individual’s role and attitude impact educational institutions at all levels. Hence it goes without saying that teachers should be adept at donning the hats of both the teacher and a manager.
The audience could not agree more and the profound conviction of the speaker was impressive.
Profile
Ms Ayat Islam is a passionate educator with over twenty years of experience teaching English, educational leadership, and training teachers in Saudi Arabia.
She is a member of the international courses development team for Frisby International. The partnership enables learners to study the UK regulated qualifications from Saudi Arabia.
While online classes provide students with more flexibility and novel ways to collaborate, success rate reflected in online environment is directly linked to the engaging levels of both the instructor and the students are in a virtual classroom. When students are engaged, they tend to show more interest and perform better. When relevant and interesting teaching materials keep virtual learners engaged, they tend to process it more deeply and retention rate becomes high.
The English Language center at UTAS-Ibri echoed the same by conducting a workshop titled Improving Student Participation in Online Classes on Thursday, 21.10.2021. The presenters Mr Tata Rao Mukiri and Mr Jabez Syam divided the session into two parts where two different types of platforms were introduced. The presenters engaged the audience and created a learning atmosphere. They also provided some useful tips them for both online and face-to-face teaching environment.
Profiles of the Presenters
Mr. T. Rao has been teaching English for the last 16 years. He has worked in KSA and has been working in IbriCT since 2012. He completed CELTA from Cambridge.
Mr. Syam is into the field of ELT since 2004. He has pursued ELT courses including CELTA. He is interested in learning and teaching.
Individual Performance Management is a strategic human resources practice intended to attain individual objectives to ensure value added contribution to the organisation's performance.
UTAS –Ibri has always been keen on a system that integrates attempts to improve the performance of UTAS-Ibri staff. Currently, it is all set to embrace IPMS (Individual performance Management System) as a tool to plan, monitor, evaluate and report on the performance of the UTAS-Ibri staff.
Ms Fatma Al-Manthari addressed the ELC and the Business Studies staff on 14.10.2021 and made them conversant with the new facets of IPMS. The presentation aimed at three prime objectives: to build a culture of quality performance, improve performance evaluation systems, and link productivity with initiatives. The audience received detailed guidance on how to link strategic objectives to key results. The IPMS exercise is the first of its kind in UTAS and is a pilot project.
She stressed several steps that would evaluate the performance of the employee at regular intervals and phases. The major ones include the adherence to the objectives producing key results claimed. The timelines, productivity and feedback by the concerned authorities play a crucial role while apprising the performance.
Ms Fatma also stated that the IPMS will be integrated into the system in the upcoming semester starting from January 2022. The teaching staff actively participated in a mock session that allowed the staff to brainstorm and list their objectives and key results.
The English Language Center at UTAS-Ibri took the lead in conducting a one-on-one session with the ELC lecturers. The marathon exercise was phased across four days starting from 17.10.2021 and it concluded successfully on 24.10.21. It gave immense clarity on how to align objectives with learning outcomes, graduate attributes and vision 2040.
On 18.10.2021, Ms Heba offered to share her views on drafting objectives and key results through a quick online session.
The takeaway of the IPMS session was the readiness of the ELC teaching staff to share their objectives and the key results with the panel for feedback and further action. As a panel, Dr Abdulsalam Al Manthari, Dr Sultan Al Ghafri and Dr Maryam Al Ghafri handled the extensive process with poise and precision.
A humane facet of interpersonal skills builds on basic communication skills and often reflects the "humanistic" attributes of individuals. These skills are crucial for all educators and learners as they are needed to succeed in their professional and personal life.
For all the enigma and euphoria surrounding them, interpersonal skills could be something as simple as initiating a conversation. It is all about the art of establishing a connection and nurturing it. It is also a refined skill of using facts and emotions during societal interactions.
On Friday, Oct 15, 2021, Dr Mohsen Amiri and Dr Abdulsalam Al Manthari presented a paper at Sultan Qaboos University ELT Conference.
Dr Abdulsalam highlighted the impact of integrating interpersonal skills with academics for the holistic development of the student. He reiterated that teachers play a crucial role in moulding the personality of the students. However, he quickly added that interpersonal skills could be developed but cannot be learned solely from a textbook. A subtle mention of acquiring worldly wisdom through observing the mundane and academic world was thought-provoking.
The presenters shared many interesting views and one that caught the attention of the audience was, "Personalities are not born; they are forged." It is a process that requires time and diligent efforts. " (Kathrina Geukes).
Dr Abdulsalam and Dr Mohsen linked interpersonal skills with some organised sessions on Personality Development and Interpersonal Skills for UTAS Ibri students. Based on the current research, the personality development sessions had a significant impact on the academic and personal performance of the participants. The presentation convinced the audience to integrate personality development modules with the curriculum for a holistic and robust disposition of students.
The presenters concluded on a practical note that students should possess good interpersonal skills and their GPA scores to fare well in the interviews.
"Facts alone may be easily forgotten; give them a story they'll never forget," says Eva Grayzel, a master storyteller with a profound conviction that comes from her varied experience. She plunges into the hearts of her audience with hope and humour.
An online presentation by Ms Eva Grayzel on Storytelling in Education: Interactive Storytelling Techniques for All Learning Styles on Thursday October 7, 2021 at UTAS-Ibri, convinced the audience to choose storytelling as one of the prime strategies to engage their students productively.
Ms Eva Grayzel, a master storyteller and motivational speaker, urged her audience to invest in storytelling to churn out the best from students. She persuaded her audience to use storytelling techniques to boost self-esteem, enhance retention, and ignite students' imagination. Active involvement in storytelling sessions to deliver messages on goals/values/facts/and messages will help them to develop a robust personality. She also suggested that teachers customize stories and help students to get connected. She introduced storytelling as one of the prime strategies that open the door for all learning styles.
She recommended storytelling as a technique to achieve multi-sensory learning, discover how to introduce new subjects, teach vocabulary words, reinforce social skills and emphasize life values while engaging imaginations and minds.
Eva's blend of storytelling and real-life experience kept the audience riveted.
Presenter's Profile:
Ms Eva Grayzel is a popular storyteller and a motivational speaker. She was also pursuing a career as an actress in New York City. Eva's interactive storytelling techniques were seen nationwide at school assembly programs, educational keynotes at Professional Day conferences and Teacher-In-Service programs.
The English Language centre at UTAS-Ibri started its new academic year (2021) by taking another step towards seeking knowledge and empowering themselves as educators. The title of the presentation SDLT: A Stepping Stone Towards Knowledge Society-Unleashing Leadership Early on.
Dr Al Dossari stressed building a knowledge-based community that included five essential components: Self-Directedness, Mentoring and Facilitating, Community of Commitment, learning, reflecting and evaluating and project-based learning. He underlined the significance of integrating moral and ethical anchors with the knowledge-based community and lay a path for coming generations. He also shared his views on meeting the Human Resource Development challenges and persistently impressed the audience upon continual learning and self-development. He further added that learning emphasizing reflection and teamwork.
Self-Directed Learning Teams was another significant aspect of his presentation. Through this process, he wanted individuals to take the initiative to diagnose their learning needs, formulate their learning goals, identify human and material resources for learning, choose appropriate learning strategies and evaluate learning outcomes. His recommendation was based on his experience and profound belief that this approach prepares individuals for learning community and organizations.
The presentation ended with providing new information for the audience to think over and ponder.
Profile:
Dr Khalid I. Al Dossari is the Former Professional Learning Head/Administrator, Professional Development and Training Development in Saudi ARAMCO. He has a Masters in TESOL from-State University of New York at Albany, High Diploma (M.Ed) in Human Resource Development from the University of Minnesota and holds a Doctorate in Business Administration with HRD concentration from Lahaye University. He is a certified trainer in Dialogue and Cross-Cultural Communication by King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue in Riyadh and has 53 publications and workshops in his outstanding record.
The UTAS ELC, in collaboration with the Department of English and Post Graduate Centre, hosted by Poona College of Arts, Science and Commerce, organized an International Webinar on ‘Personality Development and Interpersonal Skills’ on 10 July 2021. Dr Mohsen Amiri was the speaker of the webinar. More than 800 participants from 25 countries registered for the webinar. Mr. Moinuddin Khan, Vice-Principal of Arts Faculty welcomed the participants from all over the world. The head of the Department of English and Postgraduate Center presented the themes of the webinar. Dr Aftab Anwar Shaikh, Principal of Poona College of Arts, Science and Commerce delivered the inaugural address and officially inaugurated the International Webinar.
In the webinar, Dr Mohsen urged the importance of interpersonal skills for both teachers and students during the pandemic where interactions have become one of the challenges in teaching and learning. He discussed top techniques of possessing interpersonal skills and a magnetic personality in the job market and social life. The webinar received excellent feedback.
Dr Lin Siew Fong shared her recollections and insights gained during her three decades of teaching career and research at a webinar hosted by the English Language centre, June 17, 2021 at UTAS-Ibri. The vivid descriptions of her experiences related to research, professional development and personal development were rich takeaways for many. In addition, she elaborated her ethical stance as a researcher and hoped that the information shared will encourage other teacher-researchers to become optimistic and positive and to have rich experiences throughout their professional and personal journeys.
Dr Lin Siew Fong received her Ph.D. from University of Malaya, Malaysia. She is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English Studies, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities at Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Malaysia. She is presently teaching liberal arts, education courses, English for Proficiency courses and English for Specific (ESP) courses at tertiary level. Her research interests are primarily focussed upon teacher education, classroom management, teaching methodology and material and curriculum development.
A webinar on Teaching Methods and Techniques in ELT on 24 June 2021 at UTAS-Ibri brought two speakers who shared their experiences on two exciting topics. The first speaker, Ms Fatima Fattoumi from Tunisia, spoke on Digital Tools in Blended Learning towards Enhancing Students' Engagement and the speaker, Ms Yousra Ferchichi, shed light on the use of podcasts an educating tool.
Digital Tools in Blended Learning towards Enhancing Students' Engagement
Blended learning is a technique of teaching that integrates era and digital media with traditional trainer-led school room sports, giving college students greater flexibility to personalize their gaining knowledge of reports.
Ms Fatima Fattoumi's light on integrating digital tools in blended learning might enhance students' motivation towards active learning.She emphasized that learning by doing is beneficial for enhancing students' engagement and admitted that in conventional English Language Teaching methods, most of the learning happens through acquisition. Within a less interactive learning environment, the student's motivation for production remains minimal. She also opined that the continual cycle of inter-influence between concepts and practice might be negatively impacted.
The insights shared were quite informative and contemporary and were worth integrating with the teaching process.
Fatma Fattoumi is an Educator at the Higher Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, the University of Carthage, Tunisia. She is pursuing PhD candidate, in Cultural Studies, at the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Humanities at the University of Manouba, Tunisia. She is a verified reviewer for the Current Psychology Journal.
Innovative Teaching Techniques- The use of Podcasts as an Educational Learning Tool
Innovative teaching techniques have emerged in post-pandemic academia. Project, inquiry, task, and game based learning diverge into positive teaching psychology implementing the 21st century skills like creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. The use of podcasts resides at the top part of Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy. As a PBL teaching tool, podcasting gives a voice to students’ narratives and teachers interchangeably.
Ms Yousra, in her presentation, demonstrated an effective podcast creation funnel to create a student-centered learning experience and explained differentiation criteria incorporated in podcasting rendering it a democratizing tool to accessible knowledge to all learners equally. The presenter also stated that Bloom’s Digital taxonomy applies this performative based learning tool by utilizing lower and higher order thinking skills. Further, she opined that Podcasting is far from being a new trend, yet it can create a modernized education and more independent learners fit to global perspectives.
Yousra is an English Language teacher from Tunisia. She is a Master's degree holder in English language and literature specialized in Cross-Cultural Poetics. Her degree was issued in 2011 from the Higher Institute of Languages part of the University of Carthage in Tunis. She is also a CELTA qualified instructor. As a scholar, she conducted her research on the performative aspect of literature and its role in shaping human identity.
The candidate interview is a vital component of the hiring process. The ELC Students’ Activities Committee had always been at the forefront in preparing students for the dynamic job market. It has been striving hard to provide a suitable platform that provides ample opportunities to students and also helps them to realize their own potential and find a suitable path for themselves. . The ELC Students’ Activities Committee conducted its last professional workshop on ‘How to Win the Job Interview’ for the students of UTAS-Ibri on June 10, 2021. The session was led by Dr Mohsen and Ms Samah Al Ghafri.
At the beginning of the workshop, Dr Abdulsalam, the HOC welcomed all students and shared his accumulated experience on job interviews. In fact, his active presence in all the activities has been always an immense motivation behind the SAC and students. During the workshop, Dr Mohsen conducted a mock interview with the president of English Society (Samah) by asking the most common questions asked in the job interviews. All students were engaged during the session to evaluate Samah’s performance. The most important tips of having a successful job interview for fresh graduates were discussed and performed practically for the students. The session lasted for two hours with excellent feedback from students.