The Yemen group strategizes outreach for the Shaping the Way We Teach training course.From January 19-26, I participated in 2 English teaching conferences in Cairo: the Shaping & Sharing the Way Forward Conference held at the Flamenco Hotel in Zamalek and the 12th Skills Conference at the American University of Cairo.
Ashraf and Mohammed, two English teachers from Egypt.
The Shaping & Sharing the Way Forward Conference, organized by the US Office of English Language Programs, was a great opportunity for me to learn about a dynamic online course that was offered to teachers in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. In Cairo, it all came together as those who had taken the course presented key modules on the following: Critical & Creative Thinking, Alternative Assessment, Young Learners, Contextualizing Language, Integrating Skills, Pairwork/Groupwork, Managing Large Classes, Peer Observations and Learning Strategies. Having examined these components at UTSA and while working at ACCD, I found it interesting to revisit them in the context of places like Jordan, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Egypt, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting people and hearing about their plights, their trials and tribulations as well as their successes, accomplishments, and joys. I really liked meeting and hearing people from different lands. Participants included teachers as well as other English Language Fellows from countries in Central Asia and the Near East and North Africa. It was good to reconnect with the ELFs who I hadn't seen since Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington, DC. We bonded by sharing ideas, stories and visiting some of Cairo during our free time.
The American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo’s School of Continuing Education held its 12th Skills Conference at it’s campus near Tahrir Square. The theme was Critical Learning: Implications for Students, Teachers and Educational Systems. Whitney Mirts and I, (the English Language Fellows of Yemen), presented a talk entitled, “Using Literature to Promote Critical Reading and Critical Thinking” to an audience of English language students, teachers and a few English Language Fellows. Participants read “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, discussed it in small groups and examined it critically. After that, they did a jigsaw/matrix activity and learned how that can also promote meaningful exchange and critical thinking.
Miguel at the American University in Cairo
