Title: Online learning - The benefits and risks

In this 60-minute session, participants will be given an opportunity to discuss how the recent pandemic has led to an instant shift from face-to-face learning to online learning.

With little or no time to prepare or to even evaluate the most appropriate methods to use, we will be discussing the benefits and risks involved in online learning.

We will also have a chance to share personal experiences with one another, including challenges faced and how to make the most of online learning.

Title: MAMACHOLASU - Ingredients for Effective Teaching and Learning

This session will examine the Ingredients for Effective Teaching and Learning. "MAMACHOLASU” is an acronym for (MA: material; MA: manipulation; CHO: choice; LA: language; and SU: support. This was first coined by the Madrasa Resource Centre Mombasa,( 2000). Using this, teachers can empower their learners and make them responsible for their learning. Learners will not only be engaged in learning but actively participating to identify their strengths and areas of development. During the 60 minutes session, participants will learn to use the environment as a “Third” teacher. Using low-cost, no-cost materials and manipulatives, they will share ideas on how they can support learners in their online/onsite classrooms.

Title: Dynamics of Effective Teamwork

Teamwork involves communication and collaboration to achieve a common goal. As such it is an important life skill for leaders in education. The talents and skills of diverse members of a team make for creativity and innovation and result in a better outcome for all. The presentation will highlight the characteristics that make for an effective team, and the roles which teachers and school administrators need to adopt to promote effective teamwork. It will also review the value of a strong structure in designing tasks and the availability of resources in making the processes of teamwork more effective.

Title: Classroom

This session will examine the “teacher-student connection”. Everything the teacher does depends on classroom management. The connection upholds time management, behaviour control, retention of topics taught and above all the mental wellbeing of both teacher and student. For effective learning and teaching, a positive controlled class environment is expected.

When lessons begin with proper engaging activities related to the topic of the day, students become focused . During the 60 minutes, we will talk about the importance of the interactive approach and how student-centred the classroom environment guarantees the student's interest in that lesson and subject.

Title:COVID Blueprint: Practical Strategies for Teachers and Students

During these challenging times, educators worldwide had to find different ways to cope with the

new challenge of teaching online. There are many ways we can respond to the situation that has

been forced upon us. We can either complain about all the difficulties we face or look at it as an

opportunity to develop and grow. For many of us, it was an opportunity to attend free top-notch

webinars and online events, to learn about how to integrate technology into our classes,

participate in exciting discussions, join communities of practice, learn from colleagues, and share

best practices. Teachers and educators have been more involved with technology, and this helped

us learn more about the different online tools that can be used in the classroom and develop

important skills. In this 60 minute session, I aim to talk about the different ways teachers can

manage the challenge of lockdown and quarantine.

Title: KAHOOT!

Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform used to review students' knowledge, for formative assessment or as a break from traditional classroom activities.

I will explain how Kahoot! works and affects learning performance, classroom dynamics, students' and teachers' attitudes and perceptions, and students' anxiety. In the 60 minute session I will talk about the main challenges and their solutions regarding the changing conditions include technical problems such as unreliable internet connections, hard to read questions and answers on a projected screen, stressful time-pressure for giving answers, not enough time to answer and hard to catch up if an incorrect answer etc.

By the end participants will not only be able to use it in their teaching but they will become aware of the challenges and their solutions while using it.

Title: Virtual Reality integration in STEM subjects

Inducing virtual reality in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics boosts the learning experience of students. This technological integration fosters the learning of students in terms of 21st century skills i.e. creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. This 60 minute session will explain how virtual reality helps teachers and stakeholders to empower the flipped classroom and students centred classroom setup in the K-12 education system. How make the learning environment more fun, engaging and long-lasting for the students.

Title:Building the Culture of Attention & Engagement in E-Learning!

“Student engagement is a quality indicator of teacher effectiveness” -Andrew Miller

‘Preventing distractions and building cognitive engagement’ beyond the workstation setups is a

big challenge for teachers today around the world. Therefore, teachers must have a working

knowledge of using time & resources purposefully and productively during the online session to

ensure students’ commitment and thoughtfulness towards learning. So, here in this 60- minute

session, the participants will get to know how they can embed interactive moments in their

lessons by using a synergistic model of teaching & learning. Moreover, they will also learn the

efficacious strategies to make their lessons dynamic as this session includes a few on-task

activities as well.

Title: The Innovation Mindset - Framework for innovation in Education

More than an escape of a changing situation, innovation is a key driver to Excel and design a compassionate and equitable future.

Despite of realizing the threatening crises in education system, we are unable to break the vicious-cycle and improvise on the unproductive and noxious practices. The underlying cause is the mindset gap of ‘knowing’ and ‘adapting’.

This session will open the horizons for participants to identify obstructing preconceptions associated to innovation and learn, adapt and implement the framework of Innovation as a mindset in context of teaching and learning.

Title: Praise and Penicillin

Praise, like penicillin, must not be administered haphazardly.

Gnott (1965)

One of the many causes of poor classroom management is the low self-esteem in children. Many teachers believe they can cure this “problem” with praise. However, our research shows that some forms of praise can backfire.

This 60 minute session will focus on the power of accurate and correct praise in the classroom. It will allow the participants to explore the uses of praise; as a tool for classroom management. Participants will practice with realistic classroom scenarios along with distinguishing between effective and ineffective praise.

Title: Child Protection: The Achilles heel of our education system

Child abuse and neglect are a growing concern in schools throughout the world. Child abuse and

neglect are violations of a child’s human rights and are obstacles to their physical, emotional,

and social development. UNICEF has expressed concern around how well children are protected

within Pakistan by issuing the following challenge, “Children in Pakistan are vulnerable to many

forms of violence (physical, psychological, sexual). Nearly 30 years after Pakistan ratified the

Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), no public coordinated child protection case

management and referral system, as aligned with international standards, has been established.”

(Child Protection, 2021). In my 60 minute session, I will discuss various stages in implementing

a robust child protection (CP) mechanism for prevention and response to child protection issues

in school settings. Participants will gain awareness on how to involve children in their own

protection, handling disclosures and reporting. Best practices for effective implementation of the

same will be shared.

Title: Leadership Redefined

Adaptive Leadership model by Heifetz and Linksy (2002) requires to build a vibrant learning community. These kinds of leaders do not believe in maintaining control but rather in building capacity and leadership in members. They replace walls with bridges rather that erecting walls. They create conditions for growth and change to occur.

The workshop will enable the participants to reinvent their leadership wheel and find out a leader in themselves.

Title: Leadership Redefined

Adaptive Leadership model by Heifetz and Linksy (2002) requires to build a vibrant learning community. These kinds of leaders do not believe in maintaining control but rather in building capacity and leadership in members. They replace walls with bridges rather that erecting walls. They create conditions for growth and change to occur.

The workshop will enable the participants to reinvent their leadership wheel and find out a leader in themselves.

Title: Changing Situations, Bringing Innovations

In Education, skilled and professionally developed teachers use technology in their teaching and learning process, however, in Covid-19 scenario, every teacher had to use it to conduct a class and to stay on job. The disconnect between the schools and the students was bridged by the use of technology as the rest was locked down.

To highlight the changing situations in the Education field in Pakistan, this research will focus on the development and use of the Blended learning Platform in Teacher Education in a private school chain by the author as the new innovation situating it in the education theories by stalwarts of educational theories as John Dewey and Lave and Wenger.

The learning used for this new research will come from already established MS Teams platform for communication in an educational institution by the author, as the General Manager, for effective leadership and Management throughout the organization, during Covid-19.

This new research will situate its philosophical roots with Philosophy of John Dewey’s (1859 – 1952) Education philosophy and will try to establish how what was documented, researched and advocated by him is still valid and holds value even in the technologically advanced scenario, however, still, “Education in most classrooms today, is what Dewey would have described as a traditional classroom setting” (Williams, p 91).

The paper discusses MS Teams as the source of technology in “Blended learning platforms”: A new Paradigm shift in Teacher Education in Pakistan”. The paper establishes knowledge shared during the teacher trainings must be restricted to the classrooms/ training rooms boundaries and must continue through technological platforms classes so that the knowledge transfer can take place between the teachers and their trainers/mentors in the light of Lave and Wenger’s (1991) Situated learning Theory.

Reference:

Williams, M. K. (2017). John Dewey in the 21st century. Journal of Inquiry and Action in Education, 9(1), 7.

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge university press.

Title: Teaching Through The Arts

In this 60 minutes session we will reflect on how the Arts, both visual and performing, are often studied as independent disciplines, if at all. 21st Century and Contemporary education has transcended from their role from skill learning disciplines to problem solving tools. This session revolves around art integration across curricula and development of critical thinking through creative teaching practices. At the end of the session you will take away ways to use Art as a tool to engage and involve your students in active learning.

Title: Executive Functioning Skills: 2 Concepts

This 60 minute session will help teachers understand the notion of Executive Functioning Skills (EFS).

Why is it important for teachers to enhance these skills in their learners? Just as an air traffic control

system at a busy airport safely manages the arrivals and departures of many aircraft on multiple

runways, the brain needs this skill set to filter distractions, prioritize tasks, set and achieve goals, and

control impulses. Talking together we will examine two concepts to develop executive functioning skills:

working memory and goal setting. Through questions and mini tasks we will begin to see how these can

be used across the curriculum and change the way students behave towards their learning.

Title: Connected Learning

The workshop will benefit practitioners who take teaching and learning beyond the boundaries of disciplines and provide their learners with hands-on experience. The Transdisciplinary Approach of teaching leaps across the boundaries of disciplines and gives the learners an opportunity to construct their own meaning and transfer their learning into application.

This workshop will aim towards the awareness of this approach and sharing of one strategy for collaboration that will work across the curriculum.

Title: Changing situations – global innovations: taking control in an uncertain world

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to educational settings around the world responding to

unprecedented challenges with rapidly implemented innovations. This talk will reflect on this period

of change and explore examples of how teachers and school leaders are integrating new learning

into existing and future practices in a range of international contexts. Adopting a positive

psychology perspective, we consider how reflective tools and action research might empower

students, teachers and school leaders to secure improving outcomes through building on the small

victories of education through the pandemic.