The World Federation of KSIMC

Salaamun Alaikum,

1. The draft Curriculum Framework is ready and the document has gone for printing. The comprehensive Framework includes topics such as the purpose and aims of madrasah curriculum, learning areas, approaches to teaching and learning, guiding principles, methodology of preparing the curriculum, conceptual framework, modules, sample lesson plans, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The printed copies will be distributed to every madrasah by 30th November 2013 following which consultation sessions will be held by the Curriculum Development Team with madrasah representatives on a regional basis.

1. The content of the EduCare online programmes (Child Protection Awareness, Preventing Bullying Behaviour, Health & Safety and Fire Safety) which were referred to in the last MCE Update, has been reviewed by MCE with assistance from some volunteer assessors. Following a period of testing, the programmes will be made available to Madrasah teachers for enrolment from early December 2013 onwards.   

1. A full-day meeting on teacher development was held in Birmingham, UK on 5th October 2013. In addition to Madrasah teachers from COEJ, AFED and NASIMCO, Islamic scholars and teacher trainers were in attendance. Three teacher development programmes were discussed and the next steps were agreed.
   • Application of Neuropsychology in Madrasah Learning (supporting madrasah students to improve their learning through effective learning activities and attaining higher retention levels)
   • Teacher Support Programme (giving madrasah teachers confidence with their effective teaching skills) 
   • Spirituality Development Programme (integrating spirituality and teaching in the madrasah setting)

1. The MCE website is undergoing final testing. It will be launched later this month and further details will be provided in the next edition of MCE update.

Using imagery for tafsir of Surah Al-Asr. Click here to watch.

Asking questions

Teachers ask thousands of questions each week. They are the prime means of finding out what pupils think and to get them to think in the first place. And there are a range of techniques you can use to develop questioning skills.
Here are five ways to avoid that frustrating ­situation in which you ask a question and receive absolutely no response:

1. Avoid questions that require a single, direct answer, such as: “What is the capital of Saudi Arabia?” There will be times when they are useful, but questions like these will discourage many pupils from ­responding, because they will be thinking: “There is one right answer to this and I don’t want to be seen to get it wrong.”
   
   
2. Use questions that invite pupils to talk about what they think, such as: “What do you know about Saudi Arabia?” This elicits information in a broader way and the stakes are much lower. This becomes about pupils sharing their thoughts with the teacher and the class.
   
   
3. Put pupils in pairs and ask them to talk to their partner first. This alleviates the social awkwardness of being the first to speak and the numerical imbalance between teacher and pupils. Giving pupils time to discuss in pairs means everyone in the class has a safe, easy setting in which to understand and share an answer.
   
   
4. Give time to think. Ask a question, then wait, allowing pupils time to analyse the question and consider their answer. Avoid the trap of expecting an immediate response or asking quick-fire questions. You could tell them that they have 30 seconds of thinking time, or you could count slowly and silently to 10.
   
   
5. Encourage pupils to write something down. This helps free up space in their short-term memory, allowing them to explore the issue in more depth. Also, it means they will have something in front of them that they can reflect on.