Professional Teacher Associations Network
PTAN Conference
Learning Through Networking (Celebrating Teaching Profession)
The First PTAN conference on “Learning through
networking – Celebrating the Teaching Profession” was held on
One of the aims of the conference was to
communicate to the teaching society the services that PTAN’s associations have
provided to the teaching profession during the past years. But, by the end of
the conference PTAN was able to achieve more than it had planned for. The
conference not only proved to be a successful networking experience but it also
created a benchmark in the networking activities of these associations.
The success of the conference could be measured
by the over - whelming response of more than 350 teachers and institutions.
Moreover the enthusiastic participation of teachers from AKU-IED Faculty, East
Africa, Karachi, Quetta, Hyderabad, Shahdadpur, Khairpur, Nasirabad, and
facilitators from the associations, was a very encouraging sign for the
network.
The conference started with an official welcome
given by Dr. Sadrudin Pardhan, Director Outreach at AKU-IED and Chairperson
PTAN. Dr. Pardhan not only welcomed the participants but also shared with them
the establishment, the journey and the growth of PTAN.
Two keynotes were made. Dr. Gordon MacLeod
(Director AKU-IED) spoke on “Professionalism” and Ms. Fatima Shahabuddin
(President SPELT and Support Faculty in ELRA) talked about “Growing
Facilitating Growth Through Networking”. Dr. Bernadette Dean gave a
presentation that gave the audience a complete insight of the network’s
activities, its current membership status, the website and the future plans of
PTAN.
The associations shared there part by conducting
concurrent sessions.
SAP and MAP conducted two combined sessions on
Mathematical Calculations in Light and Handling Data in Biology (facilitated by
MAP and SAP executive committee members)
HEALTH and PAIE conducted 2 sessions on (Children who learn
together, learn to live together), “Increasing child participation to
build happy healthy schools”, (facilitated by Health and PAIE members)
SHADE presented two papers on Moving towards
Empowerment (presented by Sakina Abbas/ Aliya Abbasi) and School Improvement
Initiatives: Perspective of three schools (presented by Bilquees Nasir)
APT conducted one session on “To Teach, to Learn, to help others to Learn
and Teach” (facilitated by Atiya
Hussain, Anisa Wali Muhammad, and
ASSET
spoke on “
Environmental issues” in its session
(facilitated by ASSET executive committee)
With a 100% turnover, and an enthusiastic
participation of the teachers spoke load of PTAN’s reorganization as a network
and its contribution towards teacher’s professional development.
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Program
Detail |
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Time |
Particulars |
Speaker/
Facilitator |
Venue |
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08:30
– 09:00 |
Registration (Tea) |
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SMS
Auditorium |
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09:00
– 09:10 |
Welcome speech |
Dr. Sadrudin Pardhan |
SMS
Auditorium |
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09:10
– 09:40 |
Key note address 1 |
Dr. Gordon MacLeod |
SMS
Auditorium |
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09:40
- 10:10 |
Key note address 2 |
Ms. Fatima Shahabuddin |
SMS
Auditorium |
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10:10
– 10:40 |
PTAN presentation / |
Dr. Bernadette Dean |
SMS
Auditorium |
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10:40
– 11:00 |
Tea |
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Outside
session rooms |
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11:00
– 12:30 |
Concurrent Sessions |
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SAP & MAP |
Ms. Farah Huma |
Multipurpose
Hall |
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APT |
Ms. Atiya Hussain |
LRC
room |
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PAIE & HEALTH |
Ms. Debbie Kramer Roy |
Conference
room 2 |
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SHADE |
Ms. Sakina Abbas |
Seminar
Room |
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12:30
– 13:30 |
Lunch |
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13:30
– 15:00 |
Concurrent Sessions |
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SAP & MAP |
Ms. Suraiya Yousuf |
Multipurpose
Hall |
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ASSET |
Mr. Hussain Tawawalla |
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PAIE & HEALTH |
Ms. Debbie Kramer Roy |
Conference
room 2 |
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SHADE |
Ms. Meher Bano |
Seminar
Room |
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15:00
– 15:15 |
Tea |
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15:15
– 16:00 |
Dialogue session |
Sikunder Ali Babar |
SMS
Auditorium |
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Welcome address
By
Dr. Sadrudin Pardhan
Director outreach,
AKUIED
Bismillah-hir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
Key note speakers Dr. Gordon MacLeod Director AKU-IED,
Ms. Fatima Shabuddin Associate Professor APWA College and President SPELT,
Chairpersons and Executive Committee Members of PTAN and teachers Association,
Distinguished Guests And colleague teachers.
Asalaam wa’Alaikum
Today is a historic occasion for professional
associations. For the first time in its short existence we are gathered here to
share and to meet and to learn from each other and hopefully to create a long
lasting association that is to network.
On behalf of Profession Teacher Associations
Network, I would like to welcome you all to this conference, the theme of which
is Learning through Networking.
In 1997 a group of about 35 interested
mathematics teachers formed the first of the seven associations and called it
the Mathematics Association Pakistan. This year we welcome our seventh partner
Health Education Association for Learners, Teachers and Health Workers HEALTH
to the Network.
What is unique about the associations is that it
is the interested and committed teachers who have given voluntary time to share
their experiences and skills with other teachers. And the interest amongst the
teachers has been quite overwhelming. Later this morning you will hear more
about each of the associations.
I want to take this opportunity to thank AKU-IED
through its Director Dr. Gordon MacLeod for the support given to the
associations. IED provided space, materials and other facilities particularly
in early years of the associations. Without this I feel the associations would
have had a difficult time to survive.
I would also like to thank SPELT through Fatima
Shabuddin for sharing with us their experiences while we were establishing our
associations.
About 18 months ago the associations received
funding from the Aga Khan Foundation and CIDA to develop an umbrella
organization and to assist with various innovations. In fact today’s conference
has been sponsored by both AKU-IED and AKF.
I would like to thank Dr. Gordon MacLeod &
Fatima Shabuddin for accepting to be our keynote speaker and I would also like
to thank the chairperson and executive committee of each association for
working tirelessly to assist with today’s conference.
Many Volunteers have worked hard to assist in
the preparation of today’s conference and I would like to thank them.
I want to single out two individuals who have
played a significant role in co-coordinating the activities of the associations
and getting PTAN off the ground. Firstly Faisal Notta who worked with much
enthusiasm and tirelessly to ensure that PTAN got off the ground.
The other person is the current programme
officer Parveen Alamin. She just stepped into from where Faisal left off and
has worked tirelessly. In fact to-days conference would not have been possible
without her leadership, enthusiasm and hard work. Lastly I would like to thank
you all for your help and hope you have a very good conference participation
welcome again all of you.
Thank You
Keynote Address
By
Dr. Dr. Gordon MacLeod
(Director AKU-IED)
On
“Professionalism”
Dr Sadrudin Pardhan,
Director Outreach at IED;
Associate Professor
Fatima Shahabuddin, President Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers;
Dr Bernadette Dean, Head
of Academic and Student Affairs at IED;
Colleagues all;
Assalam-o-Alekum and
Good Morning
I must tell you that it gave me particular
pleasure to introduce my friend and colleague Dr Pardhan as the Director,
Outreach at IED. And now you will hear why. It was only two days ago that Sadru
received an invitation to attend a school’s formal O level graduation ceremony.
This invitation came to him at IED and it was addressed to him as “Dr Sadrudin
Pardhan, Director of Outrage, AKU-IED. Director of Outrage indeed!
But I need to tell you all – and some of my
colleagues will know this – that the role of being the outrageous one, and
sometimes, indeed the grumpy one at IED is normally the one reserved for me.
And so today, Director Outreach, I acknowledge you here with your correct
title. Along the way, I also thank you for the role that you have played in
creating and sustaining this network of professional teacher associations.
I am very pleased this morning to add my welcome
to that which Dr Pardhan has given to you all. This is a unique event; it is
the first major conference of the Professional Teachers Associations Network
(PTAN). I congratulate PTAN and its member associations on this event and I
thank all those involved for the efforts made in organising such a major
conference. I also thank all of those who will be making presentations today
and all those working behind the scenes to enable them to do so.
The theme of this conference is Learning Through
Networking- Celebrating the Teaching Profession. First, I want to thank the
network. PTAN, for inviting me to present an address at this gathering. My
pleasure comes from not only the honour you accord me that invitation but it
also comes from the fact that you have given me an opportunity to address a
topic that is very dear to my heart. And that topic arises directly from the
second part of this Conference theme: the phrase” Celebrating the teaching
profession”.
I want to start by asking a question. That
question is: ‘Why on earth should we in Pakistan celebrate the teaching
profession?’ Don’t we all know about the educational problems of this country?
Don’t we all know about the poor quality of education in Pakistan? Don’t we all
know about the low levels of literacy in this country? Don’t we all know that
Pakistan is worst of all in South Asia in its education of girls? Haven’t we
all heard about ghost schools and ghost teachers? Haven’t we all heard of grade
five teachers who don’t seem able to carry out grade five works in Mathematics
or English?
So what is it that we have to celebrate?
And I want to begin answering my own questions.
I note that teacher-bashing, of the kind that I have just alluded to, is
popular and prevalent in Pakistan. We note society’s ills, and we blame
teachers for many of them. We note society’s problems and we suggest that more
and more topics should be included in an already over-crowded school
curriculum. We blame the teachers. But, it is too easy to teacher-bash, to
assign blame without analyzing what the real causes and difficulties are. But
what I want to suggest to you today is that many of these very real problems
are not the fault of teachers. Sure, some teachers abuse the system but they, I
suspect are, in a very small minority. Rather, the problems we face are because
of a lack of systems, policies, procedures and good practices. And these in
turn reflect simply an absence of professionalism in all aspects of the
educational system. Thus, what I am suggesting to you today is that teachers
are not the problem. Instead, what I am suggesting is that in teachers and the
teaching workforce we will actually find a large part of the solution to some
of the problems that confront us in education. It is my judgement that if we
can professionalize the teaching profession in Pakistan then we will truly have
something to celebrate.
So, let me share with you, you, today being
members of professional associations, some of my thinking about what it means
to be a professional.
If you look up dictionaries you find that the
word professional does not have a simple, single definition. Instead many
meanings are offered. But what I want to suggest to you today is that common to
most of the definitions of professional are five themes. And given the shortage
of time today, I will be very brief in describing these themes.
First, being a professional is to participate in
a vocation, a calling, a commitment to service. There is a suggestion that a
professional—whether doctor, lawyer, or teacher—has not entered into that
profession only because it is a job like any other and because you get paid for
it. Instead, professionals enter their vocations with mixed motives but surely
one of these motivations is a desire to provide service to others.
Second, being a professional involves the use of
advanced and systematic knowledge and expertise to guide competent
practice. Typically, that initial
expertise is acquired through a lengthy period of higher education training,
and in most countries of the world that training or education is acquired
through colleges or universities.
Third a professional is characterised by
acceptance of high ethical standards in which the interests of the client are
put ahead of those of the person who provides the service. Typically,
professions have some kind of code of conduct to govern the behaviour and
ethical standards of the profession
Fourth professionals typically engage in
continuous and life long learning so as to keep their knowledge and expertise
up to date.
Fifth and finally professionals typically group
themselves into significant professional associations and these associations
often play a role not only in ongoing professional development but also in
setting clear rigorous and explicit criteria and standards for entry to the
profession.
Now, let us think about the people at this
gathering—you, all of you.. My best guess is that those of you, who are
here today, are here by your own choice. You have not been compelled to attend
this gathering. Rather you have exercised your own judgement in coming here. In
doing this you are demonstrating, through a very simple example, that this
career you are in, this profession that you are in has some of the
characteristics of a vocation or a calling for you. It is not compulsion that
brings you here today but your own commitment to your calling of being a
teacher and your own autonomy as part of being a professional.
Second, I noted that teachers need advanced
knowledge and expertise as one of the attributes of professionalism. I suspect
that you all know that this is a major problem area for us in Pakistan.
Too many people become teachers without any
pre-service teacher education or without any teacher education of quality. Not
only are they lacking in the skills of pedagogy but they are also lacking in
the content knowledge that is a prerequisite to that pedagogy. Please don’t
blame the teachers for this. I think we all know that many people lack
opportunity for the development of adequate content knowledge whilst we also
all know that the quality of pre-service teacher’s education in Pakistan is
poor.
Here, surely, is an area where PTAN itself, as a
network of professional associations can play a part. Not only do we need to
lobby governments about the need for high quality teacher education in
Pakistan, about the need for a modern and up-to-date teacher education curriculum
in Pakistan. But we as professionals; as
experienced classroom teachers; as school heads and principals; we too need to
assist the teacher educators in enabling new entrants to the profession to
succeed. We need to provide good practice-teaching opportunities; we need to
provide induction programmes for beginning teachers; we need to provide
mentoring to those who have just joined our profession. All of these are
essential components of the model of best practice that I envision in the area
of teacher education and development. PTAN and its constituent associations can
play a key role in this endeavour for it is professional associations and their
members which can be the key link persons between the academicians in the
universities and the practitioners who daily confront the realities of
classroom life.
Third, as you all know teaching in Pakistan
lacks any sort of statement of ethical standards and professional conduct. Here
too is an area where the network could play a major role. We need your help,
your assistance in debating, discussing, dialoguing, drafting and deciding on
just what ethical standards should guide our practice of teaching in this
country.
Fourth, both the network and its constituent
associations have a major role to play – and I acknowledge that much of this is
already happening– in the professional development of the members of
associations and other teachers. It is this role that the associations already
play in professional development which enables IED not only to support these
associations but also to applaud and appreciate their contributions.
You see, IED itself is an organization which
requires substantial external funding. Without such external inputs IED would
not survive and continue. Your associations are different. They are, or have
the potential to be, self sustaining organizations; organizations that don’t
need external support. They are organizations that gather their strength and
vitality from within their memberships and it is with such associations that much
of the future professional development of teachers lies.
Now, one of the difficulties of teaching in
Pakistan has been that of corruption. Let’s not hide it. Let’s say it loudly
and openly. Corrupt practice has been a problem. Ministers, have
appointed their distant family members as teachers because the salary is paid
regularly. There are ghost schools and ghost teachers. There have been few or
no adequate tests for entry to the profession. The certification that has come
from pre-service teacher education has too been susceptible to corruption or
gross incompetence.
We together, therefore, need to ask questions
such as what do I need to know to be a teacher?
What do I need to be able to do to be a teacher? We need to set standards,
initially at least, we need to set standards for beginning teachers and then we
need to set up some kind of body or organization that will control these
standards, that will assess these standards, that will use them openly,
honestly and transparently. For only then will we get the teachers that our
children deserve? In many countries of the world such organizations already
exist. Typically they are established by governments but they are controlled by
the teaching profession. The teaching profession becomes a self-regulating
profession and in doing so it raises standards, it raises the status of the
teaching profession and it controls entry to the profession not though corrupt
means but through open and transparent quality standards.
Ladies and gentlemen, if teaching is to prosper
in Pakistan; if teachers are to be prosperous in Pakistan; if teaching is to be
accorded the status it deserves; and if teachers are going to become the
competent practitioners that their nation and our children demand, then
professionalism must develop and be assisted to develop. My challenge to this
network and to its constituent associations is to play a leadership role in
professionalizing teachers in Pakistan. Only then, I believe, can we fully and
comprehensively celebrate the teaching profession.
Thank you,
ABSTRACTS
Session: 1
Association: MAP
Topic: Mathematical
Calculations in Light
Time: (11:00-12:30)
The concepts in mathematics are often taught
individually. Teachers do not try to
make connections with concepts in other chapters of mathematics textbooks (e.g.
fraction & ratio etc.). Similarly,
teachers often miss to make connections of mathematics with other subjects,
like science, art, social studies etc.
Realizing the importance of interconnections
between subjects necessitated need of training in mathematics and
sciences. As recently published report
of the Department of Education of USA has indicated:
“From mathematics and the sciences will come the
products, services, standard of living, and economic and military security that
will sustain us at home and around the world?”
(Glenn Commission Report, September 2000)
The above recommendation seems also valid in the
context of Pakistan. In this vein, the
mathematics educators in particular and educators in general have been putting
their efforts to demonstrate the importance of integration between mathematics
and science.
The session on “Mathematical Calculations in
Light” would help the participants to enhance their understanding about integrating
mathematics with science. They will see
and experience how mathematical calculations help them to understand scientific
principals and laws. This session will
deal with phenomena like reflection/refraction in optics through engaging
participants in different activities.
The participants will also understand the importance of mathematical
calculations in determining these scientific concepts.
Sardar Ahmed
Khan
Coordinator MAP/PDT
Session: 1
Association: Association
of Primary Teachers
Topic: To
Teach, to Learn, to help others to Learn and Teach.
Time: (11:00-12:30)
The importance of ongoing teacher learning for
improving the quality of teaching and learning has become a necessity keeping
in view the vision of current Education Reform. This can only be realized if
teachers are provided opportunities, time, resources and mental space. Both
experience and research has shown that such opportunities are generally not
created as a regular ongoing activity at the work place.
One of the ways to make this possible is to seek
support from teacher development/education institutions that can provide
sustained and coordinated activities for furthering the development and
knowledge of teachers. AKU-IED is one such institution, which has initiated
professional teacher associations, and APT is one of them.
APT aims to complement AKU-IED’s pursuit in
developing effective primary school teachers, and to take ahead one of its
mission; to improve the quality of education at the grass root level. APT takes
many approaches to further the learning and development of teachers. Some of
the approaches that APT has taken to date are:
· Valuing, teachers’, personal practical
knowledge, and building on new knowledge.
· Modeling, coaching and mentoring, teachers
through workshops, seminars and meetings.
Creating opportunities, place, and time with
colleague teachers both from their schools and beyond to learn from one other’s
successes and failures and to share ideas and knowledge.
Today’s session in this conference reflects some
of the approaches that we take in furthering teachers’ knowledge about
teaching, learning and curriculum.
The Session attempts to:
Share very briefly the emergence and future
directions of APT.
Expose participant to active learning approaches
used in APT sessions.
Share some of the processes/and experience of
learning and helping others to learn.
By:
Atiya Hussain, Chairperson APT
Anisa Wali Muhammad, Vice-Chairperson, APT
Session: 1
& 2
Association: PAIE & HAS
Topic: (Children who learn
together, learn to live together)
“Increasing child participation to build happy healthy schools”
Time: (11:00-12:30)
The purpose of this combined workshop is to create
awareness of Inclusive and Health Education and the areas of overlap between
the two.
The workshop will focus on prevention and
various strategies to deal with whole school issues related to children’s
physical, mental, emotional and social health.
Sequence of
activities
1.
Division of participants in small groups.
2.
Brainstorm with the participants following
question:
a)
What are Physical, Mental, Socio-emotional
issues that can have an effect on children in schools?
b)
Does the present curriculum address any of these
issues?
c)
How can these issues be integrated in any of the
subject areas?
3. Feedback from the groups
Four different examples to be given by
facilitators to four groups of participants on how to get schools to focus on
different areas other than exams and marks.(e.g. Child-to-Child approach to health education, ways to enhance
self esteem of the students etc.)
3.
Participants to get back into groups and discuss
What
is our attitude towards children? (Each group to focus on one of the four
identified areas).
The participants would come up with different
strategies to address the various issues in the overlapping areas of health
education and inclusive education expected to be identified during discussions.
By: Dr. Shabnam Ahmed
Session: 1
Association: SHADE
Topic: Moving towards
Empowerment
Time: (11:00-12:30)
The work ‘empowerment’ has been often debated
and discussed in educational discourses and has a wide connotation as well as
implications. Generally, leaders are apprehensive of this process as it means
“letting go’ of power or authority. Empowerment can be at different levels:
empowering leaders, teachers and students. With the empowerment of the leaders,
we find this process having off shoots at different levels. This paper is based
on two aspects of ‘empowerment’; that of the leaders and then paving for
eventually student empowerment.
Can a principal be a strong instructional leader
and empower others to make important decisions? Principal have been portrayed
as middle managers and as leaders of their schools. They have been lauded as
the critical element in a school improvement initiative and sometimes
criticized for making their schools overly dependent upon them. In the area of
leadership styles, the message to principals is somewhat confusing. On the one
hand, we hear of the need for a strong instructional leader, while on the other
hand, there is an increasing call for Principals to delegate, collaborate and
empowering others does not mean disempowering oneself. Both empowered staff and
strong leaders are not mutually exclusive. Should a learning community have
both?
The first step towards student empowerment would
begin with developing a close relationship of mutual trust, which in its turn
would mean entering into counseling and a mentoring process in some cases.
‘Mentoring across the sea’ is a unique process that has grown between the
Headteachers and the overseas students Mohamed Shah Aga Khan School.
Experiences of the Headteachers will be focusing on the success and challenges.
By: Sakina
Abbas/ Aliya Abbasi
Session: 2
Association: MAP
& SAP
Topic: Handling Data in Biology
Time: (1330-1500)
Data handling and graphical representation are
key features of science and mathematics as well as information communication
technology. By handling data in Biology participants will learn to collect
scientific data, use an appropriate statistical analysis, interpret the results
of this analysis, and communicate their findings to all the participants of
this workshop. In this way participants will develop the logical, statistical,
and critical thinking skills needed to undertake Biological research, and to
understand and evaluate others’ research as published in the Biological
literature.
The purpose of this combined workshop is to give
participants a practical experience of collecting Biological data, handling it,
conducting analysis and generating tabular and graphical output from these
analyses.
Analysis of participant’s explanations for their
data handling in Biology will help in determining their understanding about
data handling in Biology. If there will be any alternative framework then these
will be discussed by the facilitators. The schedule of the workshop will be as
follows:
Sequence of
the workshop activities
1.
Introduction of the team
2.
Sharing of objectives of the workshop
3.
Brainstorming: What do you understand by data
handling in Biology?
4.
Grouping by flowers (10-12 groups comprising six
participants will be made)
5.
Instructions for activities and distribution of
material
6.
Group work
7.
Presentation by any three groups (selected by
draw) and discussion along with the input by the facilitator
8.
Summing up by the facilitator
By: Suriya
Yousufi
Session: 2
Association: ASSET