Teacher Initiative Grants
Qatar Foundation International
LaSalle II Magnet School Chicago, IL Teacher: Wael Fawzy
In May 2012, students performed during our annual cultural night. We created a long scene that represented “The Arab Village Wedding�. More than 50 students from all grades K-8 participated. The performance included two types of Arab dance, poem recitation, songs, a Zaffa scene and lots of other cultural activities on the stage. 200 people attended our performance and were amazed to learn about Arab culture. We were also able to purchase several instruments to support our Arab orchestra. During the 2012-2013 academic year, we started our Arab band (Music Ensemble) using the purchased Arab instruments.
On behalf of my Arabic program, students, parents and school, I would like to thank QFI for the great opportunity to enhance the Arab art and culture in my Arabic classroom. Through the grant we were able to implement several cultural activities during the 2012-2014 academic years. We have purchased items that benefit the program currently as well as for future use.
Students learned Arabic rhythms over 12 sessions with our professional musician, Ronnie Mally from InterCultural Music Productions.
For 2012-2013, we changed our performance style to be an in-school assembly for students and parents. We wanted students who are taking other languages to be exposed to Arab culture as well as the school
community. The performance included two types of cultural dances: the Tunisian Scarf dance and a Nubian dance. The dance teacher was hired through the Office of Language and Culture of Chicago Public Schools. For the 2013-2014 academic year, our Arab orchestra will continue learning Arabic rhythms and melodies along with singing.
We are also incorporating “Raqs Alassaya�, a dance from the southern part of Egypt. The orchestra will receive 10 sessions of music instruction, and two different grades will receive 5 sessions of Raqs Alassaya dance.
Finally, students, parents and community members are amazed by the Arabic program at LaSalle II Magnet School. Through the grant we were able to correct the stereotype of Arab culture to some of the community members and enlarge of the number of applicants to our Arabic program. Thank you QFI. We are grateful to have your organization support our Arabic program.
Cholla High School Tucson, Arizona Teacher: Nour Jandali many of the workshops they held at the conference. I was also invited to a beautiful dinner held by QFI. I met many other Arabic teachers and was able to exchange teaching advice, resources, and skills. From this conference,
Thank you for honoring me with this grant. I have truly been helped by this grant. I have learned many things to aid my teaching skills and help students with their skills as well. Through attending workshops and conferences, I have gained new knowledge and advice on how to improve my classes, assessments, and teaching style.
NOV 15 – NOV 18, ACTFL
I attended the ACTFL conference in Philadelphia. I gained new knowledge on teaching language, integrating technology into classes and work, and using resources efficiently. I attended
I have learned about many new techniques to use in class to better engage the students and help them achieve proficiency in the language. From the event night, I met the creators of a website I use often in class, Al Bustan. I am planning to video tape my students during school events singing Arabic songs to an audience.
DEC 4TH, ARABIC SHOWCASE AT CHOLLA
I was able to hold a showcase for my classes with the help of my students in order to recruit more students to our program and clubs. We invited students and parents to attend the
showcase. During the showcase, we had henna, Middle Eastern music, songs performed by students, student artwork and projects, and Middle Eastern food. The students sang “Yalli Zar’atu-l Burtu’an” from the website Al Bustan Seeds of Culture http://albustanseeds.org/ and also wrote attendees’ names in Arabic. We showcased the work - calligraphy, writing, and art – of students in the class.
DEC 13TH, SHOWCASE AT SAFFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL
We had a very successful showcase at Safford Middle School. Over 200 people attended, with many of them spending a lot of time at our class’ booth.
The students sang “Yalli Zar’atu-l Burtu’an” onstage for everyone, along with performing with musical instruments. The audience asked for an encore three times. The attendees enjoyed getting their names written in Arabic by the students, along with being served Middle Eastern food such as falafel and fatoosh. The night was very successful. Thank you for your support and everything you’ve done.
Albert Einstein Academies for Letters, Arts and Sciences Santa Clarita, California Teacher: Sahar Stehle The grant given by QFI helped the program in its second year to grow and succeed. We used grant funds for professional development, materials, and cultural events.
MATERI AL S :
With the help of the QFI grant, we added a collection of curricula and graded readers. These books have pictures on every page and are easy to use with an index that allows for independent learning.
CULTURE:
The students enjoyed a variety of activities that helped them learn more about Arab culture.
On a monthly basis, we sampled Arab food and drinks. We also invited two guest speakers who shared authentic food and photos from their country. These events were open to parents and we found that engaging the parents in this way not only made them excited about what their
children were learning in the Arabic program, but many also donated food, which made it possible to repeat these events without going over the allocated budget.
We also hired a person who taught students the basics of the ‘Dabka’ folklore dance. This was an especially fun time as students not only learned how to perform the basic ‘Dabka’ steps, but also learned about the musical instruments,
the names for styles used in different countries in the Arab world, the men’s dance vs. women’s dance, and the group vs. individual dances. Overall, the students learned a great deal and thoroughly enjoyed this experience.
some of the calligraphy. All of the students enjoyed the exhibit, and gained appreciation of Islamic art and culture. It was a great opportunity for students who are not currently studying Arabic to learn more about the culture, and for Arabic students to shine. More information is available here:
http://beauty-and-belief.byu.edu/
Renaissance Academy
Sixth grade students participated in a special K-6 tour, which included the completion of an art project at the end of the tour.
Lehi, Utah Teacher: Christina Cannon
Activities completed with the Teacher Initiative Grant: 1. FIELD TRIP
All Renaissance Academy students in grades 6-9 were able to attend the “Beauty and Belief� exhibit at Brigham Young University. This exhibit features Islamic art from many countries and time periods. Arabic students were able to read
2. ACTFL CONFERENCE PRESENTATION
My colleague and I were able to present at the ACTFL conference. The participants were enthusiastic about the reading and writing games we presented. My colleague and I shared our best ideas for reading and writing games. When we finished, we had a line of people waiting to download materials and talk to us about the presentation. The handout from the presentation is available at
renaissancelanguages.yolasite.com.
In addition to giving the presentation,
I was able to attend many sessions and network with other World Language teachers. One presentation, given by a French teacher, gave me some ideas for tracking daily participation points and making the students more responsible. An Arabic teacher who is currently teaching middle school Arabic in the Washington, DC area presented a great assessment idea that he uses in his classes.
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) is dedicated to the improvement and expansion of the teaching and learning of all languages at all levels of instruction. The ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo, features over 600 educational sessions and more than 250 exhibiting companies showcasing the latest products and services. Learn more at: http://www.actfl.org
Qatar Foundation International awards Teacher Initiative Grants to enhance Arabic programs and promote excellence in the classroom. Arabic teachers working in U.S. public or public charter schools may apply for funding to purchase books and materials; host cultural events or workshops; take students on field trips; or attend professional development conferences. For more information about Teacher Initiative Grants and other Arabic grants, please visit the following link: http://www.qfi.org/page/174/5/Opportunities