Fostering a professional learning community in Qatar and beyond

All Blog Posts (100)

How To Write A Commendable GCSE Coursework?

Coursework writing is really not a peanut as I took it in the beginning when I was assigned a college coursework. It was really tough to find coursework help, even online coursework help. But you know internet is a magical world, sooner or later you come to the right place. So did I when I started searching online coursework help. But it took a lot of time of mine to find the exact material for writing my college coursework. It is very essential to have the correct guidelines for writing… Continue

Added by Janet Wilkins on November 21, 2009 at 7:53am — No Comments

What software skill toolkit should teachers' possess

In support of increasing teacher awareness I have been developing a set of short software skills sheets that can be used for teacher learning and/or in classroom projects. They can be found at http://elearning.qataracademy.wikispaces.net/Software_Skills. This is being developed in conjunction with discussions on the WHY and HOW of effective edtech teaching and learning Continue

Added by Dr J Turner on October 18, 2009 at 5:46am — No Comments

Should laptop be used to restructure Yr 8 English Poster task?

Working with teachers on introducing 1:1 laptops. Yr 8 English task creating a poster using Art to create graphics. We decided that we shouldn't 'replace' with DTP software as task already had strong 21stC learning (creativity, HOTs) as well as cross-curricular relationships. Where laptop can support is through reflection (meta-cognition journal) and widening audience (say photo posted for feedback). Need to be mindful that computer is not the central focus, learning is. Continue

Added by Dr J Turner on October 14, 2009 at 6:09am — No Comments

Dear Dr Ghadah - sharing e-Learning initiatives

This blog post is cross-posted with E-Learning Journey's In a recent letter to me, the manager of ictQatar e-Education, Dr Ghadah Omar Fakieh wrote: "I wanted to share with you that we are expanding our e-education website to provide more awareness and allow collaboration and exchange for experience with schools. since QA is one of the schools in the country leading e-education. I thought that you might want to contribute." Here is my respo… Continue

Added by Julie Lindsay on June 22, 2009 at 9:00pm — No Comments

Digital Learning and 1:1

Parent and Student Meeting, June 8, 2009 We are pleased to announce Qatar Academy will commence a 1:1 laptop implementation in the Senior School starting in September 2009. As approved by the Board of Governors, all students in Grade 7 and 8 will be provided with a laptop for their personal educational use while at Qatar Academy. Brand and model: HP Elitebook 2730p Notebook Specs: Tablet PC, 2GB RAM, 80GB HD, Intel Core 2 Duo SU9300 Full documentation of our 1:1 journey at Qatar… Continue

Added by Julie Lindsay on June 11, 2009 at 8:30am — No Comments

Announcing 21C Learners and TEDxQA event

TEDxQA This independent TEDx event is operated under license from TED Date: Thursday, June 4th Time: 2:30 – 5:30pm Location: Qatar Academy, Education City (specific location tba) Announcing the first ever TEDx event to be organised at Qatar Academy. Theme: Learn… Continue

Added by Julie Lindsay on May 21, 2009 at 12:53pm — 1 Comment

Learning in a Virtual Classroom

Learning in Virtual Classroom by Nellie Deutsch

Get your own Virtual Class

… Continue

Added by Mark Cruthers on May 19, 2009 at 4:47am — No Comments

Book Review: Proust and the Squib (Marryanne Wolf, Tufts U, Boston)

A neuroscientist´s examination of how the brain is affected by the activity of reading. Traces developments from Socrates and issues such as dyslexia. Puts forward fear that I ¨many of our children are in danger of becoming just what Socrates warned us against – a society of decoders of information, whose false sense of knowing distracts them from a deeper development of their intellectual potential. It does not need to be so, if we teach them well, a charge that is equally applicable to our chi… Continue

Added by Dr J Turner on March 25, 2009 at 12:46am — 1 Comment

Open Source Education Community and Summer Curricula Writing Opportunity

Hello. I suspect many of you are familiar with Curriki--an online education community of teachers, students and other education stakeholders committed to using and sharing free, open-source K-12 instructional materials with others around the globe. This summer, Curriki is sponsoring its annual "Summer of Content" initiative. This is an opportunity for teachers to share their own curricula units online with a Curriki audience of several hundred thousand educ… Continue

Added by Anna on March 21, 2009 at 2:07pm — No Comments

"Create the Future" at Qatar Academy

We are really pleased to welcome Kim Cofino, 21st Century Literacy specialist from International School Bangkok, to Qatar Academy again. This time Kim is working with the Senior School on a 2-day professional development initiative to "create the future" with a focus on using 1:1 laptops in the classrooms and online learning including Web 2.0 tools. This opportunity for teachers to workshop, discuss, confront, explore, create, collaborate etc is about… Continue

Added by Julie Lindsay on February 18, 2009 at 9:56pm — 3 Comments

Working and Learning in Qatar

I am currently working here at Qatar Academy with Julie on a range of Web 2 / eLearning / 21stC Teaching & Learning / 1:1 projects. Check out the wiki that reports on much of the work at http://elearning.qataracademy.wikispaces.net/21stCLearning. Great opportunity to work with teachers on curriculum developments as the school heads towards implementing laptops for all Year 7 and 8 students in September. Our focus is ver… Continue

Added by Dr J Turner on February 9, 2009 at 9:33am — No Comments

Web 2 Tools and a cultural question

I came across this NING twice. First as a preparatory action for the Flatroom conference. But now as part of an assignment for an online course I am doing on "DIstance Education Technology" ( which is one required Core Course for the Distance Education Professional Development Program.) We are asked to review a couple of Web 2 Learning Tools and submit our review in a table format. I choose NING and actually I found it so interesting in the way it keeps people connected. I have no idea, but do… Continue

Added by Mona Younes on February 3, 2009 at 10:09am — 6 Comments

Work with the Living: A Week with Gary Stager

(Cross-posted with E-Learning Journeys) Qatar Academy are preparing for their 1:1 learning with laptops. The school Board approved recently that all Grade 7 and 8 students in 2009-10 will have a new laptop (bought by Qatar Foundation). What this will finally and ultimately look like is under discussion. To promote the use of laptops and online learning in a… Continue

Added by Julie Lindsay on November 22, 2008 at 2:19pm — 1 Comment

professional development with Julie Lindsey

During Wednesday's PD with Julie we were challenged by her as grade level teachers to reflect on what we need in terms of making e-learning effective in our classrooms. What did we need, what haven't we got, how are we managing with the integration of the new tools into our classrooms,and do our students blog? I laughed out loud - our students blog? Well okay, we as teachers input their "blog" for them. But there may well be some schools who do have Kindergarteners who blog, and it would be wort… Continue

Added by Vivien Sewell on November 8, 2008 at 7:34pm — 1 Comment

Digital Footprints 3-week workshop

Today is the last session for the QA Primary School PD strand with the following discription: "Footprints on the Digital Sands of Time" - What is means to be an educator in the 21st Century As an educator in the 21st century do you follow digital footprints? Do you leave your own digital footprint? How important is it to have an online presence, a personal learning environment and a virtual network of colleagues? This session will look at starting with baby steps and show how easily thes… Continue

Added by Julie Lindsay on October 22, 2008 at 11:40am — 1 Comment

iEarn Workshop

Suzanne Fletcher, Ana Santos and I attended the iEarn Workshop on Sat./Sun. and wanted to bring awareness to its program. iEarn is facilitating collaborative projects which joins teachers and students together throughout Qatar and 120 other countries. iEarn provides excellent step by step guidance, timelines and IT support for your projects. Please contact either Suzanne Fletcher or Jill Boulanger if interested in starting an iEarn project. The projects start this month and run through to Januar… Continue

Added by Jill Boulanger on October 13, 2008 at 9:02pm — 2 Comments

Flat Classroom Conference Invitation

Hello from Doha, Qatar Qatar Academy are proud to be the host of the first Flat Classroom Conference: Leadership Workshop and Student Summit to be held January 24-26, 2009 in Doha, State of Qatar. This conference has been kindly sponsored and supported by HSBC Bank. The Flat Classroom Project is a global, collaborative project using Web 2.0 tools for connection, communicati… Continue

Added by Julie Lindsay on October 10, 2008 at 2:08pm — No Comments

PD in the Primary School

Here is the over doc. from David Spragg re PD opportunities in the Primary school, Wednesday's 1.30-3.00. This is an exciting and worthwhile planned approach and I applaud the organisers. We need to work harder to help the senior school catch up! Overview doc attached.PS PD Overview 0809.docx Continue

Added by Julie Lindsay on October 7, 2008 at 5:07pm — No Comments

Report on Learning 2.008 Shanghai Conference

Report on Learning 2.008 Shanghai Conference By Munira Shaikh The conference covered relevant issues like digital tools, learning for the 21st century, leadership, social networking, literacy and visual media. The sessions were extremely useful and I would recommend that all QA teachers have an opportunity to attend such a conference. I have come away feeling a lot more confident about using IT in science lessons. More details and thoughts on sessions attended by me are listed be… Continue

Added by Munira Shaikh on October 5, 2008 at 1:45am — 2 Comments

Collaborations Wanted from Thailand!

I have been reading Kim Cofino's blog, always learning, lately. She works at an international school in Bangkok. Her job title is 21st Century Literacy Specialist - interesting. Sounds like someone I would like to know. Anyway she mentioned in her blog that she is looking "to find classroom partners that are willing to connect with us on a regular… Continue

Added by Rebecca Hatherley on September 22, 2008 at 8:58pm — 5 Comments