Islamic Education Workshop 

(OHP - Bismillah)

This workshop is not about your children
God willing your children will benefit from it, but this workshop is really about you.

When I first came back to Britain sixteen years ago, the local muslims in Glasgow said “Help us – we’re losing our children. They go to school, and by the time they come out they don’t want to know us and they don’t want to know Islam. What can we do?”

I said to them “I can tell you what to do, but you won’t do it. You have to change.” I was, of course, talking to men.

So, if you want your children to want to learn about Islam, you must learn how to set them an example, and want to learn about Islam yourself.

Qur’an says “and We do not change a people until they change themselves”

How many here are teachers?

How many are mothers/fathers?

Again, how many are teachers.

The most important educational influence on a child is the home.

What is the difference between parents and teachers?

Training?

Teachers leave school, get three years at college and then they are teaching – and just starting to learn how. 
Forming a guiding relationship with the children, 
·         learning the talents and difficulties of each, 
·         learning what excites them and what bores them, 
·         when to encourage and when to criticise, 
·         learning the skills of crowd control.

Just like a parent.

But they are taught an approach to teaching which 
·         enables them to pick their way through the complexity of what is going on in the teaching and learning process
·         gives them a way of keeping it all under control 
·         gives them guidance as to what should be taught in what order 
·         provides a structured way of recording the stage of learning that has been reached

That is a curriculum.

At the risk of being cheeky, let me show you one. 

(Show IEC Curriculum)

Subjects – Strands/Threads – Levels/AT’s

What you need to teach – In detail – When

Different skills are expected of different ages
Differing stress on various aspects of knowledge

(OHP - The Strathclyde Framework)

Many muslims have lots of knowledge of Islam, but very few could hang it all on a clear structure. Without an awareness of the structure you are using, it is easy to get lost in the detail of some aspect of knowledge and forget to mention others altogether. Of course, you can frame Islamic knowledge on all sorts of structures, some simple, some complex.

(OHP - Ihsan/Iman/Islam)

Here is a simple one

Explain

A balanced Way of Life – The Deen

Unfortunately not what most mosques provide for children’s education.

But what about something more detailed – more comparable to school?
As they say on TV, here is something I prepared earlier.

(OHP - IEC Curriculum Synopsis)

Same subjects – extended format – to suit all Glasgow mosques.
And each Subject Strand is broken down into more detail to define each level
And a child can be on different Levels in different strands.

(OHP - Curriculum Boxed Subject Levels)

Don’t be scared by the sight of the detail into thinking that it’s impossibly complicated. Stuff you teach to five-year-olds is not complicated. There’s lots of it, but you don’t have to learn it, you know it all already.

Look at the Subject breakdown for Level One

(OHP - Curriculum Level One)

Pick any subject thread and see if the content is unfamiliar to you

Take selections

Do you know that – Does your five year old know that
Does your five year old know that it is an important part of Islam

Up a level

(OHP - Curriculum Level Two)

Do you still recognise the content?

You see, not too difficult at all

Now take one Thread and follow it through the Levels to see if it gets unfamiliar. That’s what you need to know about to teach it.

Because you get to Level Five, and you’re dealing with fourteen year olds? Is Level Five going to make any difference? Not unless they and you are capable of getting through Level One, then Two, then Three, then Four. 

(OHP - Curriculum Level Five)

And when you get to Level Five you find the Curriculum sets you searching for your understanding through a deeper study of the Qur’an, which as a study has no end, an inexhaustible source of knowledge to repay your studies for the rest of your life. By the time you get through Level Five, you should be able to take control of your Islamic studies for yourself.

(Split into groups of five?)

OK – I want you all to think of a child you know well – it needn’t be your own. Let’s start with early primary – Levels One and Two.

Write down their good points
Write down their weaknesses or failings
Write down what they are interested in
Write down what they don’t like to do

What have you been doing there?
Assessment and writing a report.

(OHP - IEC Curriculum Synopsis)

Could you assess the same child in these areas?

You need more familiarity and communication with the child to assess that kind of detail.

Checking off Attainment Targets.

(OHP - SRC Class Assessment Sheet)

OK – Can we see what we have got in our assessments and see if they are reflected in the Curriculum at all?

(WHITE BOARD - Good points - Weaknesses - Interests - Dislikes)

This is the variety of humanity – we are individuals even before we take our first breath. Can we see these characteristics reflected in the Curriculum?

Everyday behaviour related to Islamic principles. You weren’t thinking of generosity or honesty, or jealousy or greed in the abstract. You were thinking of specific situations in a child’s life which can be reflected back at them for them to think about in stories or games or conversation.

Analysing human behaviour in terms of Deen

(Suggestions?)  – perhaps that might be dangerous – “and her wee boy is always coming over and kicking my wee girl”

Try approaching it the other way

Look for how Curriculum issues can be related to real life.
But it doesn’t have to be real – it can be story – myth or fairy tale – jokes or rhymes – raps or lullabies 

(Distribute Curricula to Groups of Five)

Brainstorm how Curriculum items relate to life experience of children

What makes them intelligible and relevant

Note ideas from different Levels

(Group report back) 

How do you communicate ideas?
Stories – parables – examples - fables
How do you impress upon the mind
Vividness of Imagery, Repetition, Associated Actions,
How do you attract the mind?
Wonder & Beauty

Examples from me – different ages

Miswak – This is how God works – a ready pasted toothbrush

Mr Akbar’s taste for eclairs and Mr Adnan’s for doughnuts

Striving to do your best takes away boredom – Nintendo

Nasruddin and his key – also good for adults

I have used those parables dozens of times
The most basic form of educational material – ‘Talk’ as in ‘Chalk & Talk’

It becomes really useful when it’s put together into books and worksheets, with project suggestions and references to other support materials.

(Show Books and Support Materials)

Brief introduction to different types of material

Discussion

Examination of material

After Break to see if we can come up with some suggestions for material of our own.

(BREAK)

Groups of Five to Brainstorm Curriculum expansion into material

Projects, Scrap Book/Folder, Bedtime stories
Things you can do – Places you can go

Think of ways you can include more than one Strand in a project.

Think of your resources
Sources of Knowledge
Books – People – Experience

You also need to be a resource for others and share your knowledge.

You need to meet regularly to exchange experiences and ideas and materials and skills.

What can you contribute – knowledge / skills

What can you learn?

How committed are you?

You need a committed core group prepared to work with no support
You also need those less committed to support them anyway in whatever way they can. You never know, the children might even want to get involved. 

(What do you want to do with the rest of the time?)

Note it all down!
Make plans?