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Beyond Islam Teacher Program Documentation

As part of the United States Institute of Peace grant "Beyond Islam: Understanding the Muslim World," the World Affairs Council Global Classroom program offered a series of teacher professional development workshops during the winter and spring of 2005:

January 20 Cultural Islam in Central Asia
February 10 Muslims in China Today
March 24 Islam and Politics in Malaysia
May 5 Islam, Asia, Modernity

One of the goals of the grant was to assist other organizations in planning and implementing similar programs. Here we document the process Global Classroom uses to develop engaging and effective teacher professional development workshops, focusing on how we developed the Beyond Islam series.

Goals of the Program

The goal of Beyond Islam: Understanding the Muslim World was to promote high school and community college education on the Muslim world that informs youth about the cultures, educational systems, economic systems, governments, and other aspects of life that allow for a richer, more textured understanding of people living in these regions and countries. It challenged stereotypes that link Muslim with Arab or terrorist by exploring other world regions with large Muslim populations. It extended existing resources for understanding Islam and provided teachers and students with authentic experiences and resources. In order to avoid getting into the contentious political debates that arise in programs on the Muslim world, this initiative did not focus on Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan, or Iraq or on official U.S. policy with regard to these or any other countries.

Cost & Registration

A $15 charge per program helps offset the operating costs of the program (food, photocopying, packet development, marketing, etc.), as well as helping solidify teachers’ commitment to attend the program. Teachers are encouraged to register using the Council's online registration system. Then, they follow up by mailing in a check or calling in with their credit card number.

Time

Each program adheres to a strict, 3-hour time frame. This amount of time is long enough for teachers to gain an insight into the topic, yet short enough to still be convenient. In order to receive the clock hour credits, teachers must stay for the entire three hours. Programs at the University of Washington generally start at 4:15 pm (cheaper evening parking rates begin at 4:00 pm) and end at 7:15 pm.

Partnerships

FIUTS
The Foundation for International Understanding Through Students is a non-profit organization based at the University of Washington. Throughout the program series, FIUTS contacted numerous international students to serve on panels and talk with teachers about life in their home countries.
Resource Centers
The University of Washington is home to numerous national resource centers focusing on different regions, including East Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Europe, Canada, and Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. These resource centers have been a valuable partner in planning teacher-training programs.
Conference on ”Islam, Asia, Modernity”
This conference was held immediately following the conclusion of the teacher programs. All teachers participating in the World Affairs Council programs were also invited to the conference free of charge. The opening lecture of the conference was included in the fourth Beyond Islam teacher training program.

Resource Packet Development

The research for curriculum and resource packets provided by the World Affairs Council is primarily done online. The packets all followed the same general organization. The opening page was usually a map of the country being discussed, followed by a list of useful web links and a bibliography of books and journal articles of interest. Packets also often contained articles with relevant background information, historical commentary, timelines and photographs. There was also typically at least one lesson plan that focused on the topic.

Teacher Program Structure

Dinner (during the speaker)
Each program began with a light buffet dinner, usually featuring regional cuisine from the seminar’s topic country. (This is very much appreciated by the teachers, who generally rush to get to the program after school and have often not had time to eat lunch earlier in the day.)
Speaker(s) (about 60 minutes)
Each program opened with a speaker considered an expert in the field, who gave an overview of the topic of focus. This provided the teachers with a basic academic understanding of the region. Often the speaker supplemented with personal slideshows about their research. The keynote speakers for Beyond Islam were all professors at the University of Washington. Those professors who requested an honorarium were paid by the corresponding Resource Center at the University.
Q&A (about 30 minutes)
Teachers had an opportunity to ask questions and interact with the speaker. (This gives them a chance to further engage and clarify information that they might want to share with their students back at school.)
Student Panel (about 60 minutes)
Whenever possible, undergraduate or graduate students from the University of Washington were recruited to participate as panelists following the keynote speaker. (Experience has shown that this is often one of the most interesting and informative portions of the program and gives the teachers a chance to gain an understanding of daily life in the topic country within the framework of the academic presentation from the professor.)
Curriculum and Resources (about 30 minutes)
The program concludes with a curriculum and resource presentation provided by the partnership organizations, the World Affairs Council, or both. Every participating teacher receives a curriculum and resource packet to take home.

Continuing Education Credits (Clock Hours)

Teachers who were present for all three hours of the program received a form to request clock hours (Washington state's version of continuing education credits) for their time in the training. The World Affairs Council offers clock hours for free as an additional incentive for teachers to attend. The Director or Professional Development at the Council has received approval by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue clock hours to teachers.

Certificates

Teachers who showed true commitment to understanding the Islamic world by attending all four programs were presented a certificate of recognition for their efforts at the last night of the program.