Oxford University Press (OUP) organized a symposium for schoolteachers on the theme ‘Transformative Learning: Encourage, Engage, Empower’. The annual symposium was held as part of OUP’s continuous efforts to impart contemporary pedagogical skills to teachers with a view toimprove teaching outcomes.
Conducted by OUP authors and trainers from Pakistan and abroad, the objective of the symposium was to explore the ways in which transformational learning can result ina fundamental change in learners as they shift from simple knowledge acquisition to reflective, conscious, and meaningful learning experiences that truly empowers them. Around 150 teachers from schools across Pakistan attended the symposium, which provided the participants, facilitators, and trainers a valuable platform todiscuss the shifts in teaching methods, using classroom time effectively, and ways to engage students to transform their learning journeys.
Constructive sessions were held around the subjects of promoting student engagement through effective assessment and feedback systems, integrating 21st CenturySkills in classroom teaching,increasing access to digital learning, and use of reference materials and library resources.
Innovative practices, tools, and resources for the teaching of Mathematics, Social Studies,Urdu,Science, and English were discussed. A session dedicated to developing reading and comprehension skillsand another one highlighting the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach were also organized.
The trainers—who includedKatie Palmer, Dr Shehzad Jeeva, Zubeida Mustafa, Michael Pearson, Dr Farhana Akbar, Hajra Haq, Abdul Haseeb, Fozia Ahsan Farooqui, and Zahra Sethi—spoke about useful strategies to enable teachers to maximize the curriculum outcomes using OUP resources.
In a session on the challenges and intervention in encouraging early reading, the participants were introduced to OUP’sfirst-of-its-kind Early Childhood Education resource My Learning Trainwhich aims to fulfill the educational needs of young learners through a variety of enjoyable activities that aid cognitive and psychomotor development.
The symposium also featured an informative video presentation on ‘Empowerment throughLanguage’ by the leading Pakistani journalist Zubeida Mustafa.
A panel discussiontitled’Classroom Coaching orE-learning?’ took place featuring Dr Baela Raza Jamil, Dr Faisal Bari, Dr Shehzad Jeeva, and Dr Shahid Siddiqui as speakers.
While addressing the symposium delegates, Arshad Saeed Husain, Managing Director,OUP Pakistan, said “Learning does not end with the formal pedagogical education of childhood and youth, but continues into adulthood. The key point is that, with the arc of new knowledge and new technologies rising as rapidly as it is today, the need for continual retraining and relearning has become an overwhelming necessity for everyone.” In his closing remarks, he said,”This interactive forum has helped all of us share our experiences and together we can forge our way forward as key contributors to the evolving education landscape in Pakistan.”
The eminent public policy professional, Mosharraf AliZaidi, presented the keynote address at the symposium.