Stereotypes can be deceiving: Charity event No. 1

The past few days has seen a lot of "negative" press about Emirati youth. For me it has culminated in an article in the New York Times about Emirati males – and how they are falling behind. Now, I know more Emirati male university students than about 98% of ex-pats here, all those “experts” with MBAs (OK, I have an MBA, MBAs are good – but  an MBA makes a person an expert in NOTHING) or PhDs in Chemistry or something – none have taught an Emirati male in their lives. I have a Phd in the Strategy of Innovation – I am published in the field. I have a chapter coming out about teaching Management in the GCC and another in Innovation in the UAE – if you want an expert on education, innovation and all that other good stuff look here! And I have a different view of things…

Fine, mini-rant about the use of “experts” to tell reporters what they want to hear is over.

I want you to look at this photo and tell me what you see?

Raising money for the Red Cresent (and pretending to be Messi)

Emirati boys, playing a video game – (yes it was soccer/football). I bet you were thinking lazy bums, they can’t stay away from video games. WRONG – well half wrong – they do like video games (like young men AROUND THE WORLD). But this video game session, was six hours long, was planned, organized, led and will be improved tomorrow (more game choices) by a group of young Emirati men. It is a fundraiser for the Red Crescent (those lazy boys were paying money to play). It is the first event a few of them have organized – yes, they have not been challenged in high school – and they have done an amazing job. Some details.

The plan for the event was sent a few weeks ago, I thought the price they intended to charge was high – but I let them keep it (of course I was right and they reduced their prices very quickly to market demand after the games began). The ogt the set-up, borrowed the games and the controllers from family, advertised through posters and ZU email, got all the required permission (and believe me, that is a lot of steps) – and organized shifts all day to get it done and get it done well.

They did not have experience running an event like that – but they did a great job and will change a few things up and do it all again tomorrow. Then write a report with photos, because I like photos.

So – yes, they have not been given many opportunities to shine – but once you do give them an opportunity they will light up a whole city with their hard work, creativity and “get it done” ness.

Smile and courage, Dr. Connie (more events on the way!)

Co-curricular activities: or learning through doing

There is much talk in the scientific literature now about co-curricular activities. What the heck are those?, you ask… Well, a few months ago I didn’t know either, although I have been doing them since I started teaching English in September 2000, and continued in a the university setting, first in Québec and now here.

Co-curricular activities are outside the classroom activities that reinforce the formal curriculum. In other words it is learning by doing. I teach the structure or framework of the theory/concept/process in class and then force (J) the students to explore, understand and use the structure to achieve the learning objectives for the course.  

A simple example. For my Introduction to Management Course I want the students to understand, use, apply and adopt the basics functions of management (planning, organizing, leading and the feedback loop). I teach it, we brainstorm events in class, I test it and I get them to organize an event outside of class in small teams and write a very short report (with photos) describing the initial vision of the event, and then the planning (and the re-planning), the organizing (who did what), leading (motivating, making sure the event runs smoothly) and then the feedback (opinion of “customers”, how much money raised, challenges, etc.).

This year, in both semesters, I have had the students organize a charity event. The guidelines are – nothing illegal (e.g. no selling birds caught on your farm – I do not care if it is your farm, we can’t sell little birds on campus!), held at the University, and everyone in the group has to participate.

Yes, the guidelines are lose, yes I want the students to be creative – do they complain – uhm, just a little bit. Do they come up with super cool ideas, not all the time, but all the time they have fun (at least until now).  No, there are no rules of how much money needs to be raised or who they give it to – but they have to explain what charity they are giving it to and why. Again, I am blessed with allies on the men’s campus at Zayed University – without the Student Life team my boys would be lost – but, Joy will not send the email out, Charif will not make the posters, but they will help and guide and teach. (Thanks as always guys).

Sometimes there are minor frustrations and mishaps, but the minor mistakes are made in a controlled environment, with tons of support available to make minor adjustments.

The next two weeks are going to be busy ones on the boys campus as karak is made and sold, teachers are used as targets for cream pies, Play Station is played and traditional items are sold.

This is just one example, you have read (or can now go read) about the many others described in this blog. Yes, it is easy to teach management through these types of activities – but there have to be a million ways to have the students “do” and “apply” and “incorporate” the learning objectives specific to your subject matter – just be creative…

I will let you know in a few weeks how the boys did, and yes, if there is a photo of me with a pie on my face I will post it – let’s just cross our fingers all the students have bad aim!

ZU's Got Poets - Using Poetry (I don't understand) to Teach

Now technically this was a leadership class project - but it ties in very nicely with an event my Strategy Class has planned on Monday, May 28, 2012. The event this coming Monday is The Strategy of Poetry - and I am on pins and needles with excitment for it!

This post though is about an awesome event organised last year by: Saeed Al Zaabi, Tariq Al Hosani and Yousif Ali Sultan.  As regular readers can tell, I realised quickly that with boys in particular "doing" is the best way to achieve my goal of "teaching" and "learning" - and as a bonus I am entertained, well-fed, learn so much about the culture here and get regular doses of extreme pride through my students' creativity, ingenuity and hard work (to remember in the moments of  extreme frustration when they WILL NOT listen in class).

Poster

I think it is general knowledge that poetry is important in the Arab world - and important in the UAE in particular. It is used to express pride, gratitude, love and it is used for strategic purposes (see, all things really do relate back to strategy). I have had the honour to have wonderful poets in class (not always the ones who pay 100% attention, 100% of the time in class) - and I appreciate how they see the world. I love poetry myself - Jacques Prevert to help me learn and understand French better (French like Arabic is more about meaning than words) - and I even wrote a bit of poetry myself in my angst-filled youth.

The biggest problem is I don't understand Arabic (a good and a bad thing when you teach young men - mainly good I think) - but I "understand" the meaning when they recite a poem (or I feel I understand anyways).

Poets waiting to start

So, back to the event. In my leadership class (only taught once) I had the students organize an event – e.g. using leadership skills in action. There was the Car Show, the Walk-a-Thon and ZU’s Got Poets.

There were five poets chosen to compete for the top prize and an  MC was asked  to host the event. They organized the posters, the medals, the food, the oud, the dates, coffee, and chocolates (!) everything needed for the event (with loads of support from Paul Abraham and  never-ending help from Charif Rabah, and Joy Saneo – love you guys!)

The day of the event was a bit stressful, many male students were needed for another event on the girl’s campus and the organisers were worried about attendance – from the photos you can see the worry wasn’t justified – one of the poets was late! – and yet it worked out in the end of course.

Full house

Saeed thanking people for attending

This was the first Arabic poetry event I had seen and it was amazing, the poets worked to the audience, the audience recited words and phrases back – the audience cheered and laughed and the atmosphere in the auditorium was electric. The poets spoke of love, of pride and respect for their fathers, for the UAE, and it was just a very happy moment for me.

The structure of strategy is similar in many places – but the tactics – what works to implement the chosen strategy is what changes. Here, in the UAE, with my students - Poetry works J

I welcome you to the event on Monday – contact me through comments and I will provide your details to security – sorry, female undergraduate students won’t be able to attend, but I have asked them to videotape it.

Volunteers counting the votes

Ahmed accepting his prize

Khalaf accepting his prize

The poets and organisers

Arabia's Wildlife Centre: R&D, Strategy and Wow all Rolled into One!

Yes, another field trip was organised by another group of long-suffering students. Another trip where I turn into a ten year old girl and where I see my students look at the "old" with new eyes.

Last Sunday my Strategy class organised a trip to the Sharjah Zoo (http://www.breedingcentresharjah.com/Wildlife%20Centre.html):

Not only does the Wildlife Centre house the world's largest collection of Arabian wildlife but it is also the only zoological park in the Middle East to be completely indoors. Making it perfect for a day out, regardless of the weather.

The Wildlife Centre has been divided up into various sections, each dedicated to a group of species including reptiles, invertebrates, birds, nocturnal animals, ungulates and large carnivores.

To say it was AWESOME does not begin to describe what I saw - and honestly, I felt like I was in North America it was set up so well inside (ok - they need a gift shop to sell stuffed TOY animals and puzzles and games and t-shirts, and they had a super affordable canteen,  but other than that it was like something back home).

From the outside the Centre doesn't look spectacular - but inside is a whole world waiting to be discovered. Many of the students are from the Northern Emirates remember going there every year for field trips - and they welcomed our class with open arms - but I had never heard of the place.

Everything inside this huge building is from the region - every bug, reptile, bird, fish, small animals and large animals - roamed or swam or crawled here - there were no polar bears or pandas in sight.  The large animals are outside free to roam and look well cared for and needless to say I was happy the jackals were on the other side of the window!

But what about strategy? Well, the Centre (not the part we saw) is part of the BCEAW which is all about strategy and R&D and sustaining a rich wildlife heritage.

The Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife (BCEAW) was opened in 1998, under the Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), Government of Sharjah. Situated approximately 25 km east of the city of Sharjah the BCEAW, is the only one of the four facilities which make up the Sharjah Desert Park that is closed to the public and, is responsible for the captive breeding and research of the indigenous Arabian fauna. The BCEAW was purpose built for breeding the regionally endangered wildlife, but it also serves as a base for research into all the mammal, reptile, freshwater fish, amphibians and invertebrates species which inhabit the Arabian Peninsula. The BCEAW is also headquarters of the Captive Breeding Program for the, Critically Endangered, Arabian Leopard. (http://www.breedingcentresharjah.com/Home.html) The only way to preserve the past and to preserve wildlife is to understand it, do research, and breed animals - and teach new generations of Emiratis (and ex-pats and tourists) about this glorious heritage. It is about sustainable tourism and cultural tourism and about the wonders of discovery :) I can't wait until October when my 4 year old nephew will visit - I want to see his eyes when he sees the little animal that sings "I like to move it- move it".  And see the birds and the cheetahs and the ... well, go visit and you will see what I mean!

Being innovative within boundaries

There is a very good article in today's National paper (today being May 19, 2012) - the link is here http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/emirati-women-and-workforce-in-a-clash-of-culture .

The article is by Ayesha Almazroui and she writes of the cultural boundaries women have when working outside the home - and how some women have been innovative within those boundaries, and how some have seen the boundaries as restrictions to break free of...

We always have choices when we have boundaries, and I am NOT one for pushing the limits and always err on the side of caution (just ask my students) - but I have also been one who expressed my "Connieness" within boundaries. I worked for eight years in a uniform (with a degree in History - Canadian and History of Science there were no other options). There was a rule to wear black shoes, so I wore Doc Martins, but there was no rule on shoe laces so I wore bright red plaid ones. My boss told me they weren't allowed (also helped that he was dumb and I had memorised the collective aggreement) - yet he soon realised he couldn't stop me short of changing the collective aggreement to ban coloured shoelaces.

Now, I know that each and every Emirati expresses their individuality with their abayas and kandoras- the stiching, the cut, the fabric, the colour, the use of contrasting fabric for the girls - and I know that the "boundary" of the National dress allows for absolute freedom of expression - it might be subtle, but I am able to appreciate that individuality everyday.

The boundaries that some women have as to their choice of workplaces is similar - they are still able to express themselves and feel fulfilled when they are innovative. Whether it be negotiating for that appropriate workplace, starting a homebased business, becoming a writer, starting a home based tutoring "space" to teach reading and writing to older women - organising sessions with older women for their sisters and cousins, to hear stories from the past and learn the older traditions.

There are always ways to be innovative within boundaries - there are always ways to contribute to soceity and find fulfillment that do not involve money changing hands. I advise my male students - many who would prefer their future wives do not work outside the home - to let their wives be innovative, let them feel they have an identity of their own definition - be creative with her to find something acceptable to all.

To my female students who worry about not being able to work outside the home I advise them to find their talents and express them through positive action - my Mom would hold craft sessions with the neighbourhood children and volunteered to come into our primary classes to teach crafts -

Boundaries are there - it's a fact - it is not about fair or not fair - it is about what is, instead of using energy complaining, use that energy to be creative and as a source of inspiration - it will create less conflicts at home and within yourself and you might just have fun :)