Integrating Islam |
| Elementary and secondary teachers from across the state were welcomed at Ohio University’s Yamada House with readings from the Qur'an and an Indonesian saman dance. |
The welcoming from a member of Ohio University's Muslim Students Association and PERMIAS, the Indonesian student association, marked the first night of a three day workshop called “Integrating Islam in the Social Studies Curriculum.”
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The Ohio University Muslim Students Association performs an Indonesian saman dance. |
The National Resource Centers for African and Southeast Asian Studies and the Ohio Valley International Council sponsored the workshop to give teachers information about Muslim and Islamic cultures to take back into their classrooms.
"Teachers can no longer assume their students come from Protestant or Catholic backgrounds," said Loren Lybarger, a presenter at the workshop. "Knowing something about the practices, beliefs and internal differentiation that have characterized and shaped the entire range of religions has become essential to understanding and effectively relating instructional content."
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Dr. Doppen discusses stereotypes in the media. |
The group of teachers spent time focusing on Islamic history, practices and doctrines through a three-part presentation by Lybarger, an Assistant Professor of Classics and World Religions. They also took time to visit the Noor Islamic Cultural Center in Columbus, an organization dedicated to serving central Ohio's diverse Muslim community and promoting a greater understanding of Islamic cultures and people.
Participants learned how to use GoogleEarth as a learning tool in Social Studies Classrooms through a presentation by Ismail Elmahdi, an Associate Director for African Studies.
The teachers split up into smaller groups for a day-long lesson planning session, led by Frans Doppen, Associate Professor of Teacher Education, Dina Metzler and Laurie Campitelli, local social studies teachers, and Elmahdi. They focused on the “Understanding by Design” teaching methodology.
"'Understanding by Design' defines learning up front in terms of outcomes, which then drives the planning process," said Doppen. "It asks teachers to help students develop enduring understandings and answer essential questions to define the curriculum rather than focus on developing lessons first and not considering assessment until a unit has been completed."
The group finished the workshop with a presentation of certificates and additional teaching resources, including books about Islam, a CD, an Islamic calendar, a map of the Muslim world, a prayer rug and prayer beads. The teachers plan to share their lessons during a post-workshop to follow up on October 24.
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A Presentation at the Noor Islamic |
Teachers who participated in the workshop came from PACE High School in Cincinnati, East Elementary School in Athens, Brookville Intermediate School in Clayton, Harmarsville Elementary and Middle School in Williamsburg, North Union Local School in Prospect, Logan-Hocking Middle School in Logan, Bridges Community Academy in Fostoria, Talawanda High School in Oxford, and Great Oaks Institute of Technology's Live Oaks Campus in Cincinnati.
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