[السيد النعناعى]

مقالة هامة جدا جدا جدا
Educating the Educators
For the first time in the Middle East, early literacy classes are being offered to parents and school teachers by AUC’s School of Continuing Education.

Recent studies on the brain development of infants show that most of a person's neurons are formed from birth to age eight -- if young children do not receive enough nurturing, nutrition, human interaction and stimuli during this period, they may be left with a developmental deficit that hampers their success in preschool, kindergarten and beyond.

To help parents and school teachers understand and foster the development of young children, AUC’s School of Continuing Education (SCE) is offering courses in early literacy education through its Education Initiative. This is the first time that such courses are being offered in the Middle East.

"Children begin learn to read and write not in first grade but at birth. Language development and socio-emotional development are two critical areas for young children. Many of the concepts taught at the offered programs are not widespread in Egypt, so the courses and programs offered through this new education initiative provide essential information for teachers, parents and for anyone preparing to be a parent,” said Russanne Hozayin, executive director of SCE’s education initiative.

Parenting courses are offered in early literacy education, adolescent education, and special needs education. All courses include hands-on opportunities which focus on the development of children, resources in early literacy and information on how to foster good home-to-school relations. These are useful not only for parents, but also for grandparents, extended family members and anyone who interacts with young children on a regular basis.

Omaima Khalil Hassan is the mother of a 6-year old girl and a 3-year old boy. After taking the early literacy education parenting course, she is now enrolled in the course for children with special needs. “I chose to take parenting courses at AUC because I believe that we as Egyptians have problems raising our children. …Most parents leave their children with a nanny all day and then complain that their children are not well behaved. The parenting course I took at AUC helped me teach my children healthy eating and sleeping habits and also showed me the different ways that I can successfully discipline them.

Enas Fawzy, who is also enrolled in the parenting course for children with special needs, works as an independent support counselor to parents of children with special needs. “We need real knowledge and a real education to help parents deal with children with special needs,” she said. “This course will help me work with the whole family and learn more about how parents think, as well as how the whole family adapts to their situation and deals with it.”

In addition to parenting courses, SCE also offers educators graduate certificates in Early Literacy Education, Teaching Diverse Learners, Teaching for Non-education Majors and Educational Leadership. Two new certificates in Educational Technology for Classroom Teachers and Secondary School Teaching will be introduced in fall 2008. Each of the certificates reflects best international practices tailored to the contemporary needs of the Egyptian educational system and society.

"These are not just standard certificates-- these programs are designed to re-conceptualize how educators should be prepared by using integrated assessment models," said Hozayin. She added that the program offers ways to continue life-long learning for educators because learning "does not stop with the certificate; the participants need to implement the practices they have learned into their daily life and work place."

"We are choosing areas in education that are not currently being offered in other places in Egypt. We do not want to duplicate," Hozayin added. "The new education initiative was established to complement existing programs, introduce new trends, and demonstrate that AUC is well-placed to develop quality programs for educators and parents in Egypt and the region