Malika Mir

Me Malika: a reflective practitioner and sensible individual.

Profession: Headteacher at one of AKESP, schools in Pakistan.

Province: Hunza, Pakistan so called the paradise on the earth.

Family: Married but have no children.

Personal interests: social worker, reading, traveling.

Goals for the future:

1. to uplift the standard of education in my school in order to meet the vision of the organization by improving teaching and learning process through conducting professional development sessions for the teachers.

2.To assess the deserving students in my community for their continuation of studies in high schools those who struggle with financial problems.

Educational institution and current academic structure

The Aga khan education service is a well reputed organization that works all over the world especially in the third world countries including Pakistan. It aims to provide quality education to the students through acquiring best knowledge and skills and ensure conducting values in their real life.

I am a part of the AKES, P system and heading one of the AKES, P schools in northern areas of Pakistan. My school is located in a village called Shishkat. Unfortunately, we had a huge sliding on 4th April 2008 and a huge mass of a mountain blocked the mighty river Indus, gradually this blockage of river turned into a lake which is now known as Atta Abad Lake, probably the biggest and mostbeautiful natural lake in the world .

However, a lot of our houses, orchards, fields and schools that including my school were submerged. This incident brought a lot of troubles for the community, people were scattered to different places similarly the schools had to suffer too. However, we had to find a way. After many turns now we are running our school with the government system. Though, we had to face so many challenges, like both systems have different curriculum to a great extent, similarly, the implications of the rules and else. However, after three years now we both systems are working alike we have common goals, and working as a single unit.

My institutional needs

As it is discussed above, my institution is a combined institution, one of government school and one of Agha khan schools working together, so we have made common goals. Yet there are some of the teachers who are novice and similarly the government sectors do not offer enough in service training for the teachers. Therefore, there is need to conduct professional trainings for them.

Master Action Plan

Background/Introduction

Nszimabad Shishkat is a small village that consists of about 184 households and a population of 1565 people. Before 2010 it was and self-sufficient village that mostly relied on agriculture, where all basic necessities were available. However, after a tremendous landslide in April 2010 the whole physical feature of the village was drastically changed. The river Indus blocked and most part of the village submerged in the water that shaped a lake now known as Atta Abad Lake.

Thus this incident changed the local’s lives badly. Many lost their sweet homes and became homeless, lands and orchards that were source of income were distracted, meanwhile, students had to suffer in schooling and many people had to struggle with jobs and etc. In short people had to suffer a lot.

However, since we are part of a great community, so the Aga Khan Development network and government provided our people with shelters and other necessities of life.

My School

The Aga khan education service is a well reputed organization that works all over the world especially in the third world countries including Pakistan. It aims to provide quality education to the students through acquiring best knowledge and skills and ensure conducting values in their real lives.

I am a part of the AKES, P system and heading one of the AKES, P schools in Shishkat with collaboration of Government secondary school for boys.

The Atta Abad lake incident brought a lot of challenges for the community. Including many houses my school (the Aga Khan School building) was also submerged. However, we had to find a way. After many turns now we are running our school with the collaboration of government system. Nevertheless, we had to face so many challenges, like both systems have different curriculum to a great extent, similarly, the implications of the rules and else. However, about after four years we both systems are working alike, we have common goals, and working as a single unit.

Now the combined school is up to secondary level. After students complete their secondary school they move to other towns where they get admission in higher schools. In the last few years due to the disaster, many students suffered because of financial problems. They had to discontinue their education or wait for a source to continue. This was a big lose to those students specially who were so keen. Therefore, I had been looking to get a way so that I could help my students. Now through different views and discussions from our faculty about Master Action Plan in Plymouth has given me an insight to find opportunities to initiate a scholarship program, for my students. The grant we will get here will be a milestone to lead me towards achieving my goals. On the basis of the needs of students I have planned my action plan (Appendix 01) that will be carried out step by step. Moreover, this is a long term plan, and sustainability would need to be insured.

Goals

To assist the deserving students in my community for their continuation of studies in high schools those who struggle with financial problems.

Step 1:

• Objective

In order to share action plan with parents, community and school head.

• Procedure

24 August a meeting will be held with institution, colleagues SMC (school management committee) and parents to Share Action plan

25 August announcement in community gathering about the scholarship program and the criteria for the candidates

· Resources

· PowerPoint presentation about “what is Map”.

· Minutes register to note down the meeting agenda

Step 2:

• Objective

Stationery will be purchased of 300 dollars in order to build on the existing amount of the money

• procedure

1st week of September, stationery will be Purchase with the money and will be displayed in a store (which is open) and will be kept for the students to buy from their school shop rather than outside shops

Stock registers and bills will be maintained so monitoring could be carried out.

· Materials

Stationary

Stock registers, receipts.

Step 3:

Objective

Food items will be sold by the students and mothers on special occasions in order to make profit out of it

· Procedure

Buy food ingredients and organize mothers and students to make food and snacks and sell them during the following events

1. 13th September, parents’ day

2. 1st November, independence day of Gilgit, Baltistan

3. 13 December, Imamat Day

4. 21 March Novouroz Mubarak

• Materials

Food ingredients

Stock registers, receipts.

Step 4:

• Objective

Most needy students will be identified in order to ensure their continuity of education

• Procedure

With the support of SMC, and Head teachers, the neediest and deserving students in the community will be identified through collecting data about their parents’ financial background. Thus fair selection would be ensured. The selection process will be held on 25th march, after students finish their final exams.

• Materials

Format to collect data

Step: 5

• Objective

To make more money so that, at least three students could be benefited

In the first year.

• Procedure

On special occasions as people get together so well beings in the community will be informed about the MAP and will be requested to take part in Charity for the students.

• Materials

Announcements and master MAP

Step 6:

Objectives

In order to ensure sustainability of the master action plan

Procedure

In order to ensure sustainability of the action plan and benefit almost all needy students, I with the help of my other friends’ colleagues and some head of organizations will try to find grants

Materials

PELP 2013 Assessment Evidence

How will your students be assessed?

Through analyzing students’ performance during the year,

Through collecting data about students financial background

Formative assessment Evidence:

o By maintaining and analyzing the records of each expenditures

PELP 2013 MAP Budget

Record how the $500 seed money will be used to help accomplish your goals?

Item Description	Purpose	Expenditure
Purchase stationery	Stationery will be purchased and displayed in our school In order to sell among students make profit of it because the grant is not enough to proceed a scholarship program so it needs to be arise	300 Dollars
Food ingredients	Students with the help of their mothers will make some food items as French fries, snacks etc., while there are community event to make more money	100 Dollars
Membership in ruler women community organization	This organizations pays loaning for ten percent of the total amount, so it will allow me to get some loan according to the need	100 Dollars
		TOTAL: 500 Dollars

Max Warburg Reflection

On Saturday 15th, we had a visit to Max Warburg Courage Organization, which was founded in the memory of a young boy Max, who courageously maintained his self-esteem against a disease until his death.

This organization aims to develop confidence among students, by conducting essays writing to express and discover themselves.

According to my preconception courage is “challenging your confidence to step forward”.

Yet, I believe that all individuals are born with unlimited gifts of capabilities. But, there are certain conditions that may hinder in one’s life and that person may lose hope and live his/her life uncertainly. Therefore it’s important to build courage in our students. The courage curriculum has given me the idea that, through developing courage they can overcome their weaknesses by thinking positively, moreover, this will help them to start to believe in themselves, and it will certainly lead them to make a difference in others life also.

Furthermore, If teachers provide a platform for the students where they are given a freedom of speech, let express them the way they want to and accept them as they are they can show what they are in fact.

In my opinion until and unless a child is not healthy in his/her social and emotional aspects, he/she cannot perform better in academics also.

I feel that in many conditions I also felt I needed to have courage, so I had to fight and struggle to find it, though sometimes I failed. Now I realize that if I was provided with such a curriculum I may had less fears in my life.

In addition, on the base of my learning about courage curriculum I will implement the idea with my students in my context in order to build their self-esteem.

Visit to Washington DC

What was the incident?

We had a study tour to Washington D on 24th-26th of June 2013. It was really a tremendous experience for me to observe the attitudes, beliefs, history, tradition, and customs of the country over here. We had exposure to many different places, monuments, museums, visit to the US state department and the rich and ancient history, each one I found was self-spoken.

24th Monuments after arrival to Washington we the education leadership team experience trolley tour. Besides fun and entertainment, we had opportunity to observe a variety of monuments that were the symbols of freedom, priority and love for the nation. It also spoke how many people sacrificed their lives for the freedom. And bring a revolution in the history. I also learned many great leaders had to give their lives and even had to sacrifice their families to fight for freedom. So I realized change could be painful and drastic but it has a long impact.

On 25th of June we had opportunity to have face to face meeting with officials in state department. We discussed about their roles and responsibilities, initiatives, and planning programmes in education and regarding students’ exchange programs. Further, we had opportunity to discuss thoroughly about education system in US, vs. education policies in Pakistan and the things we need to change in our system. I also got a chance to talk about my master action plan that I will be implementing after going back to my own context. My plan was appreciated that aims to initiate a scholarship program for students who struggle with financial problems, and I got more courage to implement my plan when were told about more alumni grants that we can apply for this has given me more hope that, if I am able to catch such a grants my plan will be sustained as my plan is a long term plan and it needs to be widen with time so that more and more students could be privileged.

On 26th of we visited Russell senate hall, this give me an insight to the restoration of the history. Each piece of the monuments was beautifully presented. I think all the history was restored in this building.

In conclusion, all the things I came across during the visit to Washington DC had a unique learning experience. So, from this learning experience I have got the insight that, to show what kind of a nation we are we need to preserve our history. Moreover, history has a great impact on nations building to keep the nations alive. Further, by struggling hard we can achieve our goals though it takes time, energy and also acquires sacrifices.

PELP REFLECTION

I am Malika, one of the participants of Pakistan education project (PELP) 2013. This program aimed to provide the participants a learning opportunity about the pedagogy, curriculum development, to observe and exchange the culture and also explore the new innovations in education system in USA. As Pakistan, also is intended to bring changes in education system in upcoming time. Moreover, all the participants are directly connected the education institutes, so it will contribute indirectly to bring possible changes in existing practices in education system of Pakistan.

Though, it was a short program, but in this limited time we were facilitated with a lot of learning at Plymouth state university and outside the university. We had opportunity to interact with great experts, who provided us a forum to learn about education system in USA, the culture, polices and standards and also to reflect on education system in Pakistani context.

Apart from that, we also had exposure to learn how some of the community organizations are working to uplift the standard of education in USA. As downtown library, Mount Zion Christian Schools, University of Southern New Hampshire, were some of the examples that provided us an insight to innovative practices in educational leadership, Self-empowerment, passion of cause and utilizing the resources we have in order to make a difference in the Environment we live in.

In conclusion, From the above experiences, I realized that to make a difference one does not need to look for the government to facilitate all the time, rather we as citizen need to play our own role.