In February 2018, teacher forums organised several events. These served as initiatives taken by male and female teachers who work independently across Palestinian governorates. Teachers receive moral and material support from the Educational Research and Development Programme (ERDP) of the A. M. Qattan Foundation (AMQF).
On 28 February 2018, the Khan Yunis Teacher Forum organised a workshop, titled The Solar Power and Ways to Benefit from it, in Khan Yunis. The workshop targeted female students of the Science and Technology Club as well as physics, technology and geography teachers at the Khan Yunis Secondary Girls School.
The workshop combined both theory and practice. At the beginning of the workshop, Lubna Abu Odeh presented an introduction to alternative energy, solar cells, and equilibrium between the energy emitted by the sun and solar radiation as per the principle of solar energy conservation. Geography teachers also discussed the geographical location of Palestine in the sun belt, and the influence of temperature on Palestine.
Hannibal al-Najjar, expert in solar energy projects at the Islamic University, explained the types and methods of installing solar cells, components of the solar cell system, optimal method of solar cell installation, and types of used batteries.
Students and teachers then engaged in an open discussion of solar-powered devices. In the practical part of the workshop, participants examined the solar power project at their school, focusing on whether it met the proper conditions for solar cell installation.
On Thursday, 27 February 2018, the Khan Yunis Teacher Forum also organised a session that involved a focused reading of “A Teacher and a Student in Tracks of Learning”, an article published in the Ru’a Tarbawiyya Quarterly. The session brought together teachers of the Al-Ma’arri Mixed Primary School.
Participants discussed and exchanged ideas about the article, elaborating on all the concepts it introduced. Initially, participants learned how to use imagination in the classroom. This way, children’s potential will be unleashed to think and search for alternatives to learning methods. Ultimately, storytelling, art and play techniques will be used in the learning process.
On the other hand, the Ya’bad Teacher Forum organised a seminar on online digital security and user protection against exploitation and breach of privacy. Held in collaboration with the Al-Rayyan Village Council, the seminar was moderated by trainer Mas’oud Rawhi. Children between 14 and 18 years of age attended the seminar.