Back in May, I went to an open day at Dubai knowledge village, it was a non profit community event that hosted over 100 free workshops and classes from dance to languages and arts, it was so much fun, very engaging, and the tagline was " its a great day to learn something new "
I'm not really good at describing things, you can check here if you want to learn more. what inspired me to write about it today, was when I went to Jara Market, I was looking around for something to do, like everything there was on display for selling purposes or food consumption. but it doesn't envolve the visitor much, and people are on the recieving end most of the time. even in universities, its like its a job to be a student and I think its awful. when did learning stop being attractive? do you think our community and surrounding encourages learning?
I was talking to one guy at Jara who sold Mosaics, then I thought to myself, why don't they bring the material and let ppl do their mosaic themselves, it would be more meaningful and engaging, I do believe a tourist would want to try making mosaics or pottery while in the market, and not have to go to madaba to do it.
one of the things I found fascinating in the market in Istanbul is that sellers spoke Arabic, English, French, Turkish, spanish and Japanese! they are quite exposed to cultures, while our average JO, doesn't know much and is sucked in, we have a language center at JU , why don't they hold an open day for public not only students and give basic 1 hour classes around the day! we have resources, Im trying to address a community that really has no access to learning beyond formal education. the most important stuff we learned, we didn't learn them at schools. we gained them by practice.
this open day I attended, everything was free and all institutes from dance to fitness to languages and coaching engaged all age groups on the campus throughout the day and offered their services if you want to sign up later, so you get to provide something for free for the community but it pays back because at the end of the open day, you get people wanting to sign up and I believe its worth it. learning events is as important as cultural events.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Saturday, 15 August 2009
Peace is a full time Job, Peace Keepers on the ground
Peace is not just a colored ribbon, its more than a wrist band or a T-shirt.
Its not just a donation or a 5 K race.It's not just a folk song, or a white dove. And peace is certainly more than a celebrity endorsement. Peace is a full time job. It's protecting civilians, overseeing elections, and disarming ex-combatants. The UN has over 100,000 Peacekeepers on the ground, in places others can't or won't go, doing things others can't or won't do. Peace, like war, must be waged.
Its not just a donation or a 5 K race.It's not just a folk song, or a white dove. And peace is certainly more than a celebrity endorsement. Peace is a full time job. It's protecting civilians, overseeing elections, and disarming ex-combatants. The UN has over 100,000 Peacekeepers on the ground, in places others can't or won't go, doing things others can't or won't do. Peace, like war, must be waged.
Saturday, 18 April 2009
on Homosexuality, lets give it some thought
Two adults of the same sex are attracted to one another. They wish to express that attraction physically. to live together with the same legal and social support that they would receive as a heterosexual couple, to adopt children, and to bring them up in a family home. Is what they wish to do morally right?
Until the 1967 sexual offenses act, homosexual acts between consenting male adults were regarded as crime in Britain. they were then made legal for those who had reached the age of 21 ( as opposed to heterosexual acts, which are legal from the age of 16 ) In some Muslim countries, following strict Shari'ah laws, homosexuality is punishable by death. By contrast, in classical Greece, homosexual love was widely practiced and socially acceptable. there is therefore no universally held view about homosexuality and its place in society.
since homosexuality involves what used to be called ' unnatural acts ', it is a particularly suitable to test 'natural law' as an ethical theory.
this is how 'natural law' argument might view that homosexual partnership:
- According to natural law, the purpose of sex is procreation, since homosexual acts cannot lead to conception, they are 'unnatural' and therefore wrong.
- on this basis, heterosexual acts within a stable relationship ( i.e one that enable children to be nurtured ) or celibacy are the only morally acceptable sexual choices.
- because of this there is no moral objection according to natural law principles to the couple living together, or feeling attracted to one another, the only objection is to any physical sexual acts that may take place between them.
- because they can't form a 'natural' family group, a natural law argument would suggest that homosexual couples should not be allowed to adopt children, who naturally thrive only with the benefit of both mother and father role models.
Against the line of Arguement:
One might argue that the presence of sexual organs in a human being imples that he or she is designed for sexual activity and the conception of children - in which case celibacy is as unnatural as homosexuality, since it is a denial of the complete natural function of procreation. if this is established, then it is illogical to accept a celibate partnership between those who are sexually attracted.
some people are naturally attracted by members of the same sex. they experience their feelings as completely natural, and difficulties that arise are the result of the social condition, not nature.
Sexuality can be said to achieve three ends:
physical pleasure
the deepening of a relationship
the conception of children
of which 1/3 is precluded by homosexual relationships. But is not the search for pleasure and for deep relationships as natural as the conception of children? if a marriage is known to be infertile, are heterosexual acts between its partners therefore immoral simply because conception is impossible?
Marriage is a social function, and promiscuity can be practised equally by homosexuals and heterosexuals. the fact that homosexual couples cannot marry does not preclude deep and permanent relationships.
If a homosexual couple form a stable relationship, they may be able to offer children a home that is, at the very least, as valuable to their upbringing as one in which there is either a single parent, or a heterosexual couple with a bad relationship. Hence, it would seem illogical to discriminate in this matter.
the above is an extract of a book I am reading.
answer this :
Is what they wish to do morally right?
my answer is yup.
Until the 1967 sexual offenses act, homosexual acts between consenting male adults were regarded as crime in Britain. they were then made legal for those who had reached the age of 21 ( as opposed to heterosexual acts, which are legal from the age of 16 ) In some Muslim countries, following strict Shari'ah laws, homosexuality is punishable by death. By contrast, in classical Greece, homosexual love was widely practiced and socially acceptable. there is therefore no universally held view about homosexuality and its place in society.
since homosexuality involves what used to be called ' unnatural acts ', it is a particularly suitable to test 'natural law' as an ethical theory.
this is how 'natural law' argument might view that homosexual partnership:
- According to natural law, the purpose of sex is procreation, since homosexual acts cannot lead to conception, they are 'unnatural' and therefore wrong.
- on this basis, heterosexual acts within a stable relationship ( i.e one that enable children to be nurtured ) or celibacy are the only morally acceptable sexual choices.
- because of this there is no moral objection according to natural law principles to the couple living together, or feeling attracted to one another, the only objection is to any physical sexual acts that may take place between them.
- because they can't form a 'natural' family group, a natural law argument would suggest that homosexual couples should not be allowed to adopt children, who naturally thrive only with the benefit of both mother and father role models.
Against the line of Arguement:
One might argue that the presence of sexual organs in a human being imples that he or she is designed for sexual activity and the conception of children - in which case celibacy is as unnatural as homosexuality, since it is a denial of the complete natural function of procreation. if this is established, then it is illogical to accept a celibate partnership between those who are sexually attracted.
some people are naturally attracted by members of the same sex. they experience their feelings as completely natural, and difficulties that arise are the result of the social condition, not nature.
Sexuality can be said to achieve three ends:
physical pleasure
the deepening of a relationship
the conception of children
of which 1/3 is precluded by homosexual relationships. But is not the search for pleasure and for deep relationships as natural as the conception of children? if a marriage is known to be infertile, are heterosexual acts between its partners therefore immoral simply because conception is impossible?
Marriage is a social function, and promiscuity can be practised equally by homosexuals and heterosexuals. the fact that homosexual couples cannot marry does not preclude deep and permanent relationships.
If a homosexual couple form a stable relationship, they may be able to offer children a home that is, at the very least, as valuable to their upbringing as one in which there is either a single parent, or a heterosexual couple with a bad relationship. Hence, it would seem illogical to discriminate in this matter.
the above is an extract of a book I am reading.
answer this :
Is what they wish to do morally right?
my answer is yup.
Friday, 12 December 2008
DIGNITY LEAVES GAZA WITH 11 PALESTINIAN STUDENTS
(GAZA PORT, GAZA - 11 December 2008) - The Free Gaza Ship “Dignity,”
departed from Gaza International Port at 22:10 hours, Thursday 11
December. Aboard the ship were eleven Palestinian students who had been
denied exit by Israel to attend their universities abroad. Over 700
students are currently trapped in Gaza, unable to obtain permission from
Israel to continue their education.
Accompanying the students are two British academics, Jonathan Rosenhead
and Mike Cushman, of the London School of Economics and the British
Committee for Universities for Palestine (BRICUP), an organization of
UK-based academics responding to Palestine's Call for an Academic Boycott
of Israel.
According to Rosenhead and Cushman, “As academics we are particularly
pleased to be traveling on the Dignity on this mission to enable at least
some of the hundreds of students trapped in Gaza by the Israeli siege to
get out and take up their places at universities round the world. This
siege is an affront to any idea of academic freedom or human rights. How
can anyone justify preventing young people from fulfilling their potential
and learning how to serve their community more fully?”
In an act of nonviolent defiance to the ongoing Israeli Occupation of
Palestine, the Free Gaza Movement has been running civil resistance ships
to Gaza for several months. This voyage is the fourth such trip, helping
to reunite families, and delivering medical supplies, mail, and
international humanitarian and human rights workers to besieged Gaza.
Free Gaza spokesperson Ewa Jasiewicz stated that, “Though we carried in a
ton of medical supplies and high-protein baby formula on our ship, our
mission in Gaza was not to provide charity, but to give our solidarity to
the people of Palestine, break the silence of the world over this
continuing calamity, and physically break through the blockade of Gaza in
an act of direct resistance against the siege. In the end, the oppression
and humiliation of Occupation assaults the humanity of both occupier and
occupied and cannot and must not be tolerated any longer.”
For over two years, Israel has imposed an increasingly severe blockade on
Gaza, dramatically increasing poverty and malnutrition rates among the 1.5
million human people who live in this tiny, coastal region.
Osama Qashoo, another Free Gaza spokesperson, explained their success by
saying that, “the sea passage to Gaza is open. Our fourth mission was a
quick response to Israel denying earlier attempts by Libya, Qatar and by
Palestinians from 1948 to also break through the siege. We hope that other
nations, civil society organizations, and activists around the world will
learn from our experience, be strategic in their planning, and not let
Israeli threats and aggression stop them from coming to Gaza. Freedom of
movement and of education, and to live in peace is everyone’s right.”
[Source]
For More Information, please contact:
(Gaza) Caoimhe Butterly, +972 598 273 960
(Cyprus/Gaza) Lubna Masarwa, +972 505 633 044
(Cyprus) Ramzi Kysia , +357 99 081 76
Further Reading [Here]
:)
departed from Gaza International Port at 22:10 hours, Thursday 11
December. Aboard the ship were eleven Palestinian students who had been
denied exit by Israel to attend their universities abroad. Over 700
students are currently trapped in Gaza, unable to obtain permission from
Israel to continue their education.
Accompanying the students are two British academics, Jonathan Rosenhead
and Mike Cushman, of the London School of Economics and the British
Committee for Universities for Palestine (BRICUP), an organization of
UK-based academics responding to Palestine's Call for an Academic Boycott
of Israel.
According to Rosenhead and Cushman, “As academics we are particularly
pleased to be traveling on the Dignity on this mission to enable at least
some of the hundreds of students trapped in Gaza by the Israeli siege to
get out and take up their places at universities round the world. This
siege is an affront to any idea of academic freedom or human rights. How
can anyone justify preventing young people from fulfilling their potential
and learning how to serve their community more fully?”
In an act of nonviolent defiance to the ongoing Israeli Occupation of
Palestine, the Free Gaza Movement has been running civil resistance ships
to Gaza for several months. This voyage is the fourth such trip, helping
to reunite families, and delivering medical supplies, mail, and
international humanitarian and human rights workers to besieged Gaza.
Free Gaza spokesperson Ewa Jasiewicz stated that, “Though we carried in a
ton of medical supplies and high-protein baby formula on our ship, our
mission in Gaza was not to provide charity, but to give our solidarity to
the people of Palestine, break the silence of the world over this
continuing calamity, and physically break through the blockade of Gaza in
an act of direct resistance against the siege. In the end, the oppression
and humiliation of Occupation assaults the humanity of both occupier and
occupied and cannot and must not be tolerated any longer.”
For over two years, Israel has imposed an increasingly severe blockade on
Gaza, dramatically increasing poverty and malnutrition rates among the 1.5
million human people who live in this tiny, coastal region.
Osama Qashoo, another Free Gaza spokesperson, explained their success by
saying that, “the sea passage to Gaza is open. Our fourth mission was a
quick response to Israel denying earlier attempts by Libya, Qatar and by
Palestinians from 1948 to also break through the siege. We hope that other
nations, civil society organizations, and activists around the world will
learn from our experience, be strategic in their planning, and not let
Israeli threats and aggression stop them from coming to Gaza. Freedom of
movement and of education, and to live in peace is everyone’s right.”
[Source]
For More Information, please contact:
(Gaza) Caoimhe Butterly, +972 598 273 960
(Cyprus/Gaza) Lubna Masarwa, +972 505 633 044
(Cyprus) Ramzi Kysia , +357 99 081 76
Further Reading [Here]
:)
Thursday, 4 December 2008
FREEDOM
we don't need to be affiliated with anything to produce and we don't need massive resources or national agencies to make a difference, the things that we care for ain't gonna change by waiting for someone to hold a torch and no matter how great a person can be, he/she can't and won't score alone.
There is something I don't know if you know, but I noticed it recently; there are people around the globe who would help and understand and support our cause, but they know nothing..
The sound.
I want to make sound.
On one hand, we have this close up to our status and its awfully burdening, but on the other hand, no one knows what is going in your mind, they know nothing!!!
what cause am I talking about? I am talking about the Palestinian people. I dont want to be pro anything, pro Fateh or Hamas, Two State, One State, No State, Any State, I dont want to be part of any organization. I want to speak my mind saying that this is not right and it should not pass by and its so wrong to be silent. I don't want to use big words, I want to hear myself speaking. I have been silent for so long.
There are people who know nothing about it and are AMONG US, I dont need to go far.
I know what it feels like for us, in Jordan, the Middle East when we bring it up and how we can't foresee it solved soon but you should. I know many issues jumble the picture in the mind, really, I do know all this.
but you can't give it up, and you have to admit that you did and you do, how can you just allow people being killed miles from you? it might happen to you one day, maybe its our silence that giving it way ,, we need to say and keep saying NO loud and clear!
Those who work for UN in New York and Geneva are doing a Job at the end of the day, those who work for any government are doing a job too. its stupid, but Jobs are Jobs and roles are roles but they do not put people first. YOU KNOW THAT, YOU SEE IT EVERYDAY...
you at your job, do your job because you could be loving it, and it covers your expenses, but at the end of the day, there are people who won't even have the privilege of a safe life or a resource to depend on, living in constant fear and demolition threats of everything you ever worked for to be shattered in split second. would you allow that to happen to you now?
I didn't know what to write about Gaza, I thought to myself, I would be just another reaction to the status where no one remembers it except when it gets to a peak that the media must cover, so its just people reporting it and doing their job.
I don't care about your title, I don't care about your affliations, I really don't care about how many people listen to you and what your stance is.
but you must agree that what is going there is wrong, and my question for you now is
why are you silent ???? can you think of deliverable for a small change?
I won't let you down
I will not give you up
Gotta have some faith in the sound
It's the one good thing that I've got
I won't let you down
So please don't give me up
There is something I don't know if you know, but I noticed it recently; there are people around the globe who would help and understand and support our cause, but they know nothing..
The sound.
I want to make sound.
On one hand, we have this close up to our status and its awfully burdening, but on the other hand, no one knows what is going in your mind, they know nothing!!!
what cause am I talking about? I am talking about the Palestinian people. I dont want to be pro anything, pro Fateh or Hamas, Two State, One State, No State, Any State, I dont want to be part of any organization. I want to speak my mind saying that this is not right and it should not pass by and its so wrong to be silent. I don't want to use big words, I want to hear myself speaking. I have been silent for so long.
There are people who know nothing about it and are AMONG US, I dont need to go far.
I know what it feels like for us, in Jordan, the Middle East when we bring it up and how we can't foresee it solved soon but you should. I know many issues jumble the picture in the mind, really, I do know all this.
but you can't give it up, and you have to admit that you did and you do, how can you just allow people being killed miles from you? it might happen to you one day, maybe its our silence that giving it way ,, we need to say and keep saying NO loud and clear!
Those who work for UN in New York and Geneva are doing a Job at the end of the day, those who work for any government are doing a job too. its stupid, but Jobs are Jobs and roles are roles but they do not put people first. YOU KNOW THAT, YOU SEE IT EVERYDAY...
you at your job, do your job because you could be loving it, and it covers your expenses, but at the end of the day, there are people who won't even have the privilege of a safe life or a resource to depend on, living in constant fear and demolition threats of everything you ever worked for to be shattered in split second. would you allow that to happen to you now?
I didn't know what to write about Gaza, I thought to myself, I would be just another reaction to the status where no one remembers it except when it gets to a peak that the media must cover, so its just people reporting it and doing their job.
I don't care about your title, I don't care about your affliations, I really don't care about how many people listen to you and what your stance is.
but you must agree that what is going there is wrong, and my question for you now is
why are you silent ???? can you think of deliverable for a small change?
I won't let you down
I will not give you up
Gotta have some faith in the sound
It's the one good thing that I've got
I won't let you down
So please don't give me up
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
The Classrooms
So far we have said that we have big student numbers in the classes, students mostly don't know what they signed up for after Tawjihi, There is a significant number of bad teachers in this University and now I want to address the Classrooms
مدرج 2 - اعمال / مقابله حمام يستحق الزيارة
In university requirement classes like General Safety Principles, Ecology, and other courses where a class has at least 150+ students from different faculties, teachers use big old projectors and transparency paper slides of the actual book pages or exact passages, -yup they still use those, fine if you wanna use it for a graph but text, I don't think so- the teacher goes over the content in a one man show, reading off , alone! there is no use of attending these classes, the exam is a multiple choice that you know you would pass if you read the book, a total waste of energy and most of these classes are too boring, a bigger class requires a variety of methods to keep students focused, believe me I tried to stay focused on what he is saying in military science, in horticulture, but I couldn't. I lose the lecturer at least twice during the class and I am quite a good listener, the Arabic 101 , 102 books and instructors are terrible. Check the books for yourself. we don't take "أدب عربي و تعبير فكري عربي" we take " بصم عربي و كيفية النفاق بالعربي "
In other classes towards the humanitarian faculties some Drs do some underlining in the class while reading to students, students attend these classes because attendance is mandatory and most of the time you have to stick to the seat number, the only question a student would ask is " is this chapter included in the exam? "
Speaking of questions, shouldn't a class provoke questions? 80% of the classes rarely raise questions from students, most of the time, Drs don't like to be interrupted and some of those Drs give you an impression that you are stupid to ask such a question or " inta mish mtabbe3 3ashan heik ma fhimet aw shiklak mish fa6er ". bil 3arabi bisharshe7u bi karamtak il ard iza 7akait mish fahem.. few and really really few Drs welcome a student saying I didn't understand what you just said in class.
لقد تعلمنا ان لا نسأل
We didn't learn the philosophy of science, we didn't dedicate classes for the scientific method, how to reason, what is critical thinking, all this got embedded in the definition of a major and the procedures they teach but truly students don't know what it means. we didn't learn how concepts are formulated, we don't learn PHILOSOPHY. contemplate this action's consequences. its a personal request.
There are Drs who teach wrong information, students correct their math on board and teachers give non convincing answers or bullshit their way out of it making it mission impossible to understand, literally, leaving behind holes in the students' brain, Drs won't think outside their notes that they want to fill up the board with, students end up signing with such a Dr because he has easy grades or mi7taker il maddeh.
Good students are the ones who learned to study alone.Through self-study and reading beyond course requirements in the text book
Drs who do power point presentations / use computer applications have to stick to the rooms that have "a data show" so its either the computer lab, the room with a key, or they would ask the secretary to give them the department data show and guess what,, these doctors use the whole fifty minutes reading off the presentation while the lights are off which is a nap atmosphere, in this kind of classes where the lecture is the presentation, students don't even read the book, we were not given any background reading to do, NEVER, I don't remember being asked for assigned reading, I was not asked about looking up a subject for discussion, very few did discussions and was in 5th year classes, they gave us weekly quizes and homework problem sets, some were very demanding but for the sake of it, few Drs did care that we understand, they spent the time showing us how problems are solved numerically, and asking us to do the same, a series of direct instructions, stick to the notes and the power point presentation, the past papers and you will pass, whatever report we did, there was a perfect answer that needs to be written.
The least attention is given to the Laboratories and conducting experiments, sometimes we were able to finish the lab in 30 minutes out of three hours, there was always past reports to look at and fill the tables, students don't pay attention since its a credit hour, but it is where we really apply what we are learning and I can't really put it in words, its bad. go see for yourself. the labs are old and very badly equipped, especially mechanical engineering labs, automation, control, thermal fluids.
Teachers in JU don't know how to be class facilitators, they don't bother reading the room, knowing the students on a personal level, don't know that a human brain disconnects after 50 minutes in 1 hour 30 minutes class, they don't know that they should give breaks, that they should include activities in class, that he needs to set expectations for the class and agree with the students on some ground rules, he should use variety of tools, flow charts, colors, videos, ppts, reading assignments, problem sets, and web pages and discussions. he should watch his tone of voice that it won't remain monotonous through the lecture, he should know that that who scribbles in class is not totally absent minded and most of all...
لا تستعملوا اسلوب التخويف
There is a truth, we are very much behind when it comes to teachers and technology. I can think of 3 Drs in the electrical engineering department who have a webpage, the rest don't. I swear a Dr in the Mechanical Engineering Department asked us to write him an e-mail so he would send us the presentations back instead of uploading it to a website, he replied back to fifty something student, I SWEAR.. The Computer Engineering Dept staff Webpages are still of Web 1.0 form. its still a one way communication, log on and check the announcements and download files, that's it, there are no online discussions, there are Drs who don't reply e-mails, and there are Drs who can't be found in their offices quite often, so you can say communication is not impossible but it does very sincerely SUCK!! not to mention if you are a girl, some Drs exhibit a sense of discomfort dealing with a female student, and this is so evident, they won't look you in the eye, and you have to be super polite when talking to them. the female voice is so silent, so non existent, girls sitting next to each other, in one row, questioning too little, having the group distribution automatically labeled as " the girls group " they always said girls commit to studying better, master the homeworks, but the guys are the better engineers! you wanna know why, because they go easy on girls when its a practical assignment! girls get a preferential treatment in classes. It makes others politer but reserves incompetency attitude towards females. guys always joke about female incompetency in my faculty, it was never not there.
As for the competency test, you can find the result file for Fall 07/08 here, it includes the Gender, Nationality, University, ID number, Tawjihi Grade, GPA, Exam Score and Rank. I omitted the names column.
how did the results turn this way,, its another story =)
Support Worthy Student Activities - IEEE Jordan University Student Branch
Students / Professors Must Check - Wesch Classroom
why don't the branch students make a training session for the Drs on web 2.0 applications that can be used in the classroom ?? courses would give a drive for the classmates to work collectively and learn and lets say make wikis of knowledge by the end of the term that is a product of what you have done with the Dr .. WHAT YOU THINK?
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Sunday, 17 August 2008
The University of Jordan: The Voices
I went to The university of Jordan today, with a camera, a laptop and papers. I wanted to finish my writing on the University classrooms, but eventually I started asking students randomly:
لو التلك انو انت جزء من ادارة هاي الجامعة و انت طلعلك تغير اشياء فيها... شو بتغير؟ شو الاشياء اللي بتدايأك هون و شو بتغير فيها لحتى تكون تجربتك بالجامعة احسن من وجهة نظرك؟ احكي بالطريقة اللي يتريحك
whenever they started talking, I asked them to write their thoughts on a piece of paper, and I asked them to write their initials and the faculty they study in. in the beggining I used to ask if they mind having their picture taken while holding the paper, no one really agreed to that because :/ I don't know.. you tell me??
I didn't want to put these answers in a post reflecting my point of view and what I made of them, but I related with everything they said, and I will give my input in the coming post.
I wanted you to read these writings in their raw form, I asked them to write in their own words whether 3ammieh, Arabic, English, everyone decided to write in Arabic..
اتمنى، يا ريت لو، ماذا لو .... و هيك حكوا
بسمح للطلاب يحضروا حصص زيادة ازى كانوا مهتمين و بسمحلهم يستعملوا الالات الموسيقية
Y.H كلية الفنون دفعة 2007
وجود عدد اكبر من المساعدين للطلبة او تعليم المساعدة للاشخاص المسؤؤلين عن ذلك
D.B Business School
smile always انا ما دخلني كطالبة شو الاوضاع الي بمر فيها الموظف ، its not professional..
D.B Business School
اتمنى لو كان هناك مجلس طلبة حقيقي يمثل الطلبة و يكون هناك انشطة تزيد من الوعي المجتمعي و ليس مجلس طلبة يقوم على المعارف و العائلة
A.M Med School
التخلص من قضية العشائرية
M.K Med School 2005
التخلص من الاحزاب السياسية، وجود مواطنين غير اردنيين في هذه الجامعة عندما يقومون بمظاهرات داخل الجامعة يقومون بسب و شتم عشائر البلد و شتم الحكومة و نحن كطلاب اردنيين لا نطيق هذه الاحزاب مع ايماننا بوجود احزاب و لكن ليس يهذه الطريقة
A.H الانسانية
لو كان هناك نظام علامات اكثر عدالة و غير نظام الحروف
ِِA.M Med School
الاردنية اول جامعة و قعت على جهاز لابتوب لكل طالب و الى الان لم يستلم اي طالب مقارنة بالجامعات الاخرى مثل الهاشمية اللي باشرت بتوزيع الاجهزة
N.K كلية الاداب
ماذا لو تغير بعض الاساذة المحترمين و ابدلوهم باساتذة يمتلكون القدرة الكافية في التعامل و التواصل مع الطلبة ادبيا و فكريا قبل ان يكون علميا
ماذا لو امتلك بعض الطلبة الجرأة على الاعتراض على بعض القرارات التي تتخذها الجامعة دون ان يكون هناك اتخاذ اي اجراء ضد الطالب من اي نوع و ليس ان نوافق و نومىء برؤوسنا دون ان نفهم او ان نمتلك حتى ابسط الحقوق و هو التفكير بالشيء
ماذا لو تنوعت الاحزاب و الاراء السياسية و اعطيت حرية التعبير دون التأثير على امن الجامعة و الوطن
The previous three entries are by A.N Electrical Engineering Student
The previous three entries are by A.N Electrical Engineering Student
اتمنى ان يتغير مدرسين الجامعة لانه يوجد بها مدرسين على غير كفاءة و يتقاضون رواتبهم بدم بارد دون جهد. و ان تتغير قوانين الجامعة بخصصوص الدراسات العليا و قوانين امتحان التوفل، اسعار الدراسات العليا اعلى من اسعار باقي الجامعات الحكومية
H.S Masters Student
تغيير اساليب التدريس الانها اساليب قديمة و غيرعملية و التركيز على الجانب العملي و المطلوب في مجال العمل و الوطيفة
الاء ع كلية الاداب
EVERYONE I SPOKE TO AGREED THAT THE ACADEMIC STAFF IS BAD AND THAT THE TEACHING METHODS ARE OUTDATED.
I spoke to an international student from Taiwan, he said there are no signs inside the university and the only places he knows are the language center and the library, and he wrote:
improve the teaching skills in the language center
improve the working efficency of staff
extend the open time of library
ps: I will upload each paper after doing a scan when i get home because i didn't write everything on the papers.
Sunday, 10 August 2008
The University of Jordan - Part 2
2- Admission Issues
Upon finishing Tawjihi and applying to University Admission, we all know that the application form includes all Jordanian universities in the kingdom, with over 60 bachelor programs in JU alone.
Assume I just finished Tawjihi and I wanted to explore my choices, what I hope for is that Tawjihi graduates spend some time searching between university websites - instead of deep thinking and contemplation which the form suggests - to find study plans, I have been looking up the Jordanian universities websites, regardless of what i think of them [tailored for students or other purposes], but the information is accessible, and I think lots of useful information got uploaded, but as I was looking at it from a new student perspective, I will definitely want someone to tell me whats the difference between those majors for example;
Next:
3 - The University of Jordan Classroom
4 - The Student - Teacher Relationship
5 - Women in The University of Jordan
Upon finishing Tawjihi and applying to University Admission, we all know that the application form includes all Jordanian universities in the kingdom, with over 60 bachelor programs in JU alone.
Assume I just finished Tawjihi and I wanted to explore my choices, what I hope for is that Tawjihi graduates spend some time searching between university websites - instead of deep thinking and contemplation which the form suggests - to find study plans, I have been looking up the Jordanian universities websites, regardless of what i think of them [tailored for students or other purposes], but the information is accessible, and I think lots of useful information got uploaded, but as I was looking at it from a new student perspective, I will definitely want someone to tell me whats the difference between those majors for example;
نظم معلومات ادارية - اردنية
انظمة المعلومات الحاسوبية - اردنية
انظمة معلومات الاعمال - اردنية
علم الحاسوب - مؤتة
علم الحاسوب و تطبيقاته - هاشمية
نظم المعلومات المحاسبية - البلقاء التطبيقية
نظم المعلومات الحاسوبية - علوم و تكنولوجيا
هندسة الحاسوب
هندسة البرمجيات
هندسة نظم الحاسوب
Whom should I contact or seek sound professional advice from? for example this page offers a very good description of courses offered in IT Dept, the study plan is available as well, but I definitely need a Professor's e-mail in case I had questions, because I know I don't want to rely on word of mouth for my next four years at college like Khouloud said, " il kullieh il afya3 willa illi feeha s7abi" "Thaqafet il 3aib - Med/Eng/Law for wajaha"
where will this degree put me on the working map and does it match what I want to do? what am I going to learn??
Another thing that is absolutely important is to include recent Graduates' testimonies. yes! I want to see a recent two year grad's picture, GPA, name and speaking of how this program helped him/her in his practical life [ practical advice ] and what positions they are working at and whether the program is relevant or not, so if it wasn't they'd start fixing through feedback. I want to be able to have some knowledge of what technologies the departments introduced in the past 3 years, how they used it, not in a form of a report, I would like to sample some work done by students whether in projects, or papers.. show us how you are using the facilities and what you are doing in your classrooms. you bought a one quarter of a million machine for the science faculty, its new, we wanna see what you will do with it!
انظمة المعلومات الحاسوبية - اردنية
انظمة معلومات الاعمال - اردنية
علم الحاسوب - مؤتة
علم الحاسوب و تطبيقاته - هاشمية
نظم المعلومات المحاسبية - البلقاء التطبيقية
نظم المعلومات الحاسوبية - علوم و تكنولوجيا
هندسة الحاسوب
هندسة البرمجيات
هندسة نظم الحاسوب
Whom should I contact or seek sound professional advice from? for example this page offers a very good description of courses offered in IT Dept, the study plan is available as well, but I definitely need a Professor's e-mail in case I had questions, because I know I don't want to rely on word of mouth for my next four years at college like Khouloud said, " il kullieh il afya3 willa illi feeha s7abi" "Thaqafet il 3aib - Med/Eng/Law for wajaha"
where will this degree put me on the working map and does it match what I want to do? what am I going to learn??
Another thing that is absolutely important is to include recent Graduates' testimonies. yes! I want to see a recent two year grad's picture, GPA, name and speaking of how this program helped him/her in his practical life [ practical advice ] and what positions they are working at and whether the program is relevant or not, so if it wasn't they'd start fixing through feedback. I want to be able to have some knowledge of what technologies the departments introduced in the past 3 years, how they used it, not in a form of a report, I would like to sample some work done by students whether in projects, or papers.. show us how you are using the facilities and what you are doing in your classrooms. you bought a one quarter of a million machine for the science faculty, its new, we wanna see what you will do with it!
If you check the website you will find the following portal, in the faculty of Engineering they recently introduced " دليل الطالب المستجد " I don't think this is enough, I am sorry. I don't think that if I am going to do a BSc all over again, I would base my decision on this introduction especially if I was an international student or a person who survived Tawjihi and scored over 92%
Some universities add few general tests and questionnaire to help the student decide if this program is suitable for them and their ambition or not, putting students in perspective of future working environment, lots of students were disappointed by the type of classes they took at school because they didn't think its gonna be this way though they willingly signed for the program. so yeah. including those or linking to some of these tests online can help the student make a decision.
Another idea I was thinking of is to give this form to 9th grade students so they would know that there are hundreds of majors offered in schools, and thats its not Med/Eng/Law/CS in Jordan
making a yearly edition from صوت الطلبة magazine to show new comers some graduate examples speaking and where they are working in Jordan is another idea, some fun tests to make so they would know more about their interests avoiding signing up for the wrong major.
If we get rid of the notion that we are lucky & privileged to get to join JU and criticize this institution where it should and show the strength of programs in other Jordanian Universities, JU staff will wake up from their given slumber and remember that they have to compete to maintain its reputation.
Some universities add few general tests and questionnaire to help the student decide if this program is suitable for them and their ambition or not, putting students in perspective of future working environment, lots of students were disappointed by the type of classes they took at school because they didn't think its gonna be this way though they willingly signed for the program. so yeah. including those or linking to some of these tests online can help the student make a decision.
Another idea I was thinking of is to give this form to 9th grade students so they would know that there are hundreds of majors offered in schools, and thats its not Med/Eng/Law/CS in Jordan
making a yearly edition from صوت الطلبة magazine to show new comers some graduate examples speaking and where they are working in Jordan is another idea, some fun tests to make so they would know more about their interests avoiding signing up for the wrong major.
If we get rid of the notion that we are lucky & privileged to get to join JU and criticize this institution where it should and show the strength of programs in other Jordanian Universities, JU staff will wake up from their given slumber and remember that they have to compete to maintain its reputation.
Next:
3 - The University of Jordan Classroom
4 - The Student - Teacher Relationship
5 - Women in The University of Jordan
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
The University of Jordan: A Different Overview
"Jordan University is the best University in Jordan"
i will argue against this by underlining that Jordan University is the Largest, the First but surly not the best, i will try to state my reasons;
1 - The Problem of Administration and Numbers:
some Figures from the academic year 2005/2006:
Enrolled Students: 35,546
Academic Staff: 1177
Administrative Staff: 2578
Graduates: 7325
Operating Budget: 80,808,000 Dinars
Allocated Budget for Research: 650,000 Dinars
Published Books: 7 !!!
Important note ; does the Administrative staff set any goals to be achieved by the Academic staff through the students? i guess each has different interests!
The administrative staff cares to run the process / to manage 35000 student, so a student is reduced to a number in a process that has lots of holes, while the academic staff is limited with department budgets, and overwhelmed by procedures that need to be taken in order to break the ingrained bureaucracy in the system, i believe there is a communication failure due to the overwhelming amount of paper work and official letters needed to get anything approved, i don't think that the university is understaffed but it has absurd protocols between academic faculty staff/academic administrative faculty staff/central administrative units/deanship of student affairs and the president office. i think they should get facebooked!!
I hope you drew a picture by now, now lets zoom in for a bit, here are the figures for the faculty of engineering and technology student distribution;
The total number of students is approximately 5000 students, distributed on 8 departments where a department is responsible for 400 - 800 students! every department has its cleaning staff, secretary, chairperson, technicians, labs, inventory, technicians and running all this is part of the faculty management and not the central management, it is overwhelming in a way!
I think that the management in the faculties need to be re examined so staff members can have more free time to spend it working with the students and not in their offices, create a less complicated protocols between units, so faculties can have "a culture", "a life" , " an academic orientation towards clear goals" , without needing this bulk of entities that need to be informed to get it moving. real content and real work.
to be continued..
i will argue against this by underlining that Jordan University is the Largest, the First but surly not the best, i will try to state my reasons;
1 - The Problem of Administration and Numbers:
some Figures from the academic year 2005/2006:
Enrolled Students: 35,546
Academic Staff: 1177
Administrative Staff: 2578
Graduates: 7325
Operating Budget: 80,808,000 Dinars
Allocated Budget for Research: 650,000 Dinars
Published Books: 7 !!!
[source]
Apparently the numbers are saying something, the question that comes to my mind is who among the 3755 staff members cares about one student's academic performance or ever asked about his/her collective academic work over the course of the study years? what i noticed is that as long as i am enrolled, paying the tuition, my GPA is above 2, whatever I'm doing is irrelevant to any worker in this place. nobody cares, which leaves me with a question that begs itself to be asked, how does the university measure its success? what are the parameters ? will the vision differ with the next university president? should we rely on the GPA distribution to tell? or should we ask future employers about the fresh grads performance? this is kept for a later post to be discussed.Important note ; does the Administrative staff set any goals to be achieved by the Academic staff through the students? i guess each has different interests!
The administrative staff cares to run the process / to manage 35000 student, so a student is reduced to a number in a process that has lots of holes, while the academic staff is limited with department budgets, and overwhelmed by procedures that need to be taken in order to break the ingrained bureaucracy in the system, i believe there is a communication failure due to the overwhelming amount of paper work and official letters needed to get anything approved, i don't think that the university is understaffed but it has absurd protocols between academic faculty staff/academic administrative faculty staff/central administrative units/deanship of student affairs and the president office. i think they should get facebooked!!
I hope you drew a picture by now, now lets zoom in for a bit, here are the figures for the faculty of engineering and technology student distribution;
| BSc Scholars of Fall 06/07 | Civil | Architecture | Electrical | Mechanical | Chemical | Industrial | Computer | Mechatronics |
| 1st year female | 44 | 139 | 20 | 10 | 71 | 78 | 79 | 23 |
| 2nd year female | 52 | 111 | 19 | 7 | 58 | 78 | 79 | 17 |
| 3rd year female | 58 | 98 | 15 | 2 | 53 | 59 | 44 | 13 |
| 4th year female | 53 | 88 | 12 | 3 | 61 | 54 | 31 | 13 |
| 5th year femlae | 39 | 72 | 6 | 3 | 37 | 47 | 24 | 9 |
| male students from all years | 560 | 192 | 604 | 451 | 94 | 357 | 412 | 479 |
| female total | 246 | 508 | 72 | 25 | 280 | 316 | 257 | 75 |
| department total | 806 | 700 | 676 | 476 | 374 | 673 | 669 | 554 |
| female ratio % | 30.52 | 72.57 | 10.65 | 5.25 | 74.87 | 46.95 | 38.42 | 13.54 |
| BSc Scholars of Fall 06/07 | Chemical | Industrial | Computer | Mechatrnics |
| 1st year female | 71 | 78 | 79 | 23 |
| 2nd year female | 58 | 78 | 79 | 17 |
| 3rd year female | 53 | 59 | 44 | 13 |
| 4th year female | 61 | 54 | 31 | 13 |
| 5th year female | 37 | 47 | 24 | 9 |
| male students from all years | 94 | 357 | 412 | 479 |
| female total | 280 | 316 | 257 | 75 |
| epartment total | 374 | 673 | 669 | 554 |
| female Ratio % | 74.87 | 46.95 | 38.42 | 13.54 |
The total number of students is approximately 5000 students, distributed on 8 departments where a department is responsible for 400 - 800 students! every department has its cleaning staff, secretary, chairperson, technicians, labs, inventory, technicians and running all this is part of the faculty management and not the central management, it is overwhelming in a way!
I think that the management in the faculties need to be re examined so staff members can have more free time to spend it working with the students and not in their offices, create a less complicated protocols between units, so faculties can have "a culture", "a life" , " an academic orientation towards clear goals" , without needing this bulk of entities that need to be informed to get it moving. real content and real work.
to be continued..
Thursday, 31 July 2008
Late Post: Graduation Ceremony
whats the difference between a graduation ceremony @ The University of Jordan and a football match between Al Faisaly and Al Wehdat?
surprise, surprise .. they are exactly the same that i can tell that people can't tell the difference, expressing excitement, one way to fit all occasions.
A faculty that has 800 graduates in one academic year where every grad gets to invite five family members, here are some observations from that day being a grad in one, and an attendant in another;
you will find big Cheering banners with the graduate's name and even ones similar to elections campaigns where the whole extended family comes in a bus though the card says " don't bring kids with you [they might get lost] " along with drums and sometimes " a groom's Zaffeh"
in a football match, little boys would be roaming the stadium selling " Yallah CHIBS, Yallah BIBS , Yallah KANARYYY " outside the stadium saying " Yallah Hummos, Yallah Tormos, Yallah Fooool"
in Jordan University, the hot items would be " Zammouur Ballown Zammouur" and "yallah thalj thalj thalj"
before the graduation ceremony begins, if you took a glance at channel 7 stars, you will see big speakers with national songs// Omar Al Abdallat, only one song and only one was about graduation, one! you will find hyper people for no reason, seriously, no reason at all, they have to spray snow flakes on you if you sit near by, clap, scream, dance, start the horns and warm up the drums, lazem il nas ithayjen while their family champ is getting in the line in a steaming room.
then the shouting begins one more time along with mobiles to locate where is everybody as the graduate is walking to where he will be seated, people clap after the national anthem, confessing that i do sometimes. don't ask why.
no one listens, the graduates, the parents, everyone is simply there to wait for their son/daughter's name, make as much noise as they can and go home. how interesting! but what really really got me thinking is the hibernation mode people's minds get in when its a speech. i swear watching that, watching the crowd and listening to the speaker was something i wish i can picture in words. every word the dean said is predictable, there is nothing that is interesting in what he said, lots of stuffed words, i can say along its lines for the coming 20 years.
message conveyed to crowds + students = 0
I was at my sister's graduation ceremony together with a cousin who happened to be my sister's age and graduated from a law school in the U.K last semester, she was amazed at the sight of the stadium, she told me, in a graduation, a horn is not allowed, they clap after a certain number of graduates' names so it would be clear, the ceremony is very formal, the speech addresses the faculty members and appreciates their efforts and speaks to the grads, not the Queen of England!! in a way and in short they respect the institution they spent time learning at.
its a University and not Star Academy and definitely not a football match or some "da2ira 7ukumieh" for mass production!
the purpose of this post is pointing out observations of collective behavior and constructive criticism.
surprise, surprise .. they are exactly the same that i can tell that people can't tell the difference, expressing excitement, one way to fit all occasions.
A faculty that has 800 graduates in one academic year where every grad gets to invite five family members, here are some observations from that day being a grad in one, and an attendant in another;
you will find big Cheering banners with the graduate's name and even ones similar to elections campaigns where the whole extended family comes in a bus though the card says " don't bring kids with you [they might get lost] " along with drums and sometimes " a groom's Zaffeh"
in a football match, little boys would be roaming the stadium selling " Yallah CHIBS, Yallah BIBS , Yallah KANARYYY " outside the stadium saying " Yallah Hummos, Yallah Tormos, Yallah Fooool"
in Jordan University, the hot items would be " Zammouur Ballown Zammouur" and "yallah thalj thalj thalj"
before the graduation ceremony begins, if you took a glance at channel 7 stars, you will see big speakers with national songs// Omar Al Abdallat, only one song and only one was about graduation, one! you will find hyper people for no reason, seriously, no reason at all, they have to spray snow flakes on you if you sit near by, clap, scream, dance, start the horns and warm up the drums, lazem il nas ithayjen while their family champ is getting in the line in a steaming room.
then the shouting begins one more time along with mobiles to locate where is everybody as the graduate is walking to where he will be seated, people clap after the national anthem, confessing that i do sometimes. don't ask why.
no one listens, the graduates, the parents, everyone is simply there to wait for their son/daughter's name, make as much noise as they can and go home. how interesting! but what really really got me thinking is the hibernation mode people's minds get in when its a speech. i swear watching that, watching the crowd and listening to the speaker was something i wish i can picture in words. every word the dean said is predictable, there is nothing that is interesting in what he said, lots of stuffed words, i can say along its lines for the coming 20 years.
message conveyed to crowds + students = 0
I was at my sister's graduation ceremony together with a cousin who happened to be my sister's age and graduated from a law school in the U.K last semester, she was amazed at the sight of the stadium, she told me, in a graduation, a horn is not allowed, they clap after a certain number of graduates' names so it would be clear, the ceremony is very formal, the speech addresses the faculty members and appreciates their efforts and speaks to the grads, not the Queen of England!! in a way and in short they respect the institution they spent time learning at.
its a University and not Star Academy and definitely not a football match or some "da2ira 7ukumieh" for mass production!
the purpose of this post is pointing out observations of collective behavior and constructive criticism.
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Kids' Pastime Places in Jordan
kids have energy. parents work to five pm most of the time, get home tired, they provide money to send kids to school. what do kids do after school? is the "7arra" a healthy place for kids?????
the most common answer is they do their homeworks and watch TV.. yupp. and? what do kids in Jordan do beside studying? whats the culture of raising children here at homes? what do we instill in kids at home to give them skills and orientation??? im not talking about manners and religion. im talking about the ENERGY a child possess.
i have a neighbor, a female 13 years old, who has a mobile sim card without the knowledge of her parents, who at an earlier age used to be a member in the Sports City and a member of the swimming team, fit with a decent mind with a follow up from her mother, she and her three best friends now have boyfriends which is a phase every school girl goes through.
One of her friends had her mom late to pick her up from the final exam today so i ended up talking to her for couple of hours while watching a DVD, as i was talking and listening to her, here are some points i found out..
no kid will study on regular basis and actually like or be related to the knowledge he is taught through Tawjihi system without a parental supervision to provide at least someone to really put the effort of instilling what knowledge and learning are, kids can finish their homeworks and excel in their studies if they did 45 min - 1 hour of review a day. this is not the issue i want to talk about.
what i was looking for is where are their thoughts, what fills up their heads, especially those girls..
now these girls come up to me and update me with what happens with their boyfriends and they are in the phase of the forever and ever, nails, fashion, cinema, boys. 8th graders.. they get to go out with their friends once a week, mostly Thursday, but what about the rest of the week? what do they do?
i have known them since they were 6 and 7 years old, now, i was looking at their heads, i didnt see but fairy marriage dreams. one of them said "i dont mind getting engaged and getting my parents officially knowing about my relationship on Tawjihi." the second feels her mom is an authoritarian for nagging to maintain a fit shape within +-2 kilos range, good grades and pushing her towards reading which is good but her mind just floats around when her friends are having totally different interests. the third is obsessed with the 7arra, TV, loves animals, walks around with her tawjihi sister who goes to see her boyfriend too, a riot at school with bad bad grades, attitude and who couldnt care less. i dont think she wants to do college. i tried teaching her math once, it was a disaster, she is not open to learning because she just dont want to listen.
The first had her introduction to what sex is in the 7th grade from her uncle who failed tawjihi. she dated a cousin for a while who used language which i just couldnt believe she knew, at a time of her life, at the 6th grade, she used to talk to a 23 years old. i freaked out! Horton hears a who is something she wont watch, she watches Noor, NCSI, LOST, Fashion House, Las Vegas. High School Musical. etc etc. you got the picture...
they used to play sports now they dont, either because their parents dont let them in the pool for their age or they can't either afford club fees which are relatively high or wont have time to do the drives back and forth, same for most of the families and this is just sports.. i was thinking what does the word pastime or hobby mean for a kid who is not an infant and not a 16 years old teen?
i was asking those girls, don't you like to be part of a sports team, learn to play a music instrument, act, write, sing?!!!!! what do you like????? how do you like to spend your time??
i didnt find answers. she only said, she wants to participate in a gym on machines subscription to fix her belly and thighs.. machines! 13 years old. what happened to OUTDOORS ACTIVITIES KIDS?
i asked her how much you spend thinking about your boyfriend??? she said all day.. i asked her how often you study,, she said, not everyday... but i like reading stories.
we dont have any places dedicated to developing thought in a happy and fun way to kids. i asked her what do you wanna do in college, what stream will you take at school?
she said she hates math, she likes english class, but she will study IT stream Tawjihi because its the easiest... her first answer was i will study computer science, then i asked do you like computers.... she said no!
we need places that allow school kids from different school to meet in an environment that enhances their thinking and doesn't limit them to dating only because since they are not allowed, they will want it more .. especially for schools that are only male, only female. kids need to use their energies, not spend it walking in the 7arra. give them that so they can focus on who they really are and discover themselves.
the most common answer is they do their homeworks and watch TV.. yupp. and? what do kids in Jordan do beside studying? whats the culture of raising children here at homes? what do we instill in kids at home to give them skills and orientation??? im not talking about manners and religion. im talking about the ENERGY a child possess.
i have a neighbor, a female 13 years old, who has a mobile sim card without the knowledge of her parents, who at an earlier age used to be a member in the Sports City and a member of the swimming team, fit with a decent mind with a follow up from her mother, she and her three best friends now have boyfriends which is a phase every school girl goes through.
One of her friends had her mom late to pick her up from the final exam today so i ended up talking to her for couple of hours while watching a DVD, as i was talking and listening to her, here are some points i found out..
no kid will study on regular basis and actually like or be related to the knowledge he is taught through Tawjihi system without a parental supervision to provide at least someone to really put the effort of instilling what knowledge and learning are, kids can finish their homeworks and excel in their studies if they did 45 min - 1 hour of review a day. this is not the issue i want to talk about.
what i was looking for is where are their thoughts, what fills up their heads, especially those girls..
now these girls come up to me and update me with what happens with their boyfriends and they are in the phase of the forever and ever, nails, fashion, cinema, boys. 8th graders.. they get to go out with their friends once a week, mostly Thursday, but what about the rest of the week? what do they do?
i have known them since they were 6 and 7 years old, now, i was looking at their heads, i didnt see but fairy marriage dreams. one of them said "i dont mind getting engaged and getting my parents officially knowing about my relationship on Tawjihi." the second feels her mom is an authoritarian for nagging to maintain a fit shape within +-2 kilos range, good grades and pushing her towards reading which is good but her mind just floats around when her friends are having totally different interests. the third is obsessed with the 7arra, TV, loves animals, walks around with her tawjihi sister who goes to see her boyfriend too, a riot at school with bad bad grades, attitude and who couldnt care less. i dont think she wants to do college. i tried teaching her math once, it was a disaster, she is not open to learning because she just dont want to listen.
The first had her introduction to what sex is in the 7th grade from her uncle who failed tawjihi. she dated a cousin for a while who used language which i just couldnt believe she knew, at a time of her life, at the 6th grade, she used to talk to a 23 years old. i freaked out! Horton hears a who is something she wont watch, she watches Noor, NCSI, LOST, Fashion House, Las Vegas. High School Musical. etc etc. you got the picture...
they used to play sports now they dont, either because their parents dont let them in the pool for their age or they can't either afford club fees which are relatively high or wont have time to do the drives back and forth, same for most of the families and this is just sports.. i was thinking what does the word pastime or hobby mean for a kid who is not an infant and not a 16 years old teen?
i was asking those girls, don't you like to be part of a sports team, learn to play a music instrument, act, write, sing?!!!!! what do you like????? how do you like to spend your time??
i didnt find answers. she only said, she wants to participate in a gym on machines subscription to fix her belly and thighs.. machines! 13 years old. what happened to OUTDOORS ACTIVITIES KIDS?
i asked her how much you spend thinking about your boyfriend??? she said all day.. i asked her how often you study,, she said, not everyday... but i like reading stories.
we dont have any places dedicated to developing thought in a happy and fun way to kids. i asked her what do you wanna do in college, what stream will you take at school?
she said she hates math, she likes english class, but she will study IT stream Tawjihi because its the easiest... her first answer was i will study computer science, then i asked do you like computers.... she said no!
we need places that allow school kids from different school to meet in an environment that enhances their thinking and doesn't limit them to dating only because since they are not allowed, they will want it more .. especially for schools that are only male, only female. kids need to use their energies, not spend it walking in the 7arra. give them that so they can focus on who they really are and discover themselves.
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
Why Israel is not a Country
Israel is NOT a country because:
1- it has non defined borders.
2- it has a non defined constitution.
3- it has a non defined capital.
4- a state with no viable resources
right now, Historic Palestine is a group of villages that are hardly connected to stand as a state for the Palestinians. Peace in such conditions cannot be real, its a joke we are being fed, some morphine shots for the arab nations. Peace can only be attained with a strong economy which currently doesn't exist.
always keep this in mind, why would anyone give you rights when they don't have to? what do you have that would keep your existence conserved and your rights not violated by others? when an entity with power decides to violate/invade common rights, does it break down to make the entity stoppable? Iraq is occupied and torn into 3 pieces. the United Nations can't call it occupation.. what can we do then???? Iran is benefiting from it as well, am i wrong?... everyone wants control. dont trust anyone. fight for your rights!
Governments are mobs that want people to deal with corruption so they can bring in money to the treasury from taxations, nationalities are the biggest joke anyone ever invented.
America suffers from 3 major problems:
1- The increase of Oil prices and which is a dilemma for every industrial country
2- The high cost of war on Iraq, 3 trillion Dollars so far
3- The decreasing real estate prices in the states which means the banks will get bankrupt! the federal bank interfered on its own expense to save the banks and the oil prices!
according to Mr Talal Abu Ghazaleh, 2030 will witness the peak of the world's economic crisis.
from the middle east up to china there will be a boom in trade during this period and Arab countries will have to have strategies to use the money excess which is currently floating that drove Saudi Arabia to spend 25% of its national income on education, though the best investment is to go towards Africa and invest there. this is the only way to secure resources and reserves for the near so dark coming arab region future.
between 2030 - 2050 Africa will be the most important region in the world because it will have to feed the world.
This the time where China is the big thing along with Russia which is the second world source for Oil.
update: i dont know why,,, but i think, that its too wrong to drive Jordan to become an industrial country that needs Oil to be run... if Jordan is to be clever, its should turn to agriculture and stop taking more people in. i think we need to invest in Agricultural Technologies, not research in Power Alternatives.. we can trade power solutions for agriculture. but we dont have water... boom! what do you think???
1- it has non defined borders.
2- it has a non defined constitution.
3- it has a non defined capital.
4- a state with no viable resources
right now, Historic Palestine is a group of villages that are hardly connected to stand as a state for the Palestinians. Peace in such conditions cannot be real, its a joke we are being fed, some morphine shots for the arab nations. Peace can only be attained with a strong economy which currently doesn't exist.
always keep this in mind, why would anyone give you rights when they don't have to? what do you have that would keep your existence conserved and your rights not violated by others? when an entity with power decides to violate/invade common rights, does it break down to make the entity stoppable? Iraq is occupied and torn into 3 pieces. the United Nations can't call it occupation.. what can we do then???? Iran is benefiting from it as well, am i wrong?... everyone wants control. dont trust anyone. fight for your rights!
Governments are mobs that want people to deal with corruption so they can bring in money to the treasury from taxations, nationalities are the biggest joke anyone ever invented.
America suffers from 3 major problems:
1- The increase of Oil prices and which is a dilemma for every industrial country
2- The high cost of war on Iraq, 3 trillion Dollars so far
3- The decreasing real estate prices in the states which means the banks will get bankrupt! the federal bank interfered on its own expense to save the banks and the oil prices!
according to Mr Talal Abu Ghazaleh, 2030 will witness the peak of the world's economic crisis.
from the middle east up to china there will be a boom in trade during this period and Arab countries will have to have strategies to use the money excess which is currently floating that drove Saudi Arabia to spend 25% of its national income on education, though the best investment is to go towards Africa and invest there. this is the only way to secure resources and reserves for the near so dark coming arab region future.
between 2030 - 2050 Africa will be the most important region in the world because it will have to feed the world.
This the time where China is the big thing along with Russia which is the second world source for Oil.
update: i dont know why,,, but i think, that its too wrong to drive Jordan to become an industrial country that needs Oil to be run... if Jordan is to be clever, its should turn to agriculture and stop taking more people in. i think we need to invest in Agricultural Technologies, not research in Power Alternatives.. we can trade power solutions for agriculture. but we dont have water... boom! what do you think???
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
quick memo
an amazing person said these specific words today and i want to keep it somewhere for later on.
الخيال
الضمير
الارادة الحرة
معرفة الذات
those four words govern our behavior & decision in any situation, she said something else that i loved, we always make decisions with an amount of ignorance, you need to be humble when it comes to knowledge so you can accept new knowledge. the more you know, the more you would be able to make better decisions. i asked her, how would you know your limits? is there what you cant do? she said, i hate the word limits, its like looking for puting obstacles, and thats when you mentally lose the battle, think of a different word. Exposure. the more you get exposed, the more you know what you want.
Yesterday a Jordanian business man and millionaire told us in a session as he is approaching his late forties that until 2007 he was living in a rented house and this year he finished building his own house, it took him 25 years. before 25 years he could have bought a house, but what he told us is instead of owning a house, and giving a job to 3 maids and a guard who are non jordanians, he invested in every dinar he had to establish a company making risk on self employment and today it grew to hire hundreds of jordanian employees, competes in the American market in price and standards, last week he closed a deal for 60 million dinars project in the Emarites, and is capable of owning 6 houses at the same time if he wanted to. there was a key sentence to all that... he said " when a human stops learning , he dies "
الخيال
الضمير
الارادة الحرة
معرفة الذات
those four words govern our behavior & decision in any situation, she said something else that i loved, we always make decisions with an amount of ignorance, you need to be humble when it comes to knowledge so you can accept new knowledge. the more you know, the more you would be able to make better decisions. i asked her, how would you know your limits? is there what you cant do? she said, i hate the word limits, its like looking for puting obstacles, and thats when you mentally lose the battle, think of a different word. Exposure. the more you get exposed, the more you know what you want.
Yesterday a Jordanian business man and millionaire told us in a session as he is approaching his late forties that until 2007 he was living in a rented house and this year he finished building his own house, it took him 25 years. before 25 years he could have bought a house, but what he told us is instead of owning a house, and giving a job to 3 maids and a guard who are non jordanians, he invested in every dinar he had to establish a company making risk on self employment and today it grew to hire hundreds of jordanian employees, competes in the American market in price and standards, last week he closed a deal for 60 million dinars project in the Emarites, and is capable of owning 6 houses at the same time if he wanted to. there was a key sentence to all that... he said " when a human stops learning , he dies "
Monday, 12 May 2008
The First Annual National Technology Parade Opening Today
The University of Jordan, the United Nations Development Fund for Women, IEEE in Jordan, and Leading Jordanian Universities are proud to invite you to attend the First Annual Technology Parade opening today May 13th, 2008
The Technology Parade came in response to a global drive towards capitalizing on the innovative potential of students to provide technological solutions to challenges facing businesses, governments, civil society, and local communities. it aims at motivating the innovative thinking and practical skills of university students especially students of engineering and information technology disciplines, this is attained through providing proper academic steer, financial support and guidance to connect undergraduates’ projects outputs with the market and local community needs and establish interactive communication channels between various market parties, educational institutions and undergraduate students in addition to encouraging healthy and ethical habits of work among students and to emphasize the role of female students in the fields of technology and engineering technology as well.
The Technology Parade came in response to a global drive towards capitalizing on the innovative potential of students to provide technological solutions to challenges facing businesses, governments, civil society, and local communities. it aims at motivating the innovative thinking and practical skills of university students especially students of engineering and information technology disciplines, this is attained through providing proper academic steer, financial support and guidance to connect undergraduates’ projects outputs with the market and local community needs and establish interactive communication channels between various market parties, educational institutions and undergraduate students in addition to encouraging healthy and ethical habits of work among students and to emphasize the role of female students in the fields of technology and engineering technology as well.
Over the course of two academic semesters, students from 14 Jordanian universities worked on designing and implementing innovative, technology – driven projects that will be showcased during the Parade. These projects addressed real life challenges from Jordan such as alternative energy solutions, educational outreach, and preservation of natural resources, automation of public services, and a number of other issues where technology can provide cost–effective, efficient, and innovative solutions and alternatives.
According to Dr. Gheith Abandah, Computer Engineering Department Chair at the University of Jordan, Organizing Committee Chair; 79 student teams registered and carried out projects that solve problems which fall under 6 themes drawn from the above challenges and these teams were distributed as follows: JU 28, JUST 10, Al Hussein University 8, Hashemite University 8, PSUT 5, Yarmouk 5, BAU 4, 2 teams from each Al Ahliah Amman, Applied Science University , Al Zarqa Private University and Philadelphia University, one team from each Petra University, Isra University and Muta University.
According to Dr. Gheith Abandah, Computer Engineering Department Chair at the University of Jordan, Organizing Committee Chair; 79 student teams registered and carried out projects that solve problems which fall under 6 themes drawn from the above challenges and these teams were distributed as follows: JU 28, JUST 10, Al Hussein University 8, Hashemite University 8, PSUT 5, Yarmouk 5, BAU 4, 2 teams from each Al Ahliah Amman, Applied Science University , Al Zarqa Private University and Philadelphia University, one team from each Petra University, Isra University and Muta University.
61 student teams successfully made it and submitted their projects to the parade in due time while 9 project ideas were specific problems suggested by organizations in the local community such as UNIFEM, MoICT, Jordan Electric Power Company and leading Jordanian and regional engineering and IT companies such as Sedco, Optimiza, and Estarta.
A 500 JOD prize will be rewarded for one winning project in each of the six categories, another 500 JOD prize will be rewarded for best project voted to by the audience using a student developed E-voting system, a best project supervisor prize will be rewarded to the teams' choice of best supervisor and it would cover the expenses for attending any academic conference valued at 1500 JOD, results will be announced in the opening ceremony of the Parade.
Moreover, a two-day program was selectively prepared to include a collection of activities by students, presentations and panel discussions delivered from high profile academia and ICT speakers to prepare students for the Job market in addition to 3 exhibitions for student projects, robotic works, companies & sponsors.
"The design process itself, as we've advanced through the projects pros and cons, the reasoning behind every little feature and how one can understand the nature of the developed project by theory. Of course teamwork was also a great privilege to experiment with my partner" – Team 3
"The challenge; at moments when everything seemed impossible, a simple idea revealed a lot of hope." - Team 55
Those were some answers we received from students upon asking them about the most enjoyable part in developing their projects.
For more details visit: http://fetweb.ju.edu.jo/tp
Place:
Saeed Al Mufti Auditorium
Faculty of Engineering and Technology
The University of Jordan
Date and Time:
May 13th-14th: 9:00 - 17:00
Entrance Fees: Free
A 500 JOD prize will be rewarded for one winning project in each of the six categories, another 500 JOD prize will be rewarded for best project voted to by the audience using a student developed E-voting system, a best project supervisor prize will be rewarded to the teams' choice of best supervisor and it would cover the expenses for attending any academic conference valued at 1500 JOD, results will be announced in the opening ceremony of the Parade.
Moreover, a two-day program was selectively prepared to include a collection of activities by students, presentations and panel discussions delivered from high profile academia and ICT speakers to prepare students for the Job market in addition to 3 exhibitions for student projects, robotic works, companies & sponsors.
"The design process itself, as we've advanced through the projects pros and cons, the reasoning behind every little feature and how one can understand the nature of the developed project by theory. Of course teamwork was also a great privilege to experiment with my partner" – Team 3
"The challenge; at moments when everything seemed impossible, a simple idea revealed a lot of hope." - Team 55
Those were some answers we received from students upon asking them about the most enjoyable part in developing their projects.
For more details visit: http://fetweb.ju.edu.jo/tp
Place:
Saeed Al Mufti Auditorium
Faculty of Engineering and Technology
The University of Jordan
Date and Time:
May 13th-14th: 9:00 - 17:00
Entrance Fees: Free
Sunday, 11 May 2008
Highlights from the National Technology Parade Day 1 Program - Tuesday May 13th
Meet four Senior Directors from Leading Jordanian and Regional ICT Companies in a one hour session to learn about their line of business, working environment and hiring opportunities.
Speakers:
Eng. Hazem Ahmed, Development Department Manager - Sedco
Eng. Nael Halawa, Marketing and Operations Director - Globitel
Dr. Wassef Masri, General Manager - Optimiza Jordan
Eng. Dawsar Zgoul, General Manager - Softact
Time: 11:30 - 12:30
to spice it up a bit and add more interaction, a panel discussion will be held under the title of "ICT Job Market" if you are about to graduate, or interested in hearing what students think Dont miss this one.
Speakers:
Ms. Yara Abdel-Samad, MoICT - Head of IT Policy
Mr. Mohannad Jarrah, Injaz - Operation Director
Mr. Yousef Shamoun, Akhtaboot - Head of Sales and Marketing Dept.
Mr. Mohannad Taslaq from Intaj
The discussion will be run by Dr Ali El Mousa
Time: 2:00 - 3:00
What makes a good employee?? some students graduate with High GPAs but fail to build a career, to tackle this issue, we introduce a session called " Good Employee, Bad Habits"
Speaker:
Doha Abdel Khaleq - Eskadenia
Time: 3:00 - 4:00
On the final session for the first day, it gets technical, it addresses the definition and history of Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing, needs and benefits. explores Oracle business intelligence and data warehousing tools, technologies and architecture. The obstacles and future.
All sessions will be held @ Saeed Al Mufti Auditorium
Faculty of Engineering and Technology
The University of Jordan
Free Entrance.
Spread The Word.
For more Details, Visit: http://fetweb.ju.edu.jo/tp
Speakers:
Eng. Hazem Ahmed, Development Department Manager - Sedco
Eng. Nael Halawa, Marketing and Operations Director - Globitel
Dr. Wassef Masri, General Manager - Optimiza Jordan
Eng. Dawsar Zgoul, General Manager - Softact
Time: 11:30 - 12:30
to spice it up a bit and add more interaction, a panel discussion will be held under the title of "ICT Job Market" if you are about to graduate, or interested in hearing what students think Dont miss this one.
Speakers:
Ms. Yara Abdel-Samad, MoICT - Head of IT Policy
Mr. Mohannad Jarrah, Injaz - Operation Director
Mr. Yousef Shamoun, Akhtaboot - Head of Sales and Marketing Dept.
Mr. Mohannad Taslaq from Intaj
The discussion will be run by Dr Ali El Mousa
Time: 2:00 - 3:00
What makes a good employee?? some students graduate with High GPAs but fail to build a career, to tackle this issue, we introduce a session called " Good Employee, Bad Habits"
Speaker:
Doha Abdel Khaleq - Eskadenia
Time: 3:00 - 4:00
On the final session for the first day, it gets technical, it addresses the definition and history of Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing, needs and benefits. explores Oracle business intelligence and data warehousing tools, technologies and architecture. The obstacles and future.
Speaker:
Ms. Abeer Saleh, Insurance Solutions Department Manager - Optimiza Jordan
Time: 4:00 - 5:00All sessions will be held @ Saeed Al Mufti Auditorium
Faculty of Engineering and Technology
The University of Jordan
Free Entrance.
Spread The Word.
For more Details, Visit: http://fetweb.ju.edu.jo/tp
Reminder: Educational Systems in the Face of Globalization
From Tunisia , the Director General of the Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organization ( ALECSO) Dr. Munji Bousneinah , will be giving a lecture entitled “ Educational Systems in the Face of Globalization “
6:30 pm @ Shoman Library - 2nd Circle
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
تعالوا ناقشوا بالعربي
اليوم مريت على مكتبة عبد الحميد شومان جبل عمان فكرت انو اليوم ستة الشهر فلاقيت محاضرة شغالة ضمن المنتدى الثقافي بعنوان الوحدة اليمنية .. نضال شعب و مشروع امة، القاها الوزير السابق و عضو مجلس الشورى الاستاذ احمد الاصبحي، كان فيها كثير من السرد التاريخي لليمن اللي ما بعرف عنو اشي بس اللي حلو بالموضوع هوة النقاش اللي بصير بعد المحاضرة و اللي بكون مساوي لزمن المحاضرة و كانوا يحكوا بالفصحى و شوي عامة، فكان الوضع جميل و الزلمة اللي كان بحكي فهمان و كان في كثير خلاف في و جهات النظر فيما يخص جنوب اليمن و كيف كان هناك نظامين حاكمين و بعد الوحدة الوطنية شو صار بالشمال و الجنوب .... المهم ، بعد ما خلصت المحاضرة اللي كان فيها عدد من نواب برلماننا الكريم، رحت جبت برنامج المحاضرات و المحاضرة الجاي عن الانظمة التربوية،ها ها ها فيا جماعة تعالوا و خلونا نحكيلهم وجهة نظر الجيل...... ازى معكم وقت احضروها
الجدول
الاثنين 12 - 5- 2008
من تونس، المدير العام للمنظمة العربية للتربية و الثقافة و العلوم الدكتور المنجي بوسنينة، محاضرة بعنوان الانظمة التربوية ازاء العولمة
From Tunisia , the Director General of the Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organization ( ALECSO) Dr. Munji Bousneinah , a lecture entitled : “ Educational Systems in the Face of Globalization “
الاثنين 19-5-2008
من الاردن، الاستاذ في كلية الاداب الجامعة الاردنية الدكتور محمد شاهين، محاضرة بعنوان المنجزات العلمية و الانسانية في القرن العشربن - الادب و النقد و الفنون ، قراءة في المجلد الثاني - حصاد القرن
From Jordan , Dr. Moh’d Shaheen from University of Jordan - Faculty of Arts , a lecture entitled : " Scientific and human achievements in the 20th century - literature, criticism , and arts " (Review of 2nd Volume – Harvest of the Century )
الاثنتن 26 -5-2008
من الاردن، الخبير الاقتصادي الاستاذ طلال ابو غزالة، محاضرة بعنوان الاقتصاد العربي و العالمي في مفترق طرق
From Jordan , the Expert & Economist Mr. Talal Abu Ghazaleh , a lecture entitled : “ Arab and International Economy at a Crossroad”
و المختصر المفيد، كل اثنين في محاضرة على الستة و نص ..ازى بدكم اشي تاني شيكوا
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