THE teachers, while reading an article on The Sea Turtles as part of their activity, were asked by the trainers, Alison Preece and Howard Mould, to make some marks in the margins of the article: check if something confirms what they already knew; minus if some information they are reading contradicts or is different from what they already knew; plus if a piece of information they encounter is new for them; question mark if there is something they would like to know more about. The activity answered the question: “How can I construct an environment in the classroom where active learning and critical thinking can take place?”

The first day of the workshop entitled ‘A Framework for Active Learning and Critical Thinking’, was held at the Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan, in collaboration with the International Reading Association in Washington D.C.

The workshop is a part of a three-year-long programme called ‘Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking’ that has been carried out in 25 other countries of the world. Designed on train-the-trainer mode, its distinct mission is to build a cadre of master teachers who can serve as instructional models and resource persons within their own professional setting, and train other teacher-leaders. The purpose is to help teachers adopt classroom practices at all grade levels and in most school subjects that promote a habit of active inquiry, solving problems creatively, thinking critically and working cooperatively with others.

In Pakistan, a group of thirty highly-motivated and diligent teachers from different schools and educational institutions have joined the programme.

An extremely valuable point that was made during the workshop was that children do not need to be motivated to learn. Learning and the desire to learn is what comes naturally to humans. We learn all the time. — Bushra Ahmed-Khurram
 

Q: What should Iraq get for its air defense system?

A: A refund.
 

What do you do if a blond throws a grenade at you?

Pull the pin and throw it back.
 

Why does a blonde smile at lightning?

She thinks she’s getting her picture taken.