Amman to host 2nd Teachers Skills Forum in December

AMMAN – For the second consecutive year, educators from the region will be introduced to best pedagogies during the Teachers Skills Forum that will be hosted by Amman.

Organised by the Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA), the three-day forum will provide the “perfect venue for teachers to improve their skills and discover new teaching methods”, according to Haif Bannayan, the academy’s CEO. 

With preparations going on in “full swing”, he expressed confidence in the ability of organisers to increase the number of participants in this year’s forum to 1,000, up from the 700 who took part last year.

“This year’s forum will not only give teachers new skills, but will also provide them with practical instructions to implement inside the classroom,” said Bannayan, who noted that the conference will be held under Her Majesty Queen Rania’s patronage.

“This year, the question will be more on how we teach rather than what we teach. Teachers are used to theories and lectures, but it is time for them to receive applicable tips on new methods of teaching,” he noted at a press conference on Tuesday.

Bannayan cited the importance of the forum’s “peer-to-peer” approach, which would provide an opportunity for teachers to share their experiences in the field. 

Slated to open on December 4, in cooperation with the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Texas Instruments, the forum will bring together renowned international experts from prominent institutions, including Harvard, Columbia, McGill, Dublin, Fairmont and Connecticut universities among others. 

Experts from Jordan and Lebanon will also take part in the event.

IB representative Mary Tadros said the topics to be focused on during the forum include early learning, concept-based learning, differentiated learning and STEAM learning, which is related to science, technology, engineering, arts and maths.

“There are very rich materials on such subjects in English, but not in Arabic. The forum will acquaint Arabic-speaking educators with all the novel teaching methods,” she said. 

Bannayan and Tadros reiterated that such events are held in Western countries each year, but are new to the region. 

The forum’s sponsors for this year are: Zain Telecom, Microsoft, the Arab Potash Company, King Abdullah II Fund for Development, Ayla, Al Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Pasco, Pearson, Al Etihad Bank, Capital Bank, Bromine Jordan and the Canadian government.