Events

In the name of Allah, the Infinitely Good, the Boundlessly Merciful

Holistic Education in the Islamic Spirit:

A ‘Quest Foundation for Learning’ Course for Educators

with Elma Harder, Noor Iqbal, Fatima D’Oyen and Saahera Motara

Date: Saturday and Sunday 29-30 March 2008

Time: 10 am to 5 pm (both days)

*NEW Venue: The Gower School, 10 Cynthia St (near Kings Cross), London N1 1JF

Are you looking for creative and authentic ways to Islamise your early years or primary curriculum?
Would you like to gain additional insights from other professionals in the field?

In response to the demand expressed by participants during our 2007 conference on ‘Educating the Young Child,’ we invite you to explore some of the key issues in greater depth with leading proponents of holistic Islamic education. Join the Quest Foundation for Learning and our special guests from Canada for a unique weekend of sharing knowledge, experience and practical tips for creating an Islamic ethos of teaching and learning. The course is aimed at teachers, headteachers and programme leaders of children ages 3-11 at Muslim independent or state-funded schools, nurseries, playgroups, and home education co-operatives.

Part A of the course is based on the notable book, ‘Concentric Circles: nurturing awe and wonder in early learning,
a Foundational approach’ by Elma Harder (2006). Sister Elma (B.Ed, MSc.) is co-founder of ‘Sakinah Circle,’ a state-funded Muslim school in Edmonton, Alberta. She and her daughter Noor Iqbal will be presenting six workshop sessions on key topics including:

Qur’anic foundations of educational principles and practice * Sanctified Space, Sanctified

Time * The ‘Sakinah Circle’ approach * Adapting to Learning Styles * Critiquing our

Resources, Environment and Approach* Developing cross-curricular units centred around

Islamic themes * Islamic perspectives on reflective practice*

Part B will be presented by the Quest Foundation for Learning team:

Adapting Principles and Methods of Classical Islamic Education for Today’s Classrooms

(Fatima D’Oyen, MA, Adv. Dipl. Ed)

The World in Numbers: An Introduction to Realistic Mathematics Education (Saahera Motara, M.Sci., PGCE)

For more information, and to download a registration form, CLICK HERE.

IBERR FORUM 5-6 APRIL, LEICESTER
‘Living, Learning and Enriching Lives with Education’

Quest will be joining the IBERR Forum
(International Board of Educational Research and Resources),
to be held Saturday and Sunday 5-6 April at Madani Muslim High School, Leicester.

Speakers will include:

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf (USA)
Shiekha Aisha Lemu (Nigeria)
Dr Maulana Ali Adam and Edris Khamissa (S. Africa)
Sheikh Ahmed Babikir , Ibrahim Hewitt and
Akram Khan-Cheema (UK)

The Quest workshop will be divided between a presentation by
sister Elma Harder on the Sakinah Circle school and Concentric Circles approach, and a presentation on Quest’s own work, including the integrated curriculum units being trialled for Key Stage 3.

We welcome all interested parties to attend.
Contact forum@iberr.net, 07954 651 445,
or see www.iberr.net for further details.

Buy Our Journal now Educating the Young Child:

TO ORDER
Send a cheque (UK bank only) made payable to ‘The Quest Foundation for Learning’, including your name, full postal address, and email or telephone number, to:

Journal Orders
The Quest Foundation for Learning
111 Princes Ave
Watford, WD18 7SQ

   By Allah’s grace, our first conference,
   ‘Educating the Young Child’,
   held at Kensington Town Hall, 21 April 2007,
   was a great success.

We are pleased and honoured to hear that Quest has organised the first Muslim education conference in the UK to attract almost 1000 participants.

We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of those who made this possible --
Scholars, teachers, volunteers, participants and friends -

And we pray that this is just a first step towards fulfilling our mission of ‘supporting schools, teachers and parents in inspiring, educating and nurturing young people to achieve their full potential as stewards on earth.’

* A sampling of feedback received:

“It was so nice to meet you all last Saturday. What a success the conference was! All your hard work paid off - congratulations!” (Hilary, stallholder)

“May Allah Almighty reward you and your team for all your hard work in addressing the real problems we face in these difficult times” (Tanveer, participant)

“I felt that I had to send my congratulations on an inspiring and successful day. The workshops were well-thought out and the speakers and scholars invited to take part were very relevant and important” (ZJ, participant)

“The conference was a truly lovely event -- I had such a wonderful time and met so many lovely people. Thank you again... for inviting me -- it was a real privilege to be there... Everyone was so helpful and friendly -- it was a very special occasion, and went so smoothly, and I'm full of admiration because the organisation must have been a nightmare! Congratulations...” (Sue Palmer, speaker)

*Copies of the 64-page Conference Journal 2007 on
‘Educating the Young Child’ will be available for a limited time only at the reduced price of £5.00 including postage (UK orders only. Please send an email to info@quest-learning.org to enquire about prices for posting overseas).

* The JOURNAL includes articles on:

* Islamic education and upbringing by Imam Zaid Shakir,
   Abdal-Hakim Murad, Farah Ahmed and Fatima D’Oyen.
* Alternative educational systems, including Montessori, Steiner
   and Classical Education by Dr. Ann El-Moslimany, Zena Rashid, Nabila Winter and Abdullah Trevathan.
* The importance of free play, and of safeguarding computer and
   internet use by Sue Palmer, and Dr. Mohammed Begg.
* The Dutch approach to Realistic Mathematics Education by
   Saahera Motara.
* Starting a new full-time or weekend school, by Shakil Ahmed
   and Foezul Ali.
* How to support your children’s schooling at home, by Saadia
   Siddiqui

And much more...