Gilbert Mohammed Ibrahim, Ghana …

[Pages:62]Gilbert Mohammed Ibrahim, Ghana

ibragil@gibrahim@gmu.edu

PORTFOLIO

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Centre for International Education

Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program

Funded by IREX-US Department of State

TEA FELLOW 2009

GILBERT MOHAMMED IBRAHIM

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Gilbert Mohammed Ibrahim, Ghana

ibragil@gibrahim@gmu.edu

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Gilbert Mohammed Ibrahim, Ghana

ibragil@gibrahim@gmu.edu

CONTENT

1. Introduction

1.1 Reflection on Portfolio 1.2 Resume 1.3 Aims/goals for the program

2. Summary of orientation at Gallaudet

3. Courses at GMU

3.1Reflective Practice by Dr. Sherry Steeley

3.1.1 Professional Identity, agency and goals 3.1.2 Introduction to Portfolio and Professional Development 3.1.3 Lesson Planning 3.1.4 Learning Strategies and Student Metacognition 3.1.5 Cooperative Learning

3.2Educational Leadership by Dr Farnoosh Shahrokhi and Dr Beverly Woody

3.2.1 Life Style Inventory 3.2.2 Multiple Intelligence (MI) Theory and Curriculum Development 3.2.3 Educational Leadership in the Culture of Change

3.3Social Science Method & Curriculum by Megan Garnett 3.4US culture by Cara Bremer

4. Learning Strategies

5. Shared Strategy

6. Lesson Plans

7. Shared Lesson Plan

8. Internship

9. Materials from Mentor 10. Reflection from Field Trips 11. Other Social Activities

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Gilbert Mohammed Ibrahim, Ghana

ibragil@gibrahim@gmu.edu

INTRODUCTION:

Portfolio is a record of materials or resources in a single folder that serves as a guide to achieve your goals and objectives and also as a bank of resources for the improvement of your work in the future.

Depending on the teacher agency, i.e. the teachers' believe in his ability to be an agent of change, every teacher has a workable portfolio and engages continuously in reflective practice (both formative and summative) on professional practice and student learning.

AIM/GOALS FOR THE PROGRAM

I came for the program with the aim and hope to: ? Improve lesson planning and Delivery ? Learn how to use technology for effective teaching. ? Learn new teaching strategies to be modern teacher ? Learn new things that will help me improve my local school: Supervision, Administration ? Learn new things that will help me contribute meaningful for the development of my Department-Share with colleagues ? Influence government educational policy to improve the falling educational standards ? To increase my effectiveness in meeting the needs of all students, from the weakest to the brightest (that is Differentiation).

RESUME:

I am a teacher of Tema Senior High School, Ghana. I was born on the 17th of July, 1974 and I have been teaching for about ten years now.

I am a team player with a hand-on style who has acquired Ten (10) years and Six (6) years working experience over the years in Teaching and Radio respectively. I am pursuing an International Executive MBA (Banking and Finance option) programme with Paris Graduate School of Management (PGSM), currently putting my Thesis together.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

TEMA SECONDARY SCHOOL (09/2001 ? Date)

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Gilbert Mohammed Ibrahim, Ghana

ibragil@gibrahim@gmu.edu

Economics Teacher

Dealing with student by explaining Economics theories and concepts with precision. I take care of form two Day students as their Housemaster. Patron to Scripture Union. Patron to Cadet Corps. Patron to Interact Club based on my good leadership and organizational abilities,

good inter-personal relationship coupled with a good understanding of adolescent psychology which is one of my Education courses. I serve on the Publicity Committee of the School. Secretary to the Chaplaincy Committee. I double as the PTA and Staff Secretary. This has given me the opportunity to work very closely with management to formulate and implement policies in the school.

I readily accept responsibility and execute it to the best of my ability.

MERIDIAN F.M-100.5 (2002 ? February 2009)

Broadcast Journalist

I worked as a part-time Broadcast Journalist, on Meridian 100.5 FM in Tema. Mainly, I host the Current Affairs Programmes, the Major News Paper Review programme on Saturday afternoons.

EDUCATION

MBA-Banking and Finance, still in view, with Paris Graduate School of Management (June 2007 - Date)

Bachelor of Education Degree Economics, Sociology and Education, University of Cape Coast (2000)

Advanced Level Certificate, Wa Secondary School (1995) Ordinary Level Certificate, Bole Secondary School, (1993) COMPUTER SKILLS

Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, etc

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/WORKSHOP

Participated in World Links Curriculum and Technology Integration e-Learning course

This was a twelve-week online course designed for participants to follow sequential activities, both individual and group, that facilitate the collaborative development of knowledge and skills to integrate computers and Internet technologies into teaching.

Attended and participated in the INFOCOM TRAINING PROGRAMME organized by the Management of ATL FM for their Presenters/DJs.

HOBBIES: Reading and writing, Research, Music, Sports and Watching Films

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Gilbert Mohammed Ibrahim, Ghana

ibragil@gibrahim@gmu.edu

Summary of orientation at Gallaudet

The Ghana group (Five participants) arrived in Washington and were picked from the airport for a three day orientation at Kellogg Conference Hotel to Gallaudet University. The Orientation majorly addressed Cross-Cultural Communication Skills for Life, Study and School Internships in the US, US Educational System, among others.

US Culture and Ethnic, Linguistic and Religious Diversity: I learnt largely at the conference that US Citizens, in general take pride in this diversity. The demonstration of this reflects in their schools and work places. Many schools and workplaces are multilingual. I learnt that Religion is generally a personal matter for Americans Also I learnt that Culture is like an iceberg, nine-tenth of it is below the surface:

Surface Culture: Food, dress, music, visual arts, drama, crafts dance, literature, language,

celebrations, games, etc. Deep Culture:

Courtesy, concept of time, body language, relationship to animals, concept of food, touching, eye contact, etc.

US EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM ? The US Department of Education was only created in 1980. It is very different from most Countries' Ministries of Education. ? Education in the US is decentralized and policy differ from State to State. ? No Child Left Behind Policy

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Gilbert Mohammed Ibrahim, Ghana

Courses at GMU:

ibragil@gibrahim@gmu.edu

12. Reflective Practice by Dr. Sherry Steeley

Dr Steeley's lovely Family ? They took us to Baltimore

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Gilbert Mohammed Ibrahim, Ghana

ibragil@gibrahim@gmu.edu

REFLECTION ON PROTFOLIO:

What is the purpose of Portfolio in your Country?

Portfolios are not used in my school. I believe it is the same for all public school in Ghana with the exception of a few Private schools like: Ghana International School, Tema International school, etc, which practice more of the US style. However, by intuition a few teachers and I have a way of keeping our teaching materials, lesson plans, etc in some folders as a resource bank with its accompanying challenges. I must say, in Ghana, portfolios are mostly used at least in the area where I work to keep students' academic records, attendance, report on students' behaviour. I believe this practice of keeping portfolios is not practiced because it is not mandatory.

Regarding the purpose of portfolio in Ghana, generally, this is to put, in a single folder, the teachers' teaching materials, works and samples of activities performed by outstanding students so as to keep progressive track of the teacher's work and act as a bank of useful resources that can be used again or rejected, clearly as a way of showing the teachers progress and professional growth and development.

Ethically, every good professional teacher would have to reflect on their lesson. In Ghana, this is not a formal practice but some teachers reflect on their lessons but since it is not mandatory you would not get teachers writing their reflections down.

Overall, creating a portfolio at this TEA program will help me acquire that skill which I intend to share with my colleagues in my school. It is obvious this will be my first and the beginning of my Professional Portfolio which I intend to keep and develop better as I progress in my career. I also hope to inspire and help other teachers to start their own. I sincerely and strongly aim at compelling the Management of my school to make it mandatory and I will have to teach and help colleagues learn how to develop portfolio manually or electronically.

REFLECTION ON REFLECTIVE PRACTICE AND PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT

The concept of Reflection and Professional Portfolio development is alien in the educational system in Ghana. At the TEA programme I have learnt that reflective practice is very critical to meaningful growth and change. Also I learnt that professional portfolio is a performancebased document that is aligned with professional standards and consisting of a collection of carefully selected materials, examples and reflections, assembled over time that provides an evidence-based record of a teacher, knowledge of content and pedagogy, skills, professional growth, teaching practice, application of standards and leadership skill.

It is essential for a professional to keep portfolio since it provides evidence of content knowledge and teaching practice. Besides, it provides the teacher with opportunities to synthesize material and reflect both formative and summative on professional practice. It keeps teachers abreast with national standards. It helps teacher education institutions to determine teacher trainees' successful completion of program.

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