Personal Statement

Personal Statement

Darvesh Karim, Karimabad Hunza

There could be many reasons to wishing enrolled in the International Waezeen Training Programme – IWTP - of ITREB, however I will try to articulate here about one or two reasons.

• During the study in Karachi when I began my undergraduate career, I had the opportunity to be exposed to the full range of professional courses, like computers, electronic typing and short hand etc. all of which tended to reinforce and solidify my intense interest in modern techniques of handling an ideal office environment. I've also had the opportunity to study a number of subjects in the humanities and they have been both enjoyable and enlightening, providing me with a new and different perspective on the world in which we live. Aga Khan Economic Planning Board financially supported the course while during the selection process, I was asked to serve in any jamati institution after completion of the said training and I agreed to do so, but after many attempts, I could not get a chance to serve, although I have undertaken honorary ranking responsibilities in ITREB, Ismaili Council, in Scouting Moment in Hunza and Arbitration panel. Particularly after getting involved with ITREB as Honorary Secretary for Hunza region, it has been my utmost ambition to be a part of ITREB’s professional team, where personal grooming and professional development continues throughout the year, keeping the requirements of the modern era in mind. Many times; I tried to become the team member of ITREB professionals; but because of lack of the relevant training and experience I could not come up to the standard. Since then, I was in-search of an opportunity to equip myself with appropriate knowledge and experience, so that I could become an asset to ITREB and jamat. No doubt IWTP is an international training programme, and if I will get involved to this programme, Inshallah I will be able to fulfil my ambition to work with ITREB.

• I am highly aware of the superb reputation of IIS London and its developed Ta’lim Curriculum, and my conversations with several of its alumni have served to deepen my interest in attending this training programme. I know that, in addition to the excellent faculty, your excellent training environment is among the best in the excellent training institutions. I hope you will give me the privilege of continuing my studies at your fine institution, as my willing to join this programme is very important, because Ta’lim Curriculum, a world class and an excellent syllabus for religious centres, but I felt in the context of Pakistan in general and Gilgit-Baltistan in particular that because of lack of professionally trained teachers practically in religious education, the actual essence of the curriculum is not being transferred to the students, as teachers are not fully aware of underlying intellectual perspectives; philosophy and educational approaches of the esteemed Ta’lim Curriculum. We need more trained professionals to achieve the targeted goals and it is my deep-hearted desire to become a fully aware professional of this curriculum, so that I could transfer the understandings to the teachers in their most understandable language. Al-waizeen and Teacher Educators in Pakistan and in Gilgit-Baltistan are striving very hard to achieve the goals and I also want to join their team and want to play my role in the educational development of jamat keeping the vision of Sarkar Maulana Hazar Imam (S.A) in mind.

• In terms of a career, I see myself teaching and preaching as an ambassador of Ismailism among the jamat all over the world. Religious studies would be valuable to me in several ways. First, your teaching assistant ship program would provide me with the practical teaching and preaching experience, which I am eager to acquire. Further, earning exposure of having trained in a foreign institute and environment would advance my other two career goals by adding to my skills, both critical and creative, in working with religious studies. As far as my future career is concerned, I must say that I believe the fact that until and unless one does not take care of his own professional development, he/she use to stuck in one position and his/her knowledge becomes rusty, so where ever I worked I tried my level best to be sincere with my job and tried to seek knowledge and understanding from every day passed. I continue enhancement of my knowledge in the relevant field of my job and this is the guarantee to get benefit from the career. As far as getting benefit from IWTP is concerned, I am optimistic that if I could get a chance, I will assume that I achieved my goal and will absorb myself to the service, and will prove my abilities and my professional grooming will continue; and of-course I will have a very challenging career, and when I will face these challenges, I will get experience and I understand that my professional grooming and experience among jamat can be a huge benefit from my career.

Thank you very much indeed.

A REWARDING JOURNEY OF COMMUNITY WORK

A REWARDING JOURNEY OF COMMUNITY WORK

  

• Boy Scout Ismaili Boy Scouts, Karimabad Hunza                         1980       1985          5 Yrs 
• Volunteer Computer Teacher Community Centres in Metrovel Karachi    1992     1995    3 Yrs
• Member ITREB Islamabad/Rawapindi, Mardan and Peshawar areas 1996 1997 1 Yr
• Member Ismaili Council for Altit/Karimabad 1996 1999 3 Yrs 
• Honorary Secretary Ismaili Tariqa and Religious Education Board for Hunza 1999 2001 2 Yrs
• District Scouts Commissioner Open Ismaili District Boy Scouts Association Hunza Jul. 2003 Jul. 2005 2 Yrs
• Member, Community Development Programme Management Committee of AKESP North, to run Non-formal Education Centre at Aga Khan Higher Secondary School for Girls, Karimabad Hunza Sep. 2004 Sep. 2005 1 Yr
• Convener Aga Khan Conciliation & Arbitration Panel Altit/Karimabad Jan. 2006 Jul. 2007 1½yrs
• Gap in services due to my University Study at Aga Khan University, Institute for Educational Development from August 2007 to July 2009
• Chairperson Religious Education Committee, JK-10 Mohammadabad, Danyore Gilgit. Jan. 2010 To date 1 Yr
• Special Note: I have been managing different functions arranged in Karimabad by different institutions like Karimabad Welfare Association, Town Management Society, Lok Virsa, Ismaili Council and many others by handling the stage performances and compeering in English, Urdu and Burushaski. 1995 To date 15 Yrs 

Meet The Challenge

Meet the Challenge

Darvesh Karim, Faculty, PDCN Gilgit.

‘Meet the Challenge’ is the moto of Hasegawa Memorial Public School, Karimabad Hunza. It means to come into contact with the demand for one’s best effort. It is an un-periodical situation that causes to bring revolutionary changes in our lives. The result of a challenge does have positive or negative effects on our lives if we cope with it effectively and manfully our future will be bright and prosperous. If we ignore or afraid of it and don’t steel ourselves against it, our life will be dark and limited. In such a situation the progress in personality retards and the life becomes dull.


When we glance at the history it shows us that the great statesmen, doctors, engineers and saints, who earned a good name for themselves, for their community and for their country, welcomed all the challenges that came in their way. They brought in to play God gifted qualities. These qualities include hope, perseverance, unflinching, determination and devotion to their task and courage. It does not mean that they were the only people who were gifted with these high qualities by nature. We can also develop these qualities in ourselves, but how? This is the real question, which is to be answered. As God almighty say in the Holy Quran;

Indeed; The more the human being strives, the more he will get.

Likewise Allama Doctor Mohammad Iqbal who is our National Poet, Says;

Don’t afraid of the strong opposite wind, it blows to raise you high up.

I come to the conclusion with these benedictory words that God almighty help us comply with this motto throughout our lives. Ameen.

Our Environment

OUR ENVIRONMENT

Darvesh Karim, Faculty, PDCN Gilgit.

We are blessed with some of the nature’s gifts on which our life is dependent. It includes air, water, land etc and they are very obligatory for our life and are serving the human beings to improve the quality of life. The collection of these natural resources is called the Environment.


Environment is the keyword in the modern world. It is now threatened by various issues like pollution, deforestation, extinction of rare species, depletion of ozone layer and destruction of natural habitat. Human beings are a part of nature so the changes in the natural environment have direct effect on their lives and society at large.

In the age of globalization, media have caught buzzword, the environment, to be the most immediate concern of humanity across the globe. Various non-governmental organizations are active to disseminate information and awareness among the masses regarding the preservation of their own environment. Such agencies like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have undertaken a lot of projects to save our environment from further degradation. The Human beings of this modern era have faced multiple problems like pollution, deforestation, extinction of species and drought. These problems are directly caused by the disturbance of natural environment with the advancement of technology. The abuses of this technology has caused serious problems to the whole Earth like emission of poisonous gases, thinning of ozone layer, destruction of marine life and most of all the arm-race and nuclear explosions. When this nuclear energy is used for political purposes with evil desires like to launch missile to detonate atomic device and to prepare a nuclear bomb then the survival of the human beings in future cannot be guaranteed. As a result of the misuse of this technology and scientific inventions the environment has been the most affected area because the air is the common heritage of all the humanity. It can’t be confined to a particular state, region or continent and the radiation of the nuclear explosions in one country can affect the whole world. The disadvantaged groups of this atomic age are the citizens of the backward societies who are left with no care to protect themselves from the misdeeds of the developed world.

I believe that the problem of the environmental degradation can’t be understood in isolation from economic and political problems. It demands huge cost to protect our environment from the bad effects of the nuclearisation of the developed world. We are politically dependent on the major powers of the world and we can’t compel them to abstain from their destructive activities. The only thing we can do is to raise awareness among our people regarding the significance of a clean environment. I really appreciate the efforts of all NGOs specifically Karakoram Area Development Organization - KADO-  to undertake the challenging task to sepread awareness of the ecology among the people of Hunza and elsewhere in Gilgit-Baltistan.

What is an Educational Portfolio?

EDUCATIONAL PORTFOLIO

(Darvesh Karim, Faculty, PDCN Gilgit)

Definition

A portfolio is a collection of various information about a teacher’s and students’ work like reflective writing, lesson plans, student assignments, teachers’ written descriptions, and formal evaluations by supervisors. Essentially, a portfolio is a collection of information about a teacher’s practices. [It] should be more than a miscellaneous collection of artifacts or extended accomplishments attained over an extended period (Wolf as cited in Retallick, 1996)

A portfolio serves as a collection or record of our professional background and experience. Items often found in a portfolio include a statement about the philosophy of education, curriculum vitae, examples of materials, activities, or lesson plans, video clips of our classroom teaching, samples of student, peer, or administrative evaluations of our teaching, and so on. According to Dietz (1993), the professional development portfolio is an envelope of the mind, a collection of essential questions, artifacts, and evidences that represent growth, continuous learning, and the current level of performance and interests of the learner. A portfolio is a compilation of evidence, which demonstrate the acquisition, development, and exercise of knowledge and skills in relation to any work place (Retallick & Groundwater-Smith, 1996).

Proposed Components of Portfolio Expected Outcomes.

1. Reflective journal. • Reflective Professional Teachers.

• Identification of teacher’s weaknesses and strengths.

2. Students progress record

3. Formative assessment record. • Students progress (weaknesses and strengths)

• Pedagogical change/modification.

• Child centered teaching.

4. Lesson plans record. • Learning to Teach.

5. Parents’ interaction record. • Healthy relationship with parents.

• Solutions of Behavioral problems/emotional/academics/modification.

6. Co-curricular reports. • Future planning. Involvement of students

7. Trainings and Workshops record.

8. Practical application and challenges faces. • Reference

• Self Evaluation.



Purpose of Portfolio

The purpose of a portfolio is to encourage teachers to conduct on-going self-evaluation and reflection, and to provide them information about self-improvement and professional development in future. Portfolios also help teachers to conduct meaningful peer evaluation, and can help a school’s principal function as an education partner with teachers, not just as a judge or critic of their practice (Wolf, 1996). Furthermore the purpose of maintaining a professional portfolio is;

1. To allow teachers to document actions as strategic planners.

2. To allow participants to take a reflective stance and reset goals for their future professional development.

3. To enable participants to examine the impact of their professional growth on the overall institutional development and growth.

4. To generate collegial support and sharing attitude among teachers.

5. To help participants to see continuous professional growth and development.

6. To provide a sense of affiliation and a vehicle for collaborative work. (Xu, 2003)

7. To provide a sense of purpose and to energize teachers at different levels of their practices.

References

Elbaz, F. (1983). Teacher thinking: Study of practical knowledge. London: Croom Helm.

Shulman, L. S. Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4-14

Wolf, K. (1996). Developing an effective teaching portfolio, Educational Leadership, 53(6), 34-37.

Three Idiots - Film Review

FILM REVIEW - THREE IDIOTS

Darvesh Karim, Faculty, PDCN Gilgit

Theme

The story of the film (3 Idiots, 2009) is really a unique one as 'Three Idiots' is a great combination of humor, love, emotions and knowledge. The performances by all the actors are worth acknowledging. On one hand Three Idiots has shown the circumstances faced by the engineering students and on the other side it has also tried to bring out the true meaning of friendship. The major theme of this movie revolves around a well-deserved strike on the existing education system of sub-continent in general and India in particular where rote-learning has become part of the educational life of every student. It is a lighthearted and entertaining journey of three friends as they try to figure themselves out and share unforgettable experiences. It is an Educational movie, which shows the actual face of existing education system.

Analysis

Life is all about listening to our heart and chasing the dreams. Three Idiots is not about the real idiots but it is about three engineering students who believe in 'I'll Do It On my Terms' and that's what the three characters achieve in life. That's the essence of 3 IDIOTS. Three idiots is an amazing movie, a worth watch for the whole family. It is entertaining, emotional, enlightening and has high youth appeal. Aamir Khan’s magic has worked again and 3 Idiots has become one of the finest films ever produced in India.

3 Idiots is definitely an overvalued good movie. The inherent message for the youth to peruse their passion instead of joining the rat race is also exemplary. The message for the students to give precedence to knowledge over marks and follow their passion is definitely admirable. The movie impresses and moves the viewer deeply at certain places. It’s a clean movie, with some good advices if we can pay attention to. The jokes are overall not vulgar, but a small percentage of them may be walking a thin line with the visuals. It’s a movie which does not require you to concentrate, but it does not do much to challenge your sense of logic either.

Two friends embark on a quest for a lost buddy. As they make their way through the dangerous landscape another journey begins: their inner journey through memory lane and the story of their friend - the irrepressible free-thinker, who, in his unique way, touched and changed their lives during their co-stay at engineering college hostel. It's a story of their hostel days that swings between Rancho's romance with the energetic Pia and his clash with and oppressive mentor Viru, and then one day, suddenly, Rancho vanishes... Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did he leave? The friend who influenced and inspired them to think creatively and independently, even as the traditionalist world called them three idiots. Where is the original idiot now? These were the questions of their quest and they were trying hard to solve these problems. The mystery is solved and a new journey begins. Just when you think that the story would be solved, a new story begins. Of course, the pace dips slightly in its second hour, especially during the delivery sequence of Mona, but the immediate sequence, when the baby boy is born and also the subsequent sequence between Boman and Aamir brings the film back on track.

Findings & Explanation

The plot touches upon applicable issues in the Indian education system which sometimes forces rote-learning, peer-competition, strict nature of professors, etc which are prevalent in engineering colleges of subcontinent today in India and Pakistan as well. The plot is light hearted, in that the viewer experiences emotions even through comic scenes and dramatic gestures like a strict professor finally breaking down, or after problems, folks meet with success – two of basic human feelings, which on a practical level, most of us empathize or rejoice with respectively. Personally I believe that this - two basic human feelings – comparison is the major finding of this movie. The movie can flatly be placed in the comic & educational genre, and is also presented in comical means – with a fellow student who mugs up a speech in Hindi, which Rancho and Farhan modify to teach Raju what consequences rote-learning has. Although the view may forget the lesson soon enough, the scene is very well delivered and leaves a lasting impression (especially with the choice of words).

The movie plot also discusses parents’ genuine aspirations for their children, and how while growing up, we feel torn apart between parents’ wants and our own. But the story also carefully depicts how they only seek our happiness and are willing to sacrifice theirs, as always. The movie does not have a colorful appeal, in that, the students are shown to be from modest backgrounds and are looking to have a good time in limited means. In short, in my personal observation, the story is not designed to give a specific message, but to shows students' life at Engineering College and what their interests are along with a quick glance of educational system in India.

References

Chopra, V.V. (Producer), Hirani, R. (Director). (2009). 3 Idiots [Hindi Film]. Mumbay: Vinod Chopra Productions.

Me and my teaching Career - Darvesh Karim

Me and My Teaching Career – Darvesh Karim


• B.A (Karachi University)

• B.Ed. (Allama Iqbal Open University)

• M. A (Political Science from Karachi University)

• M.Ed. (Aga Khan University –Institute for Educational Development in 2009 – Educational Leadership and Management)

• Computer Courses (Various Institutions)

• Three Cambridge IT Awards (Cambridge University through British Council Islamabad).

My educational journey as a teacher starts almost 13 years back in September 1997, when I had initiated a computer institution – High Mountains Computer Institute - HMCI – in Karimabad Hunza as a pioneer institute in the valley to impart modern technological skills and knowledge which I had gained in Karachi during my study, to the young generation of the area.

While managing the said computer institution, I got an offer from the management of Hasegawa Memorial Public School Karimabad Hunza in 1999 which is a well reputed English medium school, to join as a (computer) teacher. I accepted the offer and my initial appointment with the said school was as a teacher, then promoted and assigned administrative tasks as an admin officer along-with my casual teaching and finally positioned as Principal of the school. During this period (1999 – 2007), I endeavored to gain insights into the students' learning psychology from in-class and off-class communications with them so as to bring something new for each lesson and I gained much experience of school leadership and management.

However, the origin of my intense interest in education, an interest which has now evolved into an aspiration and a career in the field, happened during my undergraduate studies (B.Ed). A workshop facilitated by the two young graduates from AKU-IED changed my understanding of education and, together with it, the course of my life as well. Those graduate students were young, vigorous, and highly intelligent, demonstrating impressive teaching expertise. In particular, I was fascinated by their unique teaching methodology which they had flourished at AKU-IED. Through their teaching I came to realize that education should be dominated by advanced concepts, assisted by effective teaching strategies, both of which are vitally important for bringing out a greater social role from education. Education represented for me a field in which I can achieve more satisfying personal development. So, a strong inner desire and a question aroused in my mind at the time that will I be fortunate enough to get a chance to study in AKU-IED, so that I could be able to transform myself to a professional in education like these two young fellows?

With this inspiration and particularly the university’s powerful pedagogical resource, vibrant intellectual atmosphere and a comprehensive curriculum, (I had heard about) I was very much eager to get a chance of studying at AKU-IED. The year 2007 proven itself the luckiest year for me, when I was selected for the M.Ed course at AKU-IED and I assume it the fulfillment of my inner desires and the response to my earlier question which was eagerly aroused in my mind. My option for Educational Leadership and Management course was motivated by my strong interest in the application of modern teaching and leading methodologies and educational management institutions and especially the integration of information technology, in the field of education and in the nature of a series of revolutionary changes resulting thereof. My final thesis as an M.Ed. student is also on the same line which is exploring head and deputy head teachers’ attitude towards using computers in education.