Author: cpatscot

Today, I did a Zoom class with the level 1 and level 2 ESL students that I originally worked with in-person before the COVID-19 abruptly changed those plans. However, it was great to see all the students again over Zoom! I miss being present in class with the students and helping live, but lesson delivery was effective via Zoom for these students. The head teacher was very creative in her lesson planning to make it engaging for students yet practical in that the delivery was understood despite it not being in-person. She used a variety of fruits and vegetables and demonstrated ways to prepare them. For example, she took a potato and peeled it. She showed on camera how you could use a peeler or a knife, make your slices thin or thick, and then used a pan to cook the potato. This helped students work on vocabulary with the types of food as well as the different tools used to prepare the food. Additionally, it helped students work on effective communication by using descriptors to describe how the food was being prepared as well as what each food looked like.

I learned that teaching those new to the English language with pictures and live demonstration tools is very helpful. When I conduct virtual tutoring over the phone, the students’ English skills are much more advanced than those students I engaged with today via Zoom. With the level 1 and level 2 students, this phone tutoring would not be effective. It is important to utilize creative teaching skills when delivering material to new English language learners. In our class, we discussed the need for being curious and constantly trying to find new ways to try things. This was indicated to me through the first Zoom session with the ESL students.

Despite there being a learning barrier and COVID-19 making it more difficult, it is important to stick to my commitment and help members of my community. Engaging with the class via Zoom teaches me skills like perseverance as well as creativity. Creativity is important because the students struggle to learn English without the proper teaching tools being utilized.

Today, I tutored two English language learning students over the phone. We discussed chapter five in their ESL textbook. Chapter five was about the government and the economy, rule of law, federal and state government, and The Constitution. The exercises included helped the student develop vocabulary, grammar, and civics skills. We also did discussion and debate as part of the lesson.

In Cairo House, a major theme is where does Gigi feel like she fits in. On page 149, Serageldin writes, “where do I [Gigi] belong? Where is the chameleon’s natural habitat?” In the discussion and debate components of the lesson, I frequently hear this same idea echoed through what the students share about navigating their lives in the United States. In some of the countries the students come from, the government is very different. Some students prefer elements of their government in their native country compared to the United States. Some students really miss their native country and left important memories or family back in their native country. While the students are actively trying to become citizens in the United States and adopt a new national identity, they do not erase where they came from. I see a lot of parallels between Gigi’s story and the story of the students trying to understand and adopt a new identity while still maintaining an identity in his/her native country.

I understand more through working with diverse students the difficulty of meshing multiple community groups. Despite it sometimes being difficult, it is important to integrate one community group with another because diversity helps in many different areas of life. It is important for me to be respectful and understanding during these conversations. I do this out of respect for the students, but I also want to listen to understand the cultures and communities of others in order to help make myself more educated.

Today, I met with several students over the phone to conduct another virtual tutoring session. We went through several exercises that helped the students apply the material they learned about the three branches of government. We also learned about state government specific to Indiana. We shared discussions about how we were doing at home amidst the coronavirus chaos. This season is important in many faiths, so we discussed how our experiences were changing without being able to carry on with typical traditions.

Through the interfaith discussions about how we were spending our time during this season, I developed a deeper understanding for what this season means for people of other faiths. Developing this deeper cultural understanding is important to relate to members of my community and be respectful as well as more knowledgeable. Additionally, I did not attend K-12 school in Indiana. Learning about the Indiana state government was also new to me. Both the informal discussions and the formal lesson about the government helped me understand more about both the community I live in as well as other cultural groups. Blending community groups is a topic that has been touched on several times throughout this course and is extremely important.

I learned that there are many ways to build your knowledge and broaden your understanding about different communities or cultures. Having simple discussions with the students helped me broaden my understanding about different cultures. Sometimes these personal perspectives are the most beneficial because it offers a safe space for asking questions and understanding someone’s culture at a personal level. I realized how valued the students felt when I took time to learn about their personal culture and experiences.

In virtual ICR service, I tutored two students over the phone. Our discussion and lesson were centered around the three branches of government. This included who made up each branch, the purpose of each branch, where each branch was located, and current issues related to each branch of government. This information is important for these students to learn because they are studying for the citizenship test.

In Cairo House on page 138, Samia Serageldin writes, “Sometimes the sea changes in life can be sudden, and at the time, can seem temporary.” Although this thought relates to Gigi’s choices at the time in the novel, this quote can be applied to the current situation we are living. Our society has undergone a significant change in a very sudden manner. Some of these changes will be temporary and some will be more permanent. It would be easy for both students and tutors to give up on continuing ESL classes because of the sudden “sea changes” that have occurred. However, it is inspiring that the students are so dedicated to learning English and trying to better understand the new culture they are apart of. The students are busy, have children at home, and have jobs as well. The tutors are dealing with technical difficulties and schedules of their own. The head of the tutoring program at Washington Township said I won the award for tutoring from the furthest away from Indianapolis. Like Serageldin writes, the changes are sudden, but it is important to adapt and continue to stay focused.

As I do more virtual tutoring sessions, I am learning how to become more effective at delivering material over the phone. Effective communication is a very important skill to possess and continue to develop. Communicating over the phone can pose a challenge, especially with the language barrier that exists. However, I have learned different methods that help me deliver the material effectively to the students. This includes using tone of voice more than I normally would as well as describing in more simple terms. This virtual tutoring is not the most ideal way to deliver material to students learning English. However, this is a time where everyone is learning to adapt. I have learned how to adapt to this situation and still communicate effectively and help students learn.

One of the five pillars of the Islamic faith is to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca during a Muslim’s life (if financial and physical able). There are several places in the Quran that mention the importance of the pilgrimage:

[Quran 2:125] We have rendered the shrine (the Kaba) a focal point for the people, and a safe sanctuary. You may use Abraham’s shrine as a prayer house. We commissioned Abraham and Ismail: “You shall purify My house for those who visit, those who live there, and those who bow and prostrate.”

[ 2:196] You shall observe the complete rites of Hajj and `Umrah for God. If you are prevented, you shall send an offering, and do not resume cutting your hair until your offering has reached its destination. If you are ill,or suffering a head injury (and you must cut your hair), you shall expiate by fasting, or giving to charity, or some other form of worship. During the normal Hajj, if you break the state of Ihram (sanctity) between `Umrah and Hajj, you shall expiate by offering an animal sacrifice. If you cannot afford it, you shall fast three days during Hajj and seven when you return home – this completes ten -provided you do not live at the Sacred Masjid. You shall observe God, and know that God is strict in enforcing retribution.

Quran 22:27: “And proclaim that the people shall observe Hajj pilgrimage. They will come to you walking or riding on various exhausted (means of transportation). They will come from the farthest locations.”

The Hajj is very important for Muslims. This year, Hajj is supposed to begin Tuesday, July 28 and go through Sunday, August 2. Each year, the number of Muslims that come to Mecca to perform Hajj varies. However, it is estimated that approximately three million Muslims gather for Hajj.

With COVID-19 being a current and imminent health crisis, Hajj has been one of the latest global events to be jeopardized by the pandemic. Although Hajj for this year has not been canceled yet, both Mecca and Medina have been closed for over a month. This was not an action that was taken during the last widespread pandemic. Saudi authorities have asked Muslims to hold off on making travel plans for Hajj as there is a significant risk that Hajj would not occur in the same way it has in years past. It has been over 200 years since Hajj has been canceled. This cancelation would be devastating for Muslims worldwide; however, Saudi Arabian authorities say they will make the decision that is safest for the greater community.

Take a look at the article that discusses this issue in more depth. 

This week, I tutored the same students as last week. We conducted the tutoring sessions on Tuesday and Thursday via conference call. We covered chapter three in their ESL textbook and worked on material for the U.S. citizenship test. Chapter three was about the three branches of government and the purpose and primary members of each branch. In the textbook, there are exercises related to grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and other comprehension exercises. Not only is the vocabulary related to the government and the three branches of government difficult (“legislative,” “executive,” etc.) but understanding the purpose of each branch is also a challenge. It is easy to mix up small details, but it is very important for the students to understand the structure and purpose of the U.S. government.

On Tuesday, there was a greater focus on pronouncing the vocabulary words correctly and understanding the basics of the three branches of government (the purpose and members). This was difficult for the students. However, repetition was important. On Thursday, which was the second day we were covering the material, the pronunciation and reading comprehension came more natural for the students. We were then able to have more discussions about the United States government as well as the government in the students’ native countries. Learning about the government in other countries was interesting because it demonstrates how lucky we are to be in a democracy. I think we frequently take that for granted and fail to understand how governments operate in other countries and how this can be oppressive in certain instances.

Covering the content in this chapter aligned well with the weekly readings about democracy in Islam. Many people associate Islam with dictatorship, but a majority of Muslims actually live in countries that embrace democracy in some form. In the article on social justice by Sayyid Qutb, he mentions that Islam “grew up as an independent country owing allegiance to no empire and to no king, in a form of society never again achieved.” Some Muslims live in a very democratic country; however, some do not. The type of government that is associated with Islam is rarely democracy, but there is a blurry line and mix of information that is provided that speaks the truth. I found the chapter about democracy in Modernist Islam to be a bit confusing. I had to re-read several times to understand the point about democracy the author was trying to make as well as the inconsistencies of equality that is present. Hearing about someone’s government from their real perspective helps me better understand what the public’s perception of that government is like. Either way, it was important to utilize the resources I had to learn about the government and Islam.

One of the students was from Romania. This student clarified my perceptions of what Romanian government was like. She lived through the transition from communist government to the government Romania has now and was able to describe the differences for me. Having a real-life perspective like this helps me understand the government, but also proves to me that I should not make assumptions based on stereotypes and I should try to understand different governments. Being curious and wanting to be educated is an important trait to possess and a trait that I can apply to many areas of my life. I developed a deeper sense of responsibility to learn about other types of governments before making quick judgments or assumptions.

The article on practicing salah was very helpful and thorough but included some technical prayers and terminology that were a little more difficult to understand. Even though Muslims who have not yet gone through puberty are not required to partake in salah, I began to wonder how children were involved in learning salah and when children were encouraged to practice.

I found videos on YouTube that were designed to teach children about salah. The first video was a Muslim father narrating a cartoon video about encouraging his children to engage in prayer time. Although he explains his approach comically, which provides entertainment for me as the viewer, he explains how he wants his children to engage in the practice when they are serious about prayer. He explains how prayer is important for him and wants it to be important for his children as well. However, as he puts it, sometimes children are more occupied in playing with legos than wanting to engage in prayer time. He mentions a good age to start learning about salah is seven or eight.

The second video I watched was an animated show for Muslim children. It appeared to be similar to a show like Peppa Pig. This video showed a young boy practicing the prayer in his bedroom and narrating his actions. The explanation of his actions, thoughts, and speech were much simpler to understand than the article we read about salah. He was explaining his actions in a simple and understandable manner, which was easier to understand than the videos we watched of adults practicing Muslim prayer. Once again, he emphasized the importance of practicing prayer and honoring “the Master.”

Sometimes it is beneficial to try to learn something new through the lens of a child because of the naivety and open mind he/she approaches the learning opportunity with. Although these videos were designed for children, it helped me understand the practice of the prayer. It also helped me understand the importance of the prayer for Muslims and how parents want to instill this value in their children.

I am disappointed that I will not be able to fulfill my ICR through attendance at the live ESL classes I was helping with through the Washington Township adult learning program. However, I am able to tutor students over the phone instead. Today, I arranged textbook materials for students, prepped a short lesson that I would conduct over the phone, and called a small group of students to conduct a conference call style ESL class. The chapter we covered was about the American flag and the Pledge of Allegiance. The students were more advanced than the class I was placed in before. Two students were in preparation to take the U.S. Citizenship exam.

When I connected with my site to see if there were virtual volunteer opportunities, I was worried about the students’ abilities to receive instruction without being face-to-face. The language barrier is sometimes very difficult to overcome. The nonverbal communication that is possible in-person is impossible to convey over the phone. Sometimes this nonverbal communication as well as the physical benefits of demonstration during teachings helps students overcome misunderstandings and obstacles. However, the students I worked with over the phone were higher level English speakers than the Level 1 and 2 students I worked with at the school. This made conducting the instruction over the phone more manageable. I still needed to speak slowly and repeat myself occasionally, but students understood the lesson most of the time. This demonstrates the progression of learning a language. In the beginning, it is very difficult, and many resources are needed to help learn. However, once some of the major obstacles are overcome, then it becomes easier to learn more of the language and less teaching tools are needed. I was very impressed by the progression the students had made during the lesson. I was impressed by the fact that just a few months ago the students were all in the Level 1 English class. In our lesson, we were able to focus more on conceptual learning than basic vocabulary work. In our discussion about the American flag, students were able to share history and background for the flags of their native countries. This helped me appreciate other cultures and understand how they too are constantly changing. We were able to discuss the pandemic and talk about how different family members were doing with the pandemic issue and how it was being handled in each of the student’s home country. Once again, this helped me understand how the world is connected, but that every culture is unique as well. This holds true for the way each country is handling the pandemic. It is unfortunate that something like COVID-19 is what connects countries across the globe, but it was engaging to have the discussion with students from across the globe about their perceptions and experiences throughout this current issue.

As I mentioned, I was nervous about helping over the phone. I was concerned that my teaching would not be effective over the phone or instruction via the phone would not be a sufficient way to deliver material to English language learners. However, through perseverance and problem-solving, I was able to develop a lesson plan that the students understood and engaged in. We enjoyed discussion about current events as well as practiced important material, which we did effectively in a virtual manner. Although I miss the opportunity of helping in the live Level 1 and 2 English class, I look forward to connecting with the students over the phone next week.

I have learned about Sharia Law before in my finance classes because of the impact it has on international finance. The articles provided in our Islamic Law activity did not directly address the impacts Sharia Law has on the world of finance, so I wanted to provide some background information for those who might want to learn more. An easy-to-read article published by Investopedia about Sharia Law and the implications it has on finance is linked here.

Islamic banking is handled much differently than banking in other types of the world. There is a lot of technical differences that pertain to the way capital can be raised, the types of investments that are permitted, and the way money is handled. The biggest component and the “big picture” of Islamic banking pertains to interest. As stated in the article linked above, “central to Islamic banking and finance is an understanding of the importance of risk sharing as part of raising capital and the avoidance of riba (usury) and gharar (risk or uncertainty).” Islamic law does not view money as an asset itself, which means it prohibits someone from earning a profit from lending money. Therefore, there is little to no interest because Islamic law discourages earning money from lending. Islamic finance encourages ethical practices. Those with careers in international finance deal with the impact of Islamic law on finance every day. However, for the common person in America, we rarely see or feel the impact of Sharia Law on the day-to-day finance we deal with.

While completing the activity on Sharia Law, I came across some news sources that addressed Sharia Law in light of the current issue of the Coronavirus. Gulf News is a daily English newspaper published from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It seems to produce more popular press articles than high-quality news sources about an issue like the Coronavirus. The article I read is linked here and outlined a decision based in Sharia Law to prioritize public health and safety over the Islamic practice of community prayer in the mosques. The basis for the decision stems from the principle of mitigating danger and harm to the people, which is reported to be a principle of Sharia Law. The article reports that the common practice is for Muslims to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the mosques and sometimes up to 10,000 people gather at once. Today, the mosques in UAE are empty. The article also identified the looming issue of Coronavirus impacting Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Ramadan this year begins at the end of April. Thus far, plans for Ramadan have not been discontinued or rescheduled.