The Film Club
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre

Whale Rider is a 2002 drama film directed by Niki Caro, based on the novel of the same name by Witi Ihimaera. The film stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as Kahu Paikea Apirana, a 12-year-old Maori girl who wants to become the chief of the tribe. Her grandfather Koro believes that this is a role reserved for males only.

The film received critical acclaim upon its release. Castle-Hughes was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Synopsis:

On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand
Whale_Rider_posteryears or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale.

From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea’s direct descendants.

Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.

Facilitator: Uzma Rauf
Date: Saturday, April 06, 2013
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Running Time: 101 minutes
Discussion: 75 minutes
Venue: TRC
Fee: Rs. 250 (inclusive of refreshments)

Read More
TRC News
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre

Dear Readers,

Please check out our new Opinion Poll on Open-Book Tests and Exams and cast your vote by the end of March 2013. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our February 2013 poll was about The Use of Cell Phones in School:

Older students should be allowed to bring cell phones to school, because they are a modern-day necessity and convenience, and especially useful in case of emergencies.

• I agree. Schools should set appropriate rules regarding the use of cell phones and allow students to bring them. (53%, 24 Votes)

• I disagree. Students should not be allowed to bring cell phones to school, because they are a distraction and schools should have a system in place for emergencies. (47%, 21 Votes)

This is a very contentious issue. Those who think schools should allow students to bring cell phones, outnumbered those who didn’t agree by a relatively small margin of 6%. This slight majority (53%) believes that cell phones are an essential for students in today’s world and especially handy in case of a crisis. The rest of the voters (47%) think that cell phones are a distraction and do not belong in schools.

Read More
Ilm o Amal
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre

Commonly treated as an add-on, art has seldom been considered a serious part of an education. In this article Shahrezad Samiuddin explores the prevailing attitudes towards a subject that is vital to students’ success and a well-rounded education.

Read More
Workshops
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre
Dates: 27 & 28 March 2013 | Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

This workshop will highlight the role of poetry as an integral part of learning and the benefits of teaching the curriculum through poems.

Read More
Workshops
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre
Dates: 20 & 21 March 2013 | Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

This workshop will focus on the important aspects of designing and using spaces in schools to promote effective learning.

Read More
TRC News
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre

Dear Readers,

Please check out our new Opinion Poll on The Use of Cell Phones in School and cast your vote by the end of February 2013. As you know …

your opinion counts

Our January 2013 poll was about Punishment:

Punishment should be discouraged since it perpetuates the cycle of abuse and achieves little in terms of discipline, especially since the core issue is almost never addressed.

• I agree. We have to understand and internalize that positive guidance works better than punishment in order to teach students right from wrong. (89%, 41 Votes)

• I disagree. When you don’t punish students you erode discipline and encourage unruly behavior. With certain disciplinary issues, punishment is the only thing that works. (11%, 5 Votes)

The overwhelming majority of our respondents believe that positive guidance, rather than punishment is a more effective and preferable way for disciplining children to help them differentiate right from wrong and so deal with the root cause of the problem. Only a very small minority of the respondents believe that in some situations punishment is the only thing that will work to discipline a child.

Read More
Ilm o Amal
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre

Results from TRC’s opinion poll last month show that most of you believe that the most effective ways of disciplining a child do not involve punishment. In this article, veteran teacher Fauzia Azami Zubair looks at common problems that arise when we punish students and explores more humane and effective ways of dealing with the issue of discipline.

Read More
Workshops
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre
Dates: 20 & 21 February 2013 | Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

This workshop will highlight the importance of being aware of the 21st Century skills and the impact of their application in classroom teaching.

Read More
Workshops
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre
Dates: 8 & 9 February 2013 | Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. & 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

This workshop will explore the different ways to assess the progress of the young learner through observations and report effectively.

Read More