This document discusses reimagining education by integrating subjects and making learning practical and applicable to real life. It advocates for teaching through projects on various topics to connect different subjects. It also emphasizes teaching life skills, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and bringing theology alive by relating historical stories to modern times. Travel and hands-on experiences are recommended to help students imagine and relate to what they are learning. Technology should be used creatively to enhance learning and spread influence. The overall goal is to transform education from memorization and exams to fostering a lifelong love of learning and developing well-rounded, principled citizens.

1. Integrated Teaching
Making schooling worthwhile

2. The two capital crimes committed
against society are the
commercialization of education and
health care.
2

3. Situational diagnosis
What happens today in the name of
education

4. Has education failed?
1. The biggest problem with our education system
is that it is highly successful
2. It produces what it was designed to produce in
the 18th century
3. But today we are in the 21st century…!!
4
We won’t use a 2-year old phone but we pay
for a 300 year old education system

5. It is not an issue of speed or
power but of design

6. What is this place?
1. Authoritarian
structure
2. Dress code
3. Silence & order
4. Punishment
5. Walk in lines
6. Loss of autonomy
7. Abridged freedoms
8. No input in decision
making
9. Set time enforced for
waking, eating, etc.
6
Prison?No, school

7. Ask
1. Who is the school for?
2. Why do you have Parent/Teacher meetings?
3. How are children involved in decision making?
4. What choices do children have?
5. If a child fails, who suffers?
7
So really, who is the school for?

8. The first casualty of schooling is
imagination. The second is
independence. Confidence dies on its
own of a broken heart.
8

9. Problem with teaching today
1. Discrete subjects with no relation to each other
or to practical application of learning
2. Focus on completing portions/syllabus
3. Pressure to memorize information; not on
understanding or using it
9Exams test random recall in a specific time

10. Class size & composition
1. Classes made up by date of manufacture
2. Size to maximize income per student
3. Seating to kill all inter-student communication
4. Pressure on silence, obedience, conformity
5. Questioning, disagreement not allowed
10
How do you measure teacher effectiveness?

11. Sir Ken Robinson,
We must change the paradigm

12. Result of 15 years of school
1. Information without understanding
2. Unable to earn a living or do anything useful
3. Unable to take care of themselves
4. Hate what they learnt
5. Great exam results which mean nothing
12Yet everyone benefits except the student

13. Why else would global leaders make
the same mistakes since the Roman
Empire except that they're trained in
a flawed system?
13

14. How is it possible that we know all
about the world and that there's no
other world and yet continue to
destroy it? Is this knowledge?
14

15. What if?
1. Schooling created a lifelong love for learning?
2. Inculcated ethics, morals and values?
3. Taught brotherhood, teamwork, leadership?
4. Produced strong, compassionate, courageous
citizens of the world
5. Teachers were held accountable for results?
15
It is in your power to create this

16. What must be done?
Start fresh to create a new generation

17. Collect dots or connect dots - is the
difference between information and
knowledge; mugging and
understanding; success and failure.
17

18. 18

19. The single, most powerful change to
transform the world is to move from -
the world is responsible for me to, I'm
responsible for the world.
19

20. Foundation of Values
Values drive behavior
Behavior drives results
20
Values must be inculcated
They can’t be legislated

21. Accountability to Allah‫ﷻ‬
1. Integrity
2. Truthfulness
3. Compassion
4. Courage
5. Citizenship
6. Teamwork
This is why you need the right teachers21

22. Everything must change
1. Reason you teach
2. Autonomy of students
3. Class size & composition
4. Curriculum & syllabus
5. Teaching methodology
6. Examination system
But first the mindset must change22

23. Reason you teach
1. What are you trying to create in your school?
2. What differentiates you in the market?
3. Define the final product in terms of what he will
be trained for and capable of doing
23
What will be lost if your school doesn’t exist?

24. Student Council
1. If the school is for children they must decide
what happens there
2. Dignity begins with choice – give them dignity
3. Teachers/authority must be accountable to the
children and must be evaluated by them
24
Otherwise it is a prison, not a school

25. Class size & composition
1. Not more than fifteen students per class
2. Multiple ages – not by date of manufacture
3. Multiple teachers – class + subject teachers
25
Supported by state-of-the-art technology

26. Curriculum and syllabus
1. Refer to your Core Purpose and design a
curriculum that can deliver that
2. Focus on understanding and application
3. Must create a lifelong love for learning
26
Stop teaching – start discovering

27. Teaching methodology
1. Integrate knowledge – not discrete subjects
2. Focus on its application – practical experience
3. Open doors to further enquiry – support
questioning, dissent, critical analysis
27
Teach by demonstration because
they listen with their eyes

28. Examination system
1. Regurgitating undigested food is called vomit.
Regurgitating undigested information is called
passing exams.
2. Exams: Name given to test if you can regurgitate
unprocessed information at a specified time.
28
Abolish this insane, illogical and inhuman system

29. What must change?
1. In the current exam system, if a person recalls
the information 5 minutes later, you fail him
because the exam is over. How stupid is that?
2. Test understanding, application skill, changed
values, broadened horizons - not memory.
29Your student is human and not a silicon chip.

30. Quranic teaching methodology
Recognize Allah‫,ﷻ‬ then research His creation

31. Dhikr wa Tafakkur
ِ‫ت‬ْ‫اخ‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫ض‬ْ‫َر‬‫أل‬‫ا‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫ات‬َ‫او‬َ‫م‬َّ‫الس‬ ِ‫ق‬ْ‫ل‬َ‫خ‬ ِ‫ِف‬ َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬‫آل‬ ِ‫ر‬‫ا‬َ‫َّه‬‫الن‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫ل‬ْ‫ي‬َّ‫ل‬‫ال‬ ِ‫ف‬َ‫ال‬ٍ‫ت‬َ‫َي‬
ِ‫اب‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ل‬‫األ‬ ِ‫ِل‬ْ‫ُو‬ِِ‫أل‬
َ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ود‬ُ‫ع‬ُ‫ق‬َ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ام‬َ‫ي‬ِ‫ق‬ َِ‫اّلل‬ َ‫ن‬‫و‬ُ‫ر‬ُ‫ك‬ْ‫ذ‬َ‫ي‬ َ‫ين‬ِ‫ذ‬َّ‫ل‬‫ا‬َّ‫ك‬َ‫ف‬َ‫ت‬َ‫ي‬َ‫و‬ ْ‫م‬ِِ‫وِب‬ُ‫ن‬ُ‫ج‬ َ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬ِ‫ِف‬ َ‫ن‬‫و‬ُ‫ر‬
َ‫ل‬َ‫خ‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ن‬َّ‫ب‬َ‫ر‬ ِ‫ض‬ْ‫َر‬‫أل‬‫ا‬َ‫و‬ ِ‫ات‬َ‫او‬َ‫م‬َّ‫الس‬ ِ‫ق‬ْ‫ل‬َ‫خ‬َ‫ك‬َ‫ن‬‫ا‬َ‫ح‬ْ‫ب‬ُ‫س‬ ً‫ال‬ِ‫ط‬َ‫َب‬ ‫ذا‬َ‫ه‬ َ‫ت‬ْ‫ق‬
ِ‫ر‬‫َّا‬‫ن‬‫ال‬ َ‫اب‬َ‫ذ‬َ‫ع‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ن‬ِ‫ق‬َ‫ف‬
31

32. A’al Imraan
• 190. Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the
alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of
understanding.
• 191. Those who remember Allâh standing, sitting, and lying down on
their sides, and reflect about the creation of the heavens and the
earth, (saying): ‘Our Rabb! You have not created (all) this without
purpose, glory to You. Give us salvation from the torment of the
Fire.’
The purpose of knowledge is to open the eyes 32

33. Teach through Projects
Because knowledge and people are holistic

34. Why Projects?
1. Projects are a wonderful way to teach because
they also encourage participation from the child
in learning.
2. Choose a topic; then teach all subjects with that
topic as the base
34Make learning practical and applicable

35. Project: Oceans
1. Biology: Marine plants & animals
2. Physics: Displacement floats ships
3. Chemistry: Why is sea water salty?
4. Geography: Navigation:
Orientation, sailing, Qibla
5. History: Maritime history of
nations
6. Trade: Routes, goods, cultural &
population change
7. Tafsir: Qur’anic Ayaat relating to Oceans
8. Fiqh: Mathaa’il related to sea water,
food, travel etc.
9. Hadith: Ahadith related to the sea
10. Seerah: Stories of Seerah and Sahaba
about the sea
Go sailing, make salt, catch fish, camp by the sea

36. ِ‫ن‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ر‬ْ‫ح‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ل‬‫ا‬ َ‫ج‬َ‫ر‬َ‫م‬
ْ‫ذ‬َ‫ع‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ذ‬َ‫ه‬ ِ‫ن‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ر‬ْ‫ح‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ل‬‫ا‬ َ‫ج‬َ‫ر‬َ‫م‬ ‫ي‬ِ‫ذ‬َّ‫ل‬‫ا‬ َ‫و‬ُ‫ه‬َ‫و‬ٌ‫اج‬َ‫ُج‬‫أ‬ ٌ‫ح‬ْ‫ل‬ِ‫م‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ذ‬َ‫ه‬َ‫و‬ ٌ‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ف‬ ٌ‫ب‬
َّْ‫ّم‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ر‬ْ‫ج‬ِ‫ح‬َ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ً‫خ‬َ‫ز‬ْ‫ر‬َ‫ب‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬ُ‫ه‬َ‫ن‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ب‬ َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ج‬َ‫و‬‫ا‬ً‫ور‬ُ‫ج‬
• Furqan 25: 53. And it is He Who set free the two seas (kinds of
water), one palatable and sweet, and the other salt and bitter, and
He set a barrier and a complete partition between them.
36

37. Project: Mountains
1. Geology: Isostacy of
mountains: Stabilizing effect
2. Geography: How mountains
effect climate
3. Biology: Mountain flora &
fauna
4. History: How mountains
affected nations
5. Tafsir: Ayaat related to
mountains
6. Seerah: Mountain of Uhud
7. Hadith: Related to mountains
Camp in the mountains, rock climbing,
rappelling, climb Kilimanjaro

38. Think & Question
1. Teach them to ask questions and draw lessons
2. Encourage imagination, dreaming, dissent
3. Let them teach for that’s the best way to learn
4. Ask, ‘Why not?’ and ‘So what?’
38
Essential lesson: Critical analysis is not criticism

39. Learn Life Skills by doing
1. Run the cafeteria: learn economic & business
2. Technical skill training: plumbing, electrical, carpentry
3. Farming & animal husbandry: connect with the earth
4. Social service projects: local & global
5. Newspaper & TV channel: principled influencing
6. Elections to Student Council: Citizenship, democracy
39

40. Entrepreneurship Development
1. Converting a skill into a business
2. Social responsibility – develop others
3. Budgeting, cash flow, taxation, costing
4. Communication, conflict resolution, influencing
40
Teach them to become self-reliant

41. Study the Seerah
1. Study the Seerah and draw lessons for today
2. Show how values, ethics and morals are ageless
and eternal – what worked then still does
3. Focus on Akhlaaq, Tarbiyya & Tazkiyya – bring
the Qur’an alive for them – living Word of Allah‫ﷻ‬
41Make Rasoolullah real to them

42. Bring theology alive
1. While teaching history, ask them what they would
have done in a similar situation and why?
2. Let them appreciate the challenges that Rasoolullah‫ﷺ‬
faced and show parallels in today’s world
3. Show them how his methods apply today and how
they can get us the same results if we practice them
42
Islam spread by winning hearts, not arguments

43. Integrated teaching
Use Maps

44. Ibrahim’sjourney
44

45. Musa’scrossing
45

46. Only then;
1. Will they be able to appreciate what it must have felt like for
Musa to stand alone in the majestic court of Ramses IV and
tell him that he was merely a man and not god
2. Let them first appreciate the power and wealth of a kingdom
which could build the pyramids so that they can appreciate
the courage of the Nabi of Allah‫ﷻ‬ who was not awed by it.
46Bring alive the stories of the Quran

47. HijraofRasoolullah‫ﷺ‬
47

48. Link to the present
1. What’s happening in Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Yemen today?
2. What changes occurred and why?
3. Teach them to analyze, ask questions, think critically
4. Teach them What-If analysis and Scenario Planning to
generate options
Because the purpose of the story is the lesson 48

49. Show – not talk
Help them to imagine

50. Travel
1. Travel to the locations of the stories
2. Read the story onsite and relate to the present
3. Use technology to link to classrooms in those
places and make friends with the people of the
stories
50
Bring the Creator and His creation into the room

51. Mo’ta,Yarmuk
Roman Legions

52. Arab & Roman
weapons
Scimitar &
Arab bow
Roman bow &
Broadsword
Arab cavalry 52

53. Warmachines 53

54. TafsirofAlA’adiyaat
54

55. Technology is critical
1. If we learn to use technology creatively and with
expertise we can hugely enhance our influence and
reach audiences across time and space free of cost.
2. Without it, our learning, our wisdom and our speech,
will remain relegated to the small circle around us and
it’s potential to bring about meaningful change, will be
all but lost.
Remember, teachers were sent to change the world55

56. Purpose of teaching
1. Is to change lives
2. Not to accumulate information without
understanding its meaning, implications or
value and without the tools to use it
56
Because learning is for life
Not only for a living

57. Question
• If Islam can’t change their lives in this world, how
can it help them in the Aakhira?
• We have to learn & teach how to leverage the
knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah to become
valuable contributors
57Only then will we fulfill our purpose

58. Because Allah‫ﷻ‬ sent us to
take from Him
And give to the rest of the world