Light Within

 We saw the happiest parent on earth last evening. They were no other than Col and Mrs Maqsood. Reason: it was marriage reception of their daughter Tuba. And this gave an excuse to Brig Zahir Khan, Nadir  Mir,  Col Athar, Ateeq Shah, Nauman Siddiqui, S A J Shirazi from 55 PMA and fheir families  to be at Dhulah Bagh (very aptly named marriage lawn for Canal View society) to join Maqsood and his family. Congratulation Maqsood and Mrs Maqsood).

Ambience at Dhula Bagh was absolutely gorgeous. We enjoyed the aesthetically laid out colorful decor, live music and slide show of the happy moments of the couple. 

On the erudite side, a little information for Men at Their Best is that Brig Zahir is leaving for world tour in early April. Nadir says, “A time has come for Zahir when he can relax and enjoy.” Zahir is planning to visit half of the world before he returns back home. Happy voyage Zahir Khan!

Related: All about 55 PMA Long Course Men at Their Best 

Earth Hour, in which participating cities and homes shut off their power to showcase the importance of conservation, will include 126 countries this year, the largest group since its 2007 launch. 

While the sight of world landmarks blacked out might be interesting, the actual effects of the exercise on emissions are said to be close to nil. 

"People ought to focus on general efficiency measures to reduce their energy use overall rather than switch everything off for an hour because that might not have an efficiency effect on the network overall," Ross Hayman, a spokesman for the U.K.'s National Grid.

Owais Mughal

This post is about alternative, cheaper and earthquake resistant housing for Pakistan. At ATP we’ve covered alternative building styles before when S.A.J. Shirazi wrote about using mud to build homes. A couple of my friends recently pointed out to me an earthquake resistant straw bale housing style that was practised in Pakistan (and also other countries) after the devastating earthquake of 2005. This project was started in Pakistan by a non-profit group called Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate building (PAKSBAB). In the aftermath of 2005 earthquake of Pakistan PAKSBAB built these houses for poor by using straw, an agricultural by-product, compressed and tied into bales, as building blocks.

Following photo shows a straw-bale house under construction in Pakistan in the aftermath of 2005 earthquake. Photo credits: PAKSBAB.

This technique makes the structures earthquake resistant. The project’s founder is Darcey Dononvan who is a mechanical engineer by profession. The reason for us sharing this post here is to provide food for thought for alternate housing styles in earthquake zones - and Pakistan has quite a few of them. I also want to thank PAKSBAB for carrying out this project in Pakistan.

I found following video by University of Nevada, Reno at youtube where Darcey is explaining her project in Pakistan as well as it shows the results of earthquake simulation.

February 5, 2010’s Science Magazine also mentioned this project. An excerpt from there goes like this:

References:

1. Pakistan Straw Bale and Appropriate Building (PAKSBAB)

2. Science Magazine

3. University of Nevada, Reno - Earthquake Engineering Simulation

Muhammad Ali Khan

Rethinking Education in Pakistan' is a product of Shahid Siddiqui's scholarly pursuit in the capacity of teacher educator, researcher, and social thinker. The recurrent theme of the book is critical thinking and reflection which is very carefully built up in the book. Dr. Siddiqui's aim doesn't seem to reject or accept any school of thought in totality but to analyse and assess in order to offer a holistic understanding of the beliefs and practices and explore potential alternatives.

The writer draws the evidence for building his case from a very broad range of sources, ranging from his personal experience as a teacher educator and researcher, indepth study of the educational policies of the country, and contemporary literature in the domain of education. Talking about various components of education he refers to teacher as a central actor in action. He firmly believes that teachers can play an important part in initiating and sustaining educational and social change. In his words "A well- equipped teacher can create ways to improve the situation even under given constraint. The pivotal position of a teacher signifies the crucial role teacher education can play in Pakistan."

The structure of the book enables the reader to think and reflect on the Policy issues, Teacher and Teacher education, Curriculum and Materials which has its bearing on the other sections of the book: Language Issues, School, Home and the current Research and Assessment practices in Pakistan.

In the first section of the book under the heading Policy issues have six articles that offer the critique of the philosophy of neo-liberalism and its unquestioned, unchecked pervasive impact on the entire education system of Pakistan. The main concern these articles show is the need to revisit the educational policy of Pakistan striking the balance between the qualitative and quantitative aspects in all areas of education in Pakistan. The article 'Commodification of Education' clearly shows that the entire academic system of the country has turned into a supermarket. "A large number of educational institutions emerged as 'industrial Zones' or 'production units' whose sole aim was maximising the profit by producing more." In this corporate model that is being followed, the writer makes his readers see that knowledge is seen as commodity, Knowledge is commodity, and teachers are reduced to the level of sales person. To drive his point across, the writer gives the example of famous private schools with their chain across the country which Rehman (1998) calls them business empire. Siddiqui sees the mercantile practices in opening the branches which he calls 'outlets'. His description evokes Conrad's 'Nostroma', 'Heart of Darkness' and the classic of 'Robinson Crusoe' where the main principle is the maximisation of profit and the exploitation of the simple masses. The major difference is the exploiters in these novels are the outsiders but in our case they are both outsiders and insiders.

Dr. Siddiqui supports the efforts made at improvising the Higher education in Pakistan but he raises the question of the qualitative aspect of it. The present practices of research in the local universities needs to be revisited. It is the absence of "research tradition" at par with the standard of world universities. In our education policies we have not given the due importance to the qualitative aspect of our educational institutions.

The second section of the book: Teacher and Teacher Education have eight articles whose main thrust is on changing the beliefs and attitude of the teachers. Unfortunately Teacher Education Programmes in the country have focused on methodology and strategies instead on enabling teachers to re-conceptualise basic educational issues. Like Tagore's short story 'The Parrot's Training', for educating the bird to please the Raja, all the stakeholders put in tremendous effort. A cage of Gold was made for the bird and scribes wrote books that could touch the sky. However, no one notice that the bird had died long in the cage. Teacher education programmes in the country has lost sight of the teachers.

The article 'The Work shop syndrome' demonstrates how novel idea of Learning by doing given by John Dewey, has been misused in Pakistan. The author is not against the novel idea of workshop whose entire philosophy was to add practical dimension to learning but with the practice of using the workshop as an end itself. The result of this, as Siddiqui argues that how educational change is possible without changing the frozen belief system. The touch and go teaching culture practiced at all levels of education known also as "briefcase teaching" culture is critiqued on the ground that it has not only created stasis and stagnation for the practitioners but has adversely affected the value system of eastern education.

The fourth section titled Language Issues explores the paradoxes in the language policy of the country and the practices of English Language teaching in the country. 'The Language Factor' questions the centrality English language in the power corridors of Pakistan. "Various governments, for their political interests, played wantonly with the issue of Language". Shahid Siddiqui (2007) together with Tariq Rehman (2000) and Sabiha Mansoor (2005) takes a stance of offering Language options and choice to the people of the country. The streamlining of the policy matters require consensus and debate and practical efforts to restore Urdu its due place as written in the constitution of the country and various policy documents. Moreover, this section also offers analysis of the ELT practices in the country. In Pakistan teaching of English Language is taken as teaching of English Literature as majority of the teachers perceive Language teaching as teaching of novels, dramas and poetry. The author proposes a middle ground of teaching language through literature.

Section 5, 'Curriculum and Material' reviews the latest literature published on curriculum and Material development. Siddiqui, as usual, is careful not to be carried away by the new slogans but analyses the impact of these on our educational context. He views curriculum not as something which sits on the shelf of policy makers but "a vibrant phenomenon of which students, teachers, teaching material and school culture are important components."

The last section of the book 'Research and Assessment' analyses the quality aspect of existing research practices carried out in the local university. "Most of the research in established universities in Pakistan is mere repetition of earlier ones. In some cases even the subsidiary questions of an earlier research are replicated. The ultimate aim of such researchers and research thesis is to get their authors degrees". Before making the generalised statement the author has unpacked his idea of quality which is the addition to the existing knowledge of the world. One can disagree with the author on setting such stringent benchmark considering the intellectual infrastructure of the country.

Rethinking Education in Pakistan offers a fresh perspective on the traditional ideas and notions about issues in education in Pakistan. Written in a lucid manner, the articles in the book form a coherent whole, engaging enough to be recommended to the widest possible audience, i.e., research students, practicing teachers, teacher educators, curriculum planners, and policy makers.

Sitting on the central citadel near tomb of Hafiz Muhammad Hayat in the University of Gujrat, one can think of the mythical wish of the saint but what you see is groups of students and an awesome environment. One finds students at the University of Gujrat not only because of their gifts, but rather (and, perhaps, paradoxically), they are gifted because they are there. By being there, in this place, greatness is thrust upon them. Maybe this sounds heretical. Does distinction ultimately reside in places rather than people?

In addition to fast coming up flower trees, green walkways, courtyards, libraries and computer laboratories, the University of Gujrat is already full of life with people - students and faculty. Students and faculty have creative a milieu on a grand scale, and their success - though certainly in part attributable to their hard work and intelligence - will also be a consequence of the nature of this place itself.

Anyone can visualize that in the time students will spend at Hafiz Hayat Campus, perhaps they will discover in bustling computer laboratory, an alcove in the library, under the shades of the Hafiz Hayat Tomb, or some other spot on Campus that inspires them to wise thoughts and creative syntheses.

Inspiring places bring together inspired people who, together or individually, do remarkable things. I suggest to students, if I may, that one of your tasks as you set into the amazing setting in this University is to recognize the importance of place in your achievements so far and to expend some effort finding those local environments that will allow you to discover your personal strengths and talents but also stimulate you to explore new ones. Most likely, your creative milieu will include what sociologists usually call a "third place." Neither the room where you live nor the place where you typically do your work, the third place is where you will find that combination of camaraderie and intellectual safety in which you can try out a really big idea.

University of Gujrat knows that you will embrace the good of this place. Starting right now, the place is yours.

Related: The First Convocation 

Holding on to your smart phone to watch video is not a very convenient or enjoyable way of watching video. If you have some sort of a stand on which you could put your smart phone and watch your video just like watching TV, it would be great. Spiderpodium flexible travel dock enables you to enjoy watching your video just like that. It is lightweight, compact and portable, and can be carried in a pocket. It’s compatible with most compact handheld devices like normal cellphones, smartphones, gaming systems, MP3 players, camcorders and even portable projectors. The fordable spider like legs support the platform on which you can you can rest your hand held device to watch the video anywhere out in the field. Priced at US $ 23.00, you can pre order it as its sale begins end March.

source: chipchick

Mukhtar Masood, author of Awaz-e-Dost, Safar Naseeb, and Loh-e-Ayyam, writes that north western part of Persia was called Media and it comprised of small regions in 350 B.C. Keqabad was ruler in one of the constituencies. He was famous for his fairness so much so that people from other districts used to bring their feuds to him. He used to hear the cases and decide notwithstanding where the parties belonged.

With time justice seekers from other counties grew and it had to be announced that only those cases will be decided in which parties involved were from areas directly under his command. Masses were so fed up from their own rulers that they declared Keqabad as a king of entire Media.

If the rulers are incapable of delivering justice, populace can chose new. The countries where justice is not mated out, natives may merge it with another.

When I wrote a brief post For Hire, for the love of written words, I had no doubts that the book by Asif Hussain, a Pakistani taxi driver - capturing real life stories happening around him will creat waves in our otherwise slow readers’ market.

Now Hussain plans to publish an English translation of his book “For Hire.” I suggest every one must read the book, if not for joy of reading then for encouraging a writer.