The first annual MEPLI Conference was held in Amman, Jordan on Saturday, May 27. It was largely been planned by a group of MEPLI Fellows who were eager to join their colleagues together from across Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine to share their expertise with one another as well as with other educators from Jordan. The focus was on inclusive education in alignment with UN SDG #4, ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, with the content streams focusing on inclusive learning strategies, remedial education, blended learning, and social-emotional learning.
Conference Schedule
8:15 – 8:45 Registration and Coffee
Room: The View, Rooftop Level
We request that registrants arrive on time to move quickly through the registration process so that we may begin on time.
8:45 – 9:00 Opening Remarks by Shaylyn Carey, Associate Director, MEPLI & International Programming
Room: The View, Rooftop Level
Ms. Carey will offer opening remarks to welcome participants and walk through the schedule for the day.
9:00 – 10:00 Towards an Inclusive Educational Curriculum in Jordan: Panel Discussion
Room: The View, Rooftop Level
This panel discussion will consult with experts in the field of inclusive education, with questions posed by a moderator leaving time at the end for participants to pose questions to the panelists.
Recording of Opening Remarks and Panel Discussion
Moderator: Dr. Tafeeda Jarbawi
Dr. Tafeeda Jarbawi earned her Ph.D. in Analytical
Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio/ USA.
Her 30+ years of professional experience in development
focus on management, educational planning, teaching, and
research. Dr. Jarbawi served as a professor and head of
chemistry department at Birzeit University. She also served
as a Director of UNRWA Ramallah Women’s College and
Dean of Educational Science Faculty. In 2006, Dr. Jarbawi joined Welfare Association as the Director of Research and Planning and moved, on 2008, to
the position of Director of the Operations’ Department. She served as Director General of Taawon from 2010 – 2021. As an Arab woman scientist, she has authored more than 40 publications in education, women’s affairs, and chemistry and has received awards and research grants from the government, academic and non-governmental sectors.
Her contribution to the development of Palestine covers active membership in the administrative and consultative boards of more than 30 academic and non-governmental organizations at national, regional and international level. She currently serves at the Chairlady of the Sustainability Committee and sits on the Board of Directors at Bank of Palestine and has been an Advisor and dear friend to the MEPLI program since its inception in 2017.
Panelist: His Excellency Dr. Omar Razzaz
For the past year, Dr. Omar Razzaz has been the Emirates Leadership Initiative Senior Fellow at the Middle East Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School. He came to MEI with a formidable career that spans the public and private sectors, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, international organizations, and academia. Most notably, he served as the 42nd Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from 2018-2020. He also served as Jordan’s minister of education (2017-2018), director of Jordan’s Social Security Corporation (2006-2010), executive chairman of Jordan Ahli Bank (2014-2017), chair of the King Abdullah Fund for Development (2012-2014), founder and chair of the Jordan Strategy Forum (2012-2017), sector leader and country manager at the World Bank (1997-2006), and Ford Chair and assistant professor at MIT’s International Development and Regional Planning Program. He completed a post-doctorate at Harvard Law School (1992) and earned a Ph.D. in urban planning with a minor in economics from Harvard University (1991), a master’s from MIT (1987), and a bachelor’s in engineering from Louisiana Tech University (1985). Throughout his years in academia, he received several awards for research, writing, and teaching.
Panelist: Dr. Wafa Al Khadra
Dr. Wafa, a university associate professor, academic activist, and experienced administrator, previously served as the Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Communication at the American University of Madaba (AUM) and the Faculty of Arts and Letters at Al-Ahliyya Amman University(AAU). Her expertise lies in contemporary learning theories, “hyphenated-identity” literature, women’s studies and strategic planning. Dr. Al-Khadra has played a crucial role in advancing feminist thought and establishing women’s studies in Jordan. She coined the term “bare-foot feminism/Nisswiyya” to promote a new paradigm of women’s leadership in the Arab world. Her research interests and publications span literature, cultural studies, and women’s studies. In her recent study, she explores the portrayal of women and girls in school textbooks, emphasizing symbolic annihilation, linguistic displacement, and exclusion. Dr. Al-Khadra actively contributes to education reform in Jordan and previously served on the executive council of the National Council for Curriculum Development (NCCD). She is also dedicated to supporting the holistic inclusion of human rights across sectors. Currently, she holds a position on the Board of Trustees of the National Center for Human Rights (NCHR).
10:00 – 10:15 Move to Breakout Sessions
10:15 – 11:30 Breakout Sessions 1
Participants should proceed to the breakout session for which they have a colored ticket.
Blended Learning track | Blend-IT… Personalize-IT… Perfect-IT: Maximize Student Engagement & Autonomy
Room: The View, Rooftop Level
Session description: This highly practical workshop will introduce educators to innovative and creative ideas for blended learning and multimedia use. The participants will be engaged in interactive activities focused on designing learning experiences and incorporating the right digital tools and resources into their teaching practices. Towards the end of the workshop, the participants will feel more confident about dealing with the diversity of learners in their classrooms and catering for their needs.
Presenters: Hanaa Jaber, Ph.D and Rasha Halat, Ph.D
Remedial Support track | SE/PAB Remedial Solutions
Room: Marquise, Mezzanine Level
Session description: Helping teachers integrating a four pillar approach to properly implement remedial support in their classroom practices.
Presenters: Dalida Hommayda and Kifah Abukhdeir
Inclusion Learning Strategies | Planning for Inclusive Teaching in a Diverse Class: Asset-Based Approach
Room: Emerald, Ground Floor
Session description: Inclusion will require conceptualizing differentiated instruction beyond ability levels to consider assets students bring into classrooms, learning styles, cultural/linguistic backgrounds and creative abilities. A multilevel lesson planning system along with a variety of helpful instructional strategies, activities tailored to be as inclusive as possible, providing a safe environment and supporting social, emotional and problem solving skill development will enable all learners to be integrated into the regular classroom no matter how diverse it is.
Presenters: Nidal Jouni and Sara Kassab
11:30 – 11:45 Coffee Break
11:45 – 13:00 Breakout Sessions 2
Participants should proceed to the breakout session for which they have a colored ticket.
Blended Learning track | Exploring the Potential of AI-Enhanced Blended Learning for Equitable Education
Room: The View, Rooftop Level
Session description: This workshop introduces educators to a variety of AI tools that promote inclusive education. Through discussions and activities, participants learn about blended learning components, the importance of AI in education, and examples of AI tools and their applications. The workshop focuses on using AI-enhanced technologies, such as chatbots, to increase learner engagement and support equitable education. Educators will gain practical strategies for integrating these tools into their teaching practice. تقدم ورشة العمل هذه للمعلمين مجموعة متنوعة من أدوات الذكاء الاصطناعي التي تعزز التعليم الجامع (دمج التعليم). من خلال المناقشات والأنشطة ، يتعرف المشاركون على مكونات التعلم المدمج ، وأهمية الذكاء الاصطناعي في التعليم ، وأمثلة على أدوات الذكاء الاصطناعي وتطبيقاتها. تركز ورشة العمل على استخدام التقنيات المعززة بالذكاء الاصطناعي ، مثل روبوتات المحادثة (chatbots) ، لزيادة مشاركة المتعلم ودعم التعليم العادل. سيكتسب المعلمون استراتيجيات عملية لدمج هذه الأدوات في ممارساتهم التعليمية.
Presenters: Yaffa Juma’h Abu Hamdah and Lina Khair Rahme
Remedial Support track | All Students on the Road to Success: جميع الطلبة على طريق النجاح
Room: Marquise, Mezzanine Level
Session description: In this session, the participants will learn more about remedial support practices to improve the academic performance of their students. Accordingly, the session will include the following activities : -short interactive lectures to give brief description and examples of remedial practices in Jordan and world wide. – modeling of best practices related to remedial support in two subjects ( Arabic and Math) – Reflection and Group discussions: trainers will give the participants enough time to reflect on their own teaching practices and how they can incorporate remedial learning strategies into their existing teaching methods. Finally, the participants will create their own remedial plans and activities and share them and receive feedback from the participants.
Presenters: Dr. Salam Maa’iah and Laila Abu Qatousah
Inclusion Learning Strategies track | Inclusive Teaching: Strategies & Examples
Room: Emerald, Ground Floor
Session description: This workshop will focus on practical strategies and examples for promoting inclusive teaching in the classroom, including creating a supportive classroom environment, promoting participation and engagement levels, and improving inclusivity and transparency. Participants will engage in hands-on activities and group discussions, and will be able to implement them in their classrooms.
Presenters: Nadine Joudi and Tareq Al Samhouri
13:00 – 13:15 PM Move to Breakout Sessions
13:15 – 14:30 Breakout Sessions 3
Participants should proceed to the breakout session for which they have a colored ticket.
Blended Learning track | The Future of Learning: Navigating Blended Approaches for Improved Outcomes | عينٌ على الغدِ لتكونَ مِلءَ اليدِ
Room: The View, Rooftop Level
Session description: أصبح التعلم المدمج نهجًا شائعًا بشكل متزايد في التعليم، حيث يجمع بين فوائد التدريس التقليدي في الفصول الدراسية والّتعلم عبر الإنترنت والتّعلم المعتمد على التكنولوجيا. أظهرت الأبحاث الحديثة أن التعلم المدمج يمكن أن يحسن من نتائج تحصيل الطلبة ومشاركتهم وتحفيزهم، ويوفر فرصًا لخبرات تعلم شخصية ومتباينة. وتهدف هذه الورشة إلى تسليط الضوء على أهمية التعلم المدمج وفوائده في البيئات التعليمية، والتعرف على الدور الهام للقادة التربويين في قيادة التعلم المدمج، سنستكشف أيضًا استراتيجيات لتنفيذ التعلم المدمج على مستوى المدرسة وأفضل الممارسات القيادية لقيادة تجربة التعلم المدمجة بفعالية. وستقدم الورشة بطريقة تفاعلية تشاركية تسهم في تعزيز الفهم المستدام لنقل المعرفة إلى سياق عمل المشاركين.
Presenters: Dr. Nathalie Rouphael, Dr. Sana’a Alriyahi and Dr. Wael Seitan
Social-Emotional Learning track | Social-Emotional Learning: What and Why?
Room: Marquise, Mezzanine Level
Session description: Social-emotional learning (SEL) refers to the process through which individuals develop the ability to recognize, understand, and manage their own thoughts and emotions, as well as the reactions and emotions of others. The workshop focuses on the practical strategies and techniques for promoting SEL core skills in classrooms, including creating a supportive classroom environment, promoting self-awareness & self-regulation and teaching social skills. Participants will be engaged in hands-on activities and group discussions that are to be used in their classrooms.
Presenters: Samar AlKassar, Lamis Omoush, and Eman Irsheid
Inclusion Learning Strategies track | The Power of Inclusive Classroom Routines
Room: Emerald, Ground Floor
Session description: One of the most effective tools to assure inclusion is implementing classroom routines to cater for the individualised needs of the students. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce inclusive classroom routines and to recognise the power of the consistency of these routines.
Presenters: Hadi Basma and Sanaa Hassan
14:30 – 15:30 Lunch
A buffet lunch will be served at the Adonis Restaurant on the Mezzanine Level of Ayass Hotel.
15:30 – 16:45 Breakout Sessions 4
Participants should proceed to the breakout session for which they have a colored ticket.
Blended Learning track | Maintaining a Successful Initiation of SMART Schools
Room: The View, Rooftop Level
Session description: Our session discusses re-imagining education by referring to blended approach in smart school setting extrapolating the role of leadership in this transformation
Presenters: Amjad Abu Hilal and Enja Osman
Social-Emotional Learning track | The Heart of Education: Putting Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) First
Room: Marquise, Mezzanine Level
Session description: An interactive session that focuses on clarifying the five core competencies of SEL including creating a supportive classroom environment, promoting self-awareness and self-regulation, and teaching social skills. It includes different case studies which will help teachers relate to their work and propose solutions for different behavioral problems.
Presenters: Dalya Ali Saleh, Hiba Bayoumi, and Wesam Al Hassasnah
Social-Emotional Learning track | SEL From Theory into Practice
Room: Emerald, Ground Floor
Session description: Social and emotional support is an integral part of human learning and development. It is the process through which all people acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. During this session, participants will witness how theory can be transformed into practice when it comes to providing social emotional support and move from the state of (I know) to the action of (I can show).
Presenters: Mohamad Al Amine and Safa’ Obeid
16:45 – 17:00 PM Move to The View Room for Closing Remarks
17:00 – 17:30 Closing remarks by Dr. Anies Al-Hroub, American University of Beirut
Dr. Anies Al-Hroub is an Associate Professor of Education Psychology and Special Education and the former Chairperson of the Department of Education at the American University of Beirut (AUB) between 2015-2018. Al-Hroub completed his Ph.D. and MPhil in Special Education (Giftedness and Learning Disabilities) from the University of Cambridge and his MA (Special Education) and BA (Psychology) from the University of Jordan. He was selected as the British Academy Visiting Scholar to the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge in 2010, and a Visiting Scholar to the School of Advanced Social Studies in Slovenia in 2017.
Dr. Anies was a member of the team who designed and founded the MEPLI Program and continues to serve as an Advisor to our community.
17:30 Conference Concludes