Job Discussion Forums

[FrenchConnexion]

Hi everyone,

I am looking to start a pen pal project to take English outside the classroom and offer my Saudi female students opportunities to use the language in a more interesting and challenging way. This pen pal project would be with girls from another PYP program in a Saudi university.
I think it could be really cool, and so far, I have not seen that being done in the 2 universities I have been working at in KSA.
Who would be ready to start this new adventure with me? I need a female teacher to work with me though, as I need female students only (yall know why).
Because we are already at the end of the 1st semester, I thought starting this project with my new students during the 2nd semester would be more logical.
However, coordinating the "logistics" early on will ensure things run smoothly.

If you are interested in this project, please pm me.

Thanks, and looking forward to get in contact with one of you.

[hash]

[gorkomi]

Why on Earth would her idea be illegal? Ridiculous; it's perfectly harmless.

And he has a point regarding social media, but then I thought 'And so what.' They may use social media and chat apps, but this would be as wildly different for modern students as any of those apps were to the rest of us who grew up back when people knew how to write. It's the difference between reading a book and reading a Kindle.

I'd personally love a project like this if I were a student.

[RustyShackleford]

I think it sounds like a cute and quaint idea if done right. Hope they find the people they need.

[scot47]

How do you think Saudi parents would react to the idea of their daughters having contact with people outside the family circle ?

Some might be open. Many would be downright hostile.

[gorkomi]

Scot47,

They have contacts outside of their family circle every single day at the university. It's for learning purposes. It's with another student at the same university. Really.

[johnslat]

I think it would be a good idea to run it before the admin people first, though.
I might even be tempted to get the OK in writing.

It's Saudi - who knows who might get pissed off?

Regards,
John

[scot47]

Johnslat sees this from the same position as I do. You just need to upset one person with the right connections.........

[hash]

I'll tellya right now that this won't fly.....not a chance.

If the teacher does it without the school's permission and the school finds out (and it will find out), the teacher will be sacked on the spot. The teacher could even get in trouble with the police....and I don't mean the traffic cops.

What are the dangers?

1- Pornography - you know how this sort of thing just sort of "pops out" in the most unexpected ways. The student may be entrapped by her "pen pal" who could in reality be anyone anywhere. I can see the student running home to Mami and saying "Ya Ummi....look what my penpal just sent me!!"

This couldn't happen because the students would be supervised?? Don't make me laugh.

2- Personal security issues - A student in her/his eagerness to win friends will blurt out anything..... Who her friends are, where they live, how rich they are, (how rich she is), the number of students at the school, school hours, how she gets home daily, her daily routine, the school's daily routine, planned events in the near future etc etc. With this kind of information freely given and so easy to get, an evil-doer could have a field day plotting who knows what.

3- Public security issues - I won't go into this (for public security reasons) but the possibilities are obvious and limitless.

And so on. If you think you can prevent all this by strict supervision, forget it...it's not going to happen or you don't know IT very well....and you probably don't know students of this age very well either...... All it takes is for one student to reveal the information (URL and password) to one of her online "friends" at home, and the project will be compromised, period.

But...... be my guest.....do as you please. Everyday, it's brought home to me how people seeking advice ultimately only hear what they want to hear. If the advice is not favorable or contrary to what they think, it's totally ignored.

Good luck...you'll need it.

[johnslat]

Dear scot47,

Well, maybe Saudi has changed completely since we were there and now it's a free, tolerant society where all the citizens are open-minded and liberal in their outlook.

In such an environment, I mean, what could go wrong?

Regards,
John

[gorkomi]

She is talking about finding a student at the same darn university and, I assume, writing letters and making a friend in another program at the university.

Pornography?

I'm not responding to this paranoia and stupidity after this message.

I think it's time, if you're still in Saudi Arabia, to get out and see the rest of the world for a good long time.

Over and out.

[hash]

[gorkomi]

I said I wouldn't respond, but I made an error not reading carefully. I thought she meant another major's program at the same Saudi university. I still don't think it's a big deal as long as they're the same sex. But I might give pause due to it being a different university. The thing that pops into my head is not 'pornography' (that's a good one) but comparison of programs. One is bound to be better than another and could encourage students to want to transfer.

[FrenchConnexion]

Wow,

I sure did not expect a debate after posting this idea...
First of all, when I wrote pen pal, it did not even cross my mind that anyone would take it in the literal sense of the term: writing good ol' fashion letters with a pen and mail them through the Saudi Post. I meant using an online discussion forum I would create and supervise, or something like that (the pbm with Whatsapp is that they'd end up chatting in Arabic, which defeats the purpose of this project).
I do not see how this would raise red flags and need the Ministry of Ed's approval or whatnot.
I also do not see why two ESL teachers in KSA could not co-create a discussion forum and ask their students to participate in it. I don't see the danger if well supervised and moderated.
Yes I do believe things are getting more relaxed here in terms of teaching, but then again that's my opinion.

I'll try to do it locally with another class teacher from my dpt then. I'll tell you how it went.

[johnslat]

Dear FrenchConnexion,

You have, probably, already cleared this with admin withing your department, right?

It can't hurt to get an official OK.

Regards,
John