We are still seeking investors to purchase each of the following for our English Language Textbook Support Project. To date we have received support for a software package and one computer and would very much appreciate your support in contributing to or purchasing any of the remaining items.

Contributions are fully tax deductible. You can:

1. make a direct deposit (and send me an email to let me know you have) to: BSB 805 050 (People’s Choice, Light Square), Acct: 4407302, Australian Palestinian Partnerships
2. send a cheque to: Australian Palestinian Partnerships, PO Box 3151, MelbourneSt, North Adelaide, 5006

Thanks for your interest and generosity.
Jon Jureidini

Purpose

Australian-Palestinian Partnerships in Education and Health (APP) in consultation with the UNRWA Lebanon Education Program proposes the English Language Textbook Support Project to develop the capacity of the Education Development Centre’s Core Curriculum Unit in the design and production of English Language textbooks for Palestinian students enrolled in UNRWA schools.

The textbook support project will comprise the purchase of new hardware and software, training of staff on textbook team, design of templates and monitoring design and formatting of the new Enjoy English! Grade 2 Part 1 textbook materials.

APP will fully fund all components of the project, namely the donation of the new hardware and software and the provision of training.

Project Outcomes

The intended outcomes of the project are:

• To train staff involved in the textbook production in the use of new hardware and software
• The successful application of the templates
• The completion of Enjoy English! Grade 2 Part 1: Student Book, Activity Book and Teachers Book, cards and posters).

Background

APP is committed in supporting the education of Palestinian students. Through its partnership with the UNRWA Lebanon Field Office APP supports UNRWA’s Education Reform, part of which is to improve the performance of the teaching and learning of English language in UNRWA schools. Over the past two scholastic years almost every teacher of English language has undergone an intensive training program to improve both their proficiency in English and their use of innovative and appropriate methodologies in the classroom.

A critical supporting factor in the reform has been to address the inadequacy of the Lebanese Ministry of Education’s textbooks that have been used in UNRWA English language classes over the years. To that end UNRWA has made a commitment to produce its own textbooks that embed the appropriate methodologies, thus capitalizing on the teacher training investment made by UNRWA. Further, the new textbooks are to address the environmental particularities of Palestinian students, namely to make the language learning contextually relevant. Finally, they are to comply with the Lebanese English language curriculum.

The first textbook materials (Enjoy English! Grade 1 Part 1:Student Book, Activity Book, Teacher’s Book, Big Story Books, flashcards, posters and CDs) were produced by the textbook team, comprising UNRWA Education staff and an education consultant from the Lebanese American University. The materials were introduced to teachers at the beginning of the 2011-12 scholastic year at a 2 day training course. The use of the new materials is now being monitored by the Core Curriculum Unit and Lower Elementary school supervisors.

Currently the textbook team is working on textbook materials for Enjoy English! Grade 1 Part 2).

It has become apparent that despite the valiant efforts to produce the textbook materials in a timely manner, the textbook team is suffering from the use of old hardware and inadequate software. In order to meet deadlines a graphic designer has had to be engaged at considerable expense in time and money to format the materials before the prototypes go to the printers.

It is therefore argued that by developing the capacity of the unit with new computers and appropriate software, production of the textbook materials can be carried out in-house. An integral part of the proposal is to provide training of the new hardware and software and then provide on-the-job training support during the course of the Grade 2 Part 1 textbook.

Not only will the project be introducing new efficiencies and savings, it will also be developing the capacity of UNRWA Education Program staff.

Project Activities

APP proposes the following sequence of activities:

1. The purchase and set up of 2 computers and software
2. Consultation between the project manager and the consultant to devise an action plan (20 days) to include:

• Training of textbook team in the use of PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator and some components of Coral Draw and the constructed templates
• The construction of purpose-built InDesign templates
• On-the-job training to place content of new textbook materials into templates
• Ongoing monitoring of the new procedures during the life of the production of Enjoy English! Grade 2 Part 1 textbook materials.

3. Final evaluation of project.

The project will be managed by the Manager, Core Curriculum Unit, Ms Malak Soufian. Once the project is approved, the Manager will draw up a schedule to include the activities.

Mr Hamish Walker will be hired by APP to consult with and train the textbook team. He is scheduled to carry out the project activities with the team over a total of 20 days. If more on-the-job training and monitoring is considered desirable by UNRWA, further consultancy will be negotiated with Mr Walker.

Monitoring and Evaluation

A monitoring and evaluation process will be implemented by the project manager in consultation with the independent consultant engaged by APP with the assistance of the Australian Volunteers International (AVI) Country Manager – Middle East Region.

Budget

All budget items will be funded by APP.