Audrey Shabbas
Content and Strategies for Teaching about the Arabic and Islamic Worlds
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Audrey Shabbas
What can Audrey Shabbas bring to
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01
Short Bio
Please see the full CV from the link at the top of this page
Who is Audrey Shabbas?
Audrey Shabbas has over twenty-five years experience in teaching, curriculum devel-opment and the training of teachers, business people, diplomats and government agencies - about the Arab World, the wider Middle East and the world of Islam. She sorts out the terminology, makes sense of the issues, and provides the deeper understandings needed in today's world.
Her curriculum works include The Arab World Studies Notebook, The Arabs: Activities for the Elementary and Middle School, A Medieval Banquet in the Alhambra Palace, and her newest work, The Timbuktu Curriculum.
Each year she conducts approximately forty teacher training workshops in partnership with school districts, county and state offices of education, museums, and universities throughout the United States, and abroad. She has returned again and again to conduct such training for: Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Stanford and UC Berkeley - attesting to her skill as a communicator, her deep knowledge and passion for her subject matter, and her objective/independent voice.
She has also worked with the United Nations training non-profit organizations (NGOs) in "how to" conduct successful teacher training workshops. Shabbas has trained more than 40,000 teachers in all fifty of the United States, and for IB schools abroad. A long time member of The National Council for the Social Studies (US), she has served as a presidential appointee to its Equity and Social Justice Committee, and as Chair of the International Human Rights Education Special Interest Group. She is a regular presenter for Social Studies educator conferences - state, regional and national.
For years, as founder and head of AWAIR, she published a catalogue of teaching resources that are both attractive, accurate, and free of bias -- carefully selected flowers from among the vast fields of weeds on the subject. She has also published her own books of resources and unit plans which are student-centered, project-based, and extremely creative. Her online reviews of resources and materials have helped countless teachers and librarians in their choice of grade-level appropriate, accurate and sensitive materials.
Her work has been honored by the University of Pennsylvania which presented her with their Janet Lee Stevens Award (1992) for contributions to Arab American understanding. The Middle East Studies Association's Middle East Outreach Council (2002) presented her with their Lifetime Achievement Award (only the second time in their then twenty-year history the award had been given).
In 2012 Shabbas was nominated for the prestigious UNESCO Prize!
02
Teacher Comments
Partnership for Mississippi Education and Development Initiative - March 2010
“As for Audrey, all I can say is that she's a true blessing! We were all enriched by her insight & wisdom! She is a genuine reflection of the symbolism associated with water from the ancient well…”
- Dr. Marvin Haire, Mississippi Valley State University and the Delta Research And Cultural Institute
San Antonio Public Schools, San Antonio Texas - 2008
A comment sent to us in November 2008, from a coordinator of a workshop five years earlier (in 2003) : “Yes it has been a long time, but the heart remembers what we learned that day.”
Anchorage Public Schools/University of Alaska - June 2006
“Audrey is an enchanting and engaging speaker! I loved the social studies, historical background she laid down for a basic level of understanding of the differences between the terms Arab and Muslim.” - K-6 Art Teacher
“The information Audrey shared about language, culture, and religion. Absolutely fascinating! Appreciate Audrey’s commitment to scholarly knowledge. She’s passionate about her work.” - Staff Development Coordinator
University of Utah - spring 2006
“The presenter has excellent teaching skills. Her materials were well done and organized. I thoroughly enjoyed the binder she completed.”
“I loved this presenter. She was amazing. Very knowledgeable, well prepared and intelligent. Great job Audrey!”
Allegany New York – summer 2006 “Awesome workshop! She is very charismatic and obviously well-educated and well- travelled! One of the best I have been to. It is right up there with the TAH workshop which is an outstanding experience! I would love to come to another workshop put on by her.”
“That was "hands down" the most interesting, most informative, and best workshop I have ever attended. It should be a required workshop for all history teachers and a strongly recommended one for all other teachers. There is not a more relevant topic in our country for students and teachers to understand at this time.”
Louisville World Affairs Council, Kentucky - Fall 2006
"The workshop with Audrey Shabbas represented the best of what Global Education has to offer - programs which not only themselves increase intercultural understanding, but which also have a significant multiplier effect as well. The program will bear fruit for years in the future as the attendees apply what they learned in their classrooms and expose hundreds of students to these ideas. You are welcome here in Louisville at any time."
- Ben Jones, Executive Director, Louisville World Affairs Council/Louisville International Cultural Center
New Hampshire Humanities Council, Concord, New Hampshire - Winter 2006
“Please, please bring this wonderful woman back to do her Islamic Art workshop.”
“The Alhambra Palace plan is fascinating! I can’t wait to teach it!”
“I would love to have this workshop presented again to reach more teachers. Maybe next year?”
“Outstanding presentation, information. Excellent materials given to participants.”
“Very, very excellent presentation - easily understood - clear, concise. Far exceeded my expectations. Thank you for providing such high quality!!!”
“Ms. Shabbas presented an informative, unbiased approach to a sometimes difficult and misunderstood subject. The day flew.”
Harvard University - summer 2005
“There were great ideas and well constructed lesson plans.”
Most interesting and memorable was “Audrey’s remarkable knowledge of sources and resources.”
"Audrey, you change peoples' lives!"
Yale University - fall 2004
“Most appealing and interesting to me were the presentational style of the presenter and the bibliographic suggestions.”
“Audrey was a superb presenter.”
Most valuable? “Pedagogical techniques for geographical, cultural and historical dimensions of Islamic and Arabic civilization.”
Most valuable? “Her wide knowledge and insight.”
Most valuable? “Modeling of good teaching - demonstrating how to present information to students. Excellent!”
“I was impressed by the wealth of knowledge of our presenter.”
“Excellent differentiated instruction, visuals, show n’ tell, maps, role-plays. Very relevant ideas to utilize in the classroom. Presentation was very comprehensible.”
Houston World Affairs Council -
January 2005
Most memorable? “The role of the media in helping us to misunderstand issues.”
University of Utah - Spring 2005
Most memorable? “The persona of Audrey Shabbas, her vast knowledge and experience - absolutely fascinating. The materials she shares are also excellent.”
New York State Council for the Social Studies -Spring 2005
Most memorable? “Her wealth and depth of knowledge abou tthe Arab World and the passion for her subject.”
“I had an amazing experience. I learned more than I had imagined I would.”
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee - Spring 2005
“Presentation was very practical; easy to present to a variety of age levels; may very understandable.”
Most memorable? “The connections to Spain and Latin America.”
Anchorage Public Schools - Summer 2005
“This class has been wonderful and I can’t wait to apply all that I have learned in my classroom. I will most definitely use the information presented in my mathematics classroom.”
“I plan to use the entire Doorways curriculum in my Math and Art class. I will also incorporate Islamic Art History into any tessellation activity I do In the future. Thank you for your expertise and experience and sharing your personal stories.”
“I will use what I’ve taken away in my geometry unit, integrating literature, history, and geography.”
Most memorable? “Audrey’s knowledge of the subject area was incredible. I loved the projects and will always remember them. I will definitely use them in my classroom.”
“Audrey’s passion for her topic and her enthusiasm for teaching it to others creates a great learning environment. I feel fortunate to have attended her course. The good thing is that even if I disagreed with certain historical interpretations, I benefited by my exposure to them. That is the hallmark of a good teacher!”
Chicago - Chicago Public Schools - November 2005
Best features: “The speaker, Audrey Shabbas was very intelligent and taught me as a Muslim, more than I had known before.”
“ Major Kudos. Excellent Job! Handouts, instruction, feedback, discourse, dialogue, analysis.”
“The presenter was so knowledgeable and was easily able to relate knowledge of the Middle East to students’ lives and teachable opportunities. Great resources were also provided.”
“Instructor was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the subject area. The notebook was fantastic. I wish we would have spent more time on it.”
“ I learned more about the Arab World and Islam today than I had learned up to now. Great presentation!”
University of Utah - February 2001
“The presenter has excellent teaching skills. Her materials were well done and organized. I thoroughly enjoyed the binder [Arab World Studies Notebook] she compiled.”
“I loved the presenter. She was amazing. Very knowledgeable, well prepared and intelligent. Great job, Audrey!”
Michigan Humanities Council, Lansing - March 2001
From evaluations, what was most useful/memorable:
“. . the thoroughness of the presentation, relaxed atmosphere, sincerity of presentation.”
“Audrey was terrific! I value her experience, expertise and clarity.”
“Audrey’s knowledge and straight-forward communication style.”
Milwaukee Humanities Council -
February 1996
Muriel Smith-Gross of North Division High School of the Milwaukee Public Schools and Liaison to the Milwaukee Humanities Council. Planned for 50 teachers, 70 poured in. Smith-Gross reported: “evaluations were excellent. . One teacher in my building who has attended many of the workshops that the Humanities Council has presented, proclaimed this the ‘best of the best.’”
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Convention in New Orleans - Spring 1996
“This workshop is needed in all school districts. Excellent seminar with a fine sense of curriculum integration. This is an offering that ASCD must host again and again and again. Most importantly, it was refreshing to learn and hear the authentic history of the Islamic world.” District Curriculum Specialist
New York Public Schools, Brooklyn - 1996
“Feedback has been extremely favorable. For me, an inveterate book lover and book collector, the most telling moment came when you simulated the burning of the books. The anguish and the silence that I and others were driven to, is an experience we will not soon forget.”
- JoAnn Harmon, Assistant to the Superintendent, Brooklyn NY
Philadelphia Museum of Art - 1996
From the museum's director of education: "Do you know you change peoples' lives1"
History Awareness Conference - Corpus Christi, Texas - 1996
"All that I had heard from social studies supervisors acorss the state about what an excellent program you deliver is true. I was told if I wanted a really dynamite presenter, I had to get Audrey Shabbas."
- David DeBoe, Director of Education, Texas State Historical Society, and Conference oranizer.
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