Note: Some footage used in this video was filmed prior to the pandemic and may not depict social distancing measures.
Transcription – Imran Mohamed, 2020 Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence
[Close-up of man in an interview setting. Music playing.]
"The most important thing for me is getting to know my students. "
[Cut to photos, with voice over. Photo: people wearing backpacks and rubber boots, carrying a bucket on a stick.]
"And once you get to know them, and once you really get to understand them then when you're teaching them you know how to teach them. "
[Fade to black and then up to white with medium shot of man, smiling, on the left side of the screen, with the following words appearing, line by line, on the right: Imran Mohamed, John Polanyi Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Ontario. Fade to black and then up to close-up of Imran in the interview setting.]
"I teach computer science. I teach computer engineering. So obviously I feel obviously that technology is important, but I think it's more important to understand that technology is not the solution to student learning. "
[Cut to photos, with voice over. Photos: Imran and students working at computers in the classroom; Imran standing in front of the classroom teaching.]
"I think it's a tool, and if that tool's not used correctly it becomes more of a distraction. But if we early on teach students how to use these tools correctly…"
[Cut back to close-up of Imran in the interview setting.]
"…and use them well then it will enhance their learning and be easier to learn. It'll be a tool that will help them gain a better understanding."
[Fade to black and then up to photo, with voice over. Photos: Imran standing behind a podium.]
"The department I teach in is called Experiential Learning, learning by doing. And ultimately is providing my students with real world experiences."
[Cut back to close-up of Imran in the interview setting.]
"What I was able to go in – I'm really proud of that. I hear that group of students was – they looked at different disabilities that people are dealing, and the challenges that they face. So instead of just saying here, build this project that does this they actually went and they did research. They built empathy. They learned about some of the challenges that they face, and then they created a solution based upon that."
[Fade to black and then up to Imran in the interview setting.]
"Kind of something that's very important to me, and dear to me. We have a student group at our school called CITY Change Impacting Toronto's Youth. And the primarily focus of that is to create small projects which we raise money from. And then that money goes back into the community."
"That comes back into the classroom. I teach a marketing course. And generally you would design a product, or pick a product and then you work your way through the course maybe in a group or as individuals coming up with a marketing plan. Which is a little role in everything else, and your customers, and selling it. And depending on the school and the course you sometimes will actually sell that product."
"That whole idea of why am I learning this? Or where am I ever going to use this? And that I'm being able to use it, and see it being used is huge for me."
[Fade to black and then cut to photos, with voice over. Photos: Imran writing on a whiteboard in with his back to the class; Imran in front of a whiteboard, turning to face the class.]
"I think it's very important to be honest. Ask feedback from your students. And students will tell what's working, what's not.
[Cut back to close-up of Imran in the interview setting.]
"And actually engaging their students in their learning goes a long way."
[Fade to black and then up to Imran in the interview setting.]
"If somebody's thinking about nominating a teacher, or a colleague for the Prime Minister's Award I would say don't hesitate, do it. So I know there's that cliché to say it's an honour just to be nominated. And it ultimately is because it's the indication that somebody's recognizing the hard work that you're doing every day."
[Fade to black, with the Government of Canada FIP and then the Canada Wordmark appearing in white.]
Year: 2020 — Province: Ontario
Certificate of Excellence Recipient
John Polanyi Collegiate Institute
Business, Computer Science, Accounting, grades 10 to 12
Toronto, Ontario
Mr. Mohamed has always challenged students to think critically about what they could do to improve themselves and the lives of others, take action and be persistent for the things they are passionate about and increase their awareness of the problems around the world.
For the past 14 years, Imran Mohamed has worked in one of Toronto's high needs communities. In so doing his professional and personal life have become intertwined. He forges deep relationships through community outreach and partnerships. Former students still keep in contact with their role model and mentor.
Teaching approach
Imran's approach to teaching and learning is grounded in a mindset of growth, while effectively harnessing social and community entrepreneurship for educational and social change. He views students as digital learners and provides all students with access to appropriate technology while at school so outcomes are equitable.
In the classroom
- Engages all students with relevant hands-on activities that are solution-focused: Grade 11s designed an app that provides the daily school schedule and a school map and in which students can store their timetable and exam schedule—all while honing coding, app development and problem-solving skills.
- Promotes higher order thinking: business students analyze, evaluate, interpret and synthesize industry information and then design inclusive business models, write proposals, prepare budgets and examine industry from various perspectives, including as owners and sales representatives.
- Inspires students to take initiative and excel as leaders: through summer leadership classes, to help students in Grade 9 improve their self-confidence and enhance their inherent leadership traits through experiential learning opportunities; students then plan a multi-faceted, inclusive Grade 9 orientation day.
- Expands digital learning beyond the classroom to the whole school: Grade 10s created videos to share information on cyber bullying and security, and the school board's code of online conduct.
Outstanding achievements
- Led the technological environmental design for the school (new in 2011), which set the stage for his leading the school's Information and Communication Technology program, with decisions informed in large measure by students' needs, interests, strengths and social identity.
- Spearheaded the building of a podcast studio and teleconferencing hub so students at the school could mentor peers in a remote Indigenous community in developing machine learning and artificial intelligence skills by designing and programming robots.
- Engineered partnership with MaRs Discovery District for students to solve a real-world problem: they developed interactive QR codes so they and others could instantly retrieve comprehensive information about the vegetables and other plant life in the school's one-acre garden.
- Founded JPCI CITY (Change Impacting Toronto's Youth): students have raised more than $120,000 to address issues such as access to clean water, food insecurity and homelessness; teams have travelled to Ecuador and Nicaragua to build primary schools; twice won a national social entrepreneurship competition.
Get in touch!
John Polanyi Collegiate Institute
640 Lawrence Avenue West
Toronto ON M6A 1B1
416-395-3303
JohnPolanyi@tdsb.on.ca
http://www.jpci.ca/
Twitter: @JohnPolanyiCI