Category: education

Books, education

My book launch is at KLPAC on Dec 17th, 3 pm!

Raidah Shah Idil

Please come and join me and the rest of the “Bitter Root, Sweet Fruit” team on Sunday 17th December at KLPAC , 3 pm 🙂

I’m so thrilled to be part of this wonderful collection of short stories. Thank you, D.K. Dutt Award team, Sharon Bakar and Dipika Mukherjee for bringing my words to life!

The night I wrote this piece, my toddler kept waking up throughout the night. This was long before she was nightweaned, and I was in those “Will I ever sleep again? Will I ever write without interruptions?” modes. I was desperate to meet the deadline, to prove to myself that I could and would still write. Despite that, and perhaps because of that desperation, I channeled all that into my writing. I didn’t expect to hear back from them, and to see my story in a book is beyond exciting!

So, if you’re a writerly mama, don’t lose hope. Short stories, at least, are still within reach – in between all the tantrums, diapers, breastfeeding, weaning, and fevers!

 

 

education, Permaculture

Please support Funds2Farm @urbanhijau kickstarter!

Raidah Shah Idil

IMG-20160421-WA0042

Happy Earth Day!

Please help Urban Hijau keep thriving by supporting their kickstarter campaign. We need YOU!

The Funds2Farm kickstarter aims to raise RM50,000 for:

  • a new solar power system
  • a new drip irrigation system
  • a new gazebo to shelter workers, volunteers and visitors
  • new child-friendly facilities (yay)

Share, share, share!

education, Life

TED talk by Carol Dweck: The power of believing that you can improve

Raidah Shah Idil

Tune into this wonderful TED talk by Professor Carol Dweck. I’ve recently finished her mind-blowing book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”. If you haven’t read this book, buy it, read it, and share it with everyone you care about. Professor Dweck offers clarity and insight into the age-old myth surrounding talent and effort, in all arenas of our life. We can apply growth mindset to enrich our classrooms, workplaces, and our relationships. I look back to the stressed out highschooler that I used to be, and I’m so grateful that there is an alternative.

Curious about growth mindset? Read this fantastic brainpickings article for an introduction.

Coming across this book has been one of the best parts of my job as an instructor at Axiom Learning, KL. My students teach me, every day, about the power of believing in ‘yet’, and not being stuck in ‘now’. My students who excel are the ones who believe that effort pays off e.g. I’ll get the hang of it! The ones who struggle are the ones who have more fixed mindsets e.g. I’m bad math. My memory is poor.

Here’s to having a growth mindset in all areas of our lives 🙂

education, Islam

The Concept of Education in Islam – Professor Naquib Al-Attas

Raidah Shah Idil

vintage-fountain-pen-2-1148654-mI came across an excellent book worth reading – The Concept of Education in Islam, by Professor Naquib Al-Attas.

Do read the first 19 pages, and reflect on the last paragraph – especially if you’re a parent or educator.

In the light of the foregoing definitions and explanations, the words of the Prophet, when he said: “My Lord educated me, and so made my education most excellent,” may be paraphrased in the following way: “My Lord made me to recognize and acknowledge, by what (i.e. adab) He progressively instilled into me, the proper places of things and the order of creation, such that it led to my recognition and acknowledgement of His proper place in the order of being and existence; and by virtue of this, He made my education most excellent.”
Does anyone know where I can purchase this book?