Search results for: Raider Roth Miriam B.

The Mandel Teacher Educator Institute (MTEI), now in its 23rd year. is a program that strengthens the Jewish community by developing educational leaders – “teachers of teachers” – who are spearheading powerful and innovative professional development experiences for their institutions and communities. We believe that ongoing, substantive professional development for educational leaders and teachers is central to revitalizing Jewish education. MTEI’s intensive two-year program that consists of six, 4-day seminars with assignments in the field between meetings, practicing havruta text study, investigating teaching and learning practices in small and large groups, learning skills of communication and relational learning for leaders is a building block toward this goal.

This article presents an educational action research study examining how one online, classroom-based role-play simulation offers middle school students the opportunity to strengthen their agency and voice. The Jewish Court of All Time (JCAT) is a web-mediated simulation designed for middle school classrooms where students take on roles of various characters throughout the world, history and literature to address an imaginary court case. JCAT is meant to develop students’ skills in writing, critical thinking, perspective-taking, historical empathy and communication, as well as subject literacy in social, historical and cultural contexts. Our research question focuses on how JCAT further encourages and supports the middle school students’ agency and voice. activities.

This article explores how preservice teachers can develop mentoring capacities (i.e., perspective taking, connection with students, and self - reflective opportunities on their roles as teachers) by participating in a historically - based online simulation game with middle school students. The arena for this exploration, the Jewish Court of All Time (JCAT), is a web - mediated learning platform that utilizes character play to enhance historical and cultural understanding. Through the description of three preservice teachers/mentors in JCAT, we illustrate how the preservice teachers/mentors work to support the learning of the middle school students while developing their teaching skill set. Our research explores the ways in which participation in the dual roles of character and mentor shapes the university students’ development as preservice teachers.