May. 18, 2016
Dear subscriber, 


MOFET JTEC Portal Newsletter

Dear Subscriber,

We are delighted to send you the latest issue of The MOFET JTEC Portal resource listing.

The current bulletin contains information items dealing with early childhood education, innovative school projects, new online teaching resources, teacher and administrator training initiatives and upcoming professional development opportunities.

This month you can read an original piece by Leah Herzog of Maayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, describing her pioneering PBL project in Tanakh, which gave her 12th grade honors class students an opportunity to carry out mentored research projects in any area of Tanakh that interested them. The resulting presentations were very impressive and inspiring.

Wishing you a wonderful Lag Baomer and Yom Yerushalayim,

Reuven Werber

The MOFET JTEC Portal Team

May 18, 2016 Jewish Portal of Teacher Education
Please note: a complete list of recent additions to the portal follows the Featured Items.
May 2016
Featured Items
What If Students Could Learn Anything They Want in Tanakh? - Ma’ayanot’s PBL 80/20 Experiment
At the beginning of the school year I asked the students who are enrolled in my senior Maayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls Honors Tanakh class, to ponder the question “If you could learn anything in Tanakh, what would you choose?” I asked this question as the kick-off of our Google 80/20 project, a year-long, in-school independent research project which culminates in a real-world product and a public exhibition.
Calling Jewish Educators: FREE Jerusalem Scavenger Hunt Resource
If the Jewish world is a large circle with Jews of all nationalities and cultures are standing on its perimeter, then Jerusalem is the center of that circle. Jerusalem is the capital city of the Jewish people for more than 3000 years, it unites us all and gives us our common identity. Now more than ever, it is vital that Jewish communities worldwide understand and celebrate the central role that Jerusalem plays in connecting us all to each other. In this FREE Jewish educators resource guide, we will give you a basis for a Jerusalem Scavenger Hunt activity and we will give you a list of our favorite Jerusalem/Israel resources. This guide can be used by formal and informal Jewish education settings alike.
Gleanings: Unleashing the Power of Congregational Education
Gleanings is the ejournal of the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education of The Jewish Theological Seminary. Ever since the 1992 National Jewish Population Study, many of us—educators, clergy, philanthropists—have been engaged in heroic efforts to revitalize congregational education. While we have had made notable progress for which we should be rightly proud, this field has remained stubbornly resistant to deep transformation. This past October, The Davidson School of JTS brought together a group of scholars, rabbis, educators, and change practitioners from across denominations and North America to learn together and begin to design an innovative path forward. Out of this gathering came a renewed sense of hope, a desire for collaboration among diverse institutions, and a revitalized sense of transformative purpose. In this issue of Gleanings, we present a selection of the papers that participants wrote for our deliberation which stimulated rich dialogue. Included first in this issue is a nascent, overarching vision of education toward covenantal community, which emerged during the gathering.
A ‘Little Einsteins,’ For Little Mensches
The nonprofit G-dcast, which makes videos and apps for those looking to learn more about Judaism is about to release “Shaboom!” a 10-part online series of short cartoons for young children that teach Jewish values. The series premieres April 6, 2016. A few weeks before the debut of the first video, G-dcast rebranded itself with a new website and name, “BimBam,” a reference to the popular children’s Shabbat song. The name change and release of “Shaboom!” represents a major shift for the award-winning nonprofit, both in terms of the audience it is trying to reach and the vehicle through which it is trying to reach them. BimBam’s change in focus reflects a shift that has been happening increasingly over the past decade throughout the Jewish educational world.
Conference on Transformative Jewish Education
Jewish educators and Jewish educational policy makers often use the language of transformation when describing the effects of programs. We aim for more than just cognitive achievement; we want our programs to make a meaningful, lasting difference in the lives of the participants. But the language of transformation needs to be explored more critically. What do we really mean, when we talk about transformative Jewish education? How do we think that transformation occurs? What does it look like when it happens? There are many pockets of excellence across the Jewish educational landscape – but for the most part, those examples remain isolated and hidden. The best and most creative educational work is neither visible nor documented, so no one outside these programs is learning from them. This conference was a step towards improving that situation by bringing together some of those programs, and creating an opportunity for leading educators to study them systematically.
RAVSAK Head of School Professional Excellence Project 2016 Applications Being Accepted
The RAVSAK Head of School Professional Excellence Project (HoSPEP) embraces the idea that rising educational leaders greatly benefit from mentorship and coaching by more experienced peers. RAVSAK carefully select PEP Fellows, talented and motivated new heads of school, and pair them with experienced Deans, who offer one-on-one advice and encouragement over the course of a year. Through this partnership, Fellows gain access to experienced, supportive leaders who understand what is needed to succeed and are prepared to guide them to lead their schools into a vibrant Jewish future.
May 2016
All Recent Items
Trends in Jewish Education
The Impact of Communal Intervention Programs on Jewish Identity: An Analysis of Jewish Students in Britain
Development of Religious Identity Through Doubts Among Religious Adolescents in Israel: An Empirical Perspective and Educational Ramifications
An Historical Case Study in Jewish Women's Education: Chana Shpitzer and Ma'aleh
What If Students Could Learn Anything They Want in Tanakh? - Ma’ayanot’s PBL 80/20 Experiment

Formal Education

The National Mentoring Program in Israel – Challenges and Achievements
Exploring God: Using the Arts as a Way to Engage Secondary Students in Discussions about God
Prayer and Adolescence: Can Formal Instruction Make a Difference?
Room on the Bench: A Project of the Luria Academy of Brooklyn
Gleanings: Unleashing the Power of Congregational Education
Teaching Jewish Holidays in Early Childhood Education in Israel

Informal Education

Hebrew Infusion at American Jewish Summer Camps

Adult Education

5 Ways That A Taste of Judaism® Can Strengthen Your Congregation
Camp Nai Nai Nai: Jewish Summer Camp for Adults

Teacher Education

Hebrew College’s Early Childhood Institute Fills Need for Quality Educators

In-Service Training

No Teacher Left Behind Spring 2016 – Online Edtech Course
Ivriyon 2016 - Hebrew Immersion Program for Day School Teachers
RAVSAK Head of School Professional Excellence Project 2016 Applications Being Accepted

Education & Administration

Welcoming More Families into Jewish Life through Early Childhood Education Programs
Generation Now: Understanding and Engaging Jewish Teens Today

Israel Education

Birthright Israel Fellows Program Raises Quality of Educational Experience
American Jewish Children’s Thoughts and Feelings About the Jewish State: Laying the Groundwork for a Developmental Approach to Israel Education
Calling Jewish Educators: FREE Jerusalem Scavenger Hunt Resource

Technology & Computers

Building Bridges: Global School Twinning Network
The Torah U’Mesorah Blended/Digital Learning Study: Testing the Potential

Conferences & Events

Conference on Transformative Jewish Education
Shalom Hartman Institute’s 2016 Community Leadership Program Summer Retreat (CLP)
NRJE Conference Registration Now Available!

Learning Resources

A ‘Little Einsteins,’ For Little Mensches
The Rabbanei Batei Hasefer Website – Hebrew Online Resources for School Rabbis
Teaching the Legacy #34 - e-Newsletter for Holocaust Educators – Witnesses and Testimony – Special Interview Issue
May 2016
 
The newsletter contains references to all the new items added to the JTEC Portal.

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