Jewish Portal of Teacher Education

Avi Posen is the Assistant Director of Education at OpenDor Media. His focus is on content creation and exposing Jewish educators around the world to our Unpacked for Educators materials. Avi has worked as a Judaic Studies teacher, Hillel Director and Jewish camp director. He holds a Masters in Jewish Education from Yeshiva University in New York.

Unpacked for Educators, from OpenDor Media, is a rich set of teaching tools that explores the story of Israel and the Jewish people in all its complexity, intellectual depth and sophistication. Focused on students of middle school and high school age, our goal is to untangle challenging ideas and make key historical moments come alive. Through our website, videos, weekly newsletter, webinars and educational content, we provide formal, informal and experiential Jewish educators with the resources they need to show students that Judaism is as meaningful and relevant as ever.

We embrace digital media and use it to support educators. Our content is appropriate for an array of religious affiliations, political denominations and geographic locations. We don’t stake a claim to any particular educational philosophy, recognizing that each institution we work with has its own set of governing principles. Instead, we ensure our content can be used in any educational setting, and can help add texture and nuance to the classroom experience.

Whether you are teaching in front of a class or from behind a computer screen, these resources are easy to integrate into your instruction.

Our videos and resources can be used in all types of educational frameworks including:

• Flipped instruction – send videos link to students in advance
   
• Direct instruction – show films or videos directly to students
   
• Project-Based Learning – anchor with a video or article
   
• Socratic seminar – use videos and open-ended discussion questions to facilitate debate

We are serving the needs of the Jewish people

Jewish youth who have the privilege of receiving any form of Jewish education become the future leaders of the community. Our materials ensure that they develop a thoughtful and nuanced perspective so they will be thoughtful and knowledgeable about their Jewish identity and connection to Israel.

Film and video in a classroom, youth group or camp setting

Using film and video is ideal for the 21st century educational setting. Evidence shows that learning through video can help engage and inspire students when incorporated into student-centered learning activities, by increasing student motivation, enhancing the learning experience, as well as providing deeper learning of the subject matter.

For Educators, by Educators

We believe that the only way to engage with students is by understanding their needs firsthand. All resources developed by Unpacked for Educators are created by educators who have firsthand experience in the classroom and are committed to meeting the needs of the education community.

All of the resources can be accessed on our website. Feel free to contact us if you would like more information or a personal tour of the site.