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Toolbox for Teachers and Mentors: Moving Madrichim to Mentor Teachers and Beyond (Review from Jewish Book World)
This short review from Jewish Book World highlights the depth of value in Toolbox for Teachers and Mentors, by Dr. Richard D. Solomon, for use in Jewish educational settings. Drawing on both education and psychology, Toolbox for Teachers and Mentors offers an in-depth approach to preparing our brightest young people to be outstanding teachers in the future. Toolbox for Teachers and Mentors: Moving Madrichim to Mentor Teachers and Beyond (Review) (888.06 kB)
- Reviews
How Can Program Evaluation Help Me? Webinar 2 Featured
Part 2 of 3 in the webinar series with Dr. Leora Isaacs, JESNA's Vice President for Programs and Organizational Learning, on the how-to's of program evaluation in Jewish education. Webinar 2 focuses on articulating outcomes and planning for successful attainment. Please note that the video is broken up into 3 parts (due to file size restrictions), posted here in the correct order. When you get to the end of the first clip, simply click on the next one to play.You may view and download the PowerPoint, worksheets, and Glossary of Commonly used terms that Dr. Isaacs presents in this webinar here: PD_Network_Webinar_II__12_02_09 (1.13 MB). PD_Network_Webinar_II_Handouts (1.3 MB) PD_Webinar_II_Glossary_of_Common_Terms (75.26 kB)You may also be interested in the JESNA publication Pathways: A Guide for Evaluating Programs in Jewish Settings, which is also discussed in this presentation. Download Pathways here: Pathways part 1 (12.3 MB) Pathways part 2 (11.73 MB)
- Interactive Resources - Webinars
Teva Seminar on Jewish Environmental Education Featured
Teva's 15th annual summer seminar on Jewish environmental education will take place June 7-10, 2010, at beautiful Surprise Lake Camp in Cold Spring, NY. Participants can choose from four different tracks: Congregational Education, Ethics and Texts, Camp and Wilderness, or Organic Agriculture and Educational Gardening. Sponsored by the Jewish National Fund, the Teva Learning Center's mission is to renew the ecological wisdom inherent in Judaism. By immersing participants in the natural world and providing structured activities which sensitize them to nature's rhythms, participants develop a more meaningful relationship with nature and their own Jewish practices.
- Organizations - National and International Organizations
- Events - Conference Websites
ADCA Webinar: "Leading Without Authority" Featured
During 2010 JESNA will facilitate a set of webinars for central agency executives and selected senior staff that will focus on the challenges implicit in implementing the WOW project as a case study in leading systemic community educational change. Successfully implementing the WOW project requires that central agencies utilize a range of capabilities that relate to effective change leadership generally (i.e., whether for WOW or for other agency initiatives). The need for central agencies and their executives to further develop a number of these capabilities has been noted on previous webinars.This webinar is the first in a series of six. The topic is Positioning the Central Agency as a “Leader”: Building the Necessary Relationships. The webinar may be viewed below in its entirety; due to file-size restrictions, is has been broken into 8 clips of roughly 9 minutes each. Before or after viewing, you may also be interested in reviewing the following ancillary materials that were shared among the participants.From the Harvard Business Review Blog: Is Your Business Innovative? From the Harvard Business Review Blog: Leading When You Don't Have Formal Authority From BNet at Harvard Business: Leading From the RearVideo from TED Talks: Itay Talgam: Lead Like the Great Conductors You may also download the PowerPoint presentations from this webinar here: Adaptive Leadership (2.41 MB) WOW Project Outline (105 kB) ADCA_Leading without Authority (347 kB) LEADING wi ...
- Interactive Resources - Webinars
Webinar-- "Teaching Mishna: Problems and Creative Solutions" Featured
Join MOFET JTEC on Wednesday, February 17th for this free webinar on challenges and solutions in teaching Mishna, presented by Rabbi Dr. Avraham Walfish. Instructions for registering for this live online encounter can be found at the MOFET JTEC website listed above.
- Interactive Resources - Webinars
Making Jewish Education Work: Professional Development for Educators
The fourth offering in JESNA's "Making Jewish Education Work" series focuses on Professional Development for Educators. Read it here, or download the full document below. Making Jewish Education Work: Professional Development for Educators (2.76 MB).
- Research Reports and Studies - Publications and Dissemination Project
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Rothberg International School in Conjunction with the Melton Centre for Jewish Education – MA program in Jewish Education
A two-year program taught in English, designed for students interested in entering the world of Jewish education, experienced teachers, principals, informal educators, and communal leaders. The program deals with the theory and practice of Jewish education in both the Diaspora and Israel. Courses are offered in the philosophy of Jewish education, psychology, sociology, the teaching of Israel, contemporary Jewry, curriculum development and teaching, Jewish leadership education, gender studies, and informal education. In addition, the possibility is offered for one individual tutorial each year. The program offers a choice of concentrations in fields of study that are significant for Jewish education: 1) Jewish studies – for educators engaged in the transmission of Jewish content. 2) Jewish leadership education for principals, educators and community workers. 3) Israel studies for specialization in the teaching of Israeli culture and the contemporary Israeli experience. The MA program consists of 42 credits. Students are expected to be ready to begin at least Hebrew level Bet on commencing the program and to complete level Heh by the end of their studies. Courses in the MA program are also open on a one year or semester basis to non-degree students.
- Organizations - Academic Institutions
JESNA's Annual Report 2009: Think Locally, Act Globally
JESNA's 2009 Annual Report. Download the full report here. JESNA's Annual Report 2009: Think Globally, Act Locally
- Annual Reports
How Can Program Evaluation Help Me? Webinar 1 Featured
The first in a 3-part webinar series with Leora Isaacs, JESNA's Vice President for Programs and Organizational Learning, on the how-to's of program evaluation in Jewish education. Webinar 1 focuses on "Why Evaluate," and "How to Get Started."Please note that the video is broken up into 4 parts (due to file size restrictions), posted here in the correct order. When you get to the end of the first clip, simply click on the next one to play.You may view and download the PowerPoint that Dr. Isaacs presents in this webinar HERE. You may also be interested in the JESNA publication Pathways: A Guide for Evaluating Programs in Jewish Settings, which is also discussed in this presentation. Download Pathways here: Pathways part 1Pathways part 2
- Interactive Resources - Webinars
- Audio
- Video
Innovation in Jewish Education Blog Featured
Innovation in Jewish Education (IJE) is the blog of the Office of High School Programs at Brandeis University. The IJE draws upon BIMA and Genesis, Brandeis University’s two summer programs for high school students, that service as living laboratories. Experiential Jewish education is at the heart of IJE's work; blog posts from a plethora of Jewish Educational leaders cover topics relating to all aspects of informal/experiential education and Jewish youth.
- Interactive Resources - Blogs
Jewish Education and Family Priorities
In a recent blog post on Brandeis University's Innovation in Jewish Education blog, Dvora Goodman, director of Genesis at Brandeis University, issued a call to both Jewish educators and parents to work together to make it clear to Jewish youth that Jewish education is a number one priority. "We can’t leave the choices up to the teens themselves. We also need to send the message to parents of Jewish teens that they need to make Jewish education a non-negotiable activity – the one thing they must do (and they can choose any other activities they wish to pursue).
- Interactive Resources - Blogs
Hidden Sparks Featured
Founded in February 2005, Hidden Sparks’ goal is to increase the capacity of Jewish day schools to address the varied needs of children with learning difficulties. Hidden Sparks develops and supports professional development programs for Jewish day schools to help increase understanding and support for teaching to diverse learners. In addition to traditional professional development resources available on the website, Hidden Sparks Without Walls (WOW) brings audio and online classes, at no cost, to educators nation-wide. View online recordings of previous WOW classes and lectures, or register for upcoming online classes, at the Hidden Sparks homepage.
- Organizations
- Interactive Resources - Online Courses
- Interactive Resources - Webinars
- Audio
- Video
Jewish Women's Archive: 2010 Institute for Educators Featured
Jewish Women's ArchiveInstitute for EducatorsJuly 25-29, 2010Newton, MAJoin the Jewish Women's Archive for four days of intensive professional development designed to enrich your teaching with the compelling stories of American Jewish lives, past and present. The 2010 Institute will focus on the role of Jews in the Civil Rights Movement in America. The Institute is open to educators who work with students in grades 8–12 in formal and/or informal settings. Participants' expenses, including travel and hotel accommodations, will be covered by a generous grant from the Dorot Foundation. All food will be kosher. Progam Includes: seminars experiential education workshops hands on computer sessions time for developing individualized curriculum materials Presenters Include: Dr. Joyce Antler, Professor of American Jewish History and Culture, Brandeis University, author of The Journey Home: How Jewish Women Shaped Modern America, and JWA Board member; Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Rabbi-in-Residence, Jewish Funds for Justice and author of There Shall Be No Needy: Pursuing Social Justice Through Jewish Law and Tradition; Barbara Rosenblit, Humanities and Judaics teacher at the Weber Jewish High School in Atlanta, 2004 recipient of the Covenant Award for Exceptional Jewish Educators, and JWA Board member; Dr. Debra Schultz, author of Going South: Jewish Women in the Civil Rights Movement. Online Application Deadline: March 1, 2010
- Organizations - National and International Organizations
- Events - Conference Websites
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills Featured
Every child in America needs 21st century knowledge and skills to succeed as effective citizens, workers and leaders in the 21st century.There is a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces.To successfully face rigorous higher education coursework, career challenges and a globally competitive workforce, U.S. schools must align classroom environments with real world environments by infusing 21st century skills.This skills set includes: Information and communication skills (information and media literacy skills; communication skills) Thinking and problem-solving (critical thinking and systems thinking; problem identification, formulation and solution; creativity and intellectual curiosity) Interpersonal and self-direction skills (interpersonal and collaborative skills; self-direction; accountability and adaptability; social responsibility) Global awareness Financial, economic and business literacy, and developing entrepreneurial skills to enhance workplace productivity and career options Civic literacy The P21 website provides a plethora of tools and resources for educators, administrators and lay leaders in these areas.
- Organizations
- Databases and Resource Centers - Resource Centers
- Reference
- Interactive Resources
Jewish Special Education International Consortium Featured
The Jewish Special Education International Consortium is a professional network of Directors, Coordinators and Administrators of Jewish special education services in Central Agencies for Jewish Education.The mission of the Consortium is to provide a structured forum that will enable professionals in special education to access and disseminate information and ideas on:--Program models and development --Specialized curriculum and technology --Inclusion --Professional development and support --Advocacy and Legislation --Community relations and awareness
- Organizations - National and International Organizations
- Reference
- Interactive Resources - Forums and Discussion Boards
Keeping Quality Teachers Teaching Featured
For many years schools in the United States have faced a teacher shortage, especially in areas such as special education, bilingual education, math, and science. This shortage has been exacerbated by an alarming failure on the part of school districts to retain teachers — up to 50 percent of new teachers leave after five years. Moreover, studies have shown an inequitable distribution of veteran and newer teachers across districts, often reinforcing other institutional inequities based on race and class. The impacts of the above problems are profound and unequal. Addressing this situation is complicated and requires us to confront fundamental problems that face our public schools: inadequate and unequal funding, lack of planning and collaboration time for teachers, large class size and difficult working conditions, faulty mentoring and evaluation systems, archaic salary systems, inadequate preservice and in-service professional development, and so on. With the financial assistance of the Ford Foundation, Rethinking Schools presents here a collection of articles that address these difficult issues.
- Articles
- Journals
- Research Reports and Studies
- Reference
The Rationale for Using Educational Technology [in Jewish Education] Featured
Watch the video archive of this presentation on The Rationale for Using Educational Technology given on September 9, 2009 for Yeshiva University's Institute for University-School Partnership's Online Continuing Education Program. Presentation is given by Rabbi Tzvi Pittinsky, Director of Educational Technology at Frisch Yeshiva High School. Ancillary materials accompanying this presentation, including a listing of works cited, can be found at Rabbi Pittinsky's blog, Tech Rav.
- Interactive Resources - Webinars
Snapshots & Insights: Continuing Rabbinic Education Featured
During their years in rabbinical school, Rabbis acquire a tremendous amount of knowledge in certain areas (e.g., Jewish texts and law), and less, if any, in others (e.g., pastoral care and synagogue management). Like other professions, rabbis benefit from opportunities to engage in professional development and study opportunities throughout their careers. As their careers advance, they need training and mentoring around issues of self-care, and the care of their families, their congregations and the greater Jewish community, emergent issues, new responsibilities, changing field demands, non-profit management, and other such topics. Snapshots and Insights: Continuing Rabbinic Education (330.13 kB)
- Articles
- Research Reports and Studies - Publications and Dissemination Project
Mutliple Intelligences Mini-Site at the Lookstein Center
A sub-site of the Lookstein Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora, this site offers a short introduction to Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, packaged with a range of professional development materials for teachers, curricular resources, and links for further study.
- Reference
- Interactive Resources
- Interactive Resources - Online Communities and Social Networks
- Audio
Cooperative Learning: Research and Implementation for Jewish Education
Excerpts from the article Cooperative Learning: Research and Implementation for Jewish Education from the Summer 2009 issue of Jewish Educational Leadership. Reposted with permission from Jewish Educational Leadership.
- Articles
- Journals
- Research Reports and Studies