The Flipped Jewish Studies Classroom - A New Model for Jewish Teaching and Learning

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1 Summer 2013 / Kayitz 5773 No.19 THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LOOKSTEIN CENTER FOR JEWISH EDUCATION The Lookstein Center Presents: The Flipped Jewish Studies Classroom - A New Model for Jewish Teaching and Learning Thanks to a generous grant from the UJA Federation of New York, the Flipped Classroom will no longer be a foreign concept in the Jewish studies classroom. But what is a flipped classroom? The flipped classroom model has gained popularity in general educational circles for the past decade but has not yet been explored systematically for use in Jewish studies. Teachers assign short recorded presentations for the students to view at home on their computers. Then, in the classroom, the students review, process, apply, and expand their understanding of these materials, while actively facilitated by the teacher. Students can learn at their own pace without falling behind the rest of the class, individual teacher-student time is enhanced without compromising the group learning, and students become empowered to take charge of their own learning. The Lookstein Center is now offering a new opportunity for professional development in this methodology geared towards the Jewish studies classroom. The one year course will include three onsite seminars (in the NY area) and bi-weekly online web meetings. Teachers will learn to develop and produce video lectures as well as follow-up materials for in-class work, learn to identify and develop online resources, and work in collaborative online communities. Throughout the first year, teachers will be developing, refining and sharing appropriate materials for the flipped classrooms The program is currently open to teachers in the New York area only but due to overwhelming response from educators outside of New York, the possibility of implementing the program in other areas is being explored and considered. For more information contact Esther Feldman at esther@lookstein.org. inside Lookjed Lookstein LIVE Online Principals Project Meet Our Fellow: Chaim Cowen Israel Throughout the Year JOLTT Lookstein in the FSU ELAI Like us on Facebook. Search The Lookstein Center and get periodic updates. Follow us on With thanks to our Associate Members for their support:

2 2 Summer 2013 / Kayitz 5773 No.19 From the Director This newsletter reflects the range of programs that The Lookstein Center is currently conducting in different parts of the world as well as online. The Lookstein Center focuses its work in three areas: educational leadership, curriculum and staff development, and exploring ways to maximize the effective use of constantly advancing technology and media tools in Jewish education. The newsletter will introduce you to some of our newer programs, including The Flipped Jewish Studies Classroom, and the Online Principals Project developed in partnership with the Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal of the UJA-Federation of NY; and JOLTT (Jewish Online Learning, Teaching and Training Center), developed in partnership with the AVI CHAI Foundation. It will also update you on ongoing programs including the very popular Lookjed online discussion list; the Lookstein Live Program; the Baltics project; and the Israel Throughout the Year curriculum that is becoming an important part of an ever growing number of schools from across the ideological and geographical spectrums in North America. The Israel curriculum is now being translated, culturally adapted, and digitized into Russian for implementation in schools throughout the FSU thanks to the support of The Pincus Fund and Dr. Shmuel and Evelyn Katz. As I write, ELAI, our highly successful program for aspiring principals implemented in partnership with The Jewish Education Project and the Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal of UJA-Federation of NY has convened its fourth cohort. All of these programs are designed to provide multi-faceted and comprehensive professional and curricular support to Jewish educators across the globe. I invite and encourage your comments, suggestions and questions about any Lookstein Center programs and urge you to join with our other partners so that we can further enhance and advance our work for the benefit of Jewish education around the world. I can be reached at stuart@lookstein.org. Hope to hear from you. Bivrakha, Stuart Zweiter, Director Lookjed Now in its 15th year, The Lookstein Center s popular Lookjed online community continues to engage Jewish educators in America, Israel and in English speaking countries across the globe. Since the beginning of this academic year more than 50 digests have appeared, in which educators exchange ideas, learn together and share resources. Among the issues that have generated significant discussion this year were several connected with Israel: Operation Pillar of Defense (Amud Anan) resources Israel Election Sources and Websites Feedback from educators indicates the value that they see in this medium, and particularly its focus on engaging Jewish educators with contemporary Israel. Leon Covitz, a senior Jewish educator writes: Just wanted to thank you and all the Lookstein staff for the election sites and all the resources you provide for Jewish educators. The Lookjed digest has been a wonderful source for my preparations for my activities. Keep up with this important work. The Lookjed listserv archives in format can be accessed at: The threaded archives can be accessed at: If you haven t already signed up to receive the weekly digests, you can register here:

3 Summer 2013 / Kayitz 5773 No.19 3 Winter / Horef 5773 No.18 3 Lookstein LIVE: Israel Up Close and Personal Lookstein LIVE, which has made it possible for many communities, via video technology, to welcome worldclass teachers into their classrooms on a daily and weekly basis, even if such a teacher does not live locally has introduced two important initiatives that help schools bring Israel live into the classrooms. The TaL AM/ Lookstein LIVE collaboration track has been opened in coordination with the widely used Hebrew language program TaL AM. Seasoned TaL AM teachers who are currently living in Israel have joined the Lookstein staff and have begun teaching in classrooms in North America. Not only do they employ the dynamic and interactive methodology of TaL AM instruction, but they offer the added benefit of bringing Israel live into their classrooms. One of the Center s experienced TaL AM teachers also teaches in an Israeli public school. She has twinned her Israeli classroom with her American classroom. The students send videos to their American counterparts describing life in Israel. A special series Time for Israel has been introduced. Lookstein Center teachers create videos based on timely Jewish holidays, seasons or a specific place in Israel. They invite the students to join them on the virtual tiyul (trip) and engage the students in lively discussion as they virtually stroll through various places where the upcoming holiday, season or place come alive! All classes and videos can be in either English or Hebrew, depending on the needs and preferences of the school. For more information contact Susan Yammer at susan@lookstein.org. Israel: Up Close and Personal Join veteran teacher Nili Auerbach on a journey to explore the sites and sounds of Jerusalem and other selected sites in Israel. Complement your current chagim (Jewish holidays) curriculum or your existing Israel curriculum. Nili will explore with the students how each chag is celebrated in both America and Israel, and students will be brought (through the use of pre recorded video segments) live to locations throughout Jerusalem where they can view first hand the holiday preparations and celebrations which are taking place in Israel. On Tu B Shvat, allow your students to shop in the shuk for Shivat HaMinim, and at Pesach time, have your students go on a virtual journey through the desert. This class is highly interactive and students will be kept engaged through the use of photographs, video clips, and hand movements throughout the session. Appropriate for grades two through eight. For more information contact Susan Yammer at susan@lookstein.org.

4 4 Summer 2013 / Kayitz 5773 No.19 Online Principals Project The Lookstein Center recently completed an innovative program of professional development for principals, conducted almost entirely online. The Online Principals Project, made possible thanks to the UJA Federation of NY, featured eight principals learning to write, present, and analyze case studies relevant to school life. These cases range from suspected abuse of a student by another student, a financial-management crisis, an elderly teacher who needed to be eased out of his teaching duties, a school which had lost sight of its vision, and many more. Each case study had an outside specialist accompanying the case offering a unique perspective. All the discussions were recorded, and will soon be available on The Lookstein Center s website as a learning tool and hopefully the first component of a growing and evolving Online Principals Center. The collaborative efforts generated in the program led to creative ideas and insightful analyses, which expanded the theoretical and practical foundations for the participants. Here are select comments from some of them: By defining a highly effective principal as one who spends more time understanding the problem than solving it, and one who focuses on the problems that involve larger rather than smaller numbers of people, it gives me a starting point and a way to prioritize the issues. It also confirms what I learned to be true through the Lookstein program, and my previous experience, that collaboration and teamwork is the most effective way to problem solve. I learned that highly effective leaders are constant learners. They are always reflecting, reviewing, analyzing and growing. It seems that the core of leadership lies in setting up a climate for productive problem solving. I was moved by the common experiences shared by the many extraordinary professionals in the group. It seems that even the most outstanding educational leaders find themselves at some point in their careers in challenging situations. For more information contact Zvi Grumet at zvi@lookstein.org. OUR MISSION The Lookstein Center engages, supports, and reaches out to Jewish educators, leaders, and dedicated lay people worldwide. Building on its firm belief in mutual respect and the power of professional community and networking, the Center draws its energy from vibrant interactions between the broad spectrum of the Jewish learning community. The Center s staff and supporters dedicate themselves to thinking about and exploring Jewish education s current issues and needs then helping the professionals and lay people in the field translate these ideas into curriculum, resources, programs, and community action, often at the forefront in utilizing cutting edge technologies. The Lookstein Center is educators helping other educators become better educators. Students at a Jewish school in London using the curriculum

5 Summer 2013 / Kayitz 5773 No.19 5 Meet Our Fellow: Chaim Cowen The Lookstein Center designs special programs geared towards the particular needs of educators worldwide. Chaim Cowen has just finished up his six month course at The Lookstein Center, and is profiled below. When did you first learn about The Lookstein Center? Back home in Melbourne, I had heard murmurings about the Lookstein Center from a young age. Many influential teachers, principals and administrators of schools had either a connection to or had undergone some form of training at the Lookstein Center. What made you decide to become a Fellow of The Lookstein Center? Chaim Cowen I actually didn t decide to become a Fellow of The Lookstein Center, it was decided for me! Having completed a Masters of Laws in Melbourne, I decided that my real passion lay outside of the law. By that I don t mean that I fancied a criminal life, rather that I felt I could obtain a more meaningful existence in the area of education. Whilst in university I was (and still am) a community Rabbi and I was also teaching at a local day school. When faced by the prospect of beginning a law career, I was hit by the realization that I was already doing what I loved! After making these sentiments clear, a Modern Orthodox school in Melbourne, Leibler Yavneh College, approached me requesting that I teach there. The College Principal, Roy Steinman has close links with the Lookstein Center and recommended I study there for six months. And here I am. When did you come to Israel/The Lookstein Center and how long will you be staying? I arrived in January 2013 and will be staying until early July Where do you live and would you be willing to tell us briefly about your family that accompanied you here? I live in Melbourne, Australia and am here with my wife, Chaya, and our 15 month old daughter, Levana. My wife is also a teacher back in Melbourne and has been able to join me for a significant part of the program at The Lookstein Center, which she has enjoyed thoroughly. She is also currently studying at an Australian University by correspondence. Lookstein Center Advisory Board Rabbi Sheldon Chwat Former Principal, SAR Academy, New York Prof. Yehuda Eisenberg Herzog College Rabbi David Eliach Principal Emeritus, Yeshivah of Flatbush, New York Prof. Clifford Hill Emeritus, Teachers College, Columbia University Prof. Meni Koslowsky Bar-Ilan University Prof. James Kugel Bar-Ilan University Prof. Raymon Lewis La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia Ms. Jan Morrison Director, Teaching Institute for Essential Science, Baltimore Prof. Yisrael Rich Bar-Ilan University Rabbi Prof. Daniel Sperber President, Institute for Advanced Torah Studies, Bar-Ilan University Prof. Abraham Tannenbaum Emeritus, Teachers College, Columbia University Dr. Joel Wolowelsky Yeshivah of Flatbush, New York How does your typical day look? There is no typical day, each day is so different! Sundays I am usually out and about on the field - either observing or performing in a real-life classroom in Israel. On Mondays I spend the full day at Bar-Ilan University, meeting and learning from the various expert educators that make up the Lookstein staff. The rest of the week I spend in Jerusalem studying one-on-one with some of the greatest minds in Jewish education today from Lookstein Center staff as well as individuals included in the program due to their expertise in particular areas. What are you studying here and with whom? The topics I study here are quite varied and cater to the various needs of educators of Jewish studies in the diaspora. With Eli Kohn, I have been studying Curriculum Development and Practical Classroom Management. I study Experiential Education with Yonah Fuld and School leadership with Stuart Zweiter. In addition, a practical study of Israel the land, which includes both theoretical and practical (viz. tours) components takes place each week with Michael Gruenzweig. Continued on page 6 >>

6 6 Summer 2013 / Kayitz 5773 No.19 Israel Throughout the Year Curriculum: An Update The Lookstein Center s new Israel curriculum is now being used in schools throughout the United States, Canada, England and Australia, with plans to translate and culturally adapt the booklets to Russian and Hebrew. If you missed Yonah Fuld s informative webinar, it can be accessed at lse&fcscontent=true&pbmode=normal. We would like to share some feedback we have received from teachers and principals over the past few months: Rarely is a curriculum so attractive in presentation and thought out in content. The numerous facts, anecdotes and statistics of each unit blend together to create an inspiring whole. I am pleased that our students finally have an Israel curriculum designed with their needs and aspirations in mind. (Principal of Yeshivah of Flatbush Middle Division) Many students have told me how much they enjoy learning from these booklets. Some students have even asked to read books from previous years as enrichment. (6th Grade Teacher, Hillel Day School) This spiraled program fosters and deepens that connection through engaging discussions, important facts put into context, creative activities, and descriptive pictures and graphics. Any person, place, or event related to the development of Medinat Yisrael that you are interested in learning and teaching about can be found in one or more of the 128 lessons. (Principal of SAR Academy) For more information about Israel Throughout the Year, and/or to receive an informative brochure contact Yonah Fuld at yonah@lookstein.org. Grade Yom Yerushalayim Jerusalem- David s Capital Marc Rosenberg Daniel Rose Eretz Yisrael Throughout the Year Eretz Yisrael Throughout the Year Eretz Yisrael Throughout the Year Grade Daniel Rose Grade Asara The Negev Aliza Sokol BeTevet Meet Our Fellow: Chaim Cowen >> continued from page 5 Other areas of study include Methodologies of Teaching Tanach with Zvi Grumet, Education Psychology and Curriculum Studies both with Steven Bailey, Methodologies of Teaching Toshba with Shalom Berger, Methodologies of Teaching Jewish History with David Bernstein and the Teaching of Modern Orthodox Philosophy with Aaron Wexler. In addition, I have had a variety of cameo sessions with experts in an assortment of fields ranging from Intimacy Education to Aramaic Studies to the Pedagogy of Chavruta and everything in between. All in all, I have been exposed by the Lookstein Center to a quality smorgasbord of experts in the pedagogy of secondary Jewish studies. What do you enjoy most about your stay/studies? That s a tough question. I love, first and foremost, living in Israel. In terms of the program, I have found all the teachers, without exception, to challenge the way I think and introduce me to vistas which I had never laid eyes on to date. If that s a little vague, what I mean is that each teacher opened my mind to new ways of approaching the most fundamental Jewish texts and topics, bringing them to life in a way that I had never before experienced. I found these realizations to be thoroughly enjoyable. How do you see yourself applying what you learned, back home? When I arrive home in July, I will begin my role as a high school teacher almost immediately. I have put serious thought towards the various topics I will be teaching and have shown curriculum drafts to some of my teachers here at the Lookstein Center, who have provided me with pointers and feedback. I have modeled these curricula on the new pedagogical understandings I have gained and thereby channeled the theory taught into concrete application. Do you have any message that you would like to share with our readers? If you are a teacher or have some influence in the field of Jewish education my message is very simple. As a relatively recent graduate of a day-school myself, I know the damage caused by teachers who don t teach Jewish studies effectively. It s important to realize that teaching is an art form and, like any artist, a teacher needs to hone their skills and invest real time and thought into how they can perform best at what they do. The Lookstein Center gave me an unparalleled exposure to the art of raising knowledgeable, skillful and thoughtful young Jews. If you or a staff member you know would benefit from a similar opportunity, contact us at info@lookstein.org.

7 Summer 2013 / Kayitz 5773 No.19 7 JOLTT a Great Success, To Double in Size Next Year What do Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet) and the American Jewish immigrant have in common? They were both the focus of two exciting new courses offered by The Lookstein Center s JOLTT, the Jewish Online Learning, Teaching and Training Center. Forty day school students from six Jewish day schools took part in these fully online courses this past semester; due to the overwhelming success and increased support by the AVI CHAI Foundation, that number is expected to double for the school year. Both courses ran for fourteen weeks, with the 8th grade Quest for Eliyahu being taught as a bible course and the 10th grade American Jewish Immigrant Experience, history. Study was carried out independently and collaboratively, with interactive coursework plus assignments and projects. Classes were held live in the presence of the teacher and students, and there was ample opportunity for small group work to carry out debates, do role play, analyze primary sources, etc. to enrich the studying. One of the teachers, Susan Yammer, even had the opportunity to meet her students locally, in Jerusalem, when they were on a school trip to Israel. For the final history project, the students put on their historian hats and became mini historians, building online exhibits/archives of their local or regional history. They investigated, found artifacts, and uploaded their findings with explanations. Many researched their families too, approaching stores, synagogues and schools. It proved to be a rare opportunity for the students to learn about their communities. They realized how much could be learned from the immigrants about leadership, taking responsibility for the community, building institutions. The final Eliyahu project was equally engaging, with the students following Elijah to Har Carmel and Har Horev, and collecting artifacts that would be archived in an interactive museum that profiled the various personalities of Elijah. One student shared her excitement: I just want to thank you for the course. I have become a more independent student and discovered that I work much better and more efficiently when I learn online. I think that now that I have discovered this about myself, I may be able to apply this skill to my next four years at high school. For more information about JOLTT contact Chana German at chana@lookstein.org. Lookstein in the FSU The Baltics program A five year curriculum and professional development project that The Lookstein Center has conducted with all day schools in the Baltic States is concluding. The project was made possible through the generous support of the L.A. Pincus Fund for Jewish Education in the Diaspora, Targum Shlishi, and The Gerber-Goldschmidt Trust. Thirty Jewish and general studies teachers participated in the project which included seminars in Riga and Talinn, seminars for lead teachers in Jerusalem, and a series of webinars throughout the course of the project. Russian language Jewish studies texts and teachers guides were produced under the guidance of Lookstein Center mentors based on the work done at the program. Israel project in Russian The Lookstein Center has begun to translate and culturally adapt the Israel Throughout the Year curriculum in an enhanced digitized interactive version for use in Jewish schools throughout the FSU. The project was begun with initial funding from the L.A. Pincus Fund for Jewish Education in the Diaspora.

8 Summer 2013 / Kayitz 5773 No.19 ELAI Successfully Completes Its Third Cohort and Welcomes Cohort Four You have read about The Looktein Center s ELAI (Educational Leadership Advancement Initiative) program, which trains promising Jewish teachers and administrators in the New York area schools to take on larger leadership roles in Jewish day schools, in order to prepare a new generation of Jewish day school leaders. Past issues of Look have mentioned the monthly meetings and retreats in New York and Israel all accompanied by at least half a dozen mentors who guide the participants to address wide ranging educational challenges at their schools. After three successful cohorts and 64 participants, the Center is excited to announce that thanks to continued support by the UJA Federation of NY and the Jewish Education Project, ELAI is now entering a new phase, with 16 participants. Following the program s success, several educators and administrators from the same school will now be building leadership teams at the school. They will be developing a shared language and collaborative culture, in order to build a stronger team at the school. Feedback has been so positive that we have decided to share excerpts from some letters we have received, with our readers: 6 Winter / Horef 5773 No.18 Advisory Board The Lookstein Center Salutes Its Donors and Partners American Friends of Bar-Ilan University Avi Chai Foundation, New York Hans and Gini Bachrach z l, Jerusalem Ilana and Daniel Benson, New York British Friends of Bar-Ilan University Robert and Ruth Epstein, Melbourne Barry and Pamela Fingerhut, New York The Foundation for Jewish Renewal, Florida Gerber-Goldschmidt Trust, Switzerland Betsy Gidwitz, Chicago David and Susan Goldsmith, New York David Gradel, London The Greater Miami Jewish Federation Morris z l and Charlotte Green, Jerusalem Van Greenfield, New York Michael and Barbara Horowitz, Atlanta Jesselson Foundation, New York Jim Joseph Foundation, San Francisco Evelyn and Dr. Shmuel Katz, Bal Harbour Mordecai and Monique Katz, Englewood L.A. Pincus Fund for Jewish Education, Jerusalem Manfred and Anne Lehmann Foundation, NY Larry and Shirley Loewenthal, Detroit Nina Moinester, New York Myrna and Jack Robbins, New York Joyce Saffir, Chicago Shoresh Charitable Foundation, Jerusalem Targum Shlishi: An Aryeh and Raquel Rubin Foundation, Florida United Jewish-Israel Appeal of Britain UJA Federation of New York 8 As a person who thirsts for knowledge.i learned about people and places of which I had never heard, or only read about. I have come to the realization that we are all the same in our love for knowledge and teaching children, the difference being cultural nuances. Thank you for an incredible journey of growth. **** Thank you for the opportunity to share, grow and learn. I am a truly better principal today both as a communicator and an effective leader. I can directly identify practices that have improved from my time spent with my colleagues, the mentors and mentees Your involvement and planning was greatly appreciated and it is due to your efforts that much mutual growth took place.probably close to 5000 students are the direct beneficiaries of these particular programs. **** We all know one needs to validate, communicate and team build, but having the opportunity to share workshop time with masters in the field and learn from the mentees experiences and different school cultures, has enriched my thinking. Fo more information contact Shonny Solow at shonny@lookstein.org. THE RABBI DR. JOSEPH H. LOOKSTEIN CENTER FOR JEWISH EDUCATION Contact Us The Lookstein Center School of Education Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan, Israel Tel: Fax: info@lookstein.org