project-based learning in action: part 2
What if Mordechai, Haman, and the Wizard of Oz held a rap battle? That’s the question or students asked.
The video below is a project of one of our Emtza “pods.” Emtza is our seventh/eighth grade project-based program at Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles, where I work. (You can read more about the program in my previous post on the topic.)
project-based learning in action: part 1
As part of my job at Temple Isaiah, I developed Emtza, a project-based program for our middle school students. When I say “I developed,” what I mean is that I had a basic concept, an idea sapling. I handed that idea to an educator hired to run the program, Jessie Downey, who developed the idea further, bringing it into the realm of reality and giving it some real “umph.” Then she handed it to her amazing staff of teachers.
This video — one of two — is a piece of evidence that we were on to something. It’s a product of our students, who created it from scratch. They had a lot of support from their teachers, but it really is theirs. I hope you get a kick out of it… I sure did. (Click “Read More” for an explanation of how the Emtza program works.)
tech Helps students cross oceans.
Videoconference between Confirmation class and classmate in London. Technology helps students cross oceans without even trying.
peoplehood.
Now, if it is true that individuals develop a sense of connection to and concern for a larger collectivity in the ways that I’ve described – through the practices of story, language, and love – then we should notice that peoplehood education does not conflict with other substantive, content-rich Jewish educational efforts but rather comfortably co-exists with them.
launch.
Today, a new organization called B’nai Mitzvah Revolution announced itself to the world.
I’ve been privileged to serve as the webmaster/tech-guru on the project. Working with the team behind BMR — notably the co-directors and their colleagues at HUC-JIR/RHSOE/ECE and the URJ — has been an amazingly fulfilling and insightful experience. I’m thankful to Isa for giving me the opportunity.
Check the site out. I’m incredibly proud of it (though, truth be told, a lot of the conceptualization and tweaking came from the entire team).
Viva la revolution!
what’s next in israel education.
In this article, which ran in today’s Ha’aretz, my colleague Alex Sinclair suggests a paradigm for how we can take the next steps in Israel education. As is typically the case with Alex’s writing, it’s very impressive and (more importantly) thought-provoking. So I’m sharing it here.
presentation primer docs.
For participants in the iCenter presentation how-to that I taught today, I’ve uploaded two files:
• Extensive notes, as promised.
Presentation Primer – Notes & Sources.pdf
• My slides. (They’ll only make sense if you were there, naturally.)
Presentation Primer – Slides.pdf