“Great teachers help create great students. In fact, research shows that an inspiring and informed teacher is the most important school-related factor influencing student achievement.” (://www.edutopia.org/teacher-development-introduction).
Many of our teachers opted to spend their summer “vacation” developing and refining their teaching by participating in professional development. Below are some of the highlights:
Mrs. Sari Sheinfeld and Ms. Deena Bloom- 6-8 grade math
Creative University and School Partnership Professional Resources in Science and Math - 2 weeks (70 hours)
Yeshivat Noam was able to participate in a grant to fund improvement of mathematics education which is in alignment with the Common Core through this three- year program. There is a different strand focus each year and Mathematical Practices will permeate throughout the year. Year-1 addresses algebraic thinking, numbers and operations, ratios and proportional relationships. This year's institute addressed algebraic reasoning, including the role of variable in equations, inequalities, linear equations, systems of equations and their application in real life scenarios. The elements of the summer institute included teachers as learners; content-driven sessions in which the facilitators modelled pedagogical approaches through content; and reflections and debriefings about learner and teacher experiences. Actual activities involved teachers exploring the content, justifying mathematical thinking, asking questions of each other, and doing hands-on, content-driven activities. Towards the end of the summer institute, teachers developed an action plan that will help them investigate a particular content area and pedagogical practice. These action plans will become the basis of the academic year support and will be embedded in the follow-up workshop sessions, coaching, and online collaborations.
Having the opportunity to take time out during the summer gives teachers a great opportunity to reflect, learn and prepare for new and exciting initiatives and explorations. This years summer institute not only provided us with a plethora of materials and tools, but gave us the opportunity to create, present, tweak project based experiences for our students for the upcoming year. Spoiler Alert: we are going to have an amazing time with systems of equations this year!
Mrs. Miriam Shteingart - 7th Grade Science -
Smart Board Training - 2 days
The goal of the Smart Board training course was to teach teachers how to use the many SMART software tools in order to create incredible interactive lessons for students. With technology advancing every single second, it is important to stay up to date with any new programs that can help us to be better teachers and engage our students. This course went from helping us brush up on the basics through learning how to make page recordings, animate objects and much more.
I hope to use this training to help me create an interactive Periodic Table that will be tailored to the needs of my students in my science classes.
Mrs. Barbara Sehgal - 8th Grade Science
Summer Sandbox - 3 Days
The Summer sandbox was a three day conference that focused on bringing project based learning and game based learning into the classroom. In Project-based learning, students work both independently and in small collaborative groups, researching and exploring real-world problems and challenges. This format allows for the student to acquire a deeper knowledge of the subject material than can be acquired through traditional textbook reading.
Game based learning allows heightened motivation and new forms of engagement through meaningful play and experimentation. This part of the conference was led by Barry Josephs, Associate Director For Digital Learning, Youth Initiatives, at the American Museum of Natural History. His goal was to show us that we can learn a lot while playing games. He handed out a set of cards called "Dung deck" and with in 3 minutes I knew and have retained, more information about Dung, than I ever knew existed (much to my families chagrin!)
Science naturally lends itself to Project based learning. This year I hope to incorporate more opportunities for students to apply their knowledge to real world situations, making their lab time more relevant and rewarding. With a few new games and card tricks I hope it will be a recipe for success!
Ms. Tamara Senders - 7th Grade Social Studies
First Year Teaching (Secondary Grades) - Success from the Start - One month
The goal of the First Year Teaching seminar was to provide strategies, resources, and support for new teachers in the classroom. Through online videos, testimonials, articles, and techniques offered by real, experienced teachers, participants were guided in how to organize their classrooms, incorporate innovative strategies in their lessons, and interact with students in a way that makes learning more engaging and enjoyable. Participants also learned how to manage participation and behavior in a way that promotes growth on both a personal and group level.
I am excited to use the organizational and management techniques I learned in this course to create a more engaging learning space for my students. I am now more mindful of how simple things like my room set-up and the policies and procedures that I put in place can go a long way towards helping my students feel comfortable and grow successful in their learning environment. For example, I am planning to implement a "classroom code" that I will build together with my students. Together as a class we will come up with different policies we believe we should adopt to help improve our learning environment. Through doing this, I hope to create a culture of mutual responsibility where students will be encouraged to maintain the environment that they have helped build, thus encouraging more positive behavior and participation.
Morah Yehudit Liebb- 6-8 Grade Ivrit Coordinator
Israel Teachable Moments- 7 days
The goal is to create a meaningful partnerships between our school and a school in Israel.
Our students will get a pen -pal in Israel that they can E mail or write letters and learn about the life of an Israeli children using Ivrit to communicate.Also , my Israeli partner and I will share ideas and curriculum that we can teach both my class and her class and than the children can express and share their learning on SKYP.
Mrs. Ricki Kurtz- 6th Grade English
Morah Shira Greenspan - 6-8 Grade Judaic Studies
Rabbi Jeremy Hellman - 6 and 8th grade Social Studies
Morah Tammy Rand - 6-8 Grade Ivrit
Facing History and Ourselves- 1 week
The premise of Facing History is to make a more informed, sensitive, and tolerant society. Through this PD, we were exposed to many different techniques and tools to help accomplish this wonderful mission. The group of educators who attended this conference consisted of both affiliated and non-affiliated Jews, and it was so inspiring to witness the change that our group went through over the course of this week. By the end of the week, this very diverse group of educators were able to learn to be tolerant of each other and really respect our differences.
Mrs. Ricki Kurtz- In addition to a Holocaust unit at the end of the year, I hope to employ some of the wonderful teaching strategies that were modeled during this conference. Stay tuned for an awesome year!
Rabbi Jeremy Hellman - I am very excited to incorporate new ways of understanding Jewish resistance during the war into our discussions about the Shoah.
Ms. Aliza Chanales - 6th Grade Team Leader, 6th Grade Math and Science
Summer Sandbox- 3 days
This summer, I planned, facilitated, and participated in a 3 day get together of Jewish educators interested in exploring creativity, play, and passion in their classrooms. Throughout the "Sandbox," I engaged in several workshops aimed to help rethink the way learning is happening. The workshops balanced big dreaming (What kind of school would you create if you had endless money and space?) with the very practical (How do I use rubrics to assess learning in a project based learning unit?). It was nice to hear what others across the country are doing, to share my own experiences, and to explore new ways of engaging students in deep, meaningful, memorable learning.
I look forward to using some of the tools we explored to help students create more and to give them more "voice and choice" in what we do and how we do it. I aim to create learning experiences that are not merely fun or interesting, but truly engaging. For more information about my Sandbox experience, check out these videos: http://ideaschoolsnetwork.com/videos/
Mrs. Rena Lehman - 6-8 Grade Math
What is New in Notebook 2014 - 3 days
I gained experience with the new features of SMART Notebook 2014, specifically the GeoGebra math software. In addition, I picked up many valuable tips and ideas to make my lessons more interactive and engaging.
I have already created many SMART lessons using the Lesson Activity Toolkit and Activity Builder, and hope to further enhance my lessons.
Rabbi Jeremy Hellman- 6th and 8th Grade Social Studies
The Forum for Dialogue Amongst the Nations - 1 week in Poland
For a week, 12 teachers from across the United States traveled throughout Poland to gain a better understanding of Polish-Jewish relations of the past and present. We went to innovative museums, met with influential leaders, and looked at historical documents. Teachers gained a better appreciation for the Polish narrative of WWII and how Poland has moved forward in their relations with the Jewish people.
The fact that I can tell my students that I touched the Arbet Macht Frei sign will show the students that places like Auschwitz really do exist and the Holocaust really did happen.
