AN UNBROKEN CHAIN

This post was originally written for our weekly school newsletter

Over the past few years, the national Jewish press  has been focused on the issue of Jewish day school sustainability and the importance of Jewish day schools to the future of American Jewry.  A  recent national survey of Orthodox Jewish day schools are showing a growth rate of less than a 2% growth while Conservative day Schools have been continuously declining over the last few years.

As a professional in this field, I can relate to you multiple studies and provide you with a plethora of data as to why Jewish Day School education is important.  Instead, I would like to describe to you a moving scene which illustrates the importance of Jewish day school sustainability.

My wife and I recently attended the wedding of a child  of our close friends . At the Chuppah the Chatan’s great grandmother was escorted down the aisle by another great-grandson.  This women, a Holocaust survivor, was beaming with joy, as she reflected on the path her life life took to be present at this wonderful Simcha.   We were honored to be guests during Shabbat Sheva Berachot, and on Friday night, 15-20 of this woman’s  great-grandchildren lined up in age order to receive brachot from her son-in-law , their grandfather.  All of these children are currently in Jewish day schools and Yeshivot. This is a clear demonstration of how Jewish education provides that chain that links one generation to the next.

Pesach magnifies this concept better than any other holiday. Jews from all over the world, from every generation, with varied backgrounds and skills will sit down together at a Pesach Seder and perform the same traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation.  How has this tradition been sustained throughout time?  What lessons can Pesach  teach us about sustaining the fabric of our Jewish society?

Not only do we bring generations and families together, but  the question/answer structure of the seder allows us to celebrate individual talents that together  create a community of learners. This is a perfect example of a differentiated  learning..  No matter if you are the wise son, the wicked son, or even the simple son, all are welcomed to the seder and encouraged to contribute and participate.

Differentiated learning does not only occur at the Pesach Seder.  Here at Ohr Chadash we are committed to incorporate a  differentiated and blended learning approach to education.  We are looking to create more opportunities for gifted learning and differentiation together with our current Learning Center staff.  The staff at Ohr Chadash are striving to create an environment and culture that focuses on the individual needs and talents of all of our students,  which together will define our school community.  I strongly believe that this approach will provide OCA with long term sustainability and success.

Wishing you and your family a Chag Kasher V’Sameach 

I Went to a Conference- Now What?

Picture: jewishdayschoolconference.org

This past week I had the opportunity to attend the North American Day School Conference together with over 1,000 educators spanning the entire spectrum of Jewish Day Schools .  Networking with colleagues from all over the world was a fantastic  experience.

The real work begins now that I have returned to OCA.  Here at Ohr Chadash we must build a sense of community within our faculty and stakeholders. Together we can build a progressive school by setting goals and creating  an action plan to implement the themes and ideas I bring home from these conferences into a reality.

The theme of the conference was “Learning to Lead and Leading to Learn”.   This catchy phrase boils down to the following central themes:

·        There needs to be a paradigm shift in education away from just imparting information to one where we insure that our students are inquisitive, innovative, critical thinkers, and collaborate with their peers.

·        We must create a culture where students and teachers are willing to take risks and learn from our failures.

·        Teachers must be forced to examine their curriculum to ensure they are not only teaching, but  IMPACTING their students.  

Creating a 21^st Century curriculum takes time. This should not scare us, nor prevent us from digging in our heels and starting to work.  However, we can’t simply snap our fingers and see the changes appear before our eyes.

So what next for us at OCA?

·        We are committed to be growing and learning together.  We all must understand that this is a process that requires buy-in from everyone.  We are in the process of  creating parent, faculty, and student surveys to learn from your valuable feedback.

·        We are working with both professional and lay leaders to create a 3-5 year strategic plan with measurable timelines, milestones and goals .

·        We are working with Avi Chai and the Alvo Foundation to incorporate and pilot blended learning initiatives and utilize technology in the R.I.G.H.T. way.

·        The faculty and staff will be carefully and critically examining the curriculum to incorporate essential 21^st Century skills into our classrooms

·        We will be collaborating closely with other schools around the country to learn from our shared experiences and create a sustainable  blended learning environment

I am excited about this journey, and I ask that the faculty, parents and students  actively participate by supporting  OCA.  We must be willing to take risks and we must not fear the possibility of failures.  We must work together as a community – whether by volunteering your time on the board, committees, PTA or other projects to help insure Ohr Chadash’s success and long term future.

ALL ABOARD!!!

"ED TECH" vs "EDUCATION"

Picture courtesy of bu.edu

As many of you may know,  I am active on twitter.  I recently saw a tweet requesting that the educational community no longer refer to educational technology as “Ed Tech”, but rather just “education”. I completely agree with this sentiment since technology is not something extraneous to education.  If used in the proper way, technology , it should be PART of education Just as we go about our everyday life utilizing technology to enhance access to our surroundings, so too technology, if used in the proper way, should be improving our children’s education.

@AngelaMaires a noted educator and author offers the following acronym to highlight how technology should be used in the RIGHT way.

R-Real: Technology must make the learning real

I-Impact: Technology must have an impact on our students

G-Global:Technology allows learning to be global and reach beyond  the classroom walls

H-Honor: Technology allows our children to be passionate about their learning

T- Talent: Technology allows students who may struggle with traditional academic approaches to show their true talent and shine

Below are some of the ways  that technology is being used at OCA in this RIGHT way  to advance and improve our student’s education:

1. Learning is not confined to the classroom, but students connect to the outside world in ways never before possible. Our 4th grade did a mystery geography skype with a school in Denver and our 5th graders participated in an online Hebrew class with teachers in Israel. 
2. Not only do student connect to the world, but they  experience things through technology which would not be possible otherwise. Imagine exploring the surface of the moon through your web browser, swimming to the bottom of the ocean, or exploring the Beit Hamikdash- Our 3rd grade did a webquest about Native Americans and will collaborate and develop projects based on their Internet research. Mrs. Taragin has created a Edmodo group called "Native Americans" which each student has joined so each student can easily access websites  they  identified  to do their research. 
3. Technology allows for opens lines of communication between administration, teachers, parents, and students. 
4. Multimedia can enrich the overall learning experience.  Our math curriculum provides the students with  hands on, interactive math lessons.  Students record themselves reading as they read a story on the iPad downloaded on  "audionote", student replays and judge themselves whether or not they used expression and  how long it took them to read. After listening to the recording, students reread the paragraph and try to beat their initial time 
5. Technology allows students to publish their work rather than just handing in a report. Our 5th graders published their own auto biographies and our 2nd grade  created a "Homophone Pictionary" in Publisher. To do this, the children merge language arts skills on homophones with hands on computer skills.
6. Technology allows students to take ownership of their learning and individualize their learning goals 
7. Technology is a fundamental component of our world and our children are learning the relevant 21st Century skills to help them become contributing members of society.
8. Technology also allows children to engage in important traditional lessons such as increased collaboration and  creativity.  A prime example are the voice threads and Prezis that our Middle School  girls use in both Judaic and General studies. Our children focus on evaluating ideas, analyzing data and comparing different  opinions in a respectful way.  

The usage of technology the within the classroom for the hype and excitement is not the educational philosophy of OCA.  Our primary focus is to ensure the well being of our students, to maximize our children’s learning, teach them to respect their peers  and to expose them  to the wonders of the world in which we live.  We must remember that technology is simply a means to that goal. 

My Quick Thoughts and Reflections on Why School by Will Richardson

This is my first post for 2013 and the 100th post since I started blogging. As we look at moving education forward  I thought that this was a most appropriate post to recognize these two milestones. I wrote this article for our weekly school newsletter.

I hope everyone had a chance to relax and rejuvenate a bit over the break. In addition to  relaxing I tried to catch up on some reading, and  I read a book by Will Richardson entitled Why School.

There has been much chatter over Twitter about this book, and, as a progressive, “out-of-the box” educator, this buzz got my attention and I am certainly glad I was able to find time to read this book. While I may not agree with everything Will Richardson writes, it definitely left an impression on me.  . I would like to share some memorable quotes from the book that are relevant to the  students, teachers and parents of OCA.

“Stephen Downes(a Canadian education researcher) says, “We have to stop thinking of an education as something that is delivered to us and instead see it as something we create for ourselves”

“A recent IBM survey of CEO’s asked them to name the most crucial factors for future success, and their answers had nothing to do with SAT scores or AP tests. Instead they cited creativity and managing the growing complexity of the world”

“In this new narrative, learning ceases to focus on consuming information and knowledge that’s no longer scarce (The author does believe knowing basic facts and the building blocks of reading and writing are critical). Instead it is about asking questions, working with others to find the answers…It’s about developing the kinds of habits and disposition that deep, lifelong learners need to succeed…”

“Tony Wagner recently said. “There’s no competitive advantage to knowing more than the person sitting next to you….What the world cares about is what can you do with what you know…” “And I’d add the world cares that you keep learning”

“ I believe there remains a great deal of value in the idea of school as a placed our kids go to learn with others, inspired by caring adults to pursue mastery and expertise……What doesn’t work is our educations system’s stubborn focus on delivering a curriculum that’s growing increasingly irrelevant and outdated…”

“Remaking assessments starts with this: Stop asking questions on tests that can be answered by a Google search”

“Herbert Gerjuoy predicts that the illiterate of the 21^st Century will not be those that cannot reads and write. The illiterate will be those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

 “We have to stop delivering the curriculum to the kids. We have to start discovering it with them.”

“…The adults in the room need to be learners first and teachers second”

“In the end the “Why school” question comes down to somewhat of a larger one of what we want for our kids….. I ask parents this all the time and not surprisingly the first answer on their lips is not “I want them to be good test takers”. Nor is it “I want them to know a lot of stuff”. What I hear instead are things like this: “I want them to love learning, I want them to be able to solve real problems, and I want them to be independent thinkers”

The ideas and concerns brought up in this book is a conversation that may revolutionize Jewish education, and needs to be discussed openly among our educators and parents. Therefore I would propose that OCA  establish a Parent Action Committee that provides a forum in a constructive manner to discuss new educational and school related issues. More details as to the role of such a committee and appropriate guidelines to follow.

Secondly, it would be fun to model innovative learning to our children.  What better way then by establishing a monthly Parent Book Club – details to follow as well.

Please email me if you are interested in helping establish a monthly book club or a Parent Action Committee

Shabbat Shalom  

Akevy 

Making Connections; Showing We Care

 NOTE: This is an article I wrote for our school Newsletter. The article contains my previous blog post "No Words Just Feelings"


I had planned to use my article this week to share with you all of the amazing activities that we did over Chanukah. The spirit in the school and the excitement was really something spectacular to behold. One teacher told me that the students had a really good time and it made learning about Chanukah special. At the same time, as a school principal, educator, and parent, how can I not address the tragedy that occurred last week in Newton, Connecticut. Below is a blog post I wrote Monday morning entitled, “No Words Just Feelings”.
 I like many others sat in shock as the news about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut hit the airwaves. Since our school is housed in the Jewish Community Center, my first phone call on Friday was to the JCC Building manager to find out if there is anything that we should be aware of. Although we had no school on Friday and our students were not in the building, my thoughts turned towards Monday morning when students would be returning. Over the weekend, I read more and more and read blog posts and stories about modern day heroes and felt a growing need to respond. Late Saturday night, I sent out an email to the faculty asking for their input. I also initiated dialogue with other administrators and professionals, as we are currently a K-7 school with the majority of students 10 year old and younger. Once I had a plan, I sent an email to our parent body as well. By Monday morning, I had revised my plan of what I was going to say to the students, and sent out an email to the faculty reviewing some basic safety procedures. I was drained and tired, but I thought I was OK. Then came carpool. One of the highlights on my day (usually) is when I get to greet over 100 smiling students as they come to school. However today was different as my thoughts kept on drifting back to Newton CT. What did those parents think when they dropped off their kids on Friday? Even more moving were the thoughts about what was happening today as parents in Newton CT face a new week. My eyes started to well up and I took a bit more time to actually watch the students as they walked into the building, trying not to think about the unimaginable that for some became reality. As we began our morning routine with the Pledge of Alliance and the singing of Hatikvah and the Israeli national anthem, my eyes filled once again with tears. There are no words just feelings. "We must feel the pain of our fellow Americans; we must beseech Hashem (G-D) to end this plague of violence and we must work hard to ensure that all of our own actions are befitting the descendants of Avraham Avinu. (Abraham our Father)" - Rabbi Ron Eisenman

 How can we connect this tragedy to the activities and connections we made with our students last week during Chanukah? I have one possible answer - connecting and caring. Yes, it is a teacher’s job to impart information and ensure that students are given the tools to succeed in the world; however, there is so much more to being an educator. There is that feeling of being entrusted with a responsibilty to educate and enlighten children as well making a personal connection with each of them. Last week during Chanukah, we had a chance to make those connections and relate and interact with our students not by just giving over information but by forging a personal connection. Many of us have read about the true heroes and heroines in Sandy Hook Elementary who gave up their own lives to save the lives of their students. Why would they risk their lives for their job? Because teachers are more than just vessels that impart information - we connect, we care and we protect. Today people have access to more information in the palm of the hands through smartphones, ipads, etc.. than can ever be learned or taught. Education is about caring, connecting and inspiring our future leaders, and represents a tremendous opportunity and responsibility. My family and I lived in Detroit, MI from 1992-1996 and we returned a few years ago to visit old friends. There was a Kiddush that Shabbat for a young family that recently moved in (the wife had grown up there). At the Kiddush, I went over to say hello and realized that I had been the wife’s teacher when we had lived in Detroit. During our conversation, she mentioned that she is now teaching in that same school. Then she added that one of the reasons she became a teacher was that she remembered the parties and Shabbat lunches at my house. I tell this to you not to pat myself on the back; rather, to illustrate that although learning is the primary objective of education, it will not make an impact on a child unless teachers can forge strong bonds with students and show that them that we care.

NO WORDS JUST FEELINGS

I like many others sat in shock as the news about the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut hit the airwaves.  Since our school is housed in the Jewish Community Center ,my first phone call on Friday was to the JCC Building manager  to find out if there is anything that we should be aware of. We had no school on Friday and our students were not in building but as I read more and more over the weekend and saw the blog posts and the stories about modern day heroes, my thoughts turned towards Monday morning when our students would be returning. So late Saturday night I sent out an email to our faculty asking for their input and started speaking to other administrators  and professionals about what to do since we are currently a K-7 school with the majority of our students 10 year old and younger. Once I had a plan I sent an email to our parent body as well. While it had been a very draining day the day went on; my mom was here visiting , I had a morning meeting and an evening Bat Mitzvah. 
By Monday morning I had revised my plan of what I was going to say to the students ,and sent out an email to the faculty reviewing some basic safety procedures. I was drained and tired but I thought I was OK. 
Then came carpool. One of the highlights on may day ( usually) when I get to greet over 100 smiling students as they come to school. However today was different my thoughts kept on drifting back to Newton CT. What did those parents think when they dropped off their  kids on Friday and even more moving were the thoughts about  what is going on  today as parents in Newton CT start a new  a week. My eyes  started to well up and I took a bit more time to actually watch the students as they walked into the building trying not to think about the unimaginable that for some became reality.  Today as we began our morning routine with the Pledge of Alliance and the singing of Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem my eyes filled once again with tears. 

There are no words just feelings 

"We must feel the pain of our fellow Americans; we must beseech Hashem (G-D) to end this plague of violence and we must work hard to insure that all of our own actions are befitting the descendants of Avraham Avinu. ( Abraham our Father)" Rabbi Ron Eisenman 

Why I love being a Principal

Here is an article I wrote for our school newsletter. In a very quick way it gives you a glimpse into my day and why I love my job. 
 There is a book in my office entitled “What Principals Do When No One is Looking” by Jim Grant and Irv Richardson. This book gives an accurate description of the daily activities of a principal.  However, OCA is not a typical school, and there is no book that fully captures the joy and excitement in my daily activities and interactions around the halls of OCA.  I invite you to come along with me to see what makes OCA unique and different.  We use the educational terminology of “active learning”, “child-centered”, “cooperative learning”, “ differentiation”, and I want you to see that at OCA these are more than just words but what your children actually experience each day.
Each morning – rain or shine, I have the privilege of greeting over 100 students as they come to school ready to learn.  The smiles that  I see at 8:00 am are the same smiles I see throughout the day. There is nothing better than seeing children happy to come to school and happy when they return home.
Following the morning routine of  announcements, Hatikvah and the Pledge, I daven (Pray) with the 4^th  and 5th grade boys. We do not simply daven and  sing, but we discuss the meaning of Davening and the importance of devoting this special time each day to Hashem.(G-D)I recently commented to the students that according to Malcolm Gladwell, a noted author and journalist,  is takes 10,000 hours to become a master at something.  We need to work hard on learning how to Daven and to build a relationship with Hashem throughout our entire life.  Even if we dedicate 1 hour per day to Tefilah, over the course of 10 years, we will have spent only 3,650 hours, far fewer than the 10,000 needed to be a Master Davener!!
After Davening, I try to visit each classroom as much as possible, since  “seeing is believing”, and nothing can compare to actually seeing children learn and witnessing the talent of our teaching staff.
In grades 5-7, students are collaborating on projects in both Judaic and General studies. From presenting Pasukim to their fellow students in a creative and fun way, to working on creating commercials as part of a BG&E contest,to publish their very own autobiographies – our students are actively learning throughout the day.
Our 4th graders, under the guidance of Mrs. Werdeshiem ran our school presidential election by acting out and presenting each candidate to the entire school and coordinating the OCA voting. In Judaics, students are learning the halachot (Laws)of Chanukah by identifying and explaining which Chanukiot are kosher or not. Rabbi Meyer’s also has also started to teach Chumash using the Jigsaw method which is a common tool used in differentiated instruction.
Our 3rd grade class is being taught the importance of our role within the larger Jewish Community by actively raising funds for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.
Our students are also working  with children in our  sister school in Ashkelon with Morah Ruth and Gesher Chai to assist them during these turbulent times.
Child-centered, active learning is the cornerstone of our curriculum in the lower grades.  1^st and 2^nd Graders can be found in centers, working in small groups and engaged in hands on activities throughout the day.Yasher Koach to the Kindergarten for their Thanksgiving presentation which they prepared in record time! Kol Hakavod to the students  and to Mrs Forsythe!
Let me reiterate, that words are not enough to describe the enthusiasm and energy that pulses through the halls of OCA.  I invite current parents, perspective parents, board members and members of the Baltimore community to come, watch our children, teachers and experience Ohr Chadash first hand.