Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
Thinking Outside the Box: Innovation in Jewish Education
presented by Jeffrey Lasday, Director - [email protected] for Jewish Education
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
Unlocking your mind for innovation
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovation is . . . . . .
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat.”
“Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to
so many in so short a time.” – Bill Gates
“It’s time to reinvent Jewish education. That isn’t because Jewish
education today is bad; it’s because it can be much, much better than
it is. It’s a bit like Jewish education today is using a Walkman, while
the world is listening to iPods. The music is playing, but it’s a lot more
cumbersome and limited than it needs to be.” - Dr. Jonathan Woocher
What are our hidden assumptions?
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
The Egg Carton School
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Part of the rationale to sell this major transformation to industrialists was that educated kids would actually become more compliant and productive workers. Our current system of teaching kids to sit in straight rows and obey instructions isn't a coincidence--it was an investment in our economic future. The plan: trade short-term child labor wages for longer-term productivity by giving kids a head start in doing what they're told.
Large-scale education was never about teaching kids or creating scholars. It was invented to churn out adults who worked well within the system.
Of course, it worked. Several generations of productive, fully employed workers followed. But now? -Seth Godin
The Egg Carton School
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
What would it take for us to recreate or re-envision “school”?
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Communication Revolution 1439
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
• Renaissance
• Reformation
• Scientific Revolution
• Knowledge Based Economy
Adaptive Change vs. Transformative Change
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Adaptive Change
Transformative Change
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Which one are you?
Digital natives and
Digital immigrants
~Marc Prensky
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Mobile is the “NEW Digital”
“The kids these days are not digital kids. The digital kids were in the 90’s. The kids today are mobile, and there’s a difference. Digital is the old way of thinking. Mobile is the new way.”
~Dr. Elliot Soloway, University of Michigan School of Education
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Mobile is the “NEW Digital”
In a recent survey by security software maker AVG of children from the United States and around world between the ages two – five:
19% of parents reported that their child could use a Smartphone application
9% of parents reported that their child could tie his/her shoe
A 2010 Nielson study found that teenagers are sending or receiving an average of 3,339 texts a month
(an average of 111 texts per day)
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Today’s Hebrew School is not your father’s Hebrew school, . . . . . nor is it the school that you remember.
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
What are your “What ifs?”
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
What if . . . .Our goal was to “expand” Jewish time?
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
What if . . .we were to reconsider Jewish education for the 21st century?
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
What if . . . .parents wanted a Hebrew school with “more” hours instead of less?
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
What if Hebrew school was more like camp?
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
What if . . . .Hebrew School was just like camp?
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
What if . . . Hebrew school was like scouting?
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
What if . . . . . students could learn Hebrew in their pjs without having to leave home through
on-line learning?
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
What if . . . . congregations, the Jewish Federation and the JCC developed a collaborative model for
Jewish education?
Kehillah Partnership
The Kehillah
Partnership of Northern
New Jersey is an
innovative, community-
wide effort to build a
stronger and more
engaged Jewish
community across ...
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
What if professional development for teachers included shopping at Macys?
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
Commonalities of Successful Innovations
It’s About a System
It’s About Alignment
It’s About Know – Do - Feel
It’s About High Tech and High Touch
It’s About Going Beyond Classroom walls
It’s About Families
Partnership
for Effective
Learning and
Innovative
Education-
PELIE
Innovations in Jewish Education
What if . . . .we wanted to create a movement for change in congregational education?
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
Innovations in Jewish Education
What if . . . . I want to learn more and be part of the national conversation?
Jewish Education Change Networkwww.jedchange.net
A Network for individuals involved in making positive change in Jewish education.
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
“I wonder if I've been changed in the night?
Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning?
I almost think I can remember feeling a little different.
But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?‘
Ah, that's the great puzzle!”
Innovations in Jewish Education
-Alice, from Alice in Wonderland
Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it” – computer pioneer Alan Kay
Innovations in Jewish Education Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education
