The Kohelet Prize Database

Database Entries Tagged with: Kohelet Prize 2017-18

Entrepreneurship in Practice: Teaching Future Jewish Business Leaders

Golda Och Academy’s 12th grade Entrepreneurship Course has enriched the lives of fifty students in the last 7 years who have gone on to become business leaders. The course assesses and analyzes leadership, walks through the steps of starting a business and has a practicum where students turn an idea into a realized business operating in school.

By: Jordan Herskowitz from Golda Och Academy

Grade(s): 9, 10, 11, 12, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Economics/ Business

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Design-Thinking Model, Experiential Education, PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

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Beth Tfiloh’s Lower School Israel Fair: A Student-led Interdisciplinary Experience

Beth Tfiloh Lower School students participated in a multi-week and school-wide interdisciplinary learning experience about various landmarks in Israel. Students (K-4th grade) conceived of, developed, and created fifteen hands-on exhibits to share their learning with the broader student and family community.

By: Elana Weissman, Elissa Hozore from Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Elementary school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Computer Science, Engineering, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, History, Ivrit, Math, Music, Science, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Studies, Tanach, Technology

Pedagogy: Constructivist, Experiential Education, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, Social and Emotional Learning, 21st Century Skills

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Two Poems–Two Teachers–Two Classrooms: Creating a Collaborative “Howl” for today’s teens.

We used two poems as an opportunity to challenge a very significant norm at many schools--the lack of interaction among students in different levels/grades. Students in two classes--one an AP senior class, the other a grade-level junior class--analyzed both poems, asking questions of each other and answering as many as they could.

By: Dr. Hannah Saltmarsh and Ms. Victoria Plaza from Berman Hebrew Academy

Grade(s): 9, 10, 11, 12, High school

Subject(s) of entry: English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Social and Emotional Learning, literature

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Constructivist, Flipped Learning, PBL - project based learning

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An Interdisciplinary Study of the Lenape People

SW’s aim is for students to cultivate their identity as global citizens who recognize and respect cultural similarities and differences among kol yoshvei tevel (all who dwell on Earth). Our third-grade study of the Lenape tribe showcases that effort through an integrated curriculum incorporating hands-on, project-based learning and exploration.

By: Elise Goldman, Alyssa Gioio, Sara Herbrand, Denise McGinnity, Glenn Simonelli from Schechter Westchester

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Elementary school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Computer Science, Engineering, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, History, Math, Science, Social Studies, Technology, literature

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Experiential Education, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, Wholebrain Teaching, 21st Century Skills

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Students Making Connections: Oral Histories

We believe outreach to the community makes us stronger; thus, we create projects in which students move outside the classroom to interview community members and write reflections detailing how this experience affected them.

By: Dr. Whitney Kennon, Mrs. Rhonda Martin, Mrs. Ashley Brown from Margolin Hebrew Academy

Grade(s): 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: English/ Writing/ Language Arts, History, Social Studies

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, Social and Emotional Learning, 21st Century Skills

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Shifting Math Models

In order to better differentiate in our math classrooms, we recently shifted our math model from a "pull-out" model, where students were pulled out into above and below level groups, to a "push-in" model, where a third teacher joins the classroom and the teachers teach in small groups.

By: Elana Willig, Yvonne Ostrov from Magen David Yeshivah

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Math

Pedagogy: Constructivist

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Olam Chesed Yibaneh – Building a World of Kindness

Our school embarked on a year-long, cross-grade chesed project that encouraged students to think critically about problems in our community, city, and country, and to begin to solve those problems. This project stems from the psalm that states: "The world was built on loving kindness."

By: Julia Friedman Rubin, Ayala Raice from SAR Academy

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Studies, Tanach, Technology

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Experiential Education, Hevruta Learning, PBL - project based learning, Social and Emotional Learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

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Israeli Master Chef Carmel Style: Making Hebrew Learning Real and Personal

Students brought their Hebrew learning to life by fusing it with their interests in context of daily lives. They recorded a video guiding the audience in making their favorite dish by applying their Hebrew skills, higher critical thinking and tech skills, research, and writing skills. Students’ videos were assessed and voted on by their peers.

By: Anat Ankava from Carmel Academy

Grade(s): 6, 7, 8, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Ivrit

Pedagogy: Constructivist, Experiential Education, Language Immersion, PBL - project based learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

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New Directions in Jewish Community: The Jewish Emergent Network (JEN)

This unit explored the innovative and exciting new spiritual communities of the Jewish Emergent Network. It expanded their sense of what is happening in today's Jewish world; allowed them to engage directly with the communities they were studying; and pushed them to think seriously about what they want for their own ongoing communal involvement.

By: Rabbi Joshua Cahan from Solomon Schechter School of Westchester

Grade(s): 10, 11, 12, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Social Studies, Tefila

Pedagogy: Constructivist, Experiential Education, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, 21st Century Skills

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Enhancing STEM Enrichment Curricula

To increase student passion and development in STEM, I have designed and crafted new and innovative enrichment courses in both computer science and high-level physics. This includes an on-ramp course in computer science principles, a second-year computer science course, and a two-year rotation of four semester long physics courses.

By: Chris Senhouse from Gann Academy

Grade(s): 9, 10, 11, 12, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Computer Science, Science

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Hevruta Learning, Montessorri, PBL - project based learning, 21st Century Skills

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Making a Talmudic Sugya Occupy Space

Students composed their own talmudic sugyas using argument forms mastered during their year of study, based on key themes in biblical and talmudic texts they had learned. They then transferred the concepts of their sugyas into three-dimensional sculptures that reflect the thesis and arguments of the sugyas they had written.

By: Rabbi Daniel Rosenberg from Jack Barrack Hebrew Academy

Grade(s): 9, 10, 11, 12, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Gemara, Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Social and Emotional Learning, Tanach

Pedagogy: Design-Thinking Model, Experiential Education, Hevruta Learning, PBL - project based learning, 21st Century Skills

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#FailureFridays: Helping Students Embrace Risk Taking and Failure

#FailureFridays is a class-wide program that integrated daily social and emotional learning (SEL) with curricular lessons to foster a greater appreciation for risk taking and failure. Students applied critical and creative thinking to Tanach study, engaged in daily journaling, and discussed their setbacks and successes at a weekly class meeting.

By: Joe Hirsch from Akiba Academy

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Social and Emotional Learning, Tanach

Pedagogy: Social and Emotional Learning, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

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Finding Meaning: Prayer Through Reflection and Integration

We launched an initiative in our Lower School where the General Studies teachers collaborated with their Judaic Studies counterparts to help students make meaningful connections between themes that were being studied across both disciplines in the second and fourth grades and themes that emerge throughout their daily Tefilla.

By: Tali Seinfeld, Tami Teller from Ramaz School

Grade(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, Elementary school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Computer Science, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Ivrit, Music, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Studies, Tanach, Technology, Tefila, literature

Pedagogy: Language Immersion, Social and Emotional Learning

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Bar Mitzvah Prep Program: Raising the BAR

As part of our mission to promote real world learning and student ownership, in line with our 3R’s initiative, we teamed up to create an engaging program to educate our students on the “how to’s” of participating at an adult oriented event in the public sphere via experiential learning.

By: Rabbi Michael Berkowitz, Rabbi Doniel Cohen, Rabbi Avi Feder, Rabbi Elchanan Ciment from Talmudical Academy of Baltimore

Grade(s): 6, 7, 8, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Music, Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Social and Emotional Learning

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Design-Thinking Model, Experiential Education, PBL - project based learning, Social and Emotional Learning

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Price of Life

The low amount of organ donors worldwide creates a lack of supply of organs for transplant. Students write a personal essay on whether or not they will sign an organ donor card, as well as produce an event with the goal of educating the community about the the problem of organ trafficking and its relationship with the signing of an organ donor card.

By: Racheli Shandrovsky from Kehillah Jewish High School

Grade(s): 9, 10, 11, 12, High school

Subject(s) of entry: English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Halacha, Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Science, Social Studies

Pedagogy: Design-Thinking Model, Flipped Learning, Hevruta Learning, PBL - project based learning, Socratic Method, 21st Century Skills

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Abstract, Bridge, Create- Using the ABC’s of literature and language to manifest concrete connections in learning

Literature and language are difficult ideas for students to grasp. My students translate these ambiguous concepts into tangible projects requiring them to explore abstract ideas, bridge their connections, and create symbolic representations with technologies and strategies that commit their analyses to long-term memory and store them as knowledge.

By: Bethany Webb from Margolin Hebrew Academy Feinstone Yeshiva of the South

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Elementary school, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Social Studies, literature

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Design-Thinking Model, PBL - project based learning, 21st Century Skills

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The Architecture of Real-World Learning — A Treehouse Builds Community

Students combined their study of math and science with learning about architecture. This year-long, integrated project resulted in a real treehouse as their graduation gift to the school. They did everything from surveying stakeholders, calling for donations, supply shopping, meeting with the city permit department and designing the final product.

By: Rena Malkofsky-Berger from Akiva School

Grade(s): 5, 6, 7, 8, Elementary school, Middle school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Economics/ Business, Engineering, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Math, Science, literature

Pedagogy: Constructivist, Design-Thinking Model, Experiential Education, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning

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Forming Connections

In 2nd grade at Yeshivat Noam our students begin learning Chumash. In addition to building foundation skills and content knowledge, we have found it very important to integrate the learning and form connections with the text. In this presentation, I demonstrate how we have integrated our Chumash learning into Tefillah, science, math and art.

By: Nechama Konigsberg from Yeshivat Noam

Grade(s): 1, 2, 3, Elementary school

Subject(s) of entry: Tanach

Pedagogy: Experiential Education

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Creating a Positive Environment for All Children

The South Florida Jewish Academy engages in a holistic approach to education. All teachers, in every subject and at every level work seamlessly as a team to put together a comprehensive plan for each student. This manifests itself in numerous creative and innovative programs and curricula.

By: Mrs. Baila Gansburg, Rabbi Gavriel Ohayon, Ms. Tracy Brown, Morah Leah Gansburg from South Florida Jewish Academy

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Elementary school, Middle school, High school

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Engineering, Foreign Language, Gemara, Math, Science, Social and Emotional Learning, Technology, Tefila

Pedagogy: Experiential Education, PBL - project based learning, Social and Emotional Learning, 21st Century Skills

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The Innovation Lab – The Space where Maker Ed and Jewish Ed Inspire

We’ve built a culture designed around an open space where students actualize content learned in their Jewish day school & apply it in ways that are most meaningful to them. Students collaborate & think creatively, using 3D printers, woodworking, coding, graphic design, and a host of other tools to create tangible outcomes of their education.

By: Tzvi Hametz from Gindi Maimonides Academy

Grade(s): K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Subject(s) of entry: Art, Computer Science, Economics/ Business, Engineering, English/ Writing/ Language Arts, Foreign Language, Gemara, Halacha, History, Ivrit, Math, Mishnah, Music, Philosophy/ Values/ Ethics/ Hashkafa, Physical Education/Health, Science, Social and Emotional Learning, Social Studies, Tanach, Technology, Tefila, literature

Pedagogy: Blended Learning, Constructivist, Design-Thinking Model, Experiential Education, Flipped Learning, Gamification, Hevruta Learning, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, Wholebrain Teaching, UBD - understanding by design, 21st Century Skills

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