On March 2nd, the Education Directors Group in the Heart of New Jersey, supported by Jewish Federation, hosted its bi-annual Jewish Educators Conference. The topic was student engagement techniques and how to link them to Jewish holidays. This conference was graciously hosted by the Shalom Community Jewish Enrichment Program at Temple Beth Shalom.

 

The day began with opportunities to network among the 30 teachers and education directors before breaking into groups based on the age range of students they teach. Each group was assigned a specific technique to explore, such as:

 

• The “Think-pair-share” collaborative learning strategy

• The “Numbered heads together” break out group technique

• The “KWL” technique for students to activate prior knowledge about a topic (K), identify what more they want to know (W), then learn and track it (L) 

• The “Pyramid” gameshow technique making education fun and interactive — and more.

 

The groups collaborated and developed creative and practical mini curriculums from their respective techniques. 

Once curriculums were developed, each breakout group presented to the whole group a lesson plan based on their assigned technique. After the presentations, the Education Directors shared the twist of the day, not only did each group learn their assigned techniques, but they too were students participating in the “Jigsaw” cooperative learning technique, where they divide into groups each learning different parts of a whole, then piece them together through sharing their insights. 

 

Emily Appledorf, Federation’s Jewish Engagement Manager, noted, “Every educator left with a fuller “toolbox" of ways to engage their classrooms, keep Hebrew School dynamic for students at different stages of development, and foster the kind of positive, appealing, and productive learning environments that empower today’s students to build a bright Jewish future.”  

 

Appledorf also engages families with young children in cultivating positive connections with Jewish learning, identity, and community through the Federation-run and funded PJ Library book program and PJ Library Ambassador and Hub local events. 

 

She concluded, “Jewish Federation in the Heart of NJ extends a massive thank you to Temple Beth Shalom for their warm welcome, the Education Directors for developing and facilitating this worthwhile and wonderful afternoon, and lastly, all those who participated with excitement and interest, making our time as effective as it was.”