E-Jewish Day School Education

I just returned from the National Jewish Day School Conference. Over 700 people from around the US involved in day school education - administrators, teachers, philanthropists, foundations, university faculty. When I began my work as a Head of School many years ago, conferences tended to be small - about 50 people - and Balkinized - divided by denominations. Each group Orthodox (Torah U'Mesorah), Conservative (Schechter), Reform (PARDES), and community (RAVSAK) met on their own and tended to be intimate retreats with a facilitator. Now we meet as one, with blocks of time for the different streams to meet individually. We participate in an array of morning services, we eat together, and mingle in hundreds of workshops led by the best in the field of education, marketing, governance and philanthropy.

In the old days, educators and philanthropists, and board members didn't attend together. Now foundations sit with us as they consider what to fund next. Board members and administrators work together to understand best practices in governance. One of the interesting workshops I attended this week included Heads of School, major foundation representatives and education academics. The work that is growing from this collaboration is about supporting collaborative data collection and analysis about day schools. I was also invited to participate in an ELI (Educational Learning Innovations) Talk, modeled after TED talks.

I've been going to such conferences for many years and I am heartened by the sheer energy and high level of programming that took place at this conference. Most exciting for me this year was connecting to two heads of school who I have mentored...one of whom led an inspiring workshop on technology applications. Equally exciting was watching three of our DELET graduates and teachers - Ms. K, Mrs Keinan and Mr. Abramovitz - along with Mrs. Kuba be inspired by the experience in general and by various workshops in particular.

I attended the usual workshops on marketing and development and I return to Wornick with some new ideas and techniques. But what electrified me this year were the most amazing workshops on technological applications to learning. The field has grown so rapidly and there is so much to consider. Is it just "bells and whistles"? Or is learning advanced in new ways by technology? I would say yes to both - some technology applications are more cosmetic and there are others that make it possible to learn things that could never happen without it. Some advances make it possible to reach certain children who are not well-suited to more traditional teaching delivery systems. And there are the ethics of technology to be considered too.

I learned new vocabulary connected to this new era. We speak of the learning that goes on using technology as technology "environments". I learned that all of your children are digital natives, and those of us who are a bit older are called digital immigrants.

This weekend, I will be attending the local California Association of Independent Schools conference where we will be hearing from and meeting with Mr. Kahn of the on-line learning environment - Kahn Academy. Next week, I’m convening the first meeting of our teacher technology committee (there is a board level committee that has existed for a few years) where we will dream and plan and set a technology strategic plan. You will be hearing much more about this as we develop the program. I am looking forward to watching your children - the "natives" - dive into this new world as we grow it over the next few years at Wornick.

Time to unplug - Shabbat Shalom,

Dr. G.