An international authority in school design, himself a day school parent, explains the philosophy of contemporary educational spaces and illustrates steps schools can take to expand and inspire learning.
HAYIDION The Prizmah Journal

Rising Ed Trends
Day schools are reconceiving themselves as laboratories of innovation, adapting creative and entrepreneurial ideas from numerous fields. Survey here exciting trends from open spaces to gaming, Problem Based Learning and STEAM, and discover how day schools are embracing and innovating education.
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Two leading proponents of “making” and “tinkering” in education explain the nature of this movement and the principles behind it, while offering advice and inspiration for re-making your school into a maker school.
RAVSAK’s middle school program JCAT developed from the pioneering work on educational games taking place at the University of Michigan. Saunders, a Michigan alum and gaming colleague, presents ways to gamify the classroom.
The authors are both researchers of project-based learning and champions of ambitious initiatives in PBL. They explain the varieties of PBL, offer examples from day schools and give guidance for professional development.
Dear Cooki
Sep 11, 2013I am head of a small (150 students) K-8 school. The administrative team consists of a Judaic studies director, a business manager and me. Budgetary constraints prevent us from hiring additional administrative staff. The board of directors wants to see continued growth of the school, not only in enrollment, but in curricular and programmatic offerings, use of technology and professional development of staff. While I agree with these goals and know I can achieve much in any one of these areas, the expectation that I will accomplish much in all areas at once, with no additional professional support, is unrealistic.
From the desk of Rebekah Farber, RAVSAK Chair
Sep 11, 2013It is a daunting task but a real privilege to be writing my first column as chair of the Board of Trustees of RAVSAK. With a circulation of nearly 4,000, HaYidion is no small forum in which to express my opinions. It is an honor to have a voice in this superbly crafted professional publication.
From the Editor
Sep 11, 2013I read a wonkmeme today to see if what a wonkblogger concluded from crowdsourcing was trending in the twittersphere.
Flipping In-Service Professional Development
Sep 11, 2013Flipped learning is usually evoked as a tool for the classroom. The authors, leaders in the training of Hebrew educators, developed a method of flipped instruction for PD that can serve as a model for schools and other programs.
When Timeless is Trendy: Professional Development for 21st Century Teaching
Sep 11, 2013To enable teachers to succeed in incorporating new tools and methods into their practice, administrators need to put in place frameworks for teachers to engage in shared reflection and inquiry.
Looking Beyond the 21st Century: Growing a Staff Development Garden of Innovation
Sep 11, 2013To undertake the kinds of changes described in this issue, one school created a new position, “director of innovations,” whose mandate is the cultivation of faculty development to reorient pedagogical practice.
Synchronous or Asynchronous? Selecting the Best Online Learning Options for Your Students
Sep 11, 2013Online learning options are divided by one main criterion: time. Is the offering ready made, accessible at all times, or is it live with real people teaching? This article maps this territory and explains the differences in cost and benefits.
Modeling Positive Speech and Other Jewish Values in Connected Learning
Sep 11, 2013Day schools have the responsibility—and opportunity—to lead their community in demonstrating respectful norms for tech and social media use. Heitner offers helpful guidance in this area.
Creating a Culture of Experimentation with Social Media to Enhance Student Learning
Sep 11, 2013This article aims to demystify social media by encouraging simple, concrete steps that will enable faculty to start using these tools while ensuring that technology serves the school’s educational goals and vision.
Creativity, Curriculum and the Common Core
Sep 11, 2013The authors demonstrate how the Common Core standards can be an ally to day schools, providing benchmarks against which they can be evaluated by prospective parents, and offering a framework for faculty collaboration and professional growth.
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