Kohelet prize submission 2016 Real World Learning Kohelet prize submission 2016

The Background Story I was hired by a supplementary Jewish High school to attend a Jewish overnight camp and bring summer school to the oldest campers who were in grade 11. Imagine being a 16 year old camper and being told that you have mandatory school while being in camp, which is supposed to be your safe place WITHOUT any school I knew that I could not approach this as traditional instruction and would have to be creative.

My Goals for the course The students will not feel like they are learning. Everything that we will cover in class will have obvious relevance to their camp life and life at home. We will spend as little time as possible sitting in one place

Examples - Wedding

Example - Breaking challenges

Example – Israel Fair

Example – Class discussion

Example – Being creative

Now what? What happens when I am in a traditional formal classroom with no lake, cabins, forest or beach? How can I bring these real world lessons into a ‘regular’ classroom

Real World Integration Example #1 Taking the students out of the classroom as much as possible. When teaching about photography, we go on a photo tour of Jewish history of Toronto. Not only are they taking pictures for their media class, it is a contemporary Jewish History lesson as well.

Real World Integration Example #2 When studying Navi leadership and learning about יהושע, the students have to learn how leaders gain confidence in their new role and have to pick something they would like to build confidence in and actually go through with it, such as making announcements in front of the school.

Real World Integration Example #3 When having a discussion on priorities of leadership. We went out of the classroom into the back of school to find cards with qualities written on them, the students had to organize themselves based on what they thought was important to them.