1. America & Israel Amy, Ana, Traci, Shahar, Rob The purpose of this project is to compare and contrast the educational systems in America and Israel.

2. Schooling America vs. Strangers No More  Shahar- “ I was not in touch with refugee students, what you saw in the movie is something quite rare. There is only one school like this in Israel, few cases there is a connection between us and them.” Amy- I never dealt with schools like this but as a future educator, I’ve learned of ways to help them with their struggles by viewing this. Traci- This movie for me was very touching, I never thought Israel would have a school like this. I cannot say I’ve seen one in America yet, but we do have caring teachers. Ana- What came to my mind was number of students who came from a different country to receive an education, much like we have here in the USA. Rob- There are no schools in America, like the one we saw in the movie.

3. Length of a School Day  Israel- depending on one’s area of study, the school day can vary in length.  Dance runs from 8:30 am-9:00 pm  America- college courses range from 7:30 am-10:45 pm, students get to choose classes and class times. This is how we create our schedules.

4. Age to begin School  Elementary School in American begins at age 5-6 depending on birthday  Israel- begins also at age 5-6  In America, if you are enrolled in a college you are a student. Typically you begin at age 18, immediately after completing HS  You can start at any age  In Israel, students start at age 21-22 due to Army

5. American Dream vs. Israeli Dream  Israel- To have world peace  Also, follows American dream  America- to be successful  Money  House  Car  Family

6. Role of Government in Schooling  Israel- Ministry of Education is not part of creating their curriculum; University is responsible  America- Government provides funding if necessary Choose our core curriculum standards

7. Class Size  Montclair State University  Lecture Halls hold 50 students  Classroom vary 10-30 students  Israel- Large class sizes

8. Equity & Fairness in Educational System  Israel- Create equal opportunities to succeed  Counselors available for help  America- We are all given equal opportunities to succeed  No racism, or segregation  Need to apply one’s self

9. Extra Curricular Activities in HS/College  America- Sports, clubs such as Art, Dance, Theatre, Music  Class trips for educational purposes  Israel- Past two years HS are given option to extend two elective courses  HS students two days of accommodation  At least 5 museum trips & tours to different parts of the country

10. Diversity in Schools  Israel- everyone accepts one another  America- One nation, united states Bullying issues Discrimination Segregation

11. Language  America- English; speak, taught, write  Option to learn another language in schools such as: Spanish, French, Italian, German  Required for college, 2 year language  Israel- Hebrew, studies are conducted in Hebrew.  Exposed to English in Media & Youth

12. Peace at School  America- Yes and No  Bullying  Stress and Anxiety  Israel- No  With big work loads, stress is common

13. Experience with Refugee Students  Shahar- “ I’ve never dealt with refugee students and the school and the country in general aren’t anything like the movie except for one.”  Group 1- Never 1 on 1 with refugee students  See immigration in urban areas  Come to USA for better education and way of life

14. Outreach to Parents from Schools  America- Yes  Provide teacher conferences  Back to school night  Child Study Team  Israel-Elementary School counselors are usually social workers

15. Army before College Good or Bad?  Shahar- System of the Army has a lot of advantages, lots of things are learned in the Army that we cannot find elsewhere.  Group 1- Disagree  Agree- Provides structure, self discovery, and good wisdom.

16. Are you safe in your country?  Shahar- Israel is my home, the Army is always there to protect me.  Group 1- Yes  Elaborate