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Discussion on the list touched briefly upon what educators do over the
summer academic vacation. My wife and I are on our way to the United
States for our annual two month shlichut as educational staff at Camp
Moshava in Indian Orchard PA (our children join us as shlichim-in-
training). Although I turned the moderating responsibilities over to
others on my last trip to Hutz La'aretz, I hope to continue moderating the
list from camp. Your continued participation over the summer is
encouraged.
While I am traveling and settling in there will be a long weekend that
these digests will not be sent out. Please take the opportunity to look
over our website at:
www.biu.ac.il/ICJI/lookstein
What you will see is the structure of the site as we have planned it.
While I believe that the work that has gone into it make it useful in its
present state, a large part of its success and growth will depend on the
interest and participation of Jewish educators around the world (that is
to say, on you). We are presently building a data-base that will make
available materials that Lookstein Center staff have developed and
located. In many ways, though, the most important potential contribution
that this site can make is as a resource where educators can share
classroom tested techniques, ideas and materials. In short, for this to
reach its full potential, we need your input.
Jonathan Marvin, writing to this list from Vancouver, expressed it this
way:
A great frustration as a first year teacher in an "out of town"
English-speaking school has been a dearth of materials. Can you
imagine a math teacher with no resources or textbooks? Yet I must
teach biur tefillah, navi, and six other subjects just like that.
Why is there nothing (suitable) out there for me and my students?
(I know about the BJE workbooks, but don't we need to go beyond
"mi amar l'mi"?) Perhaps it is there -- if so, please direct me
and "davar rek hu mimeni".
Torah Umesorah seems to have a pretty good work book on Parshat
Mishpatim - but what about the rest of the Torah (for sixth grade
up)? Where has everyone been for the last 40 years?
My hope is that this website will respond to that frustration by creating
a community of educators talking to each other - something we have
succeeded with through this list - and sharing with one another. If you
have materials that are available on your computer, or suggestions for
articles that you found particularly important for you in your teaching or
growth as an educator, please send them our way to be included in this
resource. I recognize that life as a professional educator leaves little
time to spend on "extra-curricular" things. For many of you the summer is
an ideal time to sit back and think about areas in which you can make a
unique contribution. We look forward to crediting you for the ideas that
you contribute.
We are also open to suggestions on how this resource can help you and your
school. Write us.
If anyone will be in the Poconos over the summer, I would love to meet
you. Please contact me over email, and we'll see if we can get together.
Kol Tuv,
Shalom Berger
NB I recently got a message that the last digest was received several
times by some of you. I apologize, but it must be a glitch in the system.
I only sent it once.</HTML>
