Fall 2015 QU: Oakland Hebrew Day School WBBM

THE WORKSHOP BASED BEIT MIDRASH In the Spring of 2014, Oakland Hebrew Day School, won the JEIC Innovation Challenge, a project of the Mayberg Family Charitable Foundation.

OHDS was awarded $50,000 to bring their award winning idea, the Workshop Based Beit Midrash (WBBM), to life.

One year later, we asked them to reflect on the program and tell us what is next.

1

How does the WBBM work?

The goal of the WBBM is to create a learning environment and approach where students take ownership of their Jewish learning through self-directed study and individualized learning portfolios. In the WBBM, our middle school students learn collaboratively, across grades, in small groups, and in chevruta.

We recognized that our current system of education had compromised the traditional model of Torah learning (the Beit Midrash approach).

Prior to the WBBM, Torah learning was broken into discrete subjects (Halakha, Nach, Chumash, Mishna, Gemara, Israel, Chagim, Dinim, History, Middot). We created artificial time boundaries, by which every student needed to engage in a particular subject without any say. This model ate away at students’ natural drive to learn due to the traditional frontal style instruction, teacher-centered approaches, grades, and other extrinsic motivators.

Students tended to look at limudei kodesh and limudei chol in the same way; navigating from class to class, fulfilling their requirements, and completing their assignments. What was lacking was an intentional, active, meaningful participation in their learning and access to the decision of what they should learn and when.

THE YU SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FALL QUARTERLY UPDATE

The WBBM allows students, with the guidance of educational advisers, to construct long-term learning goals. These goals build on their Hebrew and text skills, respond to student-driven inquiry, require integration of an array of communication and presentation modalities, and include a strong emphasis on collaboration and self-reflection. Students play a significant role in planning their time and they have many opportunities for experiential learning through art integration, cross-cultural encounters, multi-media production, community service, and more.

2

How has this program changed the way Oakland Hebrew Day School (OHDS) views innovation in Jewish education?

The WBBM has inspired other teachers to take risks, to believe in trying something new, to further investigate what is happening in education, and to better understand what motivates our students. Ultimately, our faculty gained confidence and has shown more willingness to explore new paths. An example of this willingness to try something new is illustrated by the way we’ve adjusted the schedule so that Hebrew is taught simultaneously to grades 2 and and 3 in the morning, and 4 and 5 in the afternoon. This simple schedule adjustment has allowed the faculty to run centers combining the two grades, once a week as a start, and twice a week as the year progresses.

The WBBM has channeled the willingness within our faculty to think of different ways to make the learning meaningful for the students, to reflect on each individual student, and to create the optimum learning environment for our community.

THE YU SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FALL QUARTERLY UPDATE

The WBBM has also presented our faculty with opportunities to discuss educational goals and investigate a range of pedagogical approaches. This led to several Judaic studies teachers stepping up to new leadership positions, mentoring newcomers, and helping create an environment where the students have a voice.

"The WBBM has channeled the willingness within our faculty to think of different ways to make the learning meaningful for the students, to reflect on each individual student, and to create the optimum learning environment for our community."

3

How has this program impacted the culture of learning in your school?

This is the beginning of the second year of the WBBM and it has been a gradual process. The shift was initially challenging not only for the teachers, but also for the students. Students needed to learn how to ask questions, make meaningful choices, budget their time, advocate for themselves, and set goals. Our faculty took note of what worked and what did not. We surveyed the students and checked in with parents so that we could decide what needed tweaking.

THE YU SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FALL QUARTERLY UPDATE

The learning curve was steep. This year, we have seen a radical shift in the students’, faculty, and parents’ attitude towards the WBBM. They came into school knowing what to expect, how to find their class options, and with an increased awareness of how to use their independent time. The incoming 6th grade class had heard about the WBBM and was prepared to explore it.

We have added new components to the WBBM - aspects of the program that were part of the initial vision, but had to wait a year in order to be implemented. Middle school students today understand that they do have a voice and that their ideas, opinions, and interests matter. This is an important change.

THE YU SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FALL QUARTERLY UPDATE

4

What are some of the reactions that you have received from the OHDS community about this program?

We’ve invited several community teachers and rabbis to be part of the WBBM during our weekly Open Beit Midrash time. During this time. community teachers are encouraged to be part of WBBM and expand our students’ experiences of limudei kodesh. Our community rabbis have been enthusiastic about this opportunity. As of now, we have three community rabbis who will be offering mini-courses throughout the year. In addition, we have seen a renewed energy among several of our key donors. For these donors, being innovative and putting innovation into practice have resonated.

We have also received wonderful feedback from parents and students: “I like the WBBM program because I get to be an independent learner and choose the classes that are interesting to me. We also have to keep track of our homework and we get to engage with our assignments in school, which is helpful in terms of managing my time during the week.

Right now, I’m learning about minhagim and mitzvahs - we read texts and then discuss them. I love when the discussions go off in different directions. It’s exciting!”

“[My] daughter is thriving in the second year of her participation in the program. She continues to use the flexibility of topics to challenge herself to the fullest. Her Hebrew has flourished and her comprehension of nuance in Judaic studies advances weekly.”

-Aimee Fisher, middle school parent

-Seth Elkins, 7th grade student THE YU SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FALL QUARTERLY UPDATE

5

After a year of implementing this program and collecting anecdotal evidence about engaging students, how do you envision this program evolving?

The ultimate goal of the program is to engage the students meaningfully and joyfully in limudei kodesh. We will expand our course options and we will continue to reach out to teachers in the Bay Area and beyond to join us.

Currently, we are offering a Shmuel Aleph class online, with a teacher based in Israel.

We will continue to create the necessary conditions for the students to develop their learning skills and Jewish literacy by offering choices, providing them with educational support through our advisory program, and always relaying our expectations to students openly. Students are made aware of what their graduation requirements are and can therefore budget their time - creating a schedule that addresses their interests and their requirements.

We will continue to collect student data, hold weekly meetings with the WBBM faculty, check in with our advisory groups, and consult with representative of our community at large, with the goal of transforming the WBBM into a dynamic and living Torah study place, B�H.

THE YU SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP FALL QUARTERLY UPDATE