Expressive Arts-based Jewish Learning: Professional Development
Facilitated by Merav Berger
For educators and education professionals
“Play On: Bringing Creative and Experiential Teaching Online”
Description
Integrating online technology and in-person practices, particularly when teaching younger ages or expressive arts-based content, is becoming more prevalent as the U.S. and many other parts of the world are moving to hybrid learning formats.
This workshop offers tools, technology, and tips to support fun, experiential, group-based learning in an online format.
The aim of the workshop is to offer educators practical tools, ideas, and resources to support and enhance their online teaching experience.
Participant Outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
◦ Plan and facilitate an experiential, relationship-centered online learning experience
◦ Implement several online tools and technologies
◦ Offer their students meaningful, rich, and engaging online lessons
◦ Create a network of colleagues with whom to exchange knowledge and best practices
Duration: 1.5-hrs
“Hevrutah with a Twist”
Description
This workshop practices the Jewish art of discussion known as Hevruta – but with a twist! Hevruta with a Twist offers HevrutArt, a creative method in which to delve into a text or any other Jewish learning. The fun and arts based process can be used with all ages, from pre-K to adults, both in person and online, and fosters a personal and meaningful connection to Judaic texts, values, and events.
The integration of traditional Havruta learning with expressive arts and technology also supports an inclusive, forward-thinking environment that strengthens a sense of community and belonging.
The aim of the workshop is to offer educators a specific method of arts-based Jewish teaching that deepens the learning happening in the classroom through the integration of traditional Jewish learning with arts-based practices and modern technological platforms.
Participant Outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
◦ Plan and facilitate their own HevrutArt learning session for any age group in any topic
◦ Better understand how expressive arts-based Jewish education can support meaningful learning
◦ Deepen own connection and interpretation to Judaic texts
Duration: 3-hrs
“Playwork:” Action Methods in the Classroom
Description
The experiential workshop integrates intentional play with intentional teaching and offers tools and practices that support people’s intrinsic connections to movement, music, storytelling, art, and play.
Learn to practice culturally conscious expressive arts-based pedagogy in building community, constructing knowledge, and deepening understanding of classroom content.
Adding more creative strategies to teaching and learning toolkits can also support classroom management and teachers’ sense of self-efficacy, which strengthens learning outcomes in any environment.
Participant Outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
◦ Facilitate intentional play regarding a specific topic
◦ Practice arts-based pedagogy
◦ Combine storytelling with movement ◦ Integrate music and visual art
◦ Strengthen group cohesion through dramatic play
◦ Create a classroom culture of intentional learning and teaching
◦ Use open-ended material
Duration: 1.5-hrs
“You, Me, We:” Cultivating a Creative and Culturally Conscious Jewish Classroom
Description
The relationship between teacher and student is at the heart of any learning experience. That relationship can have great impact on student achievement. Often challenging behaviors are presented in the classroom, and the relationship between the teacher and students can become adversely affected.
Creative and culturally responsive teaching and learning supports student success and raises a teacher’s sense of self-efficacy in classroom management.
This experiential series of workshops engages Jewish educators and educational professionals in arts-based explorations to cultivate creative strategies and to support positive student-teacher interactions.
Participant Outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
◦ Implement creative strategies and tools into their current curriculum
◦ Heighten their empathic awareness of students they deemed disruptive or disengaged
◦ Strengthen collegial and professional connections
◦ Approach challenging classroom encounters in a creative and culturally responsive manner
Duration: 3-hrs
“Show Me, Don’t Tell Me:” Documenting the Process
Description
Child-centered, play-based early education emphasizes process rather than product. Often there is no product at all and even if there is one, it may not convey the learning that created it. So how do you show parents, other educators, and the children what’s really going on in their learning?
The “laboratory-style” setting provides an opportunity to practice and exercise the process of creating, maintaining, and taking advantage of documentation to show the learning process, and as a navigational tool and assessment device for educators to take learning further.
Participant Outcomes
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:
◦ Document a learning process
◦ Create documentation for public view
◦ Gain new perspective on the learning that is happening in the classroom
◦ Use documentation as a navigational tool in planning curriculum
◦ Use documentation as assessment
◦ Appreciate the significance of process vs. product
Duration: 3-hrs
Teacher Development: Logistics & Pricing
• Workshops can be offered once, monthly, per semester, quarterly, or for a set period
• Prices and number of sessions are all negotiable and intended to meet your organization’s needs
• The workshops can function as a series with each other, within the series, or as single, stand-alone sessions
• Group size: 6-22 participants
• Duration: 1.5-hrs & 3-hrs
• For online sessions: Participants will need access to wi-fi, a web-browser, copy/paste capabilities, blank paper and writing utensils, and various personal art material
• Custom-design a workshop to meet your organization’s need!
$350
Single-session workshop
Please contact me for package pricing
For more than 3 workshops