edJEWcon

In case you haven’t heard, a big name is coming to Cleveland. No, it’s not LeBron James. That’s old news. edJEWcon, the premiere professional development for educators on 21st Century learning will be hosted by Gross Schechter Day School on Sunday, November 16. “That’s wonderful news, Ari!” you might say. “What’s an edJEWcon and isn’t a little late to be starting on 21st Century education? It’s 2014.”

21st Century education is more than just a buzzword. We live in a world where it is easier than ever to look up information. Debates on content are settled by asking Siri or Googling. This means that our learning experiences need to be different. Our children are growing up in a world that is vastly different than the one that we grew up in. Don’t believe me? Check out this video.

Our focus in the classrooms needs to be on learning skills that help us access information and manipulate it by using collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, communication and connectivity to solve the problems of a 21st Century world. These 5 C’s are the building blocks of a 21st Century education. They encourage educators to shift their mindset by teaching students how to learn and serve as “guides by the side” rather than as “sages on a stage.”

These 5 C’s are at the heart of edJEWcon, a conference started at the Martin J. Gottlieb Day School several years ago. They are the building blocks of creating a dynamic 21st Century learning environment. edJEWcon Cleveland will feature Silvia Tolisano as keynote speaker. Silvia is an International educational consultant and author, and a leader in modern learning and literacy.  Through this conference, our faculty will be able to continue to build their skills as 21st Century educators and sustain and grow academic excellence at Schechter.

Shabbat Shalom,

Dr. Ari Yares
Head of School