Transcript Mitkadem: Tutorial

Mitkadem:
Setting Up Your Classroom
Overview of Tutorial

Purpose – to outline the administration of
the Mitkadem program
- What is needed to run Mitkadem
- Tips and hints for the classroom
Places
Paperwork
People
Tips and Hints
Glossary
Essential Questions
How does a student progress through the
program
 What makes for good record keeping
 What people need to be involved and in
what roles
 What kinds of space do we need
 How will I organize my classroom

Evidence of Understanding
You will identify how the paperwork,
people, and places will be organized in
your school for Mitkadem to work
 You will create a plan for your own class

Places
Paperwork
People
Tips and Hints
Glossary
Paperwork
Paperwork
Where can I look for information
on how to use Mitkadem in my
classroom?
The Mitkadem Teacher’s Guides
UAHC Press
Paperwork
Some Mitkadem Teacher’s Guide
Resources:
Steps to the Mitkadem Program
 Prayer Map
 Cumulative Report
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Paperwork
What process will my students go
through?
Steps to the Mitkadem Program
Paperwork
Steps to the Mitkadem Program:
Student
Begins
Ramah
Take the
Ramah
Quiz
Work on
Contract
Activities
Complete
the Ramah
and Study
for the Quiz
Paperwork
Steps in the Mitkdem Program
Student Begins a Ramah
Start with the brit pamphlet (including contract,
milon, and prayer) and hakdamah
introductory pamphlet
After completing the hakdamah
activities students are given
all the remaining activities
Start with the brit
Work on
Contract
Activities
Paperwork
Steps to the Mitkadem Program
Work on Contract Activities
As students complete and
check off activities, teachers or
assistants sign off on the brit
Activities can be done in any
order – some reading should be
done in each class
Students can work alone
or in groups to complete
the activities
CD players set up in the
room for listening activities
Complete the
Ramah and
Study for
the Quiz
Paperwork
Steps to the Mitkadem Program
Complete the Ramah and Study for the Quiz
Once students have completed
at least the required activities,
they can be tested
It is suggested that students complete
the “review” activities to study for the quiz
All students should study prior to the quiz
Take the
Ramah Quiz
Paperwork
Steps to the Mitkadem Program
Take the Ramah Quiz
Does
not
pass
Quiz
Study for
ReQuiz
Students are sent to the
designated place to take the quiz
Each Ramah assessment involves
both a written and reading portion
The written portion tests the
knowledge of Hebrew principles
and prayer content
The reading portion is a test of
the reading and chanting of
the prayer – it can include
reading unseen texts
Passes
Quiz
Begins
New
Ramah
Paperwork
Steps to the Mitkadem Program
Student does not pass quiz:
Study for ReQuiz
Student studies the
review activities more
Teacher may assist student
with one-on-one teaching
Take the
Ramah Quiz
Student will either
take the whole quiz
or just retake the
specific section(s)
Begins
passes New
Ramah
Does
Repeat this
not
step until
pass
passes
Paperwork
Steps in the Mitkdem Program
Student passes quiz:
Student Begins New Ramah
Tester gives student the new
brit pamphlet (including contract,
milon, and prayer) and hakdamah
introductory pamphlet
After completing the hakdamah
activities students are given
all the remaining activities
by the teacher to complete in the
order of their choice
Process
continues
Back to
Steps
Paperwork
What will help guide my students’
learning?
Prayer Map
 Ramot Contracts
 Mitkadem CD
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Paperwork
Prayer Map
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Shows the order of the
service
Demonstrates how their
learning fits into the
service
Acts as a place to mark
what they know
Paperwork
Ramot Contracts
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Explain tasks to
complete each ramah
Used by teacher and
student to track
progress
List required and
review activities of
each ramah
Paperwork
Mitkadem CD
Allows students to listen to the sound of
words and prayers
 Required in the k’riah section
 Consider having CD players and headsets
- setup a listening center for student use

Select to order
Paperwork
How will my students keep
organized in class?
Individual student folders
Paperwork
Student Folder
Contains:
 Materials specific to the ramah
 Materials needed throughout the program
- prayer map
- Milon – either in a machberet (notebook)
or as index cards on a ring or in a box
Paperwork
Student Folder
Keep in the classroom for students to
access
 When the student passes a test the ramah
worksheets should be sent home

Paperwork
How will student records be
organized?
Cumulative record folders
Paperwork
Cumulative Folder
Contains:
Cumulative record
 Each ramah test the student has passed
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Paperwork
Cumulative Folder
Stored in the school by the “tester”
- the tester may be the teacher,
administrator, or another person on staff
 Student does not use this folder

Paperwork
Cumulative Folder
Filing Tip:
Each “class” of students can be color coded.
For example, select blue for the 3rd grade of
2004 and keep the color across the years.
Places
Paperwork
People
Tips and Hints
Glossary
People
Peopl
e
Consider:
Who currently helps you with
Hebrew planning and teaching?
Peopl
e
Is your list similar to ours?


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No one
Educator/Principal
Hebrew coordinator
Student teacher



Another teacher
Rabbi
Cantor
Peopl
e
What are the roles for the personnel
involved with Mitkadem?
Peopl
e
The Role of the Teacher
Peopl
e
Consider:
What do you think the teacher’s
role as facilitator might look like?
Peopl
e
Teacher as Facilitator

Being creative and flexible in teaching
styles

Assisting individual students

Bringing your class together
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Other ideas?
Peopl
e
Assisting your students:
Students needing assistance list their
names on the board
- assist students based on the list
 Circle the room repeatedly in set order
helping those that need assistance
 Teacher’s assistant circles the room while
the teacher remains in the front for those
with more needs
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Peopl
e
Assisting your students:
Use parent volunteers to assist
 Have a person other than the teacher
administer tests
 Collect papers and review them between
classes, not during
 Other ideas?
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Peopl
e
Bringing Your Class Together:
Discuss a prayer that most of your students
have completed or are completing
 Teach the class about a common mistake
or challenge
 Teach a theme from the liturgy (see the
teacher’s guide for themes)

Peopl
e
Bringing Your Class Together:
Teach the structure of the service
 Teach general grammar – use roots from
the ramot
 Other ideas?

Discuss any group teaching with your
Director or Coordinator to ensure that year
to year there is continuity
Peopl
e
The Role of the
Educator/Principal/Hebrew
Coordinator
Peopl
e
Consider:
How might the educator be able to
act as a resource?
Peopl
e
Educator as a Resource

Provide for teacher training and support
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Allow time for teachers to share ideas
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Assist with program administration
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Other ideas?
Peopl
e
Teacher training and support
Mitkadem is a new experience for teachers and students
The educator may:
Provide teacher development workshops and opportunities to
• assist teachers with implementation
• allow teachers to develop new ways of teaching
Peopl
e
Time to share ideas
Teachers need to be flexible in their teaching styles
The educator may:
Provide time for teachers to meet to
• share ideas
• work as a team
Peopl
e
Assist with administration
Mitkadem requires administrative planning
The educator may:
Provide administrative support with the program by
• acting as a/the test giver
• keeping the cumulative records
Peopl
e
The Role of the
Co-Teacher/Student Teacher
Peopl
e
Consider:
How might a
co-teacher/student teacher assist
students?
Peopl
e
You might:

Split the number of students that you
attend to with the other teacher

Have the second teacher provide assistance
to students working at a slower pace

Other ideas?
Peopl
e
The Role of the Rabbi/Cantor
Peopl
e
Consider:
How might you utilize the clergy in
your classroom?
Peopl
e
You might:

Have the rabbi or cantor come to class as a
special visitor

Have clergy teach a special class to
advanced students (even on a once a month
basis)
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Other ideas?
Peopl
e
The Role of the Tutor
Peopl
e
Consider:
How might tutors be helpful in a
Mitkadem classroom?
Peopl
e
You might:

Use tutors to provide special attention to
those students needing a little more
assistance

Use teenagers as tutors
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Other ideas?
Places
Paperwork
People
Tips and Hints
Glossary
Places
Places
What is the physical space needed
for Mitkadem?
Places
Physical Space
Learning space
 Testing space
 Administrative records space
 Optional tutoring center
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Places
Learning Space
When deciding how to set up the
classroom, consider:
How many students will be in the
classroom?
 How much assistance will there be?

Places
What might the classroom look
like?
Places
Classroom Layout Options
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Individual student
desks with teacher in
the corner
Develop a “reading
lab” learning center
Group desks so
students working on
the same ramah can
work together
Leave space for
students to work
independently if they
choose
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Allow students to
move desks to be with
whomever they might
like
Set up a listening
center with
headphones so more
than one student can
listen or provide
walkmans for
independent listening
Other ideas?
Places
Individual student desks
With the
teacher in
the corner
Places
“Reading Lab”
Places
Group Desks
With room left
for those
choosing to
work alone
Places
Allow students to move desks
Places
Listening Center
Center with multiple
headphones
Personal listening
devices
Places
Testing Space
When your school designs the testing
space, consider:
Who
is the right person to administer the test?
Where is the best place to give the test?
Places
Administrative Records Space
When your school decides
how to keep records, consider
Who
is the right person to keep the records?
Where is the best place to keep the records?
Where is the best place to keep ramot packets?
Places
What might your school look like?
Places
School Layout Options
Testing room(s)
- you may want one for written testing and
one for oral testing
 Set up classrooms for different ramot
- advantage – teachers responsible for only
a certain number of prayers
- disadvantage – segregates students and
might create social issues
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Places
Paperwork
People
Tips and Hints
Glossary
Tips and Hints
Tips and Hints
Remember:
The size and the resources of your school
will be a main variable in how you choose
to answer the questions about Paperwork,
People, and Places
Tips and Hints
Where do I go from here?
Tips and Hints
Questions for you to consider

Paperwork
- When and why will you bring your class
together as a group?
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People
- How will you assist all of the students in your
class as they work independently at their own
level?
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Places
- How might you choose to layout your own
classroom and use other school space?
Tips and Hints
Where to Get More Information

Congregational Educator

Mitkadem overview
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More on ramot

Teacher’s Guide

Other schools using Mitkadem

Union for Reform Judaism
Regional Educator
Places
Paperwork
People
Tips and Hints
Glossary
Glossary
Glossar
y
My Dictionary
‫ – ָרמָ ה‬level
‫ – ב ְִּרית‬student contract of activities
‫ – ִמּלֹון‬student dictionary for the ramah
‫ – ַהקדָ מָ ה‬introductory activities
‫ – קְּ ִריָאה‬reading activities
‫ – אֹו ַצר ִמ ִּלים‬vocabulary activities
‫ – ִדקְּ דּוק‬grammar activities
ִ ‫“ – ִדב ְֵּרי‬words about prayer” activities
‫ּתפּלָה‬
ִ ‫ – שָ ָר‬roots
‫שים‬
‫ – ִמבְּחָ ן‬quiz
Credits:
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Cheri Ellowitz Silver, MAJE, MAJCS, M.S. Ed, RJE, author of
Mitkadem
Nina Price, MAJE, creator of the Steps in the Mitkadem Program
chart adapted here
Lisa Lieberman Barzilai, MAJE, RJE, Regional Educator Greater
NY Council and Debbie Joseph, Regional Educator Mid-Atlantic
Council, the creators of the Mitkadem retreat track session adapted
here
UAHC Press, publishers of Mitkadem
Rabbi Jan Katzew, Ph. D., RJE, Director of the Union for Reform
Judaism Department of Lifelong Jewish Learning
Wendy Rapport, RJE., Associate Director of the Union for Reform
Judaism Department of Lifelong Jewish Learning
Renée B. Rittner, MSW, MAJS, MAJE, M. Ed., Educational
Technology Specialist, Union for Reform Judaism for adapting this
tutorial
Return to:
Mitkadem: Hebrew for Youth
 Teacher tools
 Evaluation of the CHAI curriculum
