Ma’ale Adumim – At AMIT Wasserman Torah, Arts and Sciences Junior High School for Girls, things are about to change. The school is taking a leap into the future propelling the school into the 21st century. This year, the girls’ school will be undergoing revolutionary changes, in terms of the educational methods used to teach the students, the introduction of technology and high-tech, and the architectural structure of the classrooms. The school’s principal, Brenda Horwitz-Prawer, spoke to a local Ma’ale Adumim newspaper about the radical changes taking place at AMIT Wasserman, and this is what she had to say.
Where did all of these changes start?
First off, we started by changing the teaching methods, which was a long and complicated process. We have to teach our teachers to adapt their methods to this innovative new pedagogical approach, and then we have to teach the students how to learn using this innovative pedagogical system, because they have never experienced anything like this. At the same time, we have to learn how to adjust this to the Education Ministry’s requirement of taking the bagrut [matriculation exam], which is the farthest thing from innovative pedagogical methods—with rare exceptions. All of this required serious preparation.
Tell us about the “Gogya” classroom.
In order to adapt the school to this innovative new teaching method, a “Gogya”-style classroom was established. This is a classroom that is designed in the spirit of AMIT’s Gogya teacher training center, in Kfar Batya, Ra’anana, which is a research and development center for advanced educational programs for teachers and educators across Israel. The classroom is furnished with advanced technology and with modular furniture that can be moved around or arranged according to specific needs for each lesson. It enables students to study individually, as a group, or in teams.
Tell us about the R&D team that was created at the school.
A special and innovative classroom is not enough to create long-lasting and meaningful change. In order to refresh the ways in which our students learn, we developed an R&D team at the school. This team learns how to train our teachers to better understand the flexible and innovative learning that takes place in our unique classroom. A special team of teachers then works to help the school transition from the old way of learning to the new way. These teachers have volunteered to learn the innovative new pedagogical methods this year, and they are blazing a trail for the rest of our teaching staff.
How are you preparing the students for the 21st century?
Junior high school students at the school, even at their young age, are already taking steps into the worlds of technology and high-tech. The school decided that these young girls would advance forward with the wonders of technology. The girls participate in programs aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship in cooperation with the nonprofit Taasiyeda group and Cisco Systems. The goal is to train them using the skills they will need in the 21st century and for the workforce of the future, so that they can integrate as best as they can into these future professions. The girls work on problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork. The technology enables them to learn new skills in an experiential way. We want to present to them the broad spectrum of fields that they could possibly work in in the future.
The girls also contribute a great deal to the Ma’ale Adumim community.
Our students not only study and excel academically, they are also deeply connected to their community and contribute a great deal to it. They take part in various chesed initiatives and they regularly visit nursing homes, organize food drives for the needy, and organize a Purim festival to help less fortunate children. The girls are also greatly involved in the school community. They take part in the decision-making process and in determining the regulations. They look at the school’s policies, at what the halacha says, and at what the Education Ministry requires. They check to see how things can change and promote issues that are meaningful to them. We believe that this teaches them how to conduct themselves within a multifaceted system where different parties are involved in making decisions, and to be active partners in that process. The school is also making great strides in the Judaic and Torah studies field. Students elect to study Torah and Jewish subjects beyond the regular curriculum in the recently opened Beit Midrash at the school. There, they have the opportunity to delve deeper into the values that are meaningful to their world.
Where do your graduates go on to?
They become leaders in national service. People call me from all over the country to tell me how special my graduates are, what great leaders they are in their national service assignments. In the army, the percentage of our graduates who become officers is greater than the national average. Our students earn prizes and garner recognition throughout their service.
What is the school’s secret to success and what are your dreams for the future?
Our school believes that every student can achieve personal excellence if she receives the tools that suit her. We track each student to ensure she is making progress and think of ways to empower her academically, socially, and emotionally. We have students who take part in academic excellence programs such as Odyssey at the Hebrew University and Magshimim. Other girls take part in the national cyber championships, in a midrasha class, in basketball teams, in learning Arabic or Amharic, choir, extra tutoring lessons for the bagrut, and more. There is room for each one of the girls to express her talents and abilities. Our values-based education is the foundation for personal growth and empowerment. We see great importance in having religiously observant girls become leaders in communities near and far, and we do our utmost to cultivate them as leaders in our nation and society. Each grade has a project it works on for the school, which creates a feeling of camaraderie and a sense of pride in their grade. Each student contributes her strengths to that project, and that can be academically speaking or something else. That is the greatest achievement as far as I am concerned, and that is what I aspire to accomplish.
