By Robert E. Sutton
AMIT is a leading catalyst and collaborator for dynamic, innovative change in education in Israel and is committed to provide opportunities to all its students, regardless of background or income level. This year AMIT has embarked on a new initiative which aims to prepare students to graduate from high school equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in post-secondary education and in the 21st century global economy.
For the past twenty years, Israel has been at the forefront of the technological revolution with hundreds of start-up companies, new inventions, and major contributions in biotech, software, pharmaceuticals, and advanced defense systems. Today, Israel has the highest concentration of technology companies in the world outside of Silicon Valley. Yet despite all this accomplishment, recent international student assessment exams have shown that Israeli students rank 36th in literacy and math and 41st in sciences out of 64 industrialized countries. This has to end and the AMIT TopTech Initiative will begin the educational renaissance in Israel. Through partnerships with the Ministry of Education and local municipalities, the AMIT TopTech initiative unites schools, communities, businesses, universities and policymakers to create substantial and measurable advances in educational paradigms. And, in recognition of AMIT being in the vanguard of educational models and ahead-of-the-curve teaching methods, the Ministry of Education has committed 5 million shekels (over five years) to implement the AMIT TopTech Initiative.
AMIT TOPTECH OVERVIEW AMIT
TopTech can be considered nothing less than an educational revolution. With new ways of learning and teaching, this innovative approach will transform education across Israel. Abandoning the idea of “traditional schooling,” the AMIT TopTech Initiative (ATTI) provides students with unique opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills to survive and succeed in the 21st-century global economy.
ATTI will include collaborative, game-based learning and flip learning (flip learning encompasses any use of internet technology to leverage the learning in a classroom, so a teacher can spend more time interacting with students instead of lecturing). At an ATTI school, you will see students working in groups, deeply engaged in projects that encompass multiple disciplines. Classroom teachers act as leaders and guides who interact with their students for academic exploration, while ultimately helping students become directors of their own learning.
BUILDING ON THE BASICS
The ATTI model pairs core academic standards with 21st-century skills to develop well-rounded, lifelong learners prepared for the challenges of today and tomorrow.
TopTech integrates four elements as a foundation for student learning:
• Real-world experiences to develop 21st-century skills
• Technology-rich design with a project-based learning focus
• Integrated courses offering enriched, learning opportunities
• Instructors that create self-directed learning environments for students
TECHNOLOGY AS A TOOL
There is a noticeable absence of textbooks in ATTI classrooms, which have been replaced by technology. The AMIT TopTech Initiative provides every student with a personal computer or tablet. The computers come equipped with the latest software. AMIT students truly become “connected” to their learning in new and fascinating ways that help them grow academically and personally.
RE-TOOLING THE TEACHER
In many traditional classrooms, the teacher is the leader standing at the front of the room conducting content-based lectures and assigning textbook reading. Students sit in rows answering questions when called upon. This method often leaves both the teacher and the students disengaged from the learning process. In ATTI classrooms, rather than imparting information, teachers help students engage in a discovery process for new knowledge. AMIT TopTech Initiative teachers spend more time sitting next to student teams asking questions to guide learning rather than lecturing at the front of the classroom. Using the team teaching approach, teachers work together to integrate course content to design projects that incorporate multiple areas of learning along with 21st-century skills. The teachers design real-world projects and require students to present their work to external audiences that provide unique insight and feedback.
AMIT TopTech Initiative teachers receive in-depth training to transition to the project-based learning environment. Teachers participate in seminars, and virtual and real-time classroom training sessions. They also receive onsite coaching throughout the school year to improve teaching practices
No other school-related factor impacts student learning more than the effectiveness of classroom teachers. Yet, work conditions, lack of support, and compensation often constrain effective teaching. In Israel, far too many high-quality teachers leave the classroom and others lack the support to develop long-term academic growth among their students. AMIT operates differently from other school networks by making teacher excellence the cornerstone of increasing student achievement. AMIT takes a multifaceted approach to develop and retain talented teachers able to advance student academic growth and close achievement gaps.
AMIT believes that quality education is about people, not programs, and focuses on enhancing teacher quality through professional development, career advancement, and meaningful accountability. Using its groundbreaking comprehensive approach, AMIT provides the training, support, evaluation, and compensation to help teachers improve student learning.
FOR THE YOUTH OF ISRAEL
AMIT TopTech Initiative is a truly inspired approach to education. It will inspire students across the AMIT Network. It will inspire educators who have transformed the way they teach to ensure that every AMIT student graduates with 21st-century skills. It will inspire communities and businesses who are working together and finding resources to support this educational innovation. But most importantly, it will inspire those who are investing in the Israeli youth of today to ensure the potential of Israel tomorrow.
Robert E. Sutton is Editor in Chief and Creative Director of AMIT Magazine.
