Teachers & Educators

Five Lessons for Project Based Learning Success in Your School

Are you trying to implement project based learning in your school? This year, Behrman House editors are developing materials and lesson plans that can help you incorporate project based learning into almost any subject area and help you enliven Jewish education in your community.  PBL is one more effective tool you can use to inspire students and engage them in Judaism not just in the classroom, but throughout their lives.

Let's meet up at the JEA conference in Dallas, January 27-30

Behrman House will be at the annual Jewish Educators Assembly (JEA) Conference in Dallas, TX, January 27–30, 2013. Let us know if you’d like to schedule time for a curriculum and Online Learning Center consultation on Sunday or Monday. Personal Consulting: Sign up now Terry Kaye will be available for personal consulting time to guide you in how best to use the OLC in your school or to talk through your curriculum. In the coffee shop, at the booth, or wherever you’d like to meet, she will:

Five Great Ideas to Refresh Your Curriculum This Year

Now is a great time to reflect on your school’s curriculum and consider something new. Here are five ideas for changing your approach to some timeless Jewish subjects. #1—Let Teens Argue We often hear from educators how challenged you feel in engaging post-b’nai mitzvah students meaningfully in Jewish study.

Can't make it to the NATE conference? No problem!

Attention Reform Educators!Can’t make it to Phoenix for the NATE conference? From December 23–26, 150 NATE members will gather in Phoenix for the annual conference. Even if you won’t be attending, we can bring some of the learning to you. Here’s how: 1.       Watch the Behrman House Facebook page for regular conference updates and photos.

Let's meet up at NATE in Phoenix, December 23-26

Behrman House will be at the annual National Association of Temple Educators (NATE) Conference in Phoenix, AZ, from December 23-26. Join us for a breakout session on using the Online Learning Center for project based learning and don't forget to schedule time for a curriculum and online learning consultation.

New Quick Click Feature Makes OLC Invitations Easier Than Ever

Never again worry about invitations to your class getting stuck in students’ spam filters! The latest update to the Online Learning Center includes a new feature that lets students and teachers find their class and school invitations right online, just by logging in. It’s just a quick click to accept their invitations and join.

Online Learning Center Takes Off

More than 670 teachers and 4,000 students nationwide are using the Online Learning Center for Hebrew and Jewish studies.  After such a strong lift-off, educators around the country have been reporting back about implementing this innovative new platform in their schools.

Coming Soon: Multimedia Lessons from Israel21c and The Jewish Lens

In the next few months, Behrman House will release two new series of multimedia content and lesson plans for the Online Learning Center.  These will add to a robust catalog of over 2000 resources, a full online curriculum for Hebrew education, and interactive Jewish Studies software—all fully integrated and easy to use in the Behrman House Online Learning Center. Sign up here to receive more info about Jewish studies content in the OLC.

Reflections from the Virtual School Symposium 2012

I returned yesterday from this year’s Virtual School Symposium (VSS), which is an annual conference of educators from across the United States (and Europe) who are extending the frontiers of education. The focus of VSS is to promote advocacy for and research into online and blended learning. More than 2,000 teachers and administrators attended the conference in New Orleans, where they shared content ideas and strategies for professional development.

Jump Right In: Teaching Jewish Values via Project Based Learning

You know that feeling when you want to swim, but the water’s cold? Sometimes it’s easier just to plunge right in.

Project Based Learning in the Supplementary School—Yes, You CAN!

Learning is most effective when students take charge of their own experiences. But planning these experiences, and finding the time for them, can be a challenge. How then do we engage our students?

What if You Flipped Your Staff Meetings?

By Terry Kaye Most of us know about flipping the classroom.Now how about flipping faculty meetings? Bill Ferriter, a 6th grade language arts teacher in North Carolina, suggests that principals (and, by extrapolation, heads of school and education directors) send teachers the information in advance, and then spend the time in the staff meeting sharing ideas with one another and building relationships among colleagues.

Do You Need a Lesson Plan—FAST?

Even the best advance planner has times when he or she needs some last-minute help before a class. The Resource Libraries at Behrmanhouse.com were designed with just that moment in mind. Now you can download instant lesson plans, complete with step-by-step instructions and the images, videos, articles or other materials you might need.

Your Link to Free Hebrew Help for Students and Families

Now you can give your students and their parents quick access to free Hebrew practice and games right from your school or synagogue website—and with no additional login required! We’ve made our popular practice modules, Click’n’Read, for decoding practice, and Click’n’Learn, for practicing prayers and blessings, available on a new, easy access page with no login required.

Three Steps to Getting Started in the Online Learning Center

More and more educational directors are creating private, customized spaces in the Online Learning Center for their schools to use this fall. Some want to create Hebrew classes that give their students online access to exercises and Hebrew-based video games—without CDs. Others want to try our new blended learning materials for Jewish values, Jewish identity, and Israel.

Why I’m Excited about the Online Learning Center

Mara Braunfeld, Educational Director of Temple Shaaray Tefila of Bedford Corners,  NY, sat down with us recently to discuss the Online Learning Center and why she is adopting it for her school this year. Here is what she told us.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorses JLand

JLand, a virtual world for Jewish children available in the Behrman House Online Learning Center, has caught the attention of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Happy Falafel Day!

Did you know that June 12th is International Falafel Day?  Originally a Middle Eastern street food as common as hot dogs in New York City, the tasty falafel has become a popular meal worldwide.  Not only is it delicious and easy to prepare, but it is also nutritious, vegan, and parve.  You don't have to travel all the way to Israel to celebrate Falafel Day; Behrman House has everything you need to host a fabulous falafel feast!

Coming Soon: A Whole New Way to Get Tech Help

Do you need help using our website, shopping cart, learning software, Resource Libraries, or Online Learning Center? Is something not working the way you expected? Soon you will be able to report your questions to or request support directly from our IT staff at Behrman House and get automatic updates on the answers using our new Support Ticket System. The Support Ticket System will go live early this summer, and can be used by anyone—educators, teachers, students and parents.

San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum Offers Free Resources

(Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, California.) Our friends at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco contacted us with a wonderful offer for Jewish educators: free Shavuot resources based on museum exhibits. Elizheva Hurvich, Jewish Community Liaison at CJM, sent along a Torah-based project to help your students find meaning in Shavuot. As It Is Written: Project 304,805 (The Torah Project) Appropriate for all ages

Teach Israel

 Experience Modern Israel

New from Behrman House. Fly to Israel without a plane ticket.

Discover Israel

 Let's Discover Israel

Offer younger children an exciting and age-appropriate introduction to the Jewish homeland