A seminar in the teacher training program for the Jewish School Network, Argentina

Teacher Training for the Jewish Schools Network, Argentina

Location:Buenos Aires, Argentina
Name of implementing organization:AMIA, Jewish Agency, Joint
Date of initial project approval:February 2006
Date of project renewal:February 2008

Brief description of the local Jewish community

Number of Jews Students: 18,200
Local Jewish schools: 33
Major recent changes in the community: The secondary level at Natan Gesang School has been closed. Students have been transferred to Scholem Aleijem School.

Project aims and objectives

• To train qualified teachers, capable of developing their work in any environment in the Jewish world.
• To  transform teachers into teacher-researchers, teacher trainers, and potential principals and managers; and to offer teachers a parallel path to university training.
• To enhance the prestige of the teacher and to understand him/her as a Jewish agent of change
• To promote establishment of a work perspective which includes the importance of considering teaching for the long run
   

Project Description

This project is training Zionist Jewish Studies teachers for Jewish schools in Argentina and elsewhere in southern South America. The project offers three modes of study: (1) regular university attendance for students living in Greater Buenos Aires; (2) intensive seminars conducted by experts from Israel, attended by students living in Greater Buenos Aires; (3) distance learning, particularly for those living at a distance from Greater Buenos Aires.

The project offers three degree options (to be awarded by the Universidad Nacional de San Martin):

1. Students may obtain an elementary teacher degree (equivalent to an Associate of Arts degree) after two and a half years of study, with a major in Judaism.
2. Students with an elementary teaching degree may obtain a degree in education with a major in Jewish Education (equivalent to a B.A.), after two and a half years of study.
3. Kindergarten and elementary school teachers who are graduates of other teacher training colleges may obtain a degree in education with a major in Jewish culture (equivalent to a B.A. degree), after two years of study.

 The Melton Center of the Hebrew University is supervising the planning and implementation of the Jewish Studies syllabus, and is implementing the distance learning courses. 4 hours per week are devoted to distance learning. The Melton Center also organizes intensive seminars by specialized lecturers, which help students to further integrate the distance learning courses.

Main budget elements

• Agreement with local university
• Melton Center:   Academic direction, Academic counseling, tutoring, and Instructor for new distance learning course
• Salaries for Jewish Studies Coordinator, Jewish Studies teachers, and tutors
• Marketing and communications

Difficulties encountered along the way

Most of the students participating in the project are already working in schools, because of the urgent need for  teachers, after several years without a teacher training college. Some of the schools train new teachers in their institutional ideology, which proves useful and enriching. Other schools, however, do not invest in supervision. We are working with these schools in order to overcome this difficulty.