Meeting the needs of parents and students
The Problem:
The part-time, K-12 Jewish supplementary school affiliated with Congregation Or Shalom felt their program was not meeting the needs of parents and students. The school had utilized participant surveys, but wanted to solicit feedback from all of the school’s stakeholders, and include them in the improvement process.
Our Solution:
In partnership with the head of the education committee at the school, and working closely with the Rabbi and education director, Gold Learning Solutions facilitated a two-phase school redesign.
Phase One included community-based action research, where parents, teachers, clergy, and the entire student body of the school were invited to collaboratively answer questions about Jewish education at Or Shalom, including their past experiences, hopes, and dreams.
During Phase Two, Gold co-facilitated a design thinking series that included representatives from multiple stakeholder groups (parents, community members, students, and teachers) taking the themes identified in the community-based action research and proposing school models that would help meet the needs of the community.
Deliverables/Facilitation:
The part-time, K-12 Jewish supplementary school affiliated with Congregation Or Shalom felt their program was not meeting the needs of parents and students. The school had utilized participant surveys, but wanted to solicit feedback from all of the school’s stakeholders, and include them in the improvement process.
Our Solution:
In partnership with the head of the education committee at the school, and working closely with the Rabbi and education director, Gold Learning Solutions facilitated a two-phase school redesign.
Phase One included community-based action research, where parents, teachers, clergy, and the entire student body of the school were invited to collaboratively answer questions about Jewish education at Or Shalom, including their past experiences, hopes, and dreams.
During Phase Two, Gold co-facilitated a design thinking series that included representatives from multiple stakeholder groups (parents, community members, students, and teachers) taking the themes identified in the community-based action research and proposing school models that would help meet the needs of the community.
Deliverables/Facilitation:
- A community-based action research process, including guidance on what questions to ask, how to involve students, and how to facilitate the collaborative processing of data and themes
- A design thinking facilitation that translated themes into action steps, leading to school model prototypes
The Problem:
The part-time, K-12 Jewish supplementary school affiliated with Congregation Or Shalom felt their program was not meeting the needs of parents and students. The school had utilized participant surveys, but wanted to solicit feedback from all of the school’s stakeholders, and include them in the improvement process.
Our Solution:
In partnership with the head of the education committee at the school, and working closely with the Rabbi and education director, Gold Learning Solutions facilitated a two-phase school redesign.
Phase One included community-based action research, where parents, teachers, clergy, and the entire student body of the school were invited to collaboratively answer questions about Jewish education at Or Shalom, including their past experiences, hopes, and dreams.
During Phase Two, Gold co-facilitated a design thinking series that included representatives from multiple stakeholder groups (parents, community members, students, and teachers) taking the themes identified in the community-based action research and proposing school models that would help meet the needs of the community.
Deliverables/Facilitation:
The part-time, K-12 Jewish supplementary school affiliated with Congregation Or Shalom felt their program was not meeting the needs of parents and students. The school had utilized participant surveys, but wanted to solicit feedback from all of the school’s stakeholders, and include them in the improvement process.
Our Solution:
In partnership with the head of the education committee at the school, and working closely with the Rabbi and education director, Gold Learning Solutions facilitated a two-phase school redesign.
Phase One included community-based action research, where parents, teachers, clergy, and the entire student body of the school were invited to collaboratively answer questions about Jewish education at Or Shalom, including their past experiences, hopes, and dreams.
During Phase Two, Gold co-facilitated a design thinking series that included representatives from multiple stakeholder groups (parents, community members, students, and teachers) taking the themes identified in the community-based action research and proposing school models that would help meet the needs of the community.
Deliverables/Facilitation:
- A community-based action research process, including guidance on what questions to ask, how to involve students, and how to facilitate the collaborative processing of data and themes
- A design thinking facilitation that translated themes into action steps, leading to school model prototypes
designing with participants for participants
The Problem:
JPro, an organization in the Jewish nonprofit sector, wanted to include future participants of one of their professional development programs into the design of the program itself. They were specifically interested in elevating voices that aren’t often included in the process of program design.
Our Solution:
Gold Learning Solutions worked with JPro to engage early career professionals themselves, as well as organizations that employ those early career professionals, in the design process for a professional development program.
The Deliverables:
JPro, an organization in the Jewish nonprofit sector, wanted to include future participants of one of their professional development programs into the design of the program itself. They were specifically interested in elevating voices that aren’t often included in the process of program design.
Our Solution:
Gold Learning Solutions worked with JPro to engage early career professionals themselves, as well as organizations that employ those early career professionals, in the design process for a professional development program.
The Deliverables:
- Online action research facilitation to engage funders, field experts, and early career professionals in collaboratively identifying the needs of early career professionals
- Two-day in person seminar that supported cross-stakeholder conversations, opportunities to identify strengths and challenges of current and past programs, and the opportunity to dream of something different while letting go of what didn’t work
- Recommendations for the grant implementing organization to create a pilot program that could be quickly scaled
building an active alumni network
The Problem:
As the graduate network at the Mandel Teacher Educator Institute (MTEI) was increasing the number of its program participants, the experience of participants was feeling more fragmented. There were limited communication platforms, opportunities for ongoing connection, and minimal leadership roles from within the network itself.
Our Solution:
Working collaboratively with the leadership team at MTEI, Gold Learning Solutions redesigned the network structure, including adding renewed in-person, digital, and hybrid gathering spaces, and bringing alumni into the program planning by creating a new graduate planning team.
Deliverables:
Gold transitioned the entire network into a new online community space, created a bimonthly newsletter cadence, and transitioned from a faculty-led learning approach to graduate-led learning. We also planned and ran the organization’s first-ever hybrid event, an “unconference,” and an in-person four-day national conference.
As the graduate network at the Mandel Teacher Educator Institute (MTEI) was increasing the number of its program participants, the experience of participants was feeling more fragmented. There were limited communication platforms, opportunities for ongoing connection, and minimal leadership roles from within the network itself.
Our Solution:
Working collaboratively with the leadership team at MTEI, Gold Learning Solutions redesigned the network structure, including adding renewed in-person, digital, and hybrid gathering spaces, and bringing alumni into the program planning by creating a new graduate planning team.
Deliverables:
Gold transitioned the entire network into a new online community space, created a bimonthly newsletter cadence, and transitioned from a faculty-led learning approach to graduate-led learning. We also planned and ran the organization’s first-ever hybrid event, an “unconference,” and an in-person four-day national conference.
creating community in online spaces
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The Problem:
The Jewish Education Project, a national organization supporting Jewish education, was looking for immediately applicable ways to bring relational learning into online spaces at the onset of the pandemic. They desired a cohesive, intentional, practical approach for the Jewish schools and leaders who were struggling to create connection and effective learning in an online setting. Our Solution: Gold Learning Solutions created an online, collaborative professional learning series. The series, rooted in Garrison’s Community of Inquiry Framework, used the concepts of “teaching, cognitive and, social presence” in online spaces in order to offer opportunities for participant exploration and application. Deliverables: Gold created digital spaces for connection and relationship building, along with additional resources for further exploration and development. Participants had multiple opportunities to reflect on their learning with peers and consider direct application to their individual work settings through diverse formats, including building with paper and digital book creation. |
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engaging in collaborative professional learning
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The Problem:
The education leader of Congregation Beth Judea identified professional learning needs for their staff around technological and pedagogical knowledge. Educators needed more experience integrating digital technology and there were limited opportunities for teacher collaboration. Our Solution: Gold Learning Solutions implemented a multi-year professional development program that focused on experiential learning on digital technology integration through teacher collaboration; consistent, embedded professional development across grade levels; and building teacher collaboration and relationships/partnerships through havruta (traditional partner-based) text study and peer coaching methodologies. Deliverables: Gold Learning Solutions introduced protocols that the education director and teaching staff used during and after the series. We also created tip sheets for making connections between havruta text study and peer coaching and facilitating cross-grade teacher partnerships. |
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