CASE STUDIES
Here are some examples of ways we have worked with partners to address their needs and help them meet their goals.
CONGREGATION OR SHALOM
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 group level assessment and proposing school models that would help meet the needs of the community.
Deliverables/Facilitation:
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JPRO
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 they were creating. |
The Deliverables:
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title 2
The Problem:
As the graduate network at the Mandel Teacher Educator Institute 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 Mandel, Gold Learning Solutions redesigned the entire 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,” an in-person four-day national conference.
As the graduate network at the Mandel Teacher Educator Institute 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 Mandel, Gold Learning Solutions redesigned the entire 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,” an in-person four-day national conference.
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 a slide deck and 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 bundling with paper and digital book creation.
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 a slide deck and 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 bundling with paper and digital book creation.
The Problem:
Lack of knowledge and experience with combing content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and digital technology integration; limited opportunities for teacher collaboration, a key component of successful professional development.
Our Solution:
Multi-year professional development that focused on experiential learning about the integration of digital technologies through teacher collaboration; consistent, embedded professional development that included teacher sharing of ideas, strategies, and challenges; build teacher collaboration and relationships/partnerships thorugh havruta (traditional partner-based) text study and peer coaching methodologies.
Deliverables:
Introduced protocols that the education director and teaching staff used during and after the series; tip sheets for making connections between havruta text study and peer coaching; cross-grade teacher partnerships were ongoing
Lack of knowledge and experience with combing content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and digital technology integration; limited opportunities for teacher collaboration, a key component of successful professional development.
Our Solution:
Multi-year professional development that focused on experiential learning about the integration of digital technologies through teacher collaboration; consistent, embedded professional development that included teacher sharing of ideas, strategies, and challenges; build teacher collaboration and relationships/partnerships thorugh havruta (traditional partner-based) text study and peer coaching methodologies.
Deliverables:
Introduced protocols that the education director and teaching staff used during and after the series; tip sheets for making connections between havruta text study and peer coaching; cross-grade teacher partnerships were ongoing