Our+Focus

== =On Eagles’ Wings=

Cleveland’s Jewish Early Childhood Directors’ Journey
There are many journeys we take. Some are transitional – they take us from one place to another, like on vacation, to a new home, or to a new stage in life. Some are transformational – they so greatly impact our beings that we experience a transformation of mind, body or soul.

At the end of November, 2006 Cleveland’s Jewish Early Childhood Directors stand ready to embark on the beginnings of a reflective and physical journey that the community hopes will have both transitional and transformational impact on them, personally and professionally. At the core of the journey is a physical trip to Israel that will anchor learning before, during and after. Unfortunately, not all of Cleveland’s Jewish Early Childhood Directors are able to make the physical journey, but the experiences before and after will bring them along spiritually.

The title of the trip, “On Eagles’ Wings” is taken from the Torah portion being read on the //Shabbat// that the group is in Israel. In the //parashah//, immediately before the reading of the Ten Commandments, G-d calls to Moses from Mt Sinai and says, “You have seen what I did in Egypt and that I have borne you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me.” We, as a group of early childhood educators have heard our own call, and will be borne on the wings of a silver bird to the land of Our People. In this setting, we will have the opportunity to experience Israel as a laboratory for our learning and reflection, on issues that impact us here and that often equally impact our colleagues there, in the land of milk and honey.

We travel to Israel in a very mixed group. For four travelers, this is their first trip to Israel; others travel there a few times a year. A number of us are fluent Hebrew speakers while others would say, “you had me at Shalom!” Our religious mix crosses the Jewish spectrum. Experience as preschool directors ranges from many, many years to less than one. What this means is that we all bring different lenses to our journey – this will be our strength, and perhaps at times the source of some frustration. That this group has met together for a number of years bodes well for our success at finding ways to work through challenges, to learn from each other, to collaborate, and most of all to have a really awesome time!

This experience, with the Israel trip as its cornerstone, is developed to allow us to explore two key ideas: What does this mean? All education takes place in some context – for us in Jewish preschools in Cleveland that includes our American context, our Jewish context, our Midwest context, etc. When we talk of the transmission of society, we mean the passing along of society’s norms – including American, Jewish, Midwest, etc. But education can also be transformative, offering a means of shaping not just the individual, but also the society in which he or she lives. A great example of this are the educational decisions made in the early years of the //kibbutz// movement – the children’s houses were designed to transform the children, and in turn to transform Israel itself, along the ideological dreams of those who developed the movement.
 * 1) the way educational practice reflects the culture and context of the society in which it is situated
 * 2) the relation between educational practice and its impact on the transmission or transformation of society

Our focus allows us a chance to study institutions in Israel that wrestle with the dual goals of transmission and transformation of society. On our return to Cleveland, this will provide us the opportunity to look more critically at the educational practice in our centers and to better understand that “//All educational practice implies a theoretical stance on the educator’s part. This stance in turn implies — sometimes more, sometimes less explicitly — an interpretation of man and the world.//” (Paulo Freire, 1985)

As educational leaders, this journey on eagles’ wings – whether physically for our travelers or metaphorically for those who stay – will have impact beyond ourselves to what happens in our schools - with our teachers, families and of course, our children.

“On Eagle’s Wings” – this year in Jerusalem – this year (and next!) impacting Cleveland!

These are the questions that will help us explore our two foci o How do theories of instruction and learning mirror the political, economic, social and religious milieu? o How does educational practice transmit social norms? o What is the potential of education to transform society? o How does the interactive relationship of school, family, society and religion affect educational decisions, consciously and unconsciously? o How does congruence between the philosophy guiding an ECE center and the culture/society in which it is situated, impact the learning of children, parents and teachers?