Incoming Visits

Fulbright ETA Roderick Selman : " Kaye’s faculty and students show mutual understanding and empathy."

When first I received the news that I would be a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Israel, I began jumping up and down while spinning and screaming. My then girlfriend Victoria and my best friend Matt were startled by my reaction, but even more happy for me. For me, coming to Israel was something I never thought would happen and a way to challenge myself. I had lived abroad before in other countries in the Middle East but had only seen Jerusalem on a short visit, so I didn’t know what exactly life here would be like.

            When I first found out that I was coming to Kaye Academic College and that I would live in Beer Sheva, I wasn’t sure how to feel. Having lived in the desert before I laughed and thought well at least I’ll be used to the heat. Beer Sheva has felt like home, I loved being here because the city doesn’t feel crowded, the sidewalks are wide for bike riding, and the people are kind. I quickly made friends around the park I live in and within two weeks was visiting people’s homes for Shabbat dinner, attending social clubs with students from Ben Gurion, and playing guitar with locals. I felt like I was seen as Rod the American, instead of just one American among a sea of other foreigners like in more populated areas of Israel.

            Now to talk about Kaye, when I spoke to the previous Fulbright Sam, he told me that “Kaye is a magical place” and I have seen that lived out before me. In a country that can feel so divided at times, Kaye’s faculty and students show mutual understanding and empathy. I have seen our students grow and mature academically and personally. I have been happy to witness Jewish and Arab students that entered a classroom as strangers and by the end of the semester they left as close friends. It has been an absolute joy working for Kaye Academic College, and this has been a season of my life that I will always cherish and look upon fondly.

            So what else have I been up to in Israel? During my pastime here, I have visited many national and archeological parks. I have traveled to roughly 40 national parks and nature reserves, revisiting many of them multiple times. Focusing mainly on locations where Biblical accounts occurred, living in Israel has greatly increased my knowledge and understanding of historical accounts in the Bible. I also travel by bus to Nazareth every Saturday night so that I can attend worship at the Nazareth Church of Christ on Sunday morning. Coming to know other Christians in Nazareth has greatly encouraged me every week. My faith will forever be impacted by my time in Israel.

            The happiest day of my life occurred during my Fulbright Grant, I travelled back to the United states at the end of semester Aleph and married my fiancé Victoria. Married life in Israel has been even better than I could have imagined. We have both enjoyed our time working with the students at Kaye, having friends and family visit us, and traveling the country together. We have enjoyed using the tennis courts on campus, and learning Hebrew from Shahar one of the English Students.

            As our time in Israel is coming to a close, I have realized that over time my memory may fade, but I will always remember just how much I’ve felt here. Feeling anxiety ranging from missing a bus on the way to school to hearing the rocket siren for the first time. Confusion trying to communicate with the little Hebrew I understand for a falafel sandwich, the joy of seeing our students learn, the happiness gleaming from the smiles on their faces, but most importantly, the abundant love that I have found in this country from Arabs, Jews, Christians, and Muslims. My times here will be something that I speak of in fondness for the rest of my life.

Prof. Alexander Bermous

TRENDS AND DIRECTIONS OF RESEARCH FOR EDUCATION STUDIES

During the month of February, Prof. Alexander Bermous from the University of the Southern Federation in Russia came here for a return visit. Prof. Bermous gave a stunning lecture on current trends and issues in teacher training, teaching and research. It was an interesting and fruitful meeting. In the meeting, possibilities for collaborations of various kinds between the faculty members at Kaye College and our colleagues at the Southern Federation University were also examined.

Impressions from the latest Hackathon held at the English Department.

By ETA Roderick Selman

From an energetic start to an incredible finish, the English Department Hackathon at Kaye Academic College was one I will never forget. The English faculty opened with head of the department Irena Lavi briefing the students on the days plan. Thereafter Prof. Lavi introduced Fulbright ETA Roderick Selman to present a lecture on integrity as an individual, student, and teacher. The lecture began with thoughtful points on what integrity is, how to practice it, and how to set a personal example of integrity no matter where someone is in life. This was met with ecstatic energy from the students as they quickly called out correct answers to questions and diligently took notes.

            Upon the end of the lecture, the real fun began! The English faculty quickly took the stage and laid out the day’s plan to the students. The student body was divided into three main groups, each group pertaining to a specific project. The first project was to create a poster advertising for the college’s English department. The second being to create a podcast discussing life on campus and how it truly feels to be a student at Kaye. The last project was to create a video giving physical perspective into the students’ lives and life on campus.

            The lunch provided was a beautiful intertwining of cultures as students brought traditional Arab dishes such as Maqluba and Fattoush, combined with delicious homemade potato salad and casserole provided by the Jewish students. It was a wonderful display of cultural exchange as every student proudly described their homemade dish to one another and recipes were swapped. There was a full stomach and smile on the face of every student.

            Lastly, the greatest experience of the entire day was the final presentations. The work ethic of the students was brought to full view as the faculty and respective groups were left awe struck at each presentation. Each presentation consisted of ingenious ideas towards publicity for the college and promotion of its English department that the students so clearly love. At the end of presentations there had been an exchange of tears, smiles, laughs, and a palpable sense of oneness within the room. By the end of the day, the students and faculty had reached a common love for one another through their directed love towards the English department.

I am Roderick Selman the a new Fulbright ETA student. I will be staying at Beer Sheva for one year and work on campus with the teachers and students from the English Department.

"I knew from when I first stepped on campus that Kaye would be an incredible place, I was quickly and warmly welcomed by the staff. However, the most wonderful part of Kaye is it’s students. Their friendliness, willingness to learn, and smiles have touched my heart. From my first time teaching at Kaye, the students all have assured me of their happiness to work with me. This is a time in my life which I will always be grateful for. The best part is, that it’s just beginning."

I am from Armuchee, Georgia in the United States. I am a first-generation college student and attended the University of North Georgia where I majored in the Arabic Language. I have studied abroad in Nizwa, Oman / Amman, Jordan / and Meknes, Morocco. I am currently living in Be'er Sheva for the 2022/23 school year as an English Teaching Assistant under the Fulbright Scholarship. Personally, my main interests are studying Christianity and other religions, mainly Islam and Judaism, playing guitar, listening to music, reading books, and learning new languages. I also routinely exercise and really enjoy just talking with people.

November update-

My time so far as an ETA has been educational, and fun. The students are a joy to be around and I really look forward to our in-person classes. (I personally do not care for virtual instruction – but this is a bias I carried from my undergrad).   Tutoring this week has already started to pick up with students requesting help with reading, grammar, and understanding Shakespeare. So I am excited and trying to prepare for the coming weeks knowing that things are about to get even busier. I do enjoy grading the assignments and giving students feedback in hopes that they will apply it.

Oh lastly, I have been auditing an Arabic course at Kaye just to be around students and to brush up on my Arabic. I didn't have a great time during my first visit to the class, but I plan to continue visiting. It is every Monday at 5:30 PM.

Sincerely, Roderick

Visit of our long time friends and colleagues from Opole University, Poland

I had another opportunity to visit Kaye College in Beersheva in May 2022 thanks to Erasmus+ KA107 funding we received at the University of Opole. I am a Polish sociologist and the UO leader of the networked Diversity and Migrations FORTHEM European Universities Alliance, so I am always keen on visiting the Multicultural Center and learning and being inspired by the complicated, yet fascinating diversity of Israel. On the first day, I visited teachers in Rahat, where I had a talk about teachers training and increasing diversity in Polish classrooms. On the second day I was included in the yearly trip for Israeli and Arab students, to different and very diverse places, like an unrecognized village and a school there or a kibbutz. We had fantastic discussions there. I also had a public lecture on the dynamics of migration to Poland and the reception of refugees from different backgrounds – Muslim countiries and Ukraine alike. It resonated very well with the reality of multicultural Beersheba and its fascinating ethnic composition. In my free time, I wandered around the city and explored its stunning brutalist architecture.

Dr. Michał Wanke, Department of Cultural Studies, University of Opole

An international guest workshop on the topic of dialogue and democracy in education

In May 2022, Dr. Ana Marjanovic-Shane, a Fulbright Scholar and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Dialogic Pedagogy Journal, visited Kaye College and held a fascinating workshop for faculty members about the topic of dialogue and democracy in education. The session sparked a lively discussion around topics of dialogic education, democratic schools, and the students’ academic rights in education.

An example of topics that were discussed is presented below:

Issues of Dialogic Pedagogy: Why do we need dialogic pedagogy? Can education be dialogic? Can education ever be non-dialogic? Issues of education and meaning-making. Ethical ontological dialogue vs critical epistemological dialogue in education; Socio cultural approaches to meaning making; Kantian Paradox: Should people who are ignorant, uneducated, should be ruled by the others who are knowledgeable (i.e., who share the conventional official scientific knowledge) or not, why and why not? Teacher Student relationships and dialogue in education; Developing Internally persuasive discourse (IPD, Bakhtin); Transformation of the student’s status in dialogic pedagogy, from an object of pedagogical action to a consciousness with equal rights, and (co)author of pedagogical practice; Authorial agency in education. Limits of dialogic pedagogy.

Issues of democratic education: Why should we have democracy in education? And why not? Students’ academic freedoms vs Kantian paradox: Progressivist educators (especially in ECE) would like Kantian approach: “Discuss all you want, but when it comes to decisions about life and education, obey!” Prussian King Friederichs; or Rousseau’s approach: make the student think that that’s what they want but it is what you want for them. Can education be democratic? Diverse answers by A.S. Neill, D. Greenberg, J. Rietmulder, J. Dewey etc.

Here are Dr. Marjanovic-Shane's contact details:

Ana Marjanovic-Shane

anamshane@gmail.com
+1-267-334-2905 (WhatsApp)

The following are some of the sources mentioned during the session:

To enroll in the EduBookClub, please fill out the following form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdf8Degzr_piXmrCQ0k8HclK6sicaicB1sIx824gEka6dlzog/viewform?usp=sf_link

To suggest books/articles for discussion at Current Books/Articles suggestion list 2022
Check recordings of the past EduBookClubMeetings: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zGRNeg23XN5VLVraXA2nerL399I-phSZ1HZbnBAi8rg/edit?usp=sharing

To find out more about the University of Students (UniS) and its other Edu-Clubs visit: https://universityofstudents.org/

These are three Facebook groups relevant to the topic of dialogic pedagogy:
University of student

Dialogical pedagogy

ASDL self-directed learning

Sam Fisher is our new Fulbright grant ETA at Kaye College for the 2022 academic year .

He tutors in various English classes for students and faculty members, such as our newly developed EMI course.

In addition, he speaks fluent Arabic and attends an Arabic Literature course at the Arabic Department.

Sam is very eager to learn and get acquainted with the different cultures in this country.

He has recently initiated a culture club open to all students at Kaye College who want to share their passion for and interest in English together.

This is the first part, out of many we hope, of his Travel Diary in Israel

"Hello everyone,

I am settled in here in Be'er Sheva after arriving here at the beginning of March. I teach a number of classes here at the English department at Kaye, and I even am taking an Arabic class at the college. I took the break this past month to travel and see more of the country, and below are some memories from the last month:

I have traveled all across the country in the last month. First, at the beginning of Ramadan, I was warmly invited to have Iftar with my Arabic professor Saleem Abu Jaber at his home in Kafr Qasm. He took me around the city, showed me the old masjid, and even showed me the school he went to as a kid.

Later in the month, during the Passover break, I traveled up North to visit a friend who has a farm near Rosh Pinna. I stopped in Nazareth on the way up north for a night to a friend who is in the same program as me. Just like how I teach at Kaye College, he teaches in Baqa Al-Gharbiyye at Al-Qasemi College. Later in the week, I West through the mountains to go to a Passover seder with my friend's family in Me'ona. It was a very good trip, and I had an abundance of opportunities to learn about Jewish and Muslim cultures, from hearing the stories of Bedouins whose fathers and ancestors were from the Hula Valley, to experiencing the retelling of the Passover seder in Israel.

This past week I attended one final Iftar before Eid in Kseifa. I travelled to my friend's house, talked with his family and had a wonderful meal. The meal of course was followed by an abundance of tea and coffee and sweets. I had homemade Kadaif for the first time, and it was delicious. 

I have many more things to see and learn here in Be'er Sheva. 

Until next time,

Sam"

January, 2020

During January of 2020, we have had an interesting visit by Professor Alexander G. Bermous, a colleague from the Department of Pedagogy at the Southern Federal University located in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Professor Bermous holds a Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Pedagogical Sciences. His fields of interest include factors of success and innovation processes in the context of national education, methodological problems of modernization of education, dialogue between different historical and cultural traditions in the field of education, and standardization and design in teacher education.

During his visit with us Professor Bermous met Prof. Lea Kozminsky, Kaye College President, and with other faculty members from different areas. It has been agreed that our two institutions will sign a MOU agreement, and that we will invest our joint interest in seeking the developing the following possible collaborative areas: Diversity and Multicultural education; Development of 21st-century skills; Teaching Mathematics; and Promoting cooperation between schools.

As part of our long lasting and fruitful mobility agreement with Opole University in Poland, during November, 2019, two colleagues: Prof. Ewa Piechurska-Kuciel and Dr. Magdalena Szyszka, visited the English Department at Kaye College.  During their visit with us our guests watched and taught in a number of classes at the English Department, visited local schools, and met with the English Department faculty.

At the beginning of 2019-2020 academic year, both The English Department and English for Academic Purposes Department at Kaye College were joined in by Ms. Hanna Lamm, a new English teaching assistance (ETA), who is the recipient of the distinguished Fulbright Program. Ms. Lamm, who arrived in Israel from Pittsburg, USA, will reside in Beer Sheva for the duration of the year.

Below you can read some of Hanna's thoughts on her visit with us so far:

Kaye College's last annual Faculty Day, which was held at the beginning of the 2019-2020 academic year, was dedicated to the topic of student-faculty pedagogic partnership.

Our key speaker at the event was a world renowned expert on the subject: Prof. Alison Cook-Sather. During the day, Prof. Cook-Sather gave talks about “Respect, Reciprocity, and Shared Responsibility in Context: How to Build a Student-Faculty Pedagogical Partnership Program,” and “Working toward Greater Equity and Inclusivity through Pedagogical Partnership.”

On the next day of her visit, Prof. Cook-Sather led a number of workshops with students and faculty, veteran and new partners alike, who shared their insights regarding participation in the student-faculty pedagogic partnership program which has started running at the college last year, and is planned to continue and expand.

By: Dr. Olzan Goldstein

During 19-22 of March, Kaye College hosted Prof. Eero Ropo, a professor of education in the University of Tampere, Finland. Prof. Ropo is a world renowned expert – his research deals in the professional development of teachers, training teachers, planning curriculums and integrating technology into education. Prof. Ropo's activities are varied and many in number. He serves as a consultant for education ministries in the field of teacher training programs in many countries: New Zeeland, China, Indonesia, Argentina and more. During 2017 he organized the European conference of educational researchers European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction and served as chairman of said conference.

As part of his trip, Prof. Ropo met with students and lecturers from the college, lectured in the forum of "Breaking Boundaries" and visited the elementary school "Gevim" where students from Kaye College get their teaching experience.

In his meeting with the students, Prof. Ropo told them of the educational system in Finland and developed a discussion with the students where many questions were asked. The students were curious to know what is the cause of success in the Finnish education system. They assumed that the education system attracted quality teachers due to high salaries, but Prof. Ropo mentioned that the teacher's salary is close to the national average. As to the question of the reasons for the student's success in international tests, Prof. Ropo answered that the quality of the teachers is key. Teachers in Finland enjoy a very high status and that's why there is a lot of competition between the candidates for teaching positions, as only a tenth of them are accepted to Educational Studies in a university. In addition, a master's degree is a prerequisite for entry into the profession.

Another significant factor in the quality of teaching is the teacher's autonomy. In Finland, the Ministry of Education gives general instructions – a roadmap of sorts – in regard to the curriculum, and every teacher builds their own curriculum and their own methods of teaching and evaluating students. This way teachers develop creativity and take responsibility for their student progress. There is a lot of collaboration between teachers both in teams within the school and in the professional community through digital communication on professional networks. It is interesting to note that there is no mandatory participation in a continuous education program – every teacher is in charge of their own professional development.

In Finland, the education system trusts their teachers fully and there is no supervision in place for teachers and schools. A teacher does not have to fill out forms and reports like teachers in Israel do, which takes up a lot of their time, time that could have been used to focus on their students. Training teachers in Finland puts a strong emphasis on developing research skills and sees research as a significant mechanism for professional development. Teachers continue to research their work throughout their lives.

In the forum meeting of "Breaking Boundaries" Prof. Eero Ropo introduced the narrative approach in constructing the professional knowledge of teaching students. He mentioned that when training teachers in Finland there is an emphasis on the importance of developing the teacher's personal and professional identity, therefore, learning activities often combine learning from personal stories. In his opinion cooperative learning in a narrative process develops in several stages: describing an event, interpretation (which allows a deeper understanding), reflecting on the experiences, personal and group insights.

Prof. Eero's visit is a result of a continuous collaboration that began in 2014 in the framework of the international project called IRIS – Fostering Academic International Relations in Israeli Colleges to Promote Education, Research and Innovation, that was supported by the European foundation TEMPUS. The goal of the project was to empower Israeli colleges by strengthening international relations with educational institutions abroad. In the project participated 15 institutions – 7 of them Israeli.

 Following the connections that developed in the project I got in touch with Prof. Eero Ropo. We started a joint research project that dealt with the professional identity of teachers. This collaboration continued in studies on integrating teleprocessing in teaching by teaching students in Tampere University and in Kaye College and in a study on the unification of teacher training institutions with other institutions in Israel and Finland. The results of these three research projects were displayed in three international conferences and we have continued to work on joint publications.

The connection between us served as the basis for organizing a delegation of students and lecturers from Kaye College that visited Tampere University during May, 2016, as per Prof. Ropo's invitation. The purpose of the visit was to get to know the educational system and teacher training up close. During the visit the members of the delegation met the head of the education faculty, Prof. Risto Honkanen, staff members and students. We also visited two schools and a media arts center as well. The visit created unforgettable impressions and learning experiences and the members of the delegation shared their experiences with the college's students and lecturers after returning from Finland.

The visit of Kaye College's president, Prof. Lea Kozminsky, at Tampere University in 2017 also contributed to strengthening the connection between the two institutions. Prof. Kozminsky participated in the conference of the European Association for Learning and Teaching which the Tampere University staff organized, and was headed by Prof. Ropo. Prof. Kozminsky met the head of the Education faculty Prof. Risto Honkanen and they shared with each other information about the processes taking place in their institutions. They expressed interest in broadening the collaboration between the institutions that resulted in Prof. Ropo's visit to Kaye College during March 2018.

In order to expand the cooperation between Tampere University and Kaye College, prior to Prof. Ropo's visit a survey was conducted among the lecturers in both institutions to assess the extent of their interest in cooperation in research and teaching. As a result of the survey two mixed groups of lecturers from both institutions were created and this process will continue in the future.

The contact and cooperation between the staff and students of both institutions contributes to the mutual learning and broadening horizons.

By: Dr. Liron Ohayon-Shokty, Dr. Inna Smirnov & Regina Benchetrit

Following the four-year partnership between the Kaye Academic College of Education and the University of Opole, Poland, five Polish faculty members visited the Kaye College this year.

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During January Kaye College was visited by Dr. Michał Wanke, Sociologist and coordinator of international programs at the University of Opole. Dr. Wanke visited schools in communities of Hura and Darijat, toured the area and met with local educators. He also visited various classes of the English specialty and met with faculty members for a fruitful discussion on the issues of multiculturalism and the possibilities of joint research on the subject.

In March came Dr. Tomsz Sutarzewicz, a linguist and lecturer in the English department at the University of Opole. Dr. Sutarzewicz taught the English specialty students a few fascinating classes which was a wonderful opportunity for them to be exposed to a different teaching style and new materials.

Dr. Magdalena Szyszka from the Opole University visited Israel in May this year. Dr. Szyszka holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics, teaches English as a foreign language and deals with teacher training. As part of her visit, she met with Dr. Liron Shokty-Ohayon, Dr. Inna Smirnov and Ms. Regina Benchetrit. The goal of this meeting was to sum up the collaboration between our two institutions and to further discuss future collaboration opportunities and research. In addition, Dr. Magdalena Szyszka visited two junior-high schools – Alrazi in the Bedouin sector and Mekif Zain in the Jewish sector, where she observed our students’ lessons, attended an English Day organized by the students and had meetings with the English staff.

During the last day of her visit Dr. Szyszka delivered a workshop to all the students in the English Department on 'Teaching Phonological Awareness to Young Learners' (see video below).

During May Kaye College received two visitors from Opole University for a recurring visit, Prof. Izabella Pisarek, Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Opole, and Dr. Elżbieta Szymańska-Czaplak, Vice-Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Faculty of Philology, University of Opole. As part of their visit, they met with Dr. Inna Smirnov, Head of the Junior-High School Educational Program, Pedagogic Advisor and Lecturer in the English Department and Ms. Regina Benchetrit, Head of the Center for Students with Special Educational Needs, Head of the Department of English for Academic Purposes, Remedial Teaching Specialist and Lecturer in the English Department. The goal of this meeting was to sum up collaboration between our two institutions and to further discuss future collaboration opportunities and research.

Among collaborative projects discussed, multi participant project including Poland, Spain, Germany, Greece and Israel was discussed. The application for a grant to fund this project, was submitted in March 2018. The possibility of students' exchange for various periods of time (from two weeks to a semester) was discussed as well. The execution of students' exchange program depends on signing of an agreement on mutual recognition of credits for courses studied.  We also discussed the visits that did not succeed. These visits were of two Israeli students from the English internship to the University of Opole. We thought together about the reasons and possible solutions to this problem. In conclusion, the visit was fruitful and successful. The Polish partners expressed their satisfaction with the visit to the college as well as the pleasant experience of touring the landscapes of our country.

By: Dr. Liron Ohayon-Shokty

During May, a delegation of functionaries in the field of education from various South American countries visited the College, hosted by the International Channel at Mofet Institute. The delegation included the administrators and educational staff of Jewish educational institutions from South America; the delegation came to attend a seminar titled “Initiatives and Innovation at the 70th Anniversary of Israel's Independence Day.” The visit at Kaye College focused on the value of “The Integration of Minorities in the Educational System.” Guests were informed about the integration of Bedouins as students and lecturers by various staff members, Jewish and Arab. The visit was crowned with success and guests felt that they had learned a lot from the experience of the College, and gained knowledge that was relevant to them as administrators and teachers handling classes integrating immigrant and underprivileged students, with implications for their countries as well.

By: Dr. Mark Applebaum

During May, a delegation of senior functionaries of the education system in Azerbaijan came to the College on a lightning visit. The delegation included the following people, among others:

Mr Mikayil Jabbarov –  Minister of Education (2013 – 2017) and now Minister of Taxes

Mr. Elmir Valizada – Dep. Min. of transport, comm. and high tech.

Mr. Mukhtar Mammadov – Head of staff of the Min. of Edu.

Mrs. Nargiz Nasrullayeva – Adviser to executive director of SOFAZ (State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan)

Mr. Fariz Rzayev – Deputy head of the Secretariat of the First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accompanied the delegation, including the (former) Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mr. Michael Lotem. The objective of the visit was to get acquainted with the work of Kaye College as a leading institution in training teachers and to discuss ways for future collaboration. The meeting at the College took place in the presence of the President of the College, Prof. Lea Kozminsky, and the staff of various disciplines who presented different aspects of the College’s work. The meeting was held in a genial atmosphere and both sides expressed their willingness to cooperate further.

By: Dr. Liron Ohayon-Shokty and Sharon Steinberg

During May, Prof. Rosalind Horowitz our long-standing colleague from the University of Texas, San Antonio came on a visit. Prof. Horowitz, who in involved in the field of discourse, language proficiency and linguistics maintains ongoing contact with colleagues from Kaye College. International online cooperation between the students of the course she leads at UTSA and between students specializing in English at Kaye College, headed by Dr. Doron Narkiss, is already expected to be initiated this academic year. During her recent visit at the College, Prof. Horowitz held a meeting with various senior staff members, including Dr. Sharon Steinberg and Dr. Nurit Basman-Mor, on the topic of “The Pedagogy of Peace, with Dr. Teresa Lewin on the topic of academic language proficiency and with Mr. Mueen Fakhereldeen on the topic of multiculturalism.

Further to the collaborations that have existed for three years between the Kaye Academic College of Education and Opole University in Poland, two representatives of Opole University arrived in May 2017: Vice-Rector Prof. Elżbieta Pisarek and Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs Dr. Elżbieta Szymanska-Czaplak. In December, sociologist Dr. Michal Wanke, who is responsible for devising international programs at Opole University, also visited Kaye Academic College. Three more visits by our Polish colleagues are planned in 2018, and four Kaye Academic staff members are due to visit Opole University this year as well.

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The stepping up of cooperation will include the formulation of a three-year project with many participants that will include Poland, Spain, Germany, Finland, and Israel. A request for a grant to fund this project within the framework of the European Union's Erasmus+ program will be submitted in March 2018.

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A trip by two of the students majoring in English is currently being planned for the purpose of studying at Opole University in the framework of a student exchange program, financed by the EU, for one semester.

A Visit by a Teacher from High Tech High to the College

In December 2017, Mr. Don Mackay visited the College as a representative of the High Tech High (HTH) chain of schools. Mackay is a STEM teacher from a High Tech High school. He teaches various aspects of engineering technology in the use of energy to 12th grade students.

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Mr. Mackay joined Yaacov Shneider, head of High Tech High Friends in Israel, for a visit to the College. Dr. Vered Yephlach-Wiskerman and Dr. Mark Applebaum took part in the visit. During the visit, topics of sustainability and multiculturalism at the College were presented to the guest through a tour of educational facilities at the College, with an emphasis on project-based learning in two languages – Hebrew and Arabic. The tour included a visit to the main building of the College, with a presentation of the cranes project at the entrance to the building and of the health stickers distributed throughout the first floor and the stairs. Later in the visit, Mr. Mackay was impressed by the various sections of

the botanical garden, including the story path, and the biomimicry and musical instruments path. He also visited the art building and was hosted in a ceramics workshop.

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At the end of the tour, a meeting was held with Mr. Mackay and Kaye Academic College President Prof. Lea Kosminsky on the subject of “The High-Tech Community and Kaye Academic College.” Dr. Netzach Farbiash, director of the Carasso Science Park in Beer Sheva, also participated in the meeting, at which the participants discussed STEM teaching in schools and teacher training.

During November 2017 we were excited to host Mr. Daryl Davis and his presentation of "The Power of Music to overcome Violence, Racism and Stereotypes – through jazz, blues and rock-n-roll". This was a special program brought to us by the U.S. Embassy, with the help of Ms. Risa Levy, Cultural Program Specialist at the embassy.

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Daryl Davis was born in the Electric Blues Capital of the world, Chicago Illinois; He absorbed the influences of the South from musicians who traveled north from the Mississippi Delta, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Missouri to this Blues Mecca.

In addition to being a pianist and vocalist, Daryl is an actor, lecturer, author of the nonfiction book "Klan-Destine Relationships", and the subject of the new documentary film "Accidental Courtesy".

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On a quest to do nothing more than explore racism and gather information for his book, Daryl Davis eventually became the recipient of robes and hoods from Klan members who came to rescind their beliefs after coming to know him. Davis had inadvertently stumbled upon a successful method of forming friendships between sworn enemies.

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Filled with exciting encounters and amusing anecdotes, Davis’ impassioned lectures leaves an audience feeling empowered to confront their own prejudices and overcome their fears. They leave the lecture seeking and hopefully finding a common ground, to help forge peace with their most unlikely adversaries.

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Attending this special program were Kaye College students who participate in the REGEV excellence program, various staff members of the college and a group of visiting pupils from a high school in Ramla City.

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During his  musical performance, Daryl shared with us the story of his life and workings through live music that he played and riveting stories that he told. At the end of the lecture many stayed behind to ask him questions and hear more about Davis' fascinating journey to eradicate racism through peaceful talks and understanding.

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The event, along with an interview with Mr. Davis at the college, was filmed by Channel 11 KAN news team and the story was broadcast on national television that week.

The Faculty Day that opened the 2017-2018 school year was dedicated to the quality of teaching in the college.

To this Faculty Day was invited Dr. Marian McCarthy of Cork University in Ireland.

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The purpose of this day was to raise for discussion the subject of the faculty's quality of teaching in the college, while introducing concepts that are accepted in the academic world today.

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Dr. McCarthy opened this event with a short lecture in which she dealt with the connection between teaching and research and the need to research our pedagogical work and publicize the accumulated information in this field.

After this, the participants split up to four groups in which they discussed the following four main questions:

What is the relationship between teaching, learning and research?

How do we document and research teaching and learning?

How do we know what our students know and understand?

How can we find a balance in our teaching and research lives so that we can live them more and enjoy our teaching and research?

​

This day of learning was finished off by joining the concepts that were discussed in the morning to the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) model, which was introduced by Dr. Marian later that day in a small workshop.

As part of a three year ongoing collaboration between Kaye Academic College and the University of Opole, Poland, two representatives from the Opole University visited Israel in May this year (2017)-  Prof. Izabella Pisarek, Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Opole, and Dr. Elżbieta Szymańska-Czaplak, Vice-Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Faculty of Philology,University of Opole.

​

As part of their visit, they met with Dr.Liron Shokty-Ohayon, Head of the Office of International Academic Relations, Head of the English Department and Erasmus+ IN2IT Project Coordinator;  Dr. Inna Smirnov, Head of the Junior-High School Educational Program, Pedagogic Advisor and Lecturer in the English Department and Ms. Regina Benchetrit, Head of the Center for Students with Special Educational Needs, Head of the Department of English for Academic Purposes, Remedial Teaching Specialist and Lecturer in the English Department. The goal of this meeting was to sum up collaboration between our two institutions and to further discuss future collaboration opportunities and research. Among collaborative projects discussed, multi participant project including Poland, Spain, Germany, Finland and Israel was discussed. The application for a grant to fund this project, will be submitted in March 2018. The possibility of students exchange for various periods of time (from two weeks to a semester) was discussed as well. The execution of students exchange program depends on signing of an agreement on mutual recognition of credits for courses studied. Also, there was a meeting between the Polish guests and second and third year students from the English Department. The students were exposed to various possibilities of studying at Opole University as well as students’ life on campus. It should be noted that the Israeli students expressed interest in the possibility to study at the University of Opole.

​

The visit was summarized at a meeting with Prof. Lea Kozminsky, College President,  and Dr. Orly Keren, Deputy President for Academic Affairs. Various possibilities for cooperation between the two institutions were raised during the meeting, as well as the possibility of accompanying collaboration by joint research.

​

In conclusion, the visit was fruitful and successful. Our partners from Poland have expressed their satisfaction with the visit.

In February, the UK Task Force delegation landed in Israel for a visit and closer look at coexistence in the Negev. Kaye Academic College of Education was one of the places the task force chose to visit, in order to witness the cooperation between Jewish and Bedouin students firsthand.

The UK Task Force on issues relating to Arab citizens of Israel is an umbrella coalition of organizations that are dedicated to the welfare of Israel and its security. Its objectives include raising awareness among the Jewish community in the UK of issues related to Arab citizens of Israel and to assist in establishing partnerships that promote equal opportunities for the Arab minority in Israel.

The coalition was established in March 2010 by several organizations that constitute its Executive Committee, including: The Board of Deputies of British Jews, New Israel Fund UK, Pears Foundation, The UK Friends of the Abraham Fund Initiatives and the United Jewish Israel Appeal. The UK Task Force is modeled after the North American Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues (IATF).

In February 2017, a delegation of the UK Task Force arrived for a visit in Israel to learn and research issues related to the Bedouin community in the Negev. The delegation included representatives of Jewish community leaders in Britain, rabbis, youth workers, representatives of charities, business people and philanthropists. As part of their  study tour of the Negev, the group visited Kaye Academic College of Education in Be’er Sheva, which maintains a unique educational model to advance coexistence between Jewish and Bedouin students. The delegation was welcomed by students who learn in the various tracks who took them on a tour of the campus. The tour included explanations of the different fields of study and specializations, as well as descriptions of the special atmosphere at the college and the unique projects that bring Jews and Bedouins to study and enjoy interactive activities together.

Later on, the delegation was addressed by Prof. Lea Kozminsky, President of the college, who presented the college’s vision of coexistence and its academic achievements over its 63 years of operation.

The members of the delegation were moved by the personal account of Dr. Amal Abu-Saad, who recounted her experience as a student at Kaye College who later returned to the college as a lecturer and became the head of the Kindergarten Education Training Program for the Bedouin sector.

They also heard the story of Ibrahim Izberga, a student in the English department who, in the face of personal challenges, decided to drop out of the college, and was supported by the college and the Dean of Students, who refused to “give up on him.”

Lior, a student in the Regev Excellence Program, spoke of his personal experience encountering students from a different culture, his friendship with them and the idea of interacting with those who are different than yourself.

Luvna Jarjawy, a graduate of Kaye College, described her successful and empowering experience studying at Kaye College.

Ms. Toni Rickenback, Director of the UK Task Force, thanked Prof. Kozminsky on behalf of the entire delegation for the warm welcome and stated that they had been deeply moved by Kaye College and its breakthrough approach that combines academic excellence with social and community action.

In January, colleagues from John Abbott College in Quebec, Canada visited the College. As part of their visit to Israel, the institution’s representatives met with various organizations involved in humanitarian efforts, and visited Kaye as an institute that champions inclusion and multiculturalism.

The delegation included faculty members from the Canadian institution and two German colleagues. The delegation met with members of the internationalization staff at the College and practical issues related to inclusion, coexistence and multiculturalism at the College were addressed.

The visitors were very impressed with the diverse activity at Kaye College and by our rich, sustainable experience in multicultural learning and coexistence.

We are currently discussing various options for international collaboration.

In May, 2016 Euromed delegation visited The Center for Parenting and Family at Kaye College. Euromed organization's purpose is to promotes the mobility of young people and the understanding between peoples.

The focus of the visit was learning about coping strategies within the Bedouin community with issues pertaining to family, parenting, teenagers and children, and the processes and changes this community undergoes. The assistance and support offered by the center was presented in detail by graduates of the program for parenting group facilitation.

In May, 2016 Apple expert, Mr. Joe Moretti from Apple UK, visited at the college for two days. During his visit Mr. Moretti delivered various workshops dedicated to the use of iPads for educational purposes. The workshops included both faculty members and students, and proved to be a great success. Participants gained practical knowledge on new iPad tools and innovative approaches to teaching, mainly by utilizing traditional tools such as PPT and Word in new, exciting and engaging ways.

In March, 2016 two distinguished colleagues, Prof. Pauline Kollontai and Dr. Susan Yore, from York St. John University in England visited at the college.

During their visit Prof. Kollontai and Dr. Yore met with members of Kaye College's internationalization core team, and with students of the English Department who took part in a collaborative project held during the Fall semester.

Prof. Kollontai and Dr. Yore concluding their visit with a talk they gave  titled "Look, Listen and Report: The UK Education Sect and Anti-Terrorism" dealing with the role which UK educationalists across the sector (schools, FE Colleges and Universities) are expected to play in identifying and preventing students from becoming radicalized.

During March of 2016  we have had the pleasure of having Ms. Jade White from High Tech schools network High San Diegoas as a guest speaker which taught a workshop on 'Teacher Training & Mentoring – The Methods Class'.

During the workshop principal ideas and methods pertaining to Project-Based Learning (PBL) were explored and discussed.

For further information and for rhe presentation displayed during the session please visit the following link:

At the beginning of May 2015, a six-member delegation visited the college from York St. John University in England. The delegation’s visit was part of a joint seminar that took place at the college on the topic of multiculturalism in education.

During the three-day seminar, the participants, faculty members at York St. John University and Kaye College, presented various topics, such as: multicultural research; educational challenges today; unique management styles in the Arab sector; the center for multiculturalism at the college; religion, multiculturalism and democracy; minority rights; dialogue on rights and identity; a comparative look at the Bible and the Quran; national identity in a multicultural society, and more.

At the seminar, a collaborative project of Kaye College’s English Department and York St. John University’s Theology and Religious Studies Department was presented by lecturers from both institutions.

At the end of the seminar, the guests went on a tour of the Negev organized by the college faculty. The delegation visited Masada, Nahal David and the Dead Sea. Several ideas were raised to further solidify and broaden the relationships developed during the trip, including continuing and further developing collaboration between Kaye College’s English Department and the members of the Theology and Religious Studies Department at York St. John University, as well as collaboration in research.

Two members of the TEMPUS-DOIT project for the advancement of multiculturalism at institutes of higher education, Bernadette Tijnagel and Gerbert Sipman from the College of Education in Arnhem, Netherlands, visited the college in May of 2015 as guests of the Multicultural Studies Department.

Two of the department’s members, department head Miriam Schildkraut and Mueen Fakheredeen, represent the college in this project. During their visit, the guests were exposed to different aspects of the college’s operations related to the broad topic of multiculturalism.

They sat in on a course entitled “Multicultural Aspects of Linguistics” given in the English Department, and took part in a lively conversation with the students about the educational system in the Netherlands in general, and specifically on the subject of dealing with multiculturalism.

The guests also visited the Evaluation Department, where they heard Dr. Yehudit Zamir speak about the department’s operations from a multicultural perspective. Additionally, the guests made three trips outside of the college. One trip was to Rahat, led by Nurit Kohavi, where the guests met Bedouin mothers participating in the Parenting Project managed by the college.

Another trip was to the Hagar Project in Be’er Sheva, where the guests met students and teachers from the bilingual Arab-Jewish school. Finally, an especially moving visit took place at the village of Darjat, where the local principal invited everyone on the tour to his house for lunch.

The visit was concluded with a meeting with Professor Lea Kozminsky, president of the college, and Dr. Liron Shokty, head of the Office of International Academic Relations. During this meeting, the participants discussed possibilities for solidifying collaborations in research and education.

In March of 2015, the Educational Induction Unit and the Shvilim Program hosted a group of educators from several countries (such as India, China, Georgia, Colombia, Nepal, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Peru, Thailand and more) participating in an international seminar in Israel on the topic of: “Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Education System.”

The group stayed at the Ofry Center, a branch of the Israeli Agency for International Aid and Collaboration, in conjunction with the R&D Department School for Educational Experiments and Initiatives, part of the Ministry of Education’s Pedagogical Administration.

The encounter with the group opened with an introduction to the college via the college’s message board, followed by a visit to the Shvilim Program’s ecological space and a tour of an exhibition in the art building. The group continued on to hear about Kaye College’s pedagogical philosophy, the Shvilim Program and the work with new teachers that is done by the Educational Induction Unit.

The dialogue that ensued focused on the educational approaches of both our college and of the educators representing their various countries. The guests shared the challenges that they face in their countries of origin: the need for in-depth work at the early childhood stage, dealing with a heterogenic population and the need to train proper, quality teachers and keep them in the educational system.

They expressed an interest in the population that we work with, and especially asked questions about the Bedouin population and how we incorporate students from different cultures under one pedagogical roof. The guests were very interested in training programs for new teachers, and it was apparent that the ideas they learned during their visit to the college could be useful and applicable in their countries of origin.

At a study seminar hosted by Kaye College in January, Randy Scherer and Melissa Agudelo, two teachers from the high tech schools network High San Diego, taught six workshops. They were attended by representatives from the Ministry of Education, teachers and lecturers from the college.

During the workshops, various topics were presented and a short practice experience was offered.

The workshops dealt with a wide range of subjects related to Project-Based Learning (PBL) – planning projects, advancing collaborative learning and teamwork, running projects in heterogenic classrooms, advancing learning skills, advancing writing skills and working as “critical colleagues.”

Several guiding principles of high tech schools were emphasized, including: in-depth familiarity with the students, adapting the learning method to the students’ level in a heterogenic setting, creating authentic projects that are strongly rooted in the community, demanding in-depth learning and upholding national standards.

In addition, the instructors emphasized that at these schools, the teachers are given autonomy to design the projects and learning processes as they see fit, according to their training. This exposes the students to a variety of methods and the teachers are able to further issues that are of importance to them.

By: Dr. Liron Ohayon-Shokty, Dr. Inna Smirnov & Regina Benchetrit

Following the four-year partnership between the Kaye Academic College of Education and the University of Opole, Poland, five Polish faculty members visited the Kaye College this year.

​

During January Kaye College was visited by Dr. Michał Wanke, Sociologist and coordinator of international programs at the University of Opole. Dr. Wanke visited schools in communities of Hura and Darijat, toured the area and met with local educators. He also visited various classes of the English specialty and met with faculty members for a fruitful discussion on the issues of multiculturalism and the possibilities of joint research on the subject.

In March came Dr. Tomsz Sutarzewicz, a linguist and lecturer in the English department at the University of Opole. Dr. Sutarzewicz taught the English specialty students a few fascinating classes which was a wonderful opportunity for them to be exposed to a different teaching style and new materials.

Dr. Magdalena Szyszka from the Opole University visited Israel in May this year. Dr. Szyszka holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics, teaches English as a foreign language and deals with teacher training. As part of her visit, she met with Dr. Liron Shokty-Ohayon, Dr. Inna Smirnov and Ms. Regina Benchetrit. The goal of this meeting was to sum up the collaboration between our two institutions and to further discuss future collaboration opportunities and research. In addition, Dr. Magdalena Szyszka visited two junior-high schools – Alrazi in the Bedouin sector and Mekif Zain in the Jewish sector, where she observed our students’ lessons, attended an English Day organized by the students and had meetings with the English staff.

During the last day of her visit Dr. Szyszka delivered a workshop to all the students in the English Department on 'Teaching Phonological Awareness to Young Learners' (see video below).

During May Kaye College received two visitors from Opole University for a recurring visit, Prof. Izabella Pisarek, Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Opole, and Dr. Elżbieta Szymańska-Czaplak, Vice-Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Faculty of Philology, University of Opole. As part of their visit, they met with Dr. Inna Smirnov, Head of the Junior-High School Educational Program, Pedagogic Advisor and Lecturer in the English Department and Ms. Regina Benchetrit, Head of the Center for Students with Special Educational Needs, Head of the Department of English for Academic Purposes, Remedial Teaching Specialist and Lecturer in the English Department. The goal of this meeting was to sum up collaboration between our two institutions and to further discuss future collaboration opportunities and research.

Among collaborative projects discussed, multi participant project including Poland, Spain, Germany, Greece and Israel was discussed. The application for a grant to fund this project, was submitted in March 2018. The possibility of students' exchange for various periods of time (from two weeks to a semester) was discussed as well. The execution of students' exchange program depends on signing of an agreement on mutual recognition of credits for courses studied.  We also discussed the visits that did not succeed. These visits were of two Israeli students from the English internship to the University of Opole. We thought together about the reasons and possible solutions to this problem. In conclusion, the visit was fruitful and successful. The Polish partners expressed their satisfaction with the visit to the college as well as the pleasant experience of touring the landscapes of our country.

By: Dr. Liron Ohayon-Shokty

During May, a delegation of functionaries in the field of education from various South American countries visited the College, hosted by the International Channel at Mofet Institute. The delegation included the administrators and educational staff of Jewish educational institutions from South America; the delegation came to attend a seminar titled “Initiatives and Innovation at the 70th Anniversary of Israel's Independence Day.” The visit at Kaye College focused on the value of “The Integration of Minorities in the Educational System.” Guests were informed about the integration of Bedouins as students and lecturers by various staff members, Jewish and Arab. The visit was crowned with success and guests felt that they had learned a lot from the experience of the College, and gained knowledge that was relevant to them as administrators and teachers handling classes integrating immigrant and underprivileged students, with implications for their countries as well.

By: Dr. Mark Applebaum

During May, a delegation of senior functionaries of the education system in Azerbaijan came to the College on a lightning visit. The delegation included the following people, among others:

Mr Mikayil Jabbarov –  Minister of Education (2013 – 2017) and now Minister of Taxes

Mr. Elmir Valizada – Dep. Min. of transport, comm. and high tech.

Mr. Mukhtar Mammadov – Head of staff of the Min. of Edu.

Mrs. Nargiz Nasrullayeva – Adviser to executive director of SOFAZ (State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan)

Mr. Fariz Rzayev – Deputy head of the Secretariat of the First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accompanied the delegation, including the (former) Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mr. Michael Lotem. The objective of the visit was to get acquainted with the work of Kaye College as a leading institution in training teachers and to discuss ways for future collaboration. The meeting at the College took place in the presence of the President of the College, Prof. Lea Kozminsky, and the staff of various disciplines who presented different aspects of the College’s work. The meeting was held in a genial atmosphere and both sides expressed their willingness to cooperate further.

By: Dr. Liron Ohayon-Shokty and Sharon Steinberg

During May, Prof. Rosalind Horowitz our long-standing colleague from the University of Texas, San Antonio came on a visit. Prof. Horowitz, who in involved in the field of discourse, language proficiency and linguistics maintains ongoing contact with colleagues from Kaye College. International online cooperation between the students of the course she leads at UTSA and between students specializing in English at Kaye College, headed by Dr. Doron Narkiss, is already expected to be initiated this academic year. During her recent visit at the College, Prof. Horowitz held a meeting with various senior staff members, including Dr. Sharon Steinberg and Dr. Nurit Basman-Mor, on the topic of “The Pedagogy of Peace, with Dr. Teresa Lewin on the topic of academic language proficiency and with Mr. Mueen Fakhereldeen on the topic of multiculturalism.

Further to the collaborations that have existed for three years between the Kaye Academic College of Education and Opole University in Poland, two representatives of Opole University arrived in May 2017: Vice-Rector Prof. Elżbieta Pisarek and Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs Dr. Elżbieta Szymanska-Czaplak. In December, sociologist Dr. Michal Wanke, who is responsible for devising international programs at Opole University, also visited Kaye Academic College. Three more visits by our Polish colleagues are planned in 2018, and four Kaye Academic staff members are due to visit Opole University this year as well.

​

The stepping up of cooperation will include the formulation of a three-year project with many participants that will include Poland, Spain, Germany, Finland, and Israel. A request for a grant to fund this project within the framework of the European Union's Erasmus+ program will be submitted in March 2018.

​

A trip by two of the students majoring in English is currently being planned for the purpose of studying at Opole University in the framework of a student exchange program, financed by the EU, for one semester.

A Visit by a Teacher from High Tech High to the College

In December 2017, Mr. Don Mackay visited the College as a representative of the High Tech High (HTH) chain of schools. Mackay is a STEM teacher from a High Tech High school. He teaches various aspects of engineering technology in the use of energy to 12th grade students.

​

Mr. Mackay joined Yaacov Shneider, head of High Tech High Friends in Israel, for a visit to the College. Dr. Vered Yephlach-Wiskerman and Dr. Mark Applebaum took part in the visit. During the visit, topics of sustainability and multiculturalism at the College were presented to the guest through a tour of educational facilities at the College, with an emphasis on project-based learning in two languages – Hebrew and Arabic. The tour included a visit to the main building of the College, with a presentation of the cranes project at the entrance to the building and of the health stickers distributed throughout the first floor and the stairs. Later in the visit, Mr. Mackay was impressed by the various sections of

the botanical garden, including the story path, and the biomimicry and musical instruments path. He also visited the art building and was hosted in a ceramics workshop.

​

At the end of the tour, a meeting was held with Mr. Mackay and Kaye Academic College President Prof. Lea Kosminsky on the subject of “The High-Tech Community and Kaye Academic College.” Dr. Netzach Farbiash, director of the Carasso Science Park in Beer Sheva, also participated in the meeting, at which the participants discussed STEM teaching in schools and teacher training.

During November 2017 we were excited to host Mr. Daryl Davis and his presentation of "The Power of Music to overcome Violence, Racism and Stereotypes – through jazz, blues and rock-n-roll". This was a special program brought to us by the U.S. Embassy, with the help of Ms. Risa Levy, Cultural Program Specialist at the embassy.

​

Daryl Davis was born in the Electric Blues Capital of the world, Chicago Illinois; He absorbed the influences of the South from musicians who traveled north from the Mississippi Delta, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Missouri to this Blues Mecca.

In addition to being a pianist and vocalist, Daryl is an actor, lecturer, author of the nonfiction book "Klan-Destine Relationships", and the subject of the new documentary film "Accidental Courtesy".

​

On a quest to do nothing more than explore racism and gather information for his book, Daryl Davis eventually became the recipient of robes and hoods from Klan members who came to rescind their beliefs after coming to know him. Davis had inadvertently stumbled upon a successful method of forming friendships between sworn enemies.

​

Filled with exciting encounters and amusing anecdotes, Davis’ impassioned lectures leaves an audience feeling empowered to confront their own prejudices and overcome their fears. They leave the lecture seeking and hopefully finding a common ground, to help forge peace with their most unlikely adversaries.

​

Attending this special program were Kaye College students who participate in the REGEV excellence program, various staff members of the college and a group of visiting pupils from a high school in Ramla City.

​

During his  musical performance, Daryl shared with us the story of his life and workings through live music that he played and riveting stories that he told. At the end of the lecture many stayed behind to ask him questions and hear more about Davis' fascinating journey to eradicate racism through peaceful talks and understanding.

​

The event, along with an interview with Mr. Davis at the college, was filmed by Channel 11 KAN news team and the story was broadcast on national television that week.

The Faculty Day that opened the 2017-2018 school year was dedicated to the quality of teaching in the college.

To this Faculty Day was invited Dr. Marian McCarthy of Cork University in Ireland.

​

The purpose of this day was to raise for discussion the subject of the faculty's quality of teaching in the college, while introducing concepts that are accepted in the academic world today.

​

Dr. McCarthy opened this event with a short lecture in which she dealt with the connection between teaching and research and the need to research our pedagogical work and publicize the accumulated information in this field.

After this, the participants split up to four groups in which they discussed the following four main questions:

What is the relationship between teaching, learning and research?

How do we document and research teaching and learning?

How do we know what our students know and understand?

How can we find a balance in our teaching and research lives so that we can live them more and enjoy our teaching and research?

​

This day of learning was finished off by joining the concepts that were discussed in the morning to the UDL (Universal Design for Learning) model, which was introduced by Dr. Marian later that day in a small workshop.

As part of a three year ongoing collaboration between Kaye Academic College and the University of Opole, Poland, two representatives from the Opole University visited Israel in May this year (2017)-  Prof. Izabella Pisarek, Vice-Rector for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Opole, and Dr. Elżbieta Szymańska-Czaplak, Vice-Dean for Academic and Student Affairs, Faculty of Philology,University of Opole.

​

As part of their visit, they met with Dr.Liron Shokty-Ohayon, Head of the Office of International Academic Relations, Head of the English Department and Erasmus+ IN2IT Project Coordinator;  Dr. Inna Smirnov, Head of the Junior-High School Educational Program, Pedagogic Advisor and Lecturer in the English Department and Ms. Regina Benchetrit, Head of the Center for Students with Special Educational Needs, Head of the Department of English for Academic Purposes, Remedial Teaching Specialist and Lecturer in the English Department. The goal of this meeting was to sum up collaboration between our two institutions and to further discuss future collaboration opportunities and research. Among collaborative projects discussed, multi participant project including Poland, Spain, Germany, Finland and Israel was discussed. The application for a grant to fund this project, will be submitted in March 2018. The possibility of students exchange for various periods of time (from two weeks to a semester) was discussed as well. The execution of students exchange program depends on signing of an agreement on mutual recognition of credits for courses studied. Also, there was a meeting between the Polish guests and second and third year students from the English Department. The students were exposed to various possibilities of studying at Opole University as well as students’ life on campus. It should be noted that the Israeli students expressed interest in the possibility to study at the University of Opole.

​

The visit was summarized at a meeting with Prof. Lea Kozminsky, College President,  and Dr. Orly Keren, Deputy President for Academic Affairs. Various possibilities for cooperation between the two institutions were raised during the meeting, as well as the possibility of accompanying collaboration by joint research.

​

In conclusion, the visit was fruitful and successful. Our partners from Poland have expressed their satisfaction with the visit.

In February, the UK Task Force delegation landed in Israel for a visit and closer look at coexistence in the Negev. Kaye Academic College of Education was one of the places the task force chose to visit, in order to witness the cooperation between Jewish and Bedouin students firsthand.

The UK Task Force on issues relating to Arab citizens of Israel is an umbrella coalition of organizations that are dedicated to the welfare of Israel and its security. Its objectives include raising awareness among the Jewish community in the UK of issues related to Arab citizens of Israel and to assist in establishing partnerships that promote equal opportunities for the Arab minority in Israel.

The coalition was established in March 2010 by several organizations that constitute its Executive Committee, including: The Board of Deputies of British Jews, New Israel Fund UK, Pears Foundation, The UK Friends of the Abraham Fund Initiatives and the United Jewish Israel Appeal. The UK Task Force is modeled after the North American Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues (IATF).

In February 2017, a delegation of the UK Task Force arrived for a visit in Israel to learn and research issues related to the Bedouin community in the Negev. The delegation included representatives of Jewish community leaders in Britain, rabbis, youth workers, representatives of charities, business people and philanthropists. As part of their  study tour of the Negev, the group visited Kaye Academic College of Education in Be’er Sheva, which maintains a unique educational model to advance coexistence between Jewish and Bedouin students. The delegation was welcomed by students who learn in the various tracks who took them on a tour of the campus. The tour included explanations of the different fields of study and specializations, as well as descriptions of the special atmosphere at the college and the unique projects that bring Jews and Bedouins to study and enjoy interactive activities together.

Later on, the delegation was addressed by Prof. Lea Kozminsky, President of the college, who presented the college’s vision of coexistence and its academic achievements over its 63 years of operation.

The members of the delegation were moved by the personal account of Dr. Amal Abu-Saad, who recounted her experience as a student at Kaye College who later returned to the college as a lecturer and became the head of the Kindergarten Education Training Program for the Bedouin sector.

They also heard the story of Ibrahim Izberga, a student in the English department who, in the face of personal challenges, decided to drop out of the college, and was supported by the college and the Dean of Students, who refused to “give up on him.”

Lior, a student in the Regev Excellence Program, spoke of his personal experience encountering students from a different culture, his friendship with them and the idea of interacting with those who are different than yourself.

Luvna Jarjawy, a graduate of Kaye College, described her successful and empowering experience studying at Kaye College.

Ms. Toni Rickenback, Director of the UK Task Force, thanked Prof. Kozminsky on behalf of the entire delegation for the warm welcome and stated that they had been deeply moved by Kaye College and its breakthrough approach that combines academic excellence with social and community action.

In January, colleagues from John Abbott College in Quebec, Canada visited the College. As part of their visit to Israel, the institution’s representatives met with various organizations involved in humanitarian efforts, and visited Kaye as an institute that champions inclusion and multiculturalism.

The delegation included faculty members from the Canadian institution and two German colleagues. The delegation met with members of the internationalization staff at the College and practical issues related to inclusion, coexistence and multiculturalism at the College were addressed.

The visitors were very impressed with the diverse activity at Kaye College and by our rich, sustainable experience in multicultural learning and coexistence.

We are currently discussing various options for international collaboration.

In May, 2016 Euromed delegation visited The Center for Parenting and Family at Kaye College. Euromed organization's purpose is to promotes the mobility of young people and the understanding between peoples.

The focus of the visit was learning about coping strategies within the Bedouin community with issues pertaining to family, parenting, teenagers and children, and the processes and changes this community undergoes. The assistance and support offered by the center was presented in detail by graduates of the program for parenting group facilitation.

In May, 2016 Apple expert, Mr. Joe Moretti from Apple UK, visited at the college for two days. During his visit Mr. Moretti delivered various workshops dedicated to the use of iPads for educational purposes. The workshops included both faculty members and students, and proved to be a great success. Participants gained practical knowledge on new iPad tools and innovative approaches to teaching, mainly by utilizing traditional tools such as PPT and Word in new, exciting and engaging ways.

In March, 2016 two distinguished colleagues, Prof. Pauline Kollontai and Dr. Susan Yore, from York St. John University in England visited at the college.

During their visit Prof. Kollontai and Dr. Yore met with members of Kaye College's internationalization core team, and with students of the English Department who took part in a collaborative project held during the Fall semester.

Prof. Kollontai and Dr. Yore concluding their visit with a talk they gave  titled "Look, Listen and Report: The UK Education Sect and Anti-Terrorism" dealing with the role which UK educationalists across the sector (schools, FE Colleges and Universities) are expected to play in identifying and preventing students from becoming radicalized.

During March of 2016  we have had the pleasure of having Ms. Jade White from High Tech schools network High San Diegoas as a guest speaker which taught a workshop on 'Teacher Training & Mentoring – The Methods Class'.

During the workshop principal ideas and methods pertaining to Project-Based Learning (PBL) were explored and discussed.

For further information and for rhe presentation displayed during the session please visit the following link:

At the beginning of May 2015, a six-member delegation visited the college from York St. John University in England. The delegation’s visit was part of a joint seminar that took place at the college on the topic of multiculturalism in education.

During the three-day seminar, the participants, faculty members at York St. John University and Kaye College, presented various topics, such as: multicultural research; educational challenges today; unique management styles in the Arab sector; the center for multiculturalism at the college; religion, multiculturalism and democracy; minority rights; dialogue on rights and identity; a comparative look at the Bible and the Quran; national identity in a multicultural society, and more.

At the seminar, a collaborative project of Kaye College’s English Department and York St. John University’s Theology and Religious Studies Department was presented by lecturers from both institutions.

At the end of the seminar, the guests went on a tour of the Negev organized by the college faculty. The delegation visited Masada, Nahal David and the Dead Sea. Several ideas were raised to further solidify and broaden the relationships developed during the trip, including continuing and further developing collaboration between Kaye College’s English Department and the members of the Theology and Religious Studies Department at York St. John University, as well as collaboration in research.

Two members of the TEMPUS-DOIT project for the advancement of multiculturalism at institutes of higher education, Bernadette Tijnagel and Gerbert Sipman from the College of Education in Arnhem, Netherlands, visited the college in May of 2015 as guests of the Multicultural Studies Department.

Two of the department’s members, department head Miriam Schildkraut and Mueen Fakheredeen, represent the college in this project. During their visit, the guests were exposed to different aspects of the college’s operations related to the broad topic of multiculturalism.

They sat in on a course entitled “Multicultural Aspects of Linguistics” given in the English Department, and took part in a lively conversation with the students about the educational system in the Netherlands in general, and specifically on the subject of dealing with multiculturalism.

The guests also visited the Evaluation Department, where they heard Dr. Yehudit Zamir speak about the department’s operations from a multicultural perspective. Additionally, the guests made three trips outside of the college. One trip was to Rahat, led by Nurit Kohavi, where the guests met Bedouin mothers participating in the Parenting Project managed by the college.

Another trip was to the Hagar Project in Be’er Sheva, where the guests met students and teachers from the bilingual Arab-Jewish school. Finally, an especially moving visit took place at the village of Darjat, where the local principal invited everyone on the tour to his house for lunch.

The visit was concluded with a meeting with Professor Lea Kozminsky, president of the college, and Dr. Liron Shokty, head of the Office of International Academic Relations. During this meeting, the participants discussed possibilities for solidifying collaborations in research and education.

In March of 2015, the Educational Induction Unit and the Shvilim Program hosted a group of educators from several countries (such as India, China, Georgia, Colombia, Nepal, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Peru, Thailand and more) participating in an international seminar in Israel on the topic of: “Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Education System.”

The group stayed at the Ofry Center, a branch of the Israeli Agency for International Aid and Collaboration, in conjunction with the R&D Department School for Educational Experiments and Initiatives, part of the Ministry of Education’s Pedagogical Administration.

The encounter with the group opened with an introduction to the college via the college’s message board, followed by a visit to the Shvilim Program’s ecological space and a tour of an exhibition in the art building. The group continued on to hear about Kaye College’s pedagogical philosophy, the Shvilim Program and the work with new teachers that is done by the Educational Induction Unit.

The dialogue that ensued focused on the educational approaches of both our college and of the educators representing their various countries. The guests shared the challenges that they face in their countries of origin: the need for in-depth work at the early childhood stage, dealing with a heterogenic population and the need to train proper, quality teachers and keep them in the educational system.

They expressed an interest in the population that we work with, and especially asked questions about the Bedouin population and how we incorporate students from different cultures under one pedagogical roof. The guests were very interested in training programs for new teachers, and it was apparent that the ideas they learned during their visit to the college could be useful and applicable in their countries of origin.

At a study seminar hosted by Kaye College in January, Randy Scherer and Melissa Agudelo, two teachers from the high tech schools network High San Diego, taught six workshops. They were attended by representatives from the Ministry of Education, teachers and lecturers from the college.

During the workshops, various topics were presented and a short practice experience was offered.

The workshops dealt with a wide range of subjects related to Project-Based Learning (PBL) – planning projects, advancing collaborative learning and teamwork, running projects in heterogenic classrooms, advancing learning skills, advancing writing skills and working as “critical colleagues.”

Several guiding principles of high tech schools were emphasized, including: in-depth familiarity with the students, adapting the learning method to the students’ level in a heterogenic setting, creating authentic projects that are strongly rooted in the community, demanding in-depth learning and upholding national standards.

In addition, the instructors emphasized that at these schools, the teachers are given autonomy to design the projects and learning processes as they see fit, according to their training. This exposes the students to a variety of methods and the teachers are able to further issues that are of importance to them.