Jeff sits down with Akevy Greenblatt, Shira Leibowitz, and Brett Clark to discuss how teachers can learn to think differently about 21st century teaching methods.

Topics Covered:

• Where did the concept of teaching inside “outside the box” from?
• How did you make it happen?
• What technologies were needed to make this happen?
• What support did you need from the tech department/administration?
• How did the students interact with the guests?
• How did you prep the lesson with the students in advance?
• What was the reaction of the students during the lesson?
• What did the students comment on after the lesson?
• What were the rewards of doing a lesson like this?
• How can we encourage other teachers and districts to try thinking out of the box?
• What is the next step for lessons such as this one?

Websites and Apps Discussed:

About our Guests:

Brett Clark is the new elearning coordinator at Lodge Community School. Before that, I taught 9 years of Mathematics. My first three years, I taught 7th grade math at Sunnyside Middle School, in Lafayette, IN. Then I taught pre-algebra, algebra, and business math for three years at Evansville North High School. Finally, I ran the math remediation program at Washington Middle School for three years. I have a Bachelor of Science in Math Education from Oakland City University. I am currently working on my Master of Science Education with a specialization in professional development from Walden University. My particular interest include assessment literacy, standards-based teaching and grading, technology integration and professional development. I am avid user of social media for the purpose of collaboration and professional development. You can find me at www.twitter.com/Mr_Brett_Clark.

I have been married for eleven years and have three boys, Micah (8), Nathan (6), and Levi (2). Micah and Nathan attend Fairlawn elementary school. I am the youth pastor at Abundant Faith. I enjoy playing the bass guitar, and recently started blogging. You can find my blog atwww.educationdreamer.blogspot.com

I bring to the Learning Leadership Cadre my love for learning, my passion and enthusiasm for all things education, my desire for strong collaboration, and, my willingness to change in order to improve my work as an educator.

Rabbi Akevy Greenblatt is currently the Judaic Studies Lower School Principal and Middle school Coordinator at the Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis TN. Akevy is also part of the administrative team for the Margolin Hebrew Academy/ Finestone Yeshivas of the South, which is a Prek- 12 school.  Akevy has been involved education for the last 20 years and is a leading change agent in trying to incorporate 21st Century skills with Judaic studies.Meeting students needs and differentiated instruction is something that Akevy believes to be at the core of teaching. You can learn more about Akevy from his “Principals Post” at agreenblatt.blogspot.com  and “Beyond the Classrom Walls at akevygreenblatt.edublogs.org. You can also follow him on Twitter@Akevy613

Rabbi Shira Leibowitz, Ph.D. is Lower School Principal at Schechter Westchester in White Plains, New York. Rabbi Leibowitz attended Cornell University, graduating with a B.A. in American Studies Magna Cum Laude and with Distinction in all subjects.  Rabbi Leibowitz was ordained as a rabbi from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and completed a Master of Philosophy and a Ph.D. in Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

Rabbi Leibowitz held a number of positions in education prior to arriving at Schechter Westchester.  She served as Education Director at Camp Ramah in New England and then as Assistant Director of the National Ramah camping movement featuring both day and sleep away camps throughout the United States as well as in Canada and Israel.  She served as Judaic Studies Department Chair and taught both Bible and Rabbinic Literature at the Solomon Schechter High School in Manhattan during the school’s first two years in existence.  Rabbi Leibowitz then served as Associate Principal at The Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union (now the Golda Och Academy). She was promoted to Lower School Principal at The Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union, the position she held immediately prior to becoming Lower School Principal at Schechter Westchester, where she has served since August, 2000.

Rabbi Leibowitz lives in White Plains with her husband, Rabbi Alfredo Borodowski, and their two children.  Rabbi Leibowitz trains in martial arts and has a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. She is a co-moderator on twitter of #educoach, a weekly conversation between prinicipals, educational coaches, and other school leaders about ways of supporting teachers to improve classroom instruction. Rabbi Leibowitz is currently writing on a book about character and values education. She speaks and writes about a wide range of topics in education.

You can follow Shira Leibowitz on twitter at www.twitter.com/shiraleibowitz and on her blog at http://schechterwestchesterlowerschool.wordpress.com/