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Learning Environments From the Inside Out: A Conference for Early Childhood Jewish Educators

Focusing on taking children into the outdoors, and bringing the outdoors to the classroom 

We're convening top professionals in the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE) to help educators deepen their Jewish knowledge of active outdoor and indoor learning in order to pass it on to the families and children they work with. This approach is part of the Federation's efforts to develop excellent leaders and practitioners by imparting the latest research, theories and best practices. Funding for this event is generously provided by the Jim Joseph Foundation.

The conference will take place January 31, 2016 - February 1, 2016 at the Osher Marin JCC in San Rafael from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM both days.

The conference includes five 1.5 hour sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon of each day. Each person will be grouped in an affinity group of up to 10 individuals and rotate through the workshops together, attending a total of four workshops throughout the two-day conference. Our goal is to have each attendee attend one indoor, one outdoor, and one art studio workshop, plus one more in one of those three categories.

If you are from out of town and need accommodations in San Rafael, please use our group rate with the Embassy Suites. Click on this link to retrieve the group rate specials.

Conference Agenda

Day 1: January 31, 2016

Conference will be kicked off at a Welcome Breakfast at the Osher Marin JCC 

*Please note: originally the welcome breakfast was going to take place at the Embassy Suites - it has relocated to the Osher Marin JCC

9:00 AM Attendees Arrive to the Osher Marin JCC, pick up their name tags and goodie bags, then gather with their assigned affinity groups at the tables and enjoy breakfast
9:30 AM  Keynote Session with Rabbi Meir Muller, Ph.D., on Jewish Environments from the Inside Out. Introduced by Janet Harris, Director of the Early Childhood Education Initiative
10:15 – 11:00 AM Reflective session 1 led by facilitators at the tables – define your learning – what do you want to get out of the conference?
11:00 – 11:30 AM Cofee Break, find your sessions
11:30 – 1:00 PM Session 1 in the Osher Marin JCC breakout rooms and the JCC Preschool San Rafael
1:00 – 2:00 PM Brown bag lunch (Hoyt Theater)
2:00 – 3:30 PM Session 2 in the Osher Marin JCC breakout rooms and the JCC Preschool San Rafael
3:30 – 3:45  PM Break
3:45 – 4:15 PM Reflective session 2 and final thoughts for the day – led by facilitators 
4:15 – 5:00 PM Book Fair (Isaacs Gallery)

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Day 2: February 1, 2016

Conference will resume in the Osher Marin JCC

9:00 AM    Attendees arrive, eat and sit at table with affinity group (Hoyt Theater)
9:30 AM   

D’var Torah, Dr. Peg Sandel, Head of School at Brandeis Marin 

Janet Harris, Director of the ECE Initiative, opens
10:00 – 10:30 AM Reflective session 3 – led by facilitators at table 
10:45 – 12:15 PM Session 3 in the Osher Marin JCC breakout rooms 
12:30 – 1:30 PM Lunch (Hoyt Theater)
1:45 – 3:15 PM Session 4 at Osher Marin JCC breakout rooms
3:15 – 3:30 PM Break
3:30 – 4:15 PM Reflective session 4 – led by facilitators at a location of choosing throughout the JCC or outdoors
4:15 – 5:00 PM Come together with Rabbi Meir Muller, Ph.D. and goodbye process – what will we take away

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Click here to register for this event.

This conference is generously funded by the Jim Joseph Foundation and the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.

Interests: , Families
Date: 
January 31, 2016 to February 01, 2016
TIME: 
12:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Location: 
Osher Marin JCC
200 N San Pedro Rd.
City: 
San Rafael

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Organized By: 
Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund
Event Contact Person: 
Jasmine Wanier
415.450.5732
jasminerochelle@gmail.com
Speakers: 
Meir Muller
Rabbi Meir Muller, Ph.D., is a clinical assistant professor at the College of Education at the University of South Carolina, an ordained rabbi, and has been principal of the Cutler Jewish Day School in Columbia, SC for the past 23 years. His expertise is in cognitive development, social studies methods, issues of race, and teacher preparation. His research interests include constructivist theory and pedagogy, teacher preparation and development, and issues of race and equity in early childhood education. In 2011, Haifa University’s Van Leer institute in Jerusalem convened its International Research Group on Jewish Education in the Early Years. Haifa University chose to examine 12 early childhood studies — six from Israel and six from the US. Muller’s paper “Kindergarten Children's Conception of Knowledge in Jewish Education" was one of the six chosen from the US. Muller is currently working on a study, “Attitudes Towards Inclusion: A comparison between Israeli and American Educators,” for the same organization at Haifa.

Muller's recent published works include “Constructivism in Jewish Early Childhood Education” for the Journal of Jewish Education and “Focus on Ethics – Differing Faiths in a Faith-Based Program” for the National Association for the Education of Young Children's Young Children periodical. He is currently rewriting South Carolina’s Early Learning Standards for the SC Department of Social Services. He is an advisor for the National Association for the Education of Young Children, co-president of the National Alliance of Jewish Early Childhood Educators, and a member of the SC Governor’s Child Care Council.
Ariela Ronay-Jinich
Ariela Ronay-Jinich is the Director of Youth and Family Programs and Summer Camp Director at Urban Adamah and loves bringing Judaism to life. After completing her B.A. in Education from Brown University, she spent a year in Israel learning Torah and other Jewish texts through the Eco-Activist Beit Midrash in Jerusalem. She then returned to the U.S. to work for the Teva Learning Center on the East Coast. Ariela later settled in the Bay Area and created nature-based learning programs at diverse organizations, including Camp Tawonga's garden, Chochmat HaLev’s religious school, and Gan Shalom Preschool in Berkeley. She is the program founder of “B’Hootz,” Wilderness Torah’s year-round children’s program, and most recently served as education director for Edah. This past summer, Ariela directed Urban Adamah's first preschool-aged camp, where she delighted in seeing small hands partake in kale-eating and mud-making. Ariela also enjoys collaborating with adults who love working with children. She is a Kevah teaching fellow, a Torah Trek guide, and presented at the 2014 Children Learning With Nature Conference.
Deborah Newbrun
Deborah Newbrun is the founder of Get Set Go Community Adventures. She started her career as a National Park Service Ranger and Naturalist for several Bay Area Environmental Education organizations. Deborah’s career as a preeminent Jewish environmental leader spans 30 years, including serving 25 years as the director of Camp Tawonga and four years as Hazon’s director in the Bay Area. Additionally, she has served on the faculty of multiple Jewish learning fellowships. Deborah co-authored "Spirit in Nature: Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail." She holds a BA in American Studies and Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a teaching credential from the University of California, Berkeley. Deborah is known for being an engaging and creative leader, infusing spirit into her teachings.
Beverley Hartman
Beverley Hartman is founder of EngagED Early Education and an adjunct faculty member of Pacific Oaks College at the Bay Area instructional site. Through EngagED Early Education, she serves as a consultant to early childhood programs and facilitates professional development experiences for educators. Previously, she was a lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Stanford University and has also held administrative and teaching positions at Bing Nursery School. She directed the Bing Institute, providing programs for parents and educators, and its 2014 Play Symposium. She has a longstanding interest in how we, as educators, design and maintain learning environments that value play, include nature and basic materials, support early literacy, and edify the emotional and social well-being of children. She advocates a competence view of children, as well as the use of observation, documentation, creative thinking and reflective practice for teachers’ professional development and participation in leadership activities. Ms. Hartman has presented at conferences for the Bing Institute, CAEYC (California Association for the Education of Young Children), CKA (California Kindergarten Association), and NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). Ms. Hartman earned an M.A. in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, CA and a B.A. in Art with a minor in Education from Chatham College in Pittsburgh, PA.
Leslie Roffman
Leslie Roffman holds a BA in Early Childhood Education from San Francisco State University, and has over 30 years experience working in the field of early childhood education. She has taught at The Little School, the Jewish Community Center, and at the Infant Development Center, where she also served as director. She produced a teacher-training video, "Relationships: The Key to Teaching and Learning"; co-authored with Todd Wanerman the book "Including One, Including All: A Guide to Relationship-based Early Childhood Inclusion"; and has presented and consulted throughout the United States. She was co-founder of The Little School in 1984.
Daniel Barash
Daniel Barash holds a Masters Degree in Elementary Education from New York University. Certified in New York State, he led arts-in-education workshops for more than a decade on the East Coast before relocating to California in 2009. Daniel has pioneered the use of shadow puppetry, an ancient Asian art form, in diverse secular and Jewish settings. As one of 43 teaching artists from across the country selected for inclusion on the John F. Kennedy Center’s National Teaching Artist Roster, Daniel has visited 17 states over the past two years, leading professional development workshops and conducting classroom modeling demonstrations.
Jodi Gladstone
Jodi Gladstone has been teaching for over 15 years. She is a nursery school teacher and Jewish Resource Specialist at Beth El Nursery School and works as the kindergarten teacher for Kadima at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley. Before moving to the Bay Area, Jodi was the Artist in Residence for Pinat Shorashim, a hands on learning center and biblical park located at Kibbutz Gezer in Israel. There she created curriculum and community art experiences for children, teens, families and educators. She enjoys combining her love of art and Judaism to make meaningful and memorable educational experiences for children and their families.

Jodi holds a Bachelor in Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and received her Master’s in Hebrew and Jewish Studies from the WUJS Graduate Institute, Israel in 1994. She became Master teacher qualified in 2009, holds her Associate Teacher Permit from the State of California and is a graduate of the first cohort of the Jewish Early Childhood Education Institute (JECELI). Jodi has attained numerous certificates in both Early Childhood Education and Jewish Early Childhood Education from institutions such as the Florence Melton Mini-School of Hebrew, CAJE and Gratz College. Jodi can be found dancing and making whimsical works of art in her spare time. She lives with her husband, Gordon and their two sons, Gefen (14) and Nitzan (12).
Barbara Selvidge
Barbara Selvidge is a San Francisco-based book artist and educator who has worked with individuals, organizations, and schools all over the world, including Mexico, Egypt, Israel, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and South Korea. She has presented at conferences and worked in projects across California and the United States, including CAEA, the Galef Institute, and with Apple Computers in Mexico. Barbara has worked extensively with museums, including the Asian Art Museum, The Exploratorium, MACO (Museum of Contemporary Art in Oaxaca), The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, and the Museum of Children’s Art in Oakland. She worked with Rachel Brodie on the Chemo Siddur Project, and has presented at many conferences and workshops for Jewish educators. Barbara's expertise includes the integration of book art with literacy, language development, science, and other content areas. She has taught at all levels, from pre-kindergarten through high school and at the college level at University of San Francisco and UC Berkeley. Her current work focuses on language and identity, and authorship.
Lisa Finkelstein
Lisa Finkelstein has over a decade of experience in the fields of program management, communications, market research, and community service. She has worked as a teacher, manager, director and community organizer for multiple philanthropic, political and educational based organizations. Most recently she directed philanthropic resources, managed programs and developed social media strategies at New Israel Fund, Full Circle Fund, and the San Francisco based Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund.

Prior to living and working in San Francisco, Lisa served as a close adviser to United States Congressman, Jared Polis. As the Founding Executive Director of the Jared Polis Foundation she created a diversified philanthropic strategy that Rep. Polis continues to rely on today. Together with Congressman Polis she managed a staff of 20, administered grants to community programs, and managed the creation of three unique public charter schools as well as four nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations.

Having literally grown up working in her family’s home decorating retail stores, she knows how to work hard while maintaining focus on a constantly evolving bigger picture. She recently completed the Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership San Francisco program, received a BA from the University of Oregon and earned a Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Regis University. While discovering what is the next big choice in her career, she consults with companies on improving everyday social media practices, sees select clients with a side-consulting practice in organized living, teaches religious school and most importantly- spoils her nieces.
Paul Roberts
Paul is a passionate and articulate speaker on the rights and needs of children. An architect by training, Paul is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and is involved in all aspects of developing spaces for children and training for teachers. Since launching the Columbia College Child Development Center in Sonora, California seven years ago, he has been on a journey of learning and immersion in the realms of children- indoors, outdoors and beyond.

One of the Founders of the World Forum’s Global Collaborative OnDesign for Children, Paul has been instrumental in organizing and leading international conferences on design and nature. A frequent presenter at workshops and conferences around the country, he has also presented at Outdoor Classroom Project and with Nature Explore events.
After having trained in Scotland and Norway, Paul is now the Claire Warden™ Educational Consultant for the USA. He is inspirational, motivating and listens well. In addition to working in a preschool classroom part-time, Paul designs indoor and outdoor playscapes and organizes training events. To help further this movement of bringing children back in contact with nature Paul is currently in the process of developing his own Nature-based Preschool and National Training Center in Vallejo. These will form the foundation of The Childplay Institute, an organization Paul founded in order to improve the lives of 10 million children over the next twenty years.

A father of three (so far) and a proud Californian, he loves to be outdoors camping and hiking in Yosemite, the Humboldt Redwoods and the Trinity Alps.
Sandy Osborne
Sandy Osborne is a demonstrated instructional leader known for having a strong vision as well as an in-depth understanding of emergent curriculum and project-based learning. She has a M.S. from San Francisco State University in Education Administration, B.A. degrees from Oregon State University in Child Development & Family Life and Elementary Education. This is her fourth year as the director of the Helen Diller Family Preschool. She has a passion for Early Childhood Education and loves working with children and teachers to cultivate their passion as well as building relationships with their families. When she is not working she enjoys spending time at her house in Sonoma enjoying friends, food, wine, cocktails, gardening and outdoor living. She plays a mean game of bocce. She loves traveling, dining out, watching old movies, dancing, reading and cheering on the S.F. Giants.
Cassandra Britton
Cassandra Britton is a Child Development Specialist and holds a BS in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University. She taught at the Cornell University lab nursery school and at the Whitney Young Development Center in San Francisco, where she was a Head Teacher. She also developed and leads Sensory Social Playgroups with Fiona Zecca. She has taught at The Little School for ten years, with roles ranging from Program Director to her current position of Child Development Specialist.
Denise Moyes-Schnur
Denise Moyes-Schnur has worked in the field of Jewish Early Childhood Education for over 35 years. She has directed a variety of Jewish preschool and Family Education programs in both Jewish Community Centers and Synagogues in the San Francisco Bay Area, and was a mentor for a national Jewish Early Childhood Education Leadership program, (JECELI).

Denise current coordinates the Jewish Resource Specialist program, and is a consultant in private practice for Jewish Early Childhood Education programs. Denise holds a Master’s Degree from Mills College in Oakland, California in Early Childhood Leadership. She was appointed to the Alameda County Child Care Council in 2010. Denise lives with her family in Berkeley California, and is a member of Congregation Netivot Shalom.
Debbie Togliatti
Debbie Togliatti has been in the field of early childhood educatinn for more than 35 years, the past 29 at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto. Formerly a teacher in the young 5’s program, she now is the gardening specialist for the entire preschool. She was the 2009 recipient of the Steinhardt-Grinspoon award for excellence in Jewish Early Childhood Education and in 2013 published her book: Growing Jewish Values: Cultivating Your Jewish Roots in Your Own Backyard.
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