During June a delegation, comprising distinguished teacher educators from the Netherlands and Belgium paid a visit to the ORT network administration for R&D and contents. These esteemed visitors are affiliated with the VELON organization in the Netherlands and VELOV in Belgium, and they were accompanied by Mr. Sjoerd de Jong, a senior policy advisor from the Dutch Ministry of Education. Both VELON and VELOV organizations are deeply engaged in fostering the professional development of individuals involved in teacher training and mentoring, whether they operate within higher education institutions or schools. Besides organizing educational courses and conferences, these organizations have implemented a voluntary accreditation process for teacher trainers, which is renewed every five years. As part of this process, participating trainers are required to demonstrate how their work has evolved over the years and provide evidence from diverse sources showcasing its quality. The evaluators engage in reflective dialogues regarding their own professional development in the past and their future plans.
The objective of their visit was to acquire knowledge about teacher training in Israel, gain insights into the challenges faced by the education system, and explore the strategies employed by Israel to address these challenges. The ORT Israel R&D team was delighted to share their experiences, particularly regarding the innovative and distinctive teacher-training program known as Future Ready. They also provided detailed explanations of the advanced ISTEAM program, which integrates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and PBL (Project-Based Learning) with additional elements of content and methodologies related to innovation, entrepreneurship, and the arts. ORT perceives the arts as an integral and essential component of children’s education.
The discussions during the visit were truly stimulating, focusing on envisioning the future of education in Israel, Holland, and Belgium. The participants took into account the potential impact of recent technological advancements such as AI and Chat GPT on learning and teaching processes, pedagogical methods, and the evolving role of teachers. The ORT network expresses gratitude to the esteemed guests for their visit and looks forward to continuing the captivating discussions and fostering further collaboration.
