Workshops
Book a workshop for your school, faculty, conference or district. Every workshop is tailored to your educators’ needs.
I am also available for consultation and one-to-one coaching and/or collaboration.
Choose from one of the workshops below or work with Batsheva to customize a workshop specifically for your organization's needs. All workshops can be given in person or online.
To book a workshop or discuss ideas, email Batsheva@newlensed.com or send a message.
Click here for a list of past workshops that Batsheva has given to get ideas!
The Lenses of Questioning Series
Introduction to Lenses of Questioning
In this age of instant information access and shallow sound bites, it is imperative that we don't lose the skill of thoughtful, critical inquiry. The Lenses of Questioning method (loosely based on the business model of Six Hats of Thinking) gives solid tools and includes activities to both model for and train students to ask, analyze and answer strong questions. This leads to deeper critical thinking skills and imaginative observations.
Lenses, Tech and Text
This workshop combines The Lenses of Questioning method with more advanced activities using various technology, apps and tools to dig deeper into a text. This hands-on workshop helps teachers feel comfortable with using and teaching various technological approaches in tandem with engaging students inquiry skills.
Lenses of Questioning and PBL
Project Based Learning begins with a driving question and is motored by a continual stream of questions that fuel the learning which leads to the product. The Lenses of Questioning method is the perfect for making sure that students ask a rich array of questions, leading to deeper investigation and broader learning.
Read about one teacher's experience using Lenses in her class
Read Batsheva’s guest blog post on Matt Miller’s Ditch That Text Book site.
Integrating Technology to Enhance Not Overwhelm
Because students’ lives often revolve around technology and social media, finding ways to use them in the classroom in an organic and fruitful manner shows students the positive use of technology. Even teachers who are comfortable with technology in their lives, may not know how to best use it in the class. In this workshop, we will examine examples of how to incorporate tried and true 21st century technology (devices, apps, websites, etc.) into any curriculum with practical ideas. Teachers will create at least one lesson plan with a new technology idea from the workshop that they haven't yet tried.
Simplified Understanding by Design
Understanding by Design is one of the most valuable innovations in curriculum design. However, in its full incarnation, it is a challenging and time-consuming model. Batsheva’s modified version takes all the best elements of Understanding by Design and simplifies them into a workable and dynamic lesson plan template that will help teachers create and deliver meaningful and engaging lessons.
Say Anything: Using Improvisation for Learning Language
Learn how to use improvisation in your intermediate to advanced language classes. Students will learn to think on their feet and improve their speaking and listening skills while having a great time as they play improvisational games and act in scenes. Teachers will have a great time, too!
Creating Lasting Connections to Sacred Writings: Text Activators
Every lesson has an essential, enduring understanding or big idea that we want our students to truly internalize. How do we get them to connect to our ancient texts and feel the lesson’s main idea in a deep way? In this collaborative workshop, we will explore how to use the enduring understandings of any lesson, and turn them into fun and active experiential learning to help students fully integrate the lesson and find the relevance in their own lives. Participants will acquire tools and ideas for creating exciting experiential lessons.
Students loved their new learning perspectives in our Pirkei Avos class today!
Thank you Batsheva and CoJDS! --- Malky Weisman, Maayan Torah Day School of Portland
Educators from Japanese schools taking the Introduction to Lenses of Questioning workshop.
Other Workshops
Deeper Learning Games
Many creative teachers have the excellent instinctual understanding that learning through games is not only valid, but is in many cases, crucial. However, just making a game out of giving out information doesn’t utilize this method to its fullest and most successful potential.
The key to creating games, and eventually training our students to use critical thinking and analyzing skills to devise their own games lies with our ability to fashion games that in every way reflect the lessons we are trying to convey.
In this workshop we will look at existing games that work, create games that match with each participant’s curriculum, and learn how to model for our students how to create games that can be used both as reinforcing material or assessing the understanding of it.
Evidence of Learning: Creative & Authentic Assessments
Assessments are an essential part of the educational process - they can help motivate students to progress, aid teachers in planning future lessons, and continue to facilitate the learning process, if used correctly.
In this workshop, teachers will learn how to create effective, engaging assessments that give a full view of a student’s understanding and knowledge of the content.
Listen to my discussion on authentic and creative assessments on the EduMagic Podcast: https://www.sfecich.com/post/get-creative-with-your-assessments-featuring-batsheva-frankel
Creating Lasting Connections to Literature: Text Activators
Every lesson has an essential, enduring understanding or big idea that we want our students to truly internalize. How do we get them to move beyond the text and feel the lesson’s main idea in a deep way? In this collaborative workshop, we will explore how to use the enduring understandings of any lesson, and turn them into fun and active experiential learning to help students fully integrate the lesson and find the relevance in their own lives. Participants will acquire tools and ideas for creating exciting experiential lessons.
Flipping Your Class
Many courses, particularly in math and science are finding success in the Flipped Model of teaching. The content is delivered in videos as students’ homework, and the class time is used to reinforce the content with teacher-guided practice and experiential activities. This workshop introduces and familiarizes teachers with the tools needed to create engaging videos for the homework and meaningful activities for the classroom.
Ice-Breakers and Community Makers
How can we create a sense of community in our schools and classrooms? How do we get to know our students and help our students get to know each other in fun and meaningful ways? This workshop introduces many ideas that can help develop group dynamics and build strong classroom foundations. Participants will engage in several activities to experience the ideas for themselves and come away with practical tools to use immediately.
Teacher’s Toolkit: Putting it all Together
This intensive 4-5 hour workshop covers all the basics– building community with ice-breakers, classroom management, creative authentic assessments, lesson planning and more with imaginative and innovative approaches. In this hands-on, interactive workshop, we will cover the general concepts and also address specific challenges in your learning community. Great for newer teachers looking for practical tools, as well as veteran educators who want some fresh inspirational ideas.