About
My passion is to challenge the traditional pedagogical paradigm to create new and innovative ways of teaching and learning. My goal is to create an education system that is more effective and engaging to both educators and students.
This is what I call “Hacking Education” and why I call myself an “Educational Hacker”.
In my role as an Educational Hacker, I have helped “hack” education in Israel and the United States, dividing my time between research, teaching, independent consultations, talks, and workshops. I work with everyone who is passionate about education, learning, and social impact – including schools, higher education and teacher education programs, municipalities, and ed-tech startups, to name a few – creating and applying effective and innovative teaching models and educational settings.
As part of my passion for influencing the way we teach and learn, I have a Podcast about teaching and learning in higher education (Called “Learning about Learning”) and work for the Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Foundation.
My first experience as an educator was at 16, through the youth movement in which I was a counselor and volunteer, and at which I worked for several years in various educational and leadership positions.
Witnessing and practicing firsthand the youth movement’s teaching techniques and informal settings helped shape my passion for learning and decision to pursue education hacking.
I earned my PhD in Education from Lesley University in Boston. My doctorate was focused on innovative education and teacher education, offering insights for 21st-century learning.
I hold an MA in Training and HR Management, and a BA in Psychology and Curriculum Design from Tel Aviv University.
And, of course, I continue learning every day!
I’ve taught MA teachers and doctoral candidates at Middlebury University in Vermont since 2016.
I also taught at Israel’s Bar Ilan University in an MA program for innovative pedagogy.
My courses and seminars cover action research, educational change, and research foundations.
I serve on the board of directors of the Israeli Scouts’ International Division, which conducts educational activities worldwide. I have also chaired the Israeli Scouts in Boston.
I am on the scientific committee of END, an international conference that deals with education and development.
I am a volunteer and mentor at 50:50, an accelerator which promotes joint Jewish-Arab projects.
I served on the board of the Innovation Fund at Brookline High School, evaluating faculty-suggested programs, and serving as the Funds’ liaison to the Innovation Fellow.
As a selectman on Israel’s Savion Town Council, I chaired the Educational and HR committees, founded a community activism center, and induced broad educational reform, working with government, teachers, principals, municipal employees, and community members.
