A Glimpse Into Kibbutz Education‪.‬

Teachers around the world face similar issues. For example, they worry about how to provide effective instruction, they ask themselves what they can do about inadequate funding for education, they question the efficacy of standardized testing, and they wonder about their status and position within the social structure. However, each country's education system reflects particular local ambitions, cultural goals, and traditions. Although the basic system may be similar across continents, the local nuances make key differences that reflect that specific society. One way to gain insight into our own education dilemmas, methods, and goals is to examine how teachers in dissimilar settings address parallel issues. Thus, it is both informative and incumbent to examine education processes in other countries. During the winter months of 2004, I explored education in Israel, a country that is comparable to the United States in many ways. Classrooms in both Israel and the United States display tremendous diversity regarding students' SES status, language, customs, religion, and political views. I wondered how Israeli teachers assimilate children from around the world into their classrooms. In addition, I wanted to learn how the Israeli education system helps these diverse populations become contributing members of soceity. Finally I wondered how teachers could effectively instruct a class with children from different national origins, languages, and customs. Examining Israeli schools firsthand could provide insight into how U.S. teachers might effectively confront these same issues. Along the way, of course, I simply wanted to experience how children learn in another country and, in the process, discover some unique approaches and methods that may benefit teachers in other countries.