Tel Aviv-Yafo Mayor Ron Huldai recently announced a plan to remove smartphones from schools to improve focus and attention. He stated, “I have a dream that together, we will pull ourselves and our city’s education system out of our comfort zone, relearn the art of attention, and be fully present—100% in time and place. That we will dare to say: we are going to manage technology, not be managed by it. How? By removing smartphones from schools.”

Huldai praised several schools in Tel Aviv already implementing this, calling them “digital pioneers” and highlighting their role in leading this shift.

While this sounds positive, it feels ironic to me as a founding parent of Tel Aviv’s first Waldorf School, established 15 years ago (we joined at Year 3). Our school, formerly called Aviv and now Reut, has always prohibited cell phones and embraced Waldorf principles like minimizing technology and promoting arts and crafts. Most families don’t allow their children to have phones until at least age 12, if at all.

When our school transitioned from private to public 1.5 years ago, the city, led by Huldai and Shiri Carmon, forced us to split grades 7 and 8 from the younger students and integrate them into Ironi Zayn, a challenging middle and highschool school in Jaffa that does not align with Waldorf values. Every day, our values are questioned, and we constantly have to defend our approach to education. A quick survey and most families that tried to integrate, are leaving.

The result? The older classes are struggling, and my son’s grade 6 class now in line to join the experimental integration, is now breaking apart, with students from his class scattering to different schools across Tel Aviv without completing their 8-year cycle where they started.

This isn’t Huldai’s first clash with our school. About eight years ago, he took us to the Supreme Court to prevent our recognition as a legitimate school despite us winning the local court in Tel Aviv that he do so. His current smartphone initiative feels like lip service, especially considering how he disregarded the community and disrupted a thriving, tech-free educational model at Reut Waldorf School. Children in the older grades, Grades 7+ now need to use a phone to check schedules, communicate with staff.

Ron Huldai wants the world to think that Tel Aviv is a green city and there are great programs that are marketed well and touch on green values, see the urban fruit tree program, but he virtually cares nothing about the true environmentalists who built Tel Aviv’s Waldorf Schools, and their community who created the Reut Waldorf School of Tel Aviv. Luckily, he listened to us and didn’t agree to have the trees cut down from Jerusalem Boulevard during the light rail construction; but his dissembling of the Reut Waldorf school and its deeply anthroposophic community is as shambolic as the idea of cutting down 100 year-old trees to make way for an eco train.

Waldorf schools, created by Austria’s Rudolph Steiner, are the fastest-growing school system in Israel because of their focus on arts and crafts and their avoidance of technology in the classroom. As of 2024, the country hosts 25 elementary schools, 6 high schools, and over 150 kindergartens following the Waldorf methodology.

This expansion reflects a doubling of student enrollment over a five-year period, indicating a strong and growing interest in Waldorf education among Israeli families.

A core principle of Waldorf education is the integration of arts and crafts into the curriculum. Students engage in activities such as drawing, painting, sculpture, knitting, and woodworking, which are designed to foster creativity and practical skills. It is a much loved and appreciated method for the kids of hightech CEOs and engineers –– both in Israel as startup nation, and also in Silicon Valley in California.

It’s ironic, and also very sad for 100 families, that Huldai is being praised for pushing a tech-free school environment while his administration shattered a community that has been practicing this philosophy for over a decade.

The post Tel Aviv’s mayor Huldai is taking smart phones from schools – his irony in education appeared first on Green Prophet.

Online/virtual learning is conquering the world because it is readily available, accessible, convenient, and flexible for use. A survey found that enrollment for online courses grew from 26 million in 2016 to 189 million in 2021. Instead of adjusting learners’ lives to match the educational system, this online mode enables the learners to fit the learning process into their existing schedules. However, some people are still cautious to trust and use online learning to expand their education. It is veiled in misconceptions, which makes it challenging for students to accept it as a reliable option for gaining knowledge.

Busting myths around online learning:

• Learning becomes difficult in online mode: One of the misconceptions about online learning is that it is challenging and involves many tasks. Whereas it is all up to the learner to decide the exact content and level of learning. It can be assured that the courses are designed for learners of every age group. 

• Online classes’ flexibility: Online classes are designed based on users’ daily schedules. So if you go out for a vacation or take a break, you do not need to worry about your missing lectures as they will get stored in your feed. And you can refer to them at your convenience.  

• Online learning is complex and insufficient: Parents usually do not want their children to take up online coaching as they feel that the educator would not finish the syllabus on time. They also are biased with the thought that their children or they themselves need to be well equipped with the system or applications in order to attend the class. Whereas any online course is planned while keeping in mind the syllabus of each subject. Moreover, an eLearning platform like Tovuti has the designation of being one of the most easily operable LMSs that enable both the instructor and the learner to have an interactive class, along with providing the ease of creating an innovative and engaging course.

• Online learning is not cost-effective: Many parents believe that as it is an online learning program, it must involve the usage of a lot of gadgets which might cost them a fortune. But in reality, this mode of education involves no traveling charge. Moreover, these days LMSs are made mobile-friendly which means 750 million smartphone users can access any mode of online learning if they wish to. 

• Instructor’s taking online classes are not experts in their domain: There is no difference between a teacher sharing knowledge online or in a conventional classroom. All the teachers need to go through several tests and training before receiving the opportunity to deliver their knowledge online just like any other conventional classroom teacher.

• Online degrees have no value in the corporate World: A college degree, relevant projects, and a good interview are sufficient to fetch you a job. The recruiter has little to no interest in wasting time over a worthless debate of which degree matters the most an offline degree or an online one. You will be given the same consideration as someone who attended an on-campus university as long as you can demonstrate that you would be able to do justice to the role offered to you. If your resume shows quite many skills and training taken up by you apart from your college courses, that might be an additional benefit for you in bagging the job. 

• Does not involve teacher-student interaction: Online classroom interactions encourage students to participate in group projects and actively participate in class interactions since they don’t have to face the crowd or be afraid of making mistakes in front of the entire class. Moreover, in a conventional class, not all the students pay attention in the class. There is always a group of few students who create unnecessary chaos and disturb the rest. Now, this unnecessary discussion is not possible in an online teaching mode. 

• Internet usage in this mode ruins students’ attention spans: Another misconception about online education is that using technology and gadgets like phones and computers may distract kids and that the internet cannot produce a distraction-free classroom atmosphere. However, nothing can prevent students from focusing on online classes if they can do so in a regular classroom. To learn the lessons given via online methods, the learner simply needs to pay attention and be patient the same way. And as they are not surrounded by their playmates, are in a comfortable environment, and understand that they are there to learn, students may concentrate successfully in online sessions too. Learning is made more engaging and fun with the assistance of the internet.

Conclusion:

These are all myths that students cannot learn well in a virtual classroom and that understanding gained through online learning differs from that attained in a traditional classroom. Many misconceptions concerning online education have recently surfaced. Despite the development of online and hybrid learning modes, and the fact that digital learning has been advocated in schools for decades, several misconceptions about its benefits and drawbacks continue to exist. Despite the widespread acknowledgment by educators with expertise in digital learning that these fallacies are untrue, media coverage and detractors continue to propagate them. This article aims to eradicate at least a few of the misconceptions mentioned above.

The post Busting The Myths About Virtual Learning appeared first on Green Prophet.

The majority of the games played nowadays are video games that are played on some sort of electronic device and to be honest, this is not the most eco-friendly way by which you can play games. 

Using electronic devices and smartphones all the time is just not great. Sometimes, we need to go back to physical socializing and talk with our nears and dears directly. In such instances, eco-friendly board games have always been the best because not only do they bring friends and families together but they are also usually eco-friendly, not being rough on the environment. 

Whether it is your favorite board game Monopoly or you like playing cards with your friends, there is now every board game available that is made out of eco-friendly materials that aren’t rough on the environment plus you can always have a good time with your friends and family members when playing board games. Let’s have a look at some of the eco-friendly and old-fashioned games to play with your friends:

1. V:King or Kubb

It is a perfect outdoor eco-friendly game. Previously it was known as Kubb but not it is called V:King inspired by ancient Vikings. This is a fun game where the players have to knock their opponents’ shields by using their battle-axes. If anyone manages to do so then he will emerge victoriously and will get the crown.

The game relies on strategy and teamwork. You don’t need to be very strong or fast to win this game, you just need to have the right strategy to snatch the crown from your enemies and dethrone them. 

There are now eco-friendly versions of V:King/Kubb available that are made out of hardwood completely and free from chemical and toxin stains. A fun game to get you and your group pumped up.

2.Endango

Endango is a board game that requires taking care of the different environments such as forests, oceans, ice caps, safaris, etc. Each environment has endangered species that you have to protect and every move that you will make will either help them in survival or further promote their extinction. The ultimate goal is to make sure that you protect all the endangered animals in every environment.

Not only is this game made out of eco-friendly materials but it also teaches us how our small actions can lead to the destruction of the planet and different species inhabited on it.

3. Tic Tac Toe

Although Tic Tac Toe is a simple game, but who says it isn’t fun? In Tic Tac Toe, you have to think about a unique strategy through which you can outsmart your opponent. Not only is this game simple and fun to play but you can literally play it at any given time you want to. Plus, there are now different eco-friendly versions of the game available that are made of 100% recyclable materials.

4. Cards

Playing cards has always been fun. Whether you are at a party or you need to kill some time, cards have always been fun to play. Not only is a pack of cards cheap but it comes in handy in different situations. Plus, there is now an eco-friendly version of cards available such as the Bicycle Eco Edition that is made purely out of eco-friendly materials such as starch-based glue, vegetable-based inks, and paper from sustainable forests, and along with that, they can also be fully recycled into a new pack of cards. 

Those who are having a hard time leaving their smartphone or laptop can still play cards on those devices very easily. Popular electronic card games include Spider Solitaire, solitaire and Freecell. These games are also very fun to play and provide a soothing experience to the mind.

5. Jigsaw Puzzles

While people usually think of physical puzzle pieces when someone mentions a jigsaw puzzle, there are other options that are deemed more eco-friendly. For example, online jigsaw puzzles are easy to access for anyone at no cost and without wasting extra resources. One awesome site is Im-a-puzzle.com. This online jigsaw puzzle site has thousands of options. From beginner-friendly puzzles to incredibly difficult ones, you can decide which level is right for you. If you’re unsure, try out a few different options without worrying about wasting money or materials. Categories include animals, food, cars, holidays, and more. Another perk is you can create your own puzzle when you upload an image and define the settings – all without having to print a physical game.

6. UNO

UNO is the perfect game that you need when you are on a road trip, camping or fishing. All of us played UNO at some point in our lives and whenever you are out on a long trip with your friends, playing UNO is always a good choice. You won’t get bored plus if you happen to beat your friends then you get bragging rights over them. There is now an eco-friendly version of UNO available, UNO Wilderness Edition that is 100% eco-friendly. 

7. Boggle

Boggle is another classic board game that most of us love to play with our friends and family. Although most of the versions used to be made from plastic, there are now newer, eco-friendly versions of the game coming which are made from heavy-duty wood instead of plastic, and as compared to plastic, wood is definitely an eco-friendly material. 

All the rules of the game remain exactly the same, the only difference is that you are playing on a Boggle board made of wood instead of plastic. You can still enjoy playing your favorite board with your friends and family members & have fun.

8. Scrabble & Jenga

Scrabble is another eco-friendly board game that is always fun to play. If you are a linguist or vocabulary geed then you would love playing Scrabble. There is also a wooden version of Scrabble available nowadays that you can play with if you want to promote eco-friendly living. 

Jenga is another game that people love to play, especially kids and teenagers. Stacking up the sticks and keeping them balanced is always a fun & challenging thing to do. Jenga is loved by people of all ages and as the game progresses further, it becomes harder and harder to balance the wooden sticks and eventually one of the players ends up losing. 

Scrabble and Jenga are two games that have their eco-friendly versions readily available in the market and they can be played by people of all ages, kids, teens, adults, seniors, everyone can play these games.

The post Eco-friendly board games to play with your kids appeared first on Green Prophet.

The kids were lining up to take a crack at jumping on the big black ball. Looks like fun. While I thought it was some plastic refuse rescued from a building site, one of my son’s preschool teachers told me it’s something special and something one of the parent’s found on the street – it’s a compost recycling orb.

After preparing salad for breakfast and lunch, they unscrew the lid and dump in all the organic uncooked waste. Some days they add leaves and things, and throughout the day with the kids fighting over who will jump next on, over or on the orb, perfect compost is made.

The compost orb is a great teaching tool, plaything, and composter. I also like that it’s made from heavy plastic and has only tiny holes to the outside world. If you live in the city you will also have experience with rats and compost bins. The orb perfectly protects your compost in motion from the wrong type of critters (rats & mice) but when you open it you can feel the heat and see all sorts of slugs rolling around and enjoying the party.

The dark color adds to the heat, which helps break down food matter faster. In the center of the orb is an air induction tube which helps circulate oxygen into the center of the active pile. If you add only uncooked matter from plants there will be no smell.

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