en_PeTeL_Physics - מיזם PeTeL

PeTeL Physics

The PeTeL Physics Environment During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Approximately one week before distance learning began in Israel, we started preparing "distance learning classrooms" in the PeTeL environment (PeTel – Personalized Teaching and Learning Center).

We opened online Teacher Lounges that operated around the clock and trained over 150 physics teachers. The teachers were trained to operate classrooms that combine synchronous and asynchronous learning for their students.

Ever since the schools were shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the PeTeL environment has served as the physics teachers' central environment for distance learning. Currently there are over 350 teachers running their classrooms from a distance in this environment. Classrooms which include over 18000 students.

The unique feature of PeTeL is that it enables the teachers to take responsibility for their students' learning process, and to direct it themselves, as well as to track the students' progress from a distance.

Every teacher has access to a distance learning class:

About PeTeL Physics

the implementation of the national PeTeL Physics began in 2016, with the assembly of a leading team of experienced teachers, technology specialists and researchers from the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. During the following year, the team led a professional learning community of teachers who are early adopters, for the purpose of operating the environment in their classrooms, while collecting data form the teachers and the students, used for improving the environment and materials.

In the year 2018-19 the environment was officially opened to physics teachers from all over Israel. About 100 teachers participated in the training day, at the end of which they received the keys for using the environment with their students.

At the time this article was written (the beginning of the 2020 school year, the second year that the environment has been operational) approximately 200 physics teachers are accompanying their teaching with the PeTeL environment and operating it with over 7000 students in 9^th to 12^th grade. The vision of PeTeL Physics is to expand to all of the physics teachers in Israel, so they also use the PeTeL environment during their physics lessons, and it will serve as an everyday tool for teachers to personalize the teaching process for their students.

Contact by email or phone with the head of the physics environment, Michal Walter

Teachers' Stories

I am really happy that I took the plunge even though I had a very heavy workload this year. I enjoyed working with PeTeL a lot and found it to be very helpful. Very much worth the effort

I really enjoyed using PeTeL this year. I am happy that I signed up to the further education course, which helped me bring the environment into the classroom in practice. Thank you very much

I wish to thank my mentor who became my mentor not only for PeTeL issues, she gave me excellent guidance. My mentor also supported me professionally on any question that I had including explanations… Thank you to the entire PeTeL team – excellent job! please continue your important work