Batsheva de Rothschild Workshop on
Embodied Cognition and Learning in STEAM

(Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics)

Participants from abroad (Presenters)

,Prof. Rob Lindgren
The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Robb Lindgren is an Associate Professor of Curriculum & Instruction and Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His ...
research examines theories and designs for learning within emerging media platforms (e.g., augmented reality). His work investigates how physical, body-based interactions with STEM content can generate learning and new identities.

,Prof. Dor Abrahamson
University of California Berkeley

Dor Abrahamson (PhD, Learning Sciences) is Professor of Learning Sciences and Human Development at the Graduate School of Education, ...
University of California Berkeley, where he runs the Embodied Design Research Laboratory (https://edrl.berkeley.edu). A design-based researcher of mathematics cognition, teaching, and learning, Abrahamson develops and evaluates theoretical models of conceptual learning by analyzing empirical data collected in technological implementations of his innovative pedagogical design. Abrahamson and collaborators use multimodal analytic methodologies to investigate the emergence of mathematical concepts from perceptual forms that facilitate sensorimotor coordination. Drawing on enactivist philosophy, dynamic systems theory, and sociocultural views, Abrahamson theorizes conceptual learning as students’ guided reconciliation of perceptually immediate and culturally mediated constructions of situated phenomena.
Embodied Design Research Laboratory

,Ora Prouser
Academy for Jewish Religion

Dr. Ora Horn Prouser is the CEO and Academic Dean at The Academy for Jewish Religion. She has worked with educational institutions to develop ...
Bible curricula and pedagogy. Her book, Esau’s Blessing: How the Bible Embraces Those with Special Needs was recognized as a National Jewish Book Council finalist.

,Ayal Prouser
Academy for Jewish Religion

Ayal Prouser has performed and coached circus arts on the professional level spanning three continents. He holds an MA in Film and Media Studies ...
from Columbia University where he focused on Circus Studies. He is an adjunct lecturer in Sacred Arts at the Academy for Jewish Religion. Ayal is the co-founder and Director of Time Flies Circus.

Michael Shachrur

Michael Shachrur co-teaches the course ‘Senscience’ at WIS. The course is the initiative of Prof. Atan Gross. Michael is a somatic therapist: Zen Shiatsu ...
and BMC, and teacher of somatic movement practices: Body-Mind Centering® BMC , movement improvisation and FoldUnfold qigong. Michael just started working at Gross’s lab, learning the science about Mitochondria and researching them through conscious embodiment.

Prof. Atan Gross, Weizmann Institute of Science

Presenter

Prof. Gross from the Weizmann Institute of Science investigates the biology of mitochondria, the powerhouses of our cells. He is specifically ...
interested in understanding how mitochondria regulate the fate of our cells. He is also working with professional dancers to gain additional ideas for his research on mitochondrial plasticity.
Prof. Atan Gross Lab

,Dr. Gamze Turkmen
Middle East Technical University

Dr. Gamze Türkmen, a researcher, holds her Ph.D. in instructional technology field at METU, Turkiye, looking at how metacognitive processes of ...
secondary school students interacting with exhibition units in science center environments occur regarding the co-construction of meaning during collaborative tasks referring to glass eye tracking video-data of two peers.

Participants from Israel

Dr. Yuval Ben Abu, Sapir Academic College

Presenter

Dr. Yuval Ben Abu teaches advanced courses in physics and mathematics at Sapir Academic College and at Ben Gurion University of the Negev. ...
His research deals with biological physics (biophysics), physics of solid and soft states, and physics education mainly sound, heat, rigid and soft bodies. Last years, Point of Time engages in joint and advanced research with the Department of Solid-State Physics. In recent years he has been engaged in joint and advanced research with the Department of Solid State Physics At the University of Oxford on non-Markovian aspects of ion channels and the influence Ultrasound and sound waves on ion channels.

,Dr. Alexander Volfson
Sami Shamoon Academic College

Presenter

Dr. Alexander Volfson is a physics lecturer; science education researcher and; a circus artist. Alexander earned his Ph.D. in Science & Technology ...
Education in the Ben-Gurion University. His research concerns physics education, dialogic teaching, misconceptions and conceptual change. These come together in developing methods for physics teaching via circus art.

Tal Yizrael

Presenter

Tal Yizrael: is an artist, curator and an educator, collaborating on numerous projects of art and science. Curator and co-founder of the Fetter ...
Museum of Art and Nanoscience, at the Institute of Nanotechnology, Bar Ilan University. co-curator of Transmeet Art and Science Festival.
Tal Yizrael Website The Fetter Mueseum of Nanoscience & Art Transmeet

,Sharona Florsheim
Sharona Florsheim Dance Company

Presenter

Sharona Florsheim is a choreographer, improvisation artist, artistic director and cultural entrepreneur based In Israel. She creates for children and ...
adults and her work for stage and public spaces is presented internationally. Sharona Co-founded TRANSMEET Art and Science Festival: a platform for art and science exchange. She holds a BA in psychology and an MFA in choreography from ArtEZ Holland.

Dr. Alik Palatnik, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Presenter

Dr. Alik Palatnik. Faculty of the Shlomo (Seymour) Fox School of Education at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, researcher and ...
lecturer in mathematics education. His research and teaching examine various aspects of inquiry-based, student-centered instruction of mathematics including embodied learning; project-based learning, and teachers' professional development grounded in task design.

Dr. Alon Pinto, Weizmann Institute of Science

Alon Pinto, PhD, is a senior scientist at the Department of Science teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. Pinto’s research ...
concerns how different stakeholders in mathematics education – teachers, mathematicians, math-ed researchers – can learn from and with one another about mathematics and its teaching and learning.

Dr. Amit Abraham, Ariel University

Presenter

Dr. Amit Abraham is a musculoskeletal physical therapist and the director of the Mental Imagery & Human Embodied Potential Lab in the ...
Department of Physical Therapy, Ariel University (Israel). Dr. Abraham studies mental imagery and its neurocognitive and neurophysiological mechanisms of effect among dancers, gymnasts, children with ADHD, and individuals with Parkinson disease.

Dr. Anatoli Kouropatov

Presenter

Dr. Anatoli Kouropatov is a senior lecturer of mathematics and mathematics education at Levinsky-Wingate Academic Center, Israel. For decades ...
Anatoli is working as a mathematics educator, a developer of learning and teaching materials and as a researcher. His current research is focused on cognitive aspects of mathematics knowledge; on understanding both the mathematical and didactical impact of technological tools on students’ knowledge construction.

Arava Ron Baum, Ariel University

Arava Ron Baum (MSc, BPT, PhD Candidate) is a physical therapist specializing in child development and a PhD student in the Mental Imagery and ...
Human Embodied Potential lab, Department of Physiotherapy, Ariel University (Israel). Her research focuses on identifying motor-cognitive impairments in children with ADHD and addressing them through mental imagery.

Prof. Bat-Sheva Eylon, Weizmann Institute of Science

Bat-Sheva Eylon is a Professor (emerita) in the Science Teaching Department at the Weizmann Institute and acted as its head in ...
2008-2015. She studies learning and teaching of physics and professional development of teachers and teacher-educators. She is recipient of the Israeli 2015 EMET Prize in Education, and a fellow of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) and ISLS (International Society of the Learning Sciences).

Dafna Efron, Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance

Ma student at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. Proficient in Movement Notation, ...
Kitaido martial art, Belly dancing and Body Mind techniques. Teacher and Mentor. Currently researching Embodied Probability learning

Prof. Dana Vedder-Weiss, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

Dana Vedder-Weiss is a senior lecturer in the Department of Education at Ben-Gurion University. She leads the Informal Learning Environments ...
Research Group and serves as the Chair of Teacher Education Program. She was a science teacher and curriculum developer and earned her PhD in science education from the Weizmann Institute of Science. She studies the socio-emotional dimensions of learning, examining teacher and student learning in science (and other domains) in formal and informal settings. She has received the NARST 2020 Early Career Research Award and serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Research in Science Teaching.
The Informal Learning Environment Group

Dr. Debora Ivana Marchak Ben Hamo, Weizmann Institute of Science

Presenter

Debora (Didi) Marchak obtained her Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Tel Aviv University on the research of quantum conductance through ...
semiconducting nanoparticles at high temperatures. Later, she joined the Department of Materials and Interfaces at the Weizmann Institute of Science during her Postdoctoral studies. Nowadays Debora is head of the “National Centre for Chemistry Teachers” which operates in the Chemistry Group of the Science Teaching Department at the Weizmann Institute of Science. There she also developed an arts-integrated approach to chemistry teaching, based on existing research findings in the field of educational neuroscience. In addition, Debora conducts research on the influence of implementing the approach, both at the teacher and student levels. Since 2013 Debora has been teaching Chemistry, Science, STEAM and PlaceMaking to High School students in the city of Arad and she is involved in several projects for the advancement of practical science education in Israel.

Dina Rosenski , Bar Ilan University

Bachelors Graduate of Special Education from Bar Ilan University ...
Masters graduate of Integrated Education from Hebrew University focusing on embodied learning in Math Education

Prof. Ehud Ahissar, Weizmann Institute of Science

Presenter

Ehud Ahissar is a professor of neuroscience and ex-engineer. His research focuses on neuronal mechanisms of adaptive perception with a special ...
emphasis on active sensing via closed loops. By applying principles of engineering and neurobiology, Ahissar and his colleagues are trying to understand the processes underlying the emergence of perception in mammals and apply them to robotics and sensory substitution.
Embodiment of perception Ahissar Lab

Dr. Gal Raz, Tel Aviv University

Gal Raz, Ph.D. is a Senior Lecturer at the Schools of Film and Television and the Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University. His ...
interdisciplinary background includes film and television studies, biology, culture research, and medical research. He studies brain-network dynamics, neuroscience of empathy, cinematic empathy, neuoroaesthetics of motion-pictures, and virtual and augmented reality.

Prof. Gerry Leisman, Haifa University

Presenter

Gerry Leisman is Professor of Neuro- and Rehabilitation Sciences, and Research Fellow at Haifa University and concurrently Professor of ...
Restorative Neurology at the University of Medical Sciences in Havana, Cuba. He studies the relation between movement and cognition developmentally, examining mechanisms of self-organizing systems in the brain in fetal, neonatal, infant, and child development. He was one of the first to identify functional disconnectivities in the brain. He is Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK), was elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Sciences in 1990, Senior Member of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society in 1986, Life Fellow of the International Association for Functional Neurology & Rehabilitation in 2010 receiving its Lifetime Achievement Award 2011. He has published hundreds of papers and texts in the Neurosciences, Developmental Sciences, Cognitive Science, Biomedical Engineering, and in the Systems Sciences literature.

Prof. Hagit Hel-Or, University of Haifa

Presenter

Prof Hagit Hel-Or is a faculty member in the department of Computer Science at the University of Haifa and is head of the Computational Human ...
Behavior Lab. Hagit received her PhD in Math and Computer Science from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Her background is in Image Processing, Computer Vision and Machine Learning. Her research interests are in interdisciplinary studies; integrating computer vision and machine learning algorithms for Human Behavioral studies, in medicine, physiotherapy, Cognitive and behavioral Psychology and Education.

Dr. Hillel Braude, SomaticWell - Integrative Medicine Clinic

Presenter

Dr Hillel Braude, MBBCh PhD, is an integrative medicine doctor, philosopher, and Feldenkrais Method® practitioner. He studied medicine at the ...
University of Cape Town and philosophy of medicine and ethics at the University of Chicago. Hillel is the author of numerous articles in pphilosophy of medicine, neuroethics, and somatics.
The SomaticWell Center

Dr. Jason Cooper

Dr. Jason Cooper is a scientist at the Department of Science teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. His research concerns ...
the implementation of problem solving as a classroom practice, and how this practice evolves along the implementation chain – from how it is intended by designers, through how it is planned and enacted by teachers, to how it is eventually experienced by students.
Dr. Jason Cooper Weizmann website

Julia Bronshtein, Technion

Julia Bronshtein is an Aerospace Engineer and Physics lecturer at a technological college. She has a M.Sc. in Education in Technology&Science ...
from Technion, B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering and B.Sc. in Physics Education. Her research at Technion focused on integrating outstanding students in practical engineering education in Israel.

Maya Zuckerman, Tel Aviv University

Maya Zuckerman is the Chief Operating Officer of Israeli Flying Aid (IFA), a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) that delivers life-saving ...
aid to communities affected by natural disasters and human conflict. Maya is currently a Doctoral student at Tel Aviv University focused on improving science and mathematics K-12 education through multi-sensory experiences. She holds a BA in musicology and cognitive sciences and an MA and MBA in cognitive sciences. Maya formerly co-founded and served as CEO of Wivo, a startup using web-based analytics to optimize marketing campaigns; coordinated the establishment of a national plan for the reduction and prevention of HAIs (hospital acquired infections) in Israel; and developed global scientific training platforms for Novocure, a globally traded NASDAQ oncology company.

Miriam Reiner, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

Miriam Reiner started and directed the VR & NeuroCognition lab at the Technion. She studies perceptual and neural correlates of ...
enhanced learning and examines the role of embodiment in optimizing learning. She uses neural and physiological sensors, and behavioral measures to model learning.

Nadav Marco, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

I am a high-school math teacher at the Israeli Science and Arts Academy (IASA) and a lecturer for mathematics at the David Yellin Academic College ...
of Education. In my research at the Hebrew University I focus on visual learning artifacts called Proofs Without Words (PWWs) for facilitating students' mathematical proof construction.

Dr. Orit Elgavi - Hershler

Orit Elgavi - Hershler is a neuroscientist specializing in educational neuroscience, and her book on the topic is due to be published by the Mofet ...
Institute in 2022. Member of the GaNaT think tank on body, mind and movement funded by the Rothschild Foundation. Graduate of the Mandel Leadership program. Teaches at Efrata College, Herzog College and the program for educational neuroscience at the Mofet Institue.

Dr. Roni Zohar, Weizmann Institute of Science

Presenter

Roni Zohar, PhD -Researcher, educator and improvisation & dance instructor. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at the ...
Weizmann Institute and connected between eye movements and learning sciences. In her doctoral studies in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute, she developed and researched an approach to combining physics studies and movement. Roni is interested in and promotes the integration of science, movement and art in education.
Roni-Zohar ResearchGate profile

,Dr. Rotem Abdu
Tel Aviv University

Presenter

I am a learning scientist (Ph.D., Hebrew University) working as a postdoc at Tel-Aviv University and lecturer in David-Yellin College. I develop, ...
implement, and evaluate pedagogical and technological solutions to foster collaborative mathematical thinking, including studies on learning analytics, teachers noticing dialogue, and embodied design for mathematical thinking and interaction.
Rotem Abdu on Google Scholar

Dr. Ruth Waldman, Weizmann Institute of Science

Dr. Ruth Waldman holds a PhD in Science Teaching from the Weizmann Institute of Science; in 2020 she won the Orly Kaplan Award for Excellence ...
in Doctoral Thesis. In her doctoral dissertation she investigated the professional development of leading chemistry teachers within the framework of professional learning communities. Dr. Waldman leads a network of chemistry teacher communities at the Weizmann Institute, while also serving as a teacher at Atid High School of Science in Lod.

Sean Ziv, Dance Tel Aviv

Presenter

SEAN ZIV, BsC, Bar Ilan University My academic background in Biology and Life Sciences has drawn me to the application of dancing to people ...
with special needs. For example, I am teaching people with autism and adults with movement disorders such as PD and MS. I am having weekly sessions with people in wheelchair, which is an obvious testimony that dancing does not necessarily require the use of our legs.

Dr. Sharona T Levy, Haifa University

Systems Learning & Development Lab (SLDL), Head, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa ...

Sigal Rotem

Sigal Rotem conducted her PhD at the University of Haifa (submitted). Her research examines the use of critical events in pre-service mathematics ...
teachers' preparation. Sigal is interested in how teachers identify critical events, interpret them and how these skills change over time. Additionally, Sigal is interested in students' sense-making when encountering mathematics through art experiences.
Sigal-Hava Rotem on Linkedin

Prof. Tamar Flash, Weizmann Institute of Science

Presenter

Tamar Flash is an Emeritus Professor at the Department of Computer Science, and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science. After ...
receiving a Ph.D. and being a Post-doctoral fellow at MIT, USA. Tamar joined the Weizmann Institute in 1985 where together with her students, postdocs, and colleagues they have focused on behavioral, computational, and brain imaging studies concerning human motor control, movement disorders, and robotics. Tamar was a visiting professor at MIT, College De France, Berkley University, and a fellow of the Radcliffe (Harvard) and the EA (Paris) schools of advanced study.
Prof. Tamar Flash Scientist Page

Prof. Tsfira Grebelsky-Lichtman, Hebrew University and Ono Academic College

Presenter

An associate professor in the Department of Communication and the Swiss Center for Conflict Research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and ...
at the Ono Academic College. Grebelsky-Lichtman’s areas of research are in verbal/nonverbal interrelationships, gender, leadership, negotiation. Her works have won Top Paper Awards from the International Communication Association.
Tsfira Grebelsky-Lichtman in The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Tzila Yarhi, Weizmann Institute of Science

I am a high school math teacher and a teacher's educator at Herzog College. As part of my master's degree at the Weizmann ...
Institute of Science, I studied teachers' beliefs about low-achieving students in mathematics. In the coming year, I will begin my PhD studies at the Technion.

Tzofiya Malev, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Tzofiya Malev is a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her Ph.D. research, under the supervision of Prof. ...
Tamar El-Or, deals with religious men who practice professional dancing. It is an ethnographic study of the complex transitions between textual knowledge and bodily experiences through the dancing body.