ImagineBox: The Classroom of the Future

 

Today there are tens of thousands of teachers skilled in working with a computer and who use technology in their classrooms for all studied subjects.

 

At the same time, in recent years, there has been a tremendous leap in technological development. Thinking about the future of learning, in 2020, Athena Fund launched an innovative project, the first and only of its kind in Israel: the ImagineBox.

 

ImagineBox introduces the immersive technology, which allows each student interactive, experiential learning, the ability to research any subject, and learning that creates an immediate connection between teachers and students and between the student to the studied subject.

 

 

 

As part of ImagineBox, Athena Fund is partnering with the Ministry of Education to provide future learning technologies to every teacher and prepare teachers and students for the 2030 classroom.

 

Making this technology accessible at ImagineBox and training the teachers to use it to deliver and create sophisticated, interactive lesson plans will make learning more effective and allow these teachers to give their students what they need. We believe that with their success in this field, the status of teachers will be strengthened and elevated, and they will receive the recognition and respect that the educators of leaders of our country's next generation deserve.

 

Learning in the ImagineBox will take place throughout the year on various subjects according to a program determined by the school and according to lesson plans developed by the teachers. Each teacher and each student will have access to this innovative technology based on a tailored program and experience innovative and interactive learning.

 

We launched the first ImagineBox in June 2022 at Witzo Nachlat Yehuda Youth Village in Rishon LeTzion, and as of August 2023, thirty (30) ImagineBox classrooms are already operating in schools and teacher training colleges all over the country. By the end of 2023, there will be about 50 ImagineBox classrooms in Israeli municipalities.

 

 

In addition, we see ImagineBox as a tool for strengthening and increasing the bond between Israel and the Diaspora. We are developing content for use in ImagineBox classrooms we plan to establish in Jewish schools worldwide.

 

 

The immersive room is an interactive classroom, which allows teachers and students to leave the all-familiar classroom with tables and chairs and create a spatial experience for them in diverse learning environments. Exploring cultures and countries, the world of animals, the seasons, space, and any other imaginable environment, introduces the children to a unique experience where they can experiment with various activities. Virtual and augmented reality change our learning from passive to interactive and experiential.

 

The main advantage of using immersive learning technology is the ability to experience the learned material. This form of learning allows the creation of real-life situations, which helps with and encourages creative thinking, curiosity, problem-solving, and creativity.

 

 

 

This environment is also suitable for students with special needs. ImagineBox has various content based on sensory experience, improving sensory and motor abilities, and more. In addition to learning, students with special needs can also undergo para-medical treatments in the immersive room.

 

Integrating an immersive learning room at schools will lead to a significant breakthrough and advancement of education. The opportunity to learn through experience will open up new worlds for the students and prepare them better for life after graduation.

 

We already see the tremendous impact of ImagineBox on learning in schools where we installed the technology and trained the teachers on how to use it. The ImagineBox directors in these schools report more active participation of students in the lessons, more effective learning, and better retention of the studied material.

 

We anticipate that ImagineBox will completely change the way of learning and revolutionize the classroom, which has hardly changed in the last hundreds of years. It's already happening!

 

 

 

 

The immersive classroom comes with hundreds of learning environments and ready-made lesson plans. In addition, new content is published in the system every week and is available immediately upon publication in each ImagineBox.

 

All content corresponds with the syllabus of the Ministry of Education in all subjects taught in schools today. There is suitable content for students from the first to the twelfth grade.

The teachers themselves also develop content for their students and share some of it with other ImagineBox classrooms.

 

Athena Fund is working to create strategic partnerships and build diverse content for ongoing learning and enrichment.