International outdoor teaching

Dr. Hadas Hirsch 
Dr. Rami Zituni 
Dr. Aylon Dorfman 
Dr. Eli Ashkenazi 

1. Encouraging and promoting outdoor teaching while researching its effectiveness.
2. Outdoor teaching and research will be focused on any field that offers unique educational insights and added value that cannot be replicated in the classroom. This includes subjects such as nature, environment, geography, Bible, archeology, history, and literature, as well as learning in libraries and museums.
3. The research group's very important goal is to build collaborations with universities abroad to support outdoor teaching and research.
4. Promoting outdoor learning and integrating practical experience with research.

The primary learning environment is the school classroom, familiar to both pupils and teachers. However, stepping outside the classroom provides learning opportunities across a wide array of fields that are inaccessible in the classroom. Many teachers are open to the idea of teaching outside the classroom. Still, they are hindered by various reasons, such as apprehension regarding a new learning environment, reluctance to depart from the familiar "comfort space" of the classroom, and a lack of knowledge and skills on how to do so. Therefore, out-of-classroom learning offers pupils a break from the usual routine, encouraging curiosity and potentially changing their perception of the learning process. This shift can transform teaching into an exciting and unique learning experience.​
אלי אשכנזי  

 My research topics focus on the examination of the interactive relationship between the environment and human activities, aiming to lead to an improved understanding of the relationships between geology, topography, soils, water and human activity, during historical generations, since ancient periods to the modern era. The focal points of my research relate to soil, water, flora and agriculture, with a particular interest in research on desert environments and the current adaptation of obsolete technologies and insights that may be practical even today, based on the practical knowledge employed by the ancient inhabitants of the Negev desert and the Sinai Peninsula.​​
אלי אשכנזי  

Aylon Dorfman is a faculty member in the department of Geography and coordinates the "Masa'ot" program, which emphasizes outdoor learning, his area of expertise. Outdoor learning is also the focus of his research. In addition, he is a certified tour guide accredited by the Ministry of Tourism and an experienced trip leader who trains young tour guides for the Ministry of Education. He teaches courses in the department related to outdoor education, leading campus programs across the country, and training future educators in innovative teaching methods beyond the classroom.
תואר בגאוגרפיה - תואר ראשון בחינוך  

Dr. Rami Zituni is a geomorphologist and head of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Oranim College.
His doctoral thesis dealt with the reconstruction of Palaeofloods in the Judean Desert streams, and his master's degree was on the impact of forest fires on soil erosion.
In addition to his academic role, Dr. Zituni serves as a referee for journals, and teaches a wide range of geology, geomorphology, geosciences, regional campuses, research seminars, and GIS.
מחקר באורנים  

Hadas Hirsch has received her Ph.D from Haifa University in Middle Eastern History and currently serves as head of the academic library, Oranim College. Her fields of interest include the cultural and social history of medieval Muslim societies; material culture; personal appearance, clothing, and adornment in pre-modern Muslim societies; gender relations; and women studies. Some of her most recent articles include: “Temporary and Permanent Body Modifications in Medieval Islam: The Legal Discussion”, British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies (2020), pp. 1–11; “Clothing and Colors in Early Islam: Adornment (Aesthetics), Symbolism and Differentiation”, Anthropology of the Middle East 15 (2020), pp. 99–114; “Circulation of Fashions: Deciphering Foreign Influences on the Creation of Muslim Clothing in early Islam”, Hamsa 7 (2021), pp. 1–26; “What Kind of Ring did the Prophet Muḥammad Wear? Raw Materials, Status, and Gender in Early Islam”, Journal of Arabian Studies (2022). “The Construction of Other Genders by Means of Personal Appearance in Medieval Islam: The Case of Mukhannathūn (Effeminates) and Kuntha (Hermaphrodites)”. ACTA (2023); "Otherness and Age: The Construction of Old People’s Personal Appearance in Early Islam." Journal of Religion and society (2023) 7, pp, 1-14: "The Qur’ānic Ghilmān: Shifting Gendered Boundaries of Sexuality." Body Politics (2024) 12, pp. 151-168. 

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