TEC founders:
Dr. Miri Shonfeld, Dr. Asmaa N. Ganayem, Dr. Elaine Hoter
The TEC Center for Technology, Education, and Cultural Diversity at MOFET Institute was founded in 2005 by Dr. Miri Shonfeld, Dr. Elaine Hoter, and Dr. Asmaa N. Ganayem
The Center develops online collaborative learning courses and tools for teaching different disciplines. In October 2005 the Advanced Learning Environments program was launched based on a model developed by the TEC Center whereby students from different colleges learn together on the internet using synchronous and asynchronous tools in mixed multicultural groups, creating learning and teaching materials, and experiencing advanced teaching environments. Over the years the program has been gradually joined by students and lecturers from ten colleges from the Arab sector, the state-religious sector, and the state-Jewish sector: Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts, Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education, Talpiot College of Education, Hemdat HaDarom Academic College of Education, Oranim Academic College, Lifshitz College of Education, Sakhnin College for Teacher Education, College of Technology Education, Arab Academic College of Education in Haifa, Levinsky College of Education, Givat Washington College of Education, David Yellin College of Education, Kaye Academic College of Education, Achva Academic College, and Ohalo College of Education
In 2009 the TEC-Amirim Program was inaugurated. This is a project for gifted and outstanding elementary school students in the three population sectors run in conjunction with student teachers from the Advanced Learning Environments program. The project was funded by the Ministry of Education Division for Gifted and Outstanding Students and Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts. In it fifth and sixth grade students learned together online in clusters of three schools from the three population sectors, conducted joint research projects, and finally got together for a day of recreational activities. In 2010 the project was expanded to include nine classes, and in 2019, 18 schools took part in it
In 2011 the Center was transferred to MOFET Institute. That year the TEC Center held disciplinary courses in the spirit of the TEC model. The first course was in the sciences, and three colleges participated in it: Talpiot College of Education, Al-Qasemi Academic College of Education, and Oranim Academic College. The course has expanded to include additional colleges
In 2013 the TEC4Schools program was inaugurated at the Kibbutzim College of Education, Technology and the Arts School for Advanced Studies. The program encompasses 140 classes from different schools and 3,000 students. In this program, too, the studies are conducted online in accordance with the TEC model for collaborative learning
In 2014 a disciplinary course in English was opened on the subject of Minorities Literature with Emphasis on Jewish and Palestinian Literature. This course has also expanded and currently has over one hundred students
In 2016 a pedagogic course for the MTEACH program was opened, entitled Pedagogy in Technological Environments. This course is taught in English and has been joined by students from Israel and Germany
In all of the Center’s projects emphasis is placed on familiarization with the other through collaborative work. For details of the projects and to see their products, press “Programs” on the Center’s website
The TEC Center maintains contact with international organizations, and has given presentations at conferences in the United States and Ireland, and in online conferences. The Center seeks to develop contacts with additional organizations