6c+Eliezer

Eliezer:

 Birthright's Meg Event A successful method of reaching students

What is the best way to gauge what sites are best for your students?

It really depends on one's purpose for accessing the web. Which of our seven characteristics will be wanting to explore?

* Connectivity  · Communication  · Collaboration  · Exploration and Problem Solving <span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Transformational Play <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Creative Expression <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> · Customization

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Will we be using the web to connect, access content, collaborate to solve a problem, or create? For connecting, we have facebook, or separate social networking site. To access content, there are are a variety of good sites with rich store houses of information; Chabad.org, lookstein.org, 613.org, are just a few that come to mind. We can help the students find these, but, a quick google search is just as effective.

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The real issue when selecting a web site for your class is it authenticity. Ruth's teens articulately expressed what they are looking for in Jewish education. <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[|Ruth's blog]

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Here are some comments:
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> When we come to class, ask us how we’re doing and how our day was
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Get us involved in what we’re learning
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Ask us how we want to learn the material
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Create a sense of enjoyment in the classroom (allow 5 to 10 minutes to debrief from the day, or give us the ‘free space’ to talk about what we want)
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Don’t talk down to us
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Don’t use language to ‘be cool’
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Create an environment where we feel comfortable and not judged
 * <span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 3em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> Recognize that we have a lot of stress in our day, and we have a hard time adding more

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If we take a look at these comments we see that the social aspect of education has to be increased. Class cannot just be about absorbing content. We have to create social by in. No longer are there natural social networks that reinforce Jewish identification and education. We must create them. Class time for socializing is important. For the classes web presence, something similar must be facilitated. Just checking onto the web, getting your information, and leaving is not sufficient. I think a facebook group would probably be the best. The group page could be hidden from people outside the class, links, photos, and videos could be posted on the page's wall, and there is a chat function already set up by facebook.

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">How are the students using the material? We must create a situation where Jewish competency is valued and useful. Perhaps a Shabbaton, or group performance can provide the impetus for learning. Finally, Ruth's students say "Don't talk down to us or use language to be cool" Just because something is on the web or has a website does not mean that it is cool. Referencing Myspace for example is the quickest way to show that you are out of step. Check with the technical elite to make sure sites are still up functioning and used.

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The federations SuperJew project is the best example I can think of when it comes to the socially inept trying to be technologically hip.<span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; url(http: //www.wikispaces.com/i/a.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[] How many young adults would be attracted to this? There is no story, no description of powers, no character development, merely, creating avatars with Jewish sounding names. Someone at Jewish Robot must have talked the federation into this project. I would really like to see the usage statistics of this project.

<span style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">