Janet Rothman's Blog (14)

 

Reflections on YU Technology into the Classroom – a retrospective look on how the course demonstrated the importance of educational technology in education.

 

But first a thank you and farewell musically…

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ISSUU is a specific web flip book publishing tool that I believe has a lot of potential in the Jewish Day School arena.  Studies show students hold themselves at a higher level of responsibility and accountability when they know their work is going to be published.  As my dance teacher once said, “want to dance…rent a studio and set a date for the live performance”.  The hard effort will naturally arise and crescendo in performance.

In the Jewish Day School arena, I see the…

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“Unlocking Potential” was the theme of ISTE’s (International Society of Technology in Education)

Conference held in Philadelphia - City of Brotherly Love – on June 26 through 29^th.  Even if you weren’t there to take advantage of the software demos that packed the convention center, attend break-out sessions with award-winning teachers, or network live, you can be there virtually. ISTE created “on demand” videos of some of its best break-out sessions as well as…

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Its a learning curve - but it's worth the climb!

Yeshiva University is offering a wonderful class on-line for the educator community called Integration of Technology into the Classroom.  It has been a true technology adventure and, as a non-digital native, I am waiting for the moment when things “start to… Continue

 

Link to Educational Virtual Reality Sites:

In my Integration of Technology Into the Classroom course, I was introduced to "Second Life" as a good example of a virtual reality tool. When thinking about its incorporation into the Jewish Day School classroom, I have several conflicting thoughts:

I remember a scientist at Ben Gurion University telling me that Israel was working on a concept of the Star Wars “shield” to protect… Continue

I have several memories that keep nagging at me when I get on the bandwagon of how much I adore the power and versatility of Web 2.0 Visual Tools – and in particular - videos because I am a child of Hollywood. The first is my college memories of the “wise man of the 60’s” Marshall McLuhan (1911 to 1980) who is known for coining the expressions “the medium is the message”.  He is even credited with predicting the World Wide Web almost thirty years before it was invented.  In a passage…

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I was very impressed with the social media tool: Edmodo which is redefining how teachers teach in the classroom and break through the time/space barrier.  Unlike Facebook (which I use professionally) but feels a bit like an electronic Shakely concept in the way “friends are connected” and has had problems with security, privacy etc., Edmodo is designed for the classroom exclusively and has some great built-in tools.

 

• It is…

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I was asked to review many productivity tools. I like www.scanr.com for emergencies (no access to a scanner while on the road recently and with the need to deliver a document back to the States ASAP) this productivity tool assisted in jumping over the technological roadblock!  It pays to keep up-to-date on web solutions.

 

But, like my fellow YU colleague, Adam Simon , my favorite productivity tool is Google Docs.  I definitely can see…

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The Power of Podcasts in the Classroom:

I grew up in a family that listened a lot – to radios, records etc. and learning how to listen is key to learning.  As a dancer, I was trained to listen deeply in order to advance in the dance.  Doctors say the last sense to go when you die is hearing.  Hence, there is a Jewish practice never to leave a dying person alone but to pray on their behalf until their last breath. 

The Web 2.0 tools (podcasts and…

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A diamond is cut to exhibit its numerous facets so as to have exceptional brilliance at every angle. Twitter’s “tweets” are similar in that they reflect one angle of a topic or idea in real time!  Tweets can be likened to Egyptian hieroglyphics. They express ideas in short concise alpha/numeric/ (almost) pictorial forms.  Hieroglyphics are also short-hand messages which point to more information below the surface -if you know how to follow the trail and break the code.  Tweets, because of their… Continue

Blogs are the powerful connectors, and the words one uses can't be underestimated.  The idea for an all-school Jewish Day School blog was inspired by Connecticut College's Summer Reading Program which asked all students, faculty and parents to read three books.  Activities for all parties occurred throughout the academic year and a think tank in-depth examination of the themes created some powerful outcomes.  Here is the adapted version for a Jewish Middle and/or High School…

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Wonder what it is like to talk to God?  Aish posted a thoughtful, clever and hilarious video using all the "au currant" technologies from Facebook to Kindell to bring the Exodus story alive for today's youthful audience.  It is written in technology-speak and no social media is left out!  It is a must see for teachers, students and parents and has received over a million views to date http://www.aish.com.  Chag Sameach! 

Parent Volunteers are Being Cultivated in a New Way in the Technological Age.  But some schools and colleges are still behind the "8" Ball.

March 22^nd’s New York Times article: Article: New York Times   Giving Literature Virtual Life by Patricia Lowen showcased the “Ivys” embracing digital technology.   One professor noted “In 10…

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I usually think of most television programming as something less than desirable. I think of it as Dennis the Menace misbehaving and rarely adding new pathways to the brain!  But the Wall Street Journal article:  Can a Computer Win on 'Jeopardy'? Defeating a chess champion is a piece of cake compared to parsing puns and analyzing…

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