How do you use technology in your school?

I'm very interested in this topic. I really need it for my job at a secondery school! Thanks! ___________________ Hire Java Developer

The JTA published an article on ways that synagogues, religious schools and other Jewish groups use social media that you might find interesting.

http://jta.org/news/article/2009/12/20/1009812/synagogues-blogging-and-tweeting-their-way-to-new-kinds-of-communication" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

At Neveh Channah Girl's High School in the Etzion Bloc, Israel, we have been using technology extensively for many years. We aim to integrate technology and information literacy across the curiculum. We have a 9th -10th grade course based on inquiry learning curricular projects (history, geography, biology, Tanach, environmental studies, English, etc.) The site which contains the infolit edtech curriculum, (based on the Big Six Information Literacy Model - http://www.big6.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) can be seen here (in Ivrit) - http://lach-nach.wikispaces.com/%D7%93%D7%A3+%D7%94%D7%91%D7%99%D7%AA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; on a dedicated wiki.

Here are some of our projects which are run online:

Geography - http://www.nevechana.org.il/arik/chetz70/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Parshat Hashavua wiki book - http://nc-parsha.wikispaces.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A collaborative English - Literature - Social Studies Project with LCC in Montreal (on a wiki) - http://jerusalem.wikispaces.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Biology Project (Vitamins and the Human Body Research Project) - http://www.nevnet.etzion.k12.il/alona/vitamins1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

English Matriculation Research project on a dedicated wiki - http://shaping-the-future.wikispaces.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We are presently running a collaborative Literature - Culture project with Frisch School in New Jersey - http://ifaces2010.wikispaces.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; We are running this project on two wikis, skype videoconferences and other collaborative applications.

We have been using the Animoto web2.0 clip generating application (Here for a 6o years of Israel Project) - http://israel-faces.wikispaces.com/Israel+at+60+Project" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We have had our students produce video clips to summarize their environmental research and mount them on Youtube to display them on a dedicated wikibook. - http://nc-chatzer.wikispaces.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Last year we acquired two Promethean Interactive Whiteboards and have begun to use them across the curriculum - see writeup here- http://jewishsmartboards.wikispaces.com/Promethean+Boards+at+Neveh+Channah" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Our annual art exhibitions are showcased online - http://www.nevnet.etzion.k12.il/noahc/art.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

In addition we carry out communications with staff via email listserves, submit grades, student comments, etc. via an online pedagogic management system - https://www.studnet.info/Logon.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This is not all we do but gives an idea of techology integration at Neveh Channah.

Reuven Werber Director of Educational Technology Neveh Channah

Hi Everyone!

Both Facebook and YouTube were mentioned as being used in the classroom. I created two sections on my website that will help you use those sites.

Jewish and Israeli Facebook Groups / Fan Pages There are over 1,700 listings. http://www.jr.co.il/hotsites/facebook.htm

Jewish Videos on YouTube Hundreds of video links including sections for the Jewish holidays. http://www.jr.co.il/videos/jewish-videos.htm

Feedback is welcome. Have a good day, Jacob

We use technology in a variety of ways. As the music specialist at our religious school I have used You Tube videos to spark conversations. The students love learning about lyrics through watching different interpretations of songs. The congregation has also put up soundbytes for each of the prayers we regularly do to help congregants and pre-B'nai Mitzvah students learn or brush up on their prayers.

This summer we received a Legacy Heritage grant for a SMART Board, and it is one of the most exciting things ever! Kids walked into school this September and were so enthusiastic to see that we had this (and they want to be the ones to teach all of us how to use them). I used the SMART Board to demonstrate the Shalom Uvrachah Interactive CD and this was a far more effective method than last yer when I had a group of kids crowded in my office. I've also had teachers use the board to show YouTube clips and other resources online. We plan to use the SMART Board to enhance other lessons througout the school.

Technology:

I use e-mail to contact all the parents of my Hebrew students after each session of Hebrew class. (I teach in an after school Hebrew program.)

My parents find out what we have accomplished each session, whether or not I have assigned homework and what the homework is.

I no longer have students coming without completed assignments.

This is also beneficial for students who are absent. They are able to keep up with the class. I have even gone as far as to scan and attach activities I have created myself so student who are absent or lose the activities will be able to participate.

Parents have repeatedly praised me for keeping in touch and are happy to know what their children are learning in class.

All communication with teachers and parents is done electronically. Registration forms were all on the Temple's website. We have a computer lab and classes are scheduled in for Hebrew or Judaica reinforcement or to do research for a project. I record b'nei mitzvah portions on CD's so students can load them onto their ipods. We use my cell phone during class to call students who are out sick and wish them a refu'ah sh'leimah. Later in the year, we plan to make a class video that we will email to all of the parents.

We have listening stations for the kids during Hebrew. I sang the prayers onto my computer and put them on some ipods (my own and some donated ones). We use a Hebrew program that is self-paced and before the kids can move to another level, they have to be able to chant the prayer out of a siddur. They practice using the listening stations that we set up.

Include links to your synagogue's website and other related sites in your emails and on your webpage. For example when talking about Simchat Torah, hyper-link the words to take you to a website that explains what the holiday is about.

Also, we post copies of the prayers the students are learning online - both written and audio.

We have a school webpage that gives parents instant access to what is going on in the classroom and upcoming events. We communicate with families mostly by email. We have one teacher who has a webpage that students have to visit regularly to earn prizes - gives information about what is upcoming in the classroom and what the students have to master. We post pictures of our students at work. We refer students and their families to sites to practice Hebrew reading, such as the Behrman House site. We send home CDs to help the students practice prayers at home.

I have the service (in the voice of our Cantor) on my iphone, along with several students' haftarah portions. I have portable speakers and we use the mp3s to practice for Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

In iTunes, I added a clipart or photo to show up with each prayer, i.e. a tent for Mah Tovu, a mezzuzah for the v'ahavta, etc.

We also use the software for the Hineni, program, and we have Davka Writer on the school's computers. The students can type their prayers in Hebrew and then add vowels when they print.

I find Facebook to be a wonderful way to extend our teen community outside of the classroom. In addition, we maintain a student-designed website for our youth groups and programs. By including links in our educational program eblasts, we encourage students and parents to use the site as a source for forms, information, pictures and resources. For the past 2 years, we have used GoogleSites - which is incredibly user-friendly and idiot-proof to edit and update.

1) If you send your parents a weekly e-letter, make it more interactive by asking your parents a question. You can then post all the replys in the next e-letter. I asked this one last year and got some great responses: "If we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams in Jewish education, what would be different?" It's a great way to begin a conversation...

2) Set up a web video conference with your teachers using Palbee (http://palbee.com/index.aspx) - its free!

If you have a computer projector or a SMART Board™ in your school, use it to introduce students to Hebrew software. Demonstrate the sign-on procedure and how to navigate the contents page. Allow students to practice their reading interactively and to play a few digital games in front of their classmates. Remember that with a SMART Board™ a student acts as a live, digital “mouse.”

Create a facebook page or group for your school. You can post notices of special events, schedule changes (including emergency closings), links to useful sites, videos of school programs, etc. Students and parents can become fans of the page to see what's happening. Just go to http://www.facebook.com

iShma goes beyond the basic reading or flashcard programs and provides interactive study tools that help you really learn Hebrew prayer. Please download iShma Lite for free and use the feedback button on the iShma menu to help us design the full featured Hebrew prayer app. more information