This presentation was developed for the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, CT's Mitnick Education Conference in Oct. 2011. Some content is geared toward Jewish congregational schools, but the goals and tips can be applied to nearly any classroom. Overview: New technologies offer an unprecedented opportunity to build relationships and enhance education. But they also offer challenges. How do we harness this power strategically? How do we manage communications when we don’t have control over the message? How can congregation classroom teachers blend technology effectively into lessons? How can tools be integrated into the classroom to enhance learning and not become the focus? We will review various educational goals and how technology might be used to reach them.

1. Wh a t C a n We D o ?
Blending Technology into Education
March 2012
Kevin Martone
Technology Program Manager
Grinspoon Institute for Jewish Philanthropy
kevin@hgf.org

4. Determine Your Goals

5. Website Facebook eNewsletter Twitter
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
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Trad. Newsletter/ Blogs
Goal 1______________
Direct Mail _____________
_____________ _____________
Goal 2______________
_____________ _____________
_____________ _____________
Goal 3______________
_____________ _____________
Other Offline – Video Sharing Photo Sharing Other
Events, Calls, Mtgs. _____________ _____________ _____________
_______________ _____________ _____________ _____________
_______________ _____________ _____________ _____________
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Remixed from Idealware’s Nonprofit Social Media Decision Guide (www.idealware.org)

6. 4 Potential Goals re: Blending Tech
Effectively into the Classroom
 Share info with parents and families online
 Enhance education & make learning more fun/interesting
 Build community online and off
 Increase/enhance learning between sessions (and during
summer)… and include parents in education
 Other?

7. One Thing…

8. Share Info with Parents
 Create an online resource center
» Issue: synagogue website nonexistent or difficult to update
 Ideally allow conversation/comments
» Homework?
» Moderate!
 Other options
» Google Group
» Wiki
» Facebook Group

9. Weebly Sites

10. Enhance Education & Make Learning More Fun/Engaging

13. Digital Photography www.babaganewz.com
Ask students to photograph anything of Jewish interest at
home. The ten best were blown up, matted, and hung in
the hallways of the school.
Take digital photos of all students. Print into 1”
headshots. Allow students to paste their own faces onto
paper dolls with biblical clothing. Then they can put
themselves into a scene – parting of the Red Sea, at the
base of Mt. Sinai, etc. They can also add thought bubbles
to incorporate emotion and actions. They can be placed
as part of a giant mural for the entire Congregation as
well.

14. Digital Video www.babaganewz.com
Combine students into small groups. Assign each
group two chapters of Megilat Esther to read; ask
them to create a script for a 2-minute video using any
format – live action, puppets, animation. They were
recorded using a digital video camera (Flip Cam will
do) and put together into one movie, and shared with
the community for Purim.

15. Build Community Online and Off
 Share projects among families
» Blog?
 Share projects with entire community
» Digital presentations
» Printouts at synagogue

16. Build Community Online and Off
 How have you shared your class learning
with the community?

17. Enhance Learning Between Sessions
 Discussion Forum
» Topics of interest to audience (not just classwork)
» Keep parents involved
» Moderate!
» Consider tool options
- Weebly
- Blog and/or Twitter
- Facebook

18. Lois Tompkins, Principal
Bernard & Alice Selevan Religious School at the Jacksonville Jewish Center

19. Enhance Learning Between Sessions
 Videoconferencing (i.e., Skype)
» 1-on-1 tutorials
» Buddy classroom in Israel?
» Parent-teacher conferences?
» Off-season seminars?

20. Learn Hebrew Online
 Twebrew School
 Behrman House

21. 4 Potential Goals re: Blending Tech
Effectively into the Classroom
 Share info with parents and families online
 Enhance education & make learning more fun/interesting
 Build community online and off
 Increase/enhance learning between sessions (and during
summer)… and include Parents in education
 Other?

22. Your Ideas

23. You Can Do It