The document discusses how technology is changing kids' culture and the Jewish future. It argues that technology can extend contact hours and make learning more effective by helping students use higher-order thinking skills. However, technology also brings change, information overload, lack of control, and a new language and skillset. The document recommends several free online tools that teachers can use to engage students, including Classtools for creating Facebook-like pages, Toondoo for making comic strips, and GoAnimate for creating animations. It emphasizes starting with learning goals rather than technology and collaborating with students and experts.

1. Adena Raub Dershowitz
AJL Yom Limmud
November 6, 2011

2.  Kids’ culture is technology
 The Jewish future will change
because of technology
 Tech can extend contact hours and
make those hours more effective.
 Tech can help students use higher
order thinking skills.

3.  Change
 Information Overload
 Lack of Control
 New Language
 New Skillset
 Kids are Light Years Ahead.

4.  Don’t invest too much in any one
thing…except maybe the Internet
 Be prepared to fail publicly
 Collaborate
 Utilize our experts: our children
 Make expectations clear and establish policy.
 Never ever start with the technology. Always
start with the learning goal.

5.  Are FREE or have free versions (in terms of $$)
 Are all accessed via the web
 Are not Jewish tools, but can be applied to
Jewish content
 Your students know them, or can learn how to
use them easily
 Are the same tools that the madrichim will be
working with later!

6.  What: A site that allows for the building of
“Facebook-like” pages
 Where: http://classtools.net/fb/home/page
 How: Parsha Study, History, Film, Biography
 Why:
 Kids know this platform already
 Students need to think about interactions/cause and
effect
 Students can insert their own personality
 Can be done in teams or individually

7.  What: Comic Strip Generator
 Where: http://www.toondoo.com
 How: Parsha study, History, Life Cycles,
Ethics,
 Why:
 Creative way for students to interpret a narrative (or
create their own)
 Format requires students to select the most
important elements
 Can be a one-time or ongoing project (comic book).

8.  What: Create your own animation
 Where: www.goanimate.com
 How: Parsha Study, History, Ethics, Life cycles,
Literature, Hebrew
 Why:
 Can be used by the teacher or the student
 Students need to think critically about characters
points of view
 Interesting way to practice Hebrew conversation
 Students will spend the time!

9.  What: An online quiz/flashcard/game center
 Where: www.quizlet.com
 How: Hebrew letter recognition, Hebrew
vocabulary, Life cycles vocabulary, Holiday
vocabulary/photos
 Why:
 Database exists which includes some Hebrew and
Jewish content
 Students can create quizzes/cards for each other
 Can be sent to parents and students
 Hebrew Typing:
http://gate2home.com/Hebrew-Keyboard

10.  What: Screen capture software
 Where: http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html
 How: Hebrew writing
 Why
 Allows students or teachers to create tutorials to
share
 Gives a greater purpose to student work

11.  What: Multimedia Presentation Tool
 Where: www.glogster.com
 How: Any research project, teacher uses to
present information, holiday breaks, family
involvement
 Why:
 Better than a book report
 Creative expression of knowledge and skills
 Can be combined with video/photo/text creation

12.  What: Online polling using mobile phones
 Where: www.pollanywhere.com
 How: Sensitive topics, Create a game to review
content, Tzedekah allocation, “Text” Study
 Why:
 Includes all students anonymously
 Easy for multiple choice or free response
 Don’t need Smartphones – just texting
 Can be a synchronous or asynchronous poll

13.  What: Bar codes which can be scanned to link
to web sites, video, photos, text
 Where:
 To Generate: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
 Need a smartphone app to scan: like Scanlife
 How: Scavenger hunts, Book tags, Prayer
 Why
 Connect the physical to the virtual

14.  What: Connect with classrooms all over the
world
 Where: www.epals.com
 How: Connect with Israel, with Jewish
classrooms abroad
 Why:
 A safe, verified way to open up the world to your
students
 Can use other technologies to connect to your new
“sister classroom”

15.  What: A classroom management system and
parent communication tool
 Where: www.micro-steps.com
 How: Create a central portal for your school.
 Why:
 Post assignments
 E-bulletins to parents
 Post photos
 Spaces for clubs to meet

16.  http://www.edgalaxy.com/
 www.edutopia.com
 www.iste.org
 www.edupln.com
 http://www.committedsardine.com/

17.  Only limited by your imagination
 Strength in Numbers
 Trust your educational instincts!
 Feel free to call for help!
 Adena Raub Dershowitz
570-575-8433
araub@pelie.org
Twitter: @PELIE_Org