I'd like to reflect on the video I watched by Adam Bellow entitled "You're invited to change the world." He gave the closing keynote address at the 2013 ISTE conference and really helped me get even more enthusiastic about my current teaching, as well as its future ramifications, with its far reaching impact.

 People at the ISTE conference spoke about how much they learned at the convention and how excited it made them to teach for the upcoming year.

Some of the highlights that were mentioned included:

1- The fact that they were able to learn so much from each other and the importance of collaboration.
2- They were able to connect to educators internationally including Israel!
3- They felt empowered as they were able to come up with multiple solutions to various problems.
4- How to best utilize these technological tools for engagement amongst both students and teachers alike.

 Mr. Adam Bellow really infused the audience with his passion for technology, and his enthusiasm was contagious. Among the things he discussed included:

1- Technology is here to stay in a 24/7 global network.
2- Technology is not the icing on the cake, but is "kneaded into the bread"and is the fabric for the classroom.
3- Students must learn how to create not just consume.
4- Teachers have fear of new technology techniques, in part due to the fact that the education system hasn't changed much in 100 years.
5- Because of that fear, teachers should go to a PNL (Personal Learning Network) expert to help them solve their questions and alleviate their fears.

I agree with him wholeheartedly, as I'm not a technological expert and do have a little "fear" of it. That is why it's imperative for me to go to a PNL expert to show me how to set up the necessary technological tools I need for my class, which will then give me the skills to use the technology in the right way.
 As I teach Gemara and Halacha which are not easily understood, as they discuss subjects that are not always easily identifiable today, it's vital for me to acquire the right skills in order to show the videos to my class which will aid in their comprehension of the subject matter.
 When I'm using the right blend of old school teaching, together with blended learning in a high tech environment, it's a win-win situation for all involved. As Mr. Bellow said, "Technology is not the icing on the cake, but the very fabric matter itself"!

Wikis in Education

A wiki is a website that allows collaborative editing of its content and structure by its users. In regards to education, wikis are web pages that students can use to write, edit, and add elements, such as images and videos, to create collaborative projects. Students research and analyze information, write about what they've learned, and evaluate each other's work. The end result is a product all members of the group believe in.

Wikis are a useful tool in education for students and teachers alike, especially when combined with technology.

Wikis are useful for students in a number of ways:

1- Encourages project based learning.
2- Promotes collaboration and teamwork.
3- Helps develop higher level thinking skills.
4- Allows for flexibility with regards to the time and place they can do their assignment.
5- Creates a sense of excitement amongst students as they enjoy what they're doing.

Wikis are also beneficial for teachers as they enhance the classroom experience in a number of ways:

1- Wikis allow students to edit someone else's work.
2- They retain previous versions that writers can keep looking back at.
3- They keep track of everyone's individual entries and edits.
4- Teachers can invite parents and the community to read the finished work which will attract a large audience and create pride in the students' accomplishment.
5- Wikis enhance collaboration between teachers to share lesson plans, ideas, feedback and build on each other's work, which wasn't available in the past traditional teacher setting.

Wikis are an exciting part of the teaching and learning process, and I'm excited to start integrating them into my class!

Minecraft in Education

Minecraft is a popular sandbox game that has begun to be used by educators, for its use as a learning tool. Minecraft enables students to explore, create, and imagine things in a completely different way than they could ever do in a traditional classroom. The beauty in the game lies in the creativity it unleashes in both the students and teachers.

However, knowing how to harness that creativity or when to rein it in, is the challenge for teachers today. Once students get started playing their favorite "game" in this virtual world, it's very hard to get them to stop. It is good that minecraftedu provides a customized modification of the game,that helps facilitate organization and focus for teachers to use minecraft effectively.  This is very beneficial in the beginning when a teacher is just trying to get his feet "wet" and learn the ropes with this new game.

Technology is very beneficial in getting the class to be eager to learn, but if the students get overhyped up and controlling them becomes an issue, then the costs might outweigh the benefits. There is also a minecraft teacher blog, which allows for collaboration and information sharing among teachers as to what works best and what doesn't.

Depending what it's used for, and the age group, minecraft can be a successful tool in education today. The younger students seem to be more into it and are excited to try applying it in different projects. Some projects in judaic studies where it can be a success are:

1- Building the Mishkan
2- Constructing Noah's Ark
3- Wars between the jews and pelishtim in tanach
4- Keriat yam suf
5- Esther in Achashverosh's palace

Hopefully, minecraft can be a very useful and exciting tool in our children's current and future education.

Visual Learning Tools in Education

 Education today isn't what it used to be. Gone are the days when the class got its instruction from a long worded textbook with only a few photos thrown in. Students nowadays, are used to visual and digital media such as,YouTube, to help them study and communicate information. Wherever one turns, there is a visual bombardment of advertisements coming at them. That is why it's so important for teachers and students alike, to learn how to use visual learning tools. 

 With so much emphasis on visual media today, students need proper skills in understanding the power of various media and how to use the media to communicate. In order for students to obtain visual literacy, they must develop the skills to process and analyze information that is delivered through visual images, as well as understand the impact images have on a viewer.

 In order for the students to know how to use various visual tools for educational purposes, it is best to learn from their teacher. That's why it's imperative that teachers today are "in with the times" and learn how to properly use visual learning tools in the classroom. Teachers can use images and visual presentations in the curriculum that will enhance understanding of the content matter. Teachers can also encourage students to create their own visual presentations that show creativity, enthusiasm, and collaboration among students.

 Sometimes, the weakest students end up succeeding the most, when told to create their own video project. It could be the student is too shy to talk up in class, and the privacy of making one's own video, allows his true nature to shine brightly for all to see. Another possibility, is that the student is not "book smart", or is scared of "rigid" exams. With the flexibility of the video project, all his inhibitions are gone, and he's free to soar like a bird to show off his knowledge in this new "comfortable" format, which wasn't possible before.

There are a number of visual learning websites online that can be used in education. Ex:
 1- Picasa
 2- SlideShare
 3- TeacherTube
 4- Ustream
 5- Windows Live Movie Maker

Each of the above examples have various features that make them unique, and it is up to the student to decide which one he'd like to use, for any number of class based projects.

Visual learning tools allow for everyone in the class to try and reach their potential and feel like a winner!

Social Networking in Education

  Social networking is playing a pivotal role in the world today in general, and in education in particular. It allows users to create links between their online presence such as a webpage or collection of photos. These links may be through joining online groups, or connecting other users through lists of "friends" or "contacts."


  Humans are social creatures and have a need to communicate with each other in all areas of life, and education is no exception! While in the past, a teacher's networking consisted of only fellow teachers in the local school, now the globe of educators is literally at your fingertips. No matter where one is located, he can get any idea from any educator, no matter the geographic distance between them. Instead of teaching being a lonely experience, and relying on one "expert" to help you if you're lucky, it has now become a dynamic, interactive and exciting experience, with experts galore!


 Being that learning has a strong social component to it, and is strengthened when we interact and share ideas with others, it is vital that today's educators have the proper skill in knowing how to properly use social networking to their advantage. With students on various social websites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Snapchat all the time chatting with one another, it's important that educators "hop on" the bandwagon, to make learning come alive both "in" and "out" of the classroom.


 Some of the advantages of social networking sites are:

1- Small groups can collaborate on projects.

2- Students can post their questions and answers.

3- The site can be used to retain teacher notes, videos, podcasts,  etc.

4- Students who are absent can catch up on work without their traditional "absent" excuse.

5- Familes can be granted access to share the information and see the child's work themselves.

 Learning is enhanced when students enjoy what they're doing in a medium they're comfortable with. As the Gemara in Masechet Avodah Zara daf 17a says, " A person should only learn Torah in a place where his heart desires." Hopefully, with the right social networking skills, educators can help students accomplish this!

Skype in the Classroom

  Skype technology is an amazing tool to connect one's classroom to the outside world, while letting

 students interact in ways never before thought possible. It opens up one's classroom to a world way

beyond one's physical school campus. Skype technology has many uses, but I'd like to focus on three

main functions that can really transform a classroom:


1-  To collaborate with other classes, no matter where they are. Students can get bored of the

same classmates and friends that they see day in and day out. They also sometimes think they are the

only ones learning that particular subject. With skype however, the students in your class can connect

with peers their age in another yeshivah in any part of the globe, that are learning the same material.

They will see the similarities and differences between both classes' approach to the topic at hand,

which will give them a whole new perspective that didn't previously exist. It will also be exciting

introducing oneself to the other "exotic" class, while simultaneously inquiring into the academic

requirements as well as social life in the other institution.

2- Allows one to invite guest speakers into the classroom, which wouldn't have been possible

otherwise, due to financial and long distant considerations. With skype however, you're only one

click away from any expert you'd like to speak to your class, no matter where they're located.

3- Allows a teacher to take his class on a virtual field trip anywhere in the world. This really

is vital to a classroom where visualization is key to comprehension. There would be no practical

way to transport everyone to the far off location, especially with the financial factor.

With skype however, you're just a video away from any field trip.

 The best part about skype, is that it's totally free, so money is no longer an obstacle! What was a

pipe dream only a few years ago, has now become a reality!

 With the right use of skype in the classroom, student learning will be able to soar to heights never

seen before!

Advantages of Podcasting in the Classroom

Podcasting in the classroom has become one of the latest technological trends in education nowadays, as it stimulates learning through various creative means that were not previously available. This is especially useful for today’s students that are well versed in handling technology in addition to needing new learning methods which match their lifestyle. 

 Podcasts in education have several advantages:
1- Enables students to access the information any time they want as the students can download the information to the device of their choice and listen whenever they are free. This ease of accessibility is vital today.

2-  Allows staff to create an archive of lessons online, which in turn lets students access previous lectures for reference and clarification on a subject. It also allows students who miss a class to make up the work easily without depending on others to give them the class notes.

3- Allows learning on the go. Instead of learning being a boring sedentary activity, students can study while exercising, relaxing, or traveling on the train. This stimulates different types of learners, as students can learn either in an auditory manner, visually, or physically, which makes them motivated to learn and excel.

4-  Enables students that are physically challenged with disabilities such as dyslexia, etc, that have a hard time with conventional learning, to thrive in this new format.

It is for these and other various reasons why I’m excited to start using podcasts for educational purposes.