Richard D. Solomon's Blog on Mentoring Jewish Students and Teachers: List of some additional web resources for doing Problem Based Jewish Learning

Monday, April 23, 2012

List of some additional web resources for doing Problem Based Jewish Learning

When mentoring our pre-service and in-service teachers we need to describe and model both research-based and clinically tested best practices, and demonstrate how these best practices can be applied in the real (i.e. physical) and virtual (i.e. online) classroom for both teaching and teacher training. The combination of face to face instruction in a physical setting and online learning is called blended learning. In this section of the blog we will describe how the internet can serve as a supplemental resource for instruction and the mentoring of pre-service and in-service Jewish educators. In this post we will share a list of some additional web resources for doing Problem Based Jewish Learning.

What is Problem Based Jewish Learning or Problem Based Learning from a Judaic Studies perspective?

Problem Based Jewish Learning (PBJL) or Problem Based Learning from a Judaic Studies perspective is a particular instructional approach to implementing Jewish Integrated Experience Education (JIEE) . It involves engaging students in the investigation of a real problem or issue facing the Jewish people (e.g. the existence of Israel, terrorism, Judaic literacy, anti-semitism, acculturation, poverty, alcoholism, etc.) collecting and analyzing print and web resources, primary sources, plus empirical data, presenting and disseminating their conclusions or solutions to the problem studied. Ultimately students create a web-based Judaic knowledge product (i.e. movie, poster, audio recording, graphic organizer, multi-media presentation, power point presentation, etc.) which is shared with others on the internet.

Assumption: The teacher or mentor teacher has a interactive white board (i.e. SMART Board, Promethean, etc.), a Tablet PC (also called a Slate or Blade), a computer presenter or computer with internet access attached to an LCD projector in the classroom. It would be ideal if students or mentees had access to their own laptop computers or Ipads. Given parental and school approval, and the development of specific guidelines, smartphones can be used to enhance instruction as well.

Note: Although these primary sources can be used in the Judaic Studies blended learning classroom, it can be also be used for training pre-service and in-service Jewish educators for professional or staff development. It is our hope that Jewish educators around the globe will form an online community of practice, a CoP, a group of people who share an interest, a craft, and/or a profession, to enhance the delivery of instruction and training of Jewish educators. For example, here is a CoP you might want to join.

Where to locate some additional web resources for doing Problem Based Jewish Learning (PBJL)

Click on the links below and find some additional web resources for doing Problem Based Jewish Learning:

Note: This is not intended to be a complete list of web-based resources for PBJL.