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Wednesday, December 31, 2014

How WeKWL, a free app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration, can be used to promote Judaic instruction and to mentor/train Jewish educators



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 discuss how WeKWL, a free app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration, can be used to improve Judaic instruction and to mentor/train Jewish educators.

Note: Google Play offers a free WeKWL app as well. It’s url is as follows: 

Assumption: The teacher or mentor teacher has an 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 WeKWL can be applied 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. 

What is WeKWL?

WeKWL is a free  app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration via brainstorming in a Judaic in the Judaic Studies and secular classroom.

Note: WeKWL can be used in a face to face and virtual classroom.


Where is  the WeKWL  app located on the internet?





How WeKWL, a free app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration, can be used to promote Judaic instruction and to mentor/train Jewish educators

Click here to find a video explaining how WeKWL can be used to promote Judaic instruction and to train/mentor pre-service and in-service Jewish educators.



On the next post we will begin our discussion of a free IOS (Apple) app, WeMap, that empowers students to engage in collaborative brainstorming via mind mapping.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Jewish Legacy Project: Curriculum Initiative


The  Jewish Legacy Project


Readers of My Blog,

Every now and then I like to take a professional privilege, get away from the standard format of this blog, and share an idea about which I am enthused. This curriculum idea is called “The Jewish Legacy Project”.

What is the Jewish Legacy Project? 

The Jewish Legacy Project  is one that elevates the time and life pursuits of its elders. It involves students and their parents  engaging  in the creation of web-based artifacts (e.g. pictures,  albums, podcasts, video recordings, etc.) that tell the story, the experiences and the values of selected members of their families (e.g. parents, grandparents, guardians, significant others, etc.) This does not mean that students cannot begin to create their own legacy projects or e-portfolios.

In order to implement this project the following steps should be considered:
  1. Discuss the Jewish Legacy Project with the rabbi, principal, school director or head of school.
  2. Obtain the approval of the rabbi, principal, school director or head of school to implement to project.
  3. Obtain permission of families to participate in the project.


If these preliminary steps are accomplished, the following implementation procedures are recommended.

  1. Determine which member of the family will be selected and then invited to share their legacy.
  2. Obtain the approval of that person to participate in the project.
  3. Generate questions that will be posed to that person.
  4. Invite that person to edit and add what questions he/she wants to answer.
  5. Invite that person to share his/her answers on a podcast or video recording.


Click here to see and hear an example of a video recording, a web-based artifact, in the Jewish Legacy Project.




How WeKWL, a free app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration, can be used to promote instruction in the blended learning classroom



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 discuss how WeKWL, a free app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration, can be used to improve instruction in the blended learning classroom.

Note: Google Play offers a free WeKWL app as well. It’s url is as follows: 

Assumption: The teacher or mentor teacher has an 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 WeKWL can be applied 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. 

What is WeKWL?

WeKWL is a free  app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration via brainstorming in a Judaic in the Judaic Studies and secular classroom.

Note: WeKWL can be used in a face to face and virtual classroom.


Where is  the WeKWL  app located on the internet?





How WeKWL, a free app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration, can be used to promote instruction in the blended learning classroom

Click on the links below to find resources explaining how WeKWL can be used to promote instruction in the face to face and virtual classroom.




On the next post we will discuss how WeKWL, a free app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration, can be used to promote Judaic instruction and to mentor/train Jewish educators.

Monday, December 29, 2014

Introduction to WeKWL, a free app which facilitates student engagement and collaboration


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 begin our discussion of WeKWL, a free app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration in a Judaic Studies and secular classroom.  


Note: Google Play offers a free WeKWL app as well. It’s url is as follows: 

Assumption: The teacher or mentor teacher has an 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 WeKWL can be applied 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. 

What is WeKWL?

WeKWL is a free  app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration via brainstorming in the Judaic Studies and secular classroom.

Note: WeKWL can be used in a face to face and virtual classroom.


Where is  the WeKWL  app located on the internet?



Where can I find tutorials demonstrating how to use WeKWL?

Click on the links below to find tutorials on using WeKWL:



On the next post we will discuss how WeKWL, a free app that facilitates student engagement and collaboration, can be used to promote instruction in the blended learning classroom.


Jewish Education News Blog

Richard D. Solomon's Blog on Mentoring Jewish Students and Teachers

http://nextleveljewisheducation.blogspot.com/