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Friday, December 18, 2015

How PiZap, an IOS(Apple), Android and Google Play photo collage app, 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 PiZapan IOS (Apple), Android and Google Play photo collage app, can be used to promote  Judaic instruction and to  mentor/train pre-service and in-service Jewish educators. 



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 PiZap 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. 

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

What is PiZap?

PiZap in an IOS(Apple), Android and Google Play photo collage app.

Why would a Judaic or secular educator or student want to use a photo collage app like PiZap?


Photo collage apps like PiZap can be used to enhance instruction in the following ways:



  • Students can create a collage of members of the class
  • Individual students, pairs, groups of students or the entire class can create a photo book made of pictures and collages.
  • Students can create a photo collage make collages themed around shapes, colors, favorite things, words that rhyme, etc.
  • Students can create a collage of characters in a book.
  • Students can insert collages into their power point presentations, posters, flyers, essays, homework etc.
  • Collages can be used to decorate the classroom


The following idea was taken from

  • Students can create collages to introduce themselves


The following ideas were adapted from

  • Collages can show different and complex concepts like time, energy, evolution, height, etc.
  • Collages can display similarities and differences
  • Collages can display the culture of a country (music, art, architecture, sculpture, history, geography, important landmarks, etc.)
  • Collages can become pictionaries  or show different examples of a concept
  • Collages can represent the sequence of a field trip
  • Collages can be visual poems
  • Collages can show the steps in a procedure or scientific experiment
  • Collages can be used to display actions or active  verbs.
  • Collages can be used to display words that have the same meaning in different languages (e.g. peace, shalom, salam, paz, etc.)


Where is  PiZap located on the internet?



How PiZap can be used to promote Judaic instruction and to mentor/train Jewish educators

Clink on either on the links below to see and hear a video demonstrating how PiZap can be used to promote Judaic instruction and to train/mentor pre-service and in-service Jewish educators.


Below you will find a sample PiZap photo collage image of the many different faces of the Jewish people.





On the next blogpost we will begin our exploration of another photo collage app, Photofy.

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