In a 2012 summary of Jewish education in North America, the Avichai
Foundation noted that elearning is becoming an increasingly important component
of Jewish education in North America.
The Avichai Foundation survey reviewed
a number of different elearning models. These included educational institutions
where online learning comprises a significant portion of the school experience
as well as schools in which elearning is scattered throughout the school day.
The Avichai review centered on the use of asynchronous, synchronous and blended
learning strategies. Particular attention was paid to the role that elearning
may play in helping to lower day school tuition costs.
A year-and-a-half later, the role of online learning in Jewish day
schools and supplementary Hebrew schools continues to grow. One of the biggest
challenges that Jewish educational institutions face when introducing
elearning, however, involves preparing the staff and providing them with the
knowledge, tools and comfort-level that they need to facilitate elearning in
their classrooms.
Some of the elearning Learning Management Systems and collaborative
tools offer helpful tutorials, but most educators who are just beginning to
enter the world of online education find these screencasts to be
technologically advanced and overwhelming.
For over 2 years, JETS Israel has been presenting a comprehensive course
for beginning Jewish online educators. The No Teacher Left Behind course is an
8-week module that gives step-by-step instructions and real-time practice in
facilitating online blackboards, Learning Management Systems, audio and video
recording tools, apps and mobile apps,
and more.
Recent NTLB sessions have seen the involvement of increasing numbers of
teachers from new regions including from Europe and Eastern Europe. The Winter,
2014 Course, which begin on February 19th 2014, includes educators
from the United States, Holland and Israel.
Participants in the Fall, 2013 NTLB class summarized their experience by
reviewing the information that they now have at their fingertips:
"I realized that you don't have to be in the classroom to teach
students. There is a wide variety of tools which make on-line classes effective
and interesting." B.R., No Teacher
Left Behind participant, Fall, 2013
"Learning Management Systems - great organizational tool. Voki/Vocaroo
- fantastic to engage students. Social Posters - fast, easy effective way to
promote ideas/programs"
C.Y., No Teacher Left Behind participant, Fall, 2013
"One thing that I really enjoyed was learning new
technology. I liked learning how the sites worked and getting a hands-on
experience. The best part though was seeing everyone's fruits of labor at the
end and learning from each other." W. G., No Teacher Left Behind
participant, Fall, 2013
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