Weird Warfare, the Divine and Stories from Under the Ground: A Virtual Visit to the Middle East

The history, ethnicities, diversities and conflicts of the Middle East undoubtedly account for some of the most confusing subjects of world studies. While Americans are bombarded almost daily with news stories about the events that take place in the region, surveys of the American public indicate that few Americans actually have even a basic understanding of the issues that are involved the region's geopolitical conflicts.   

For the past 5 years JETS Israel has been working with public and private schools throughout North America to provide a comprehensive overview of the Middle East in an interactive elearning environment. In the spring of 2014, JETS launched an engaging course on the Middle East with the 6^th graders of St. Agnes and St. Dominic in Memphis TN. The Israel-based instructors meet the class weekly via video-conferencing to present the course material, answer questions and guide the students to a deeper understanding of the historical background behind today's Middle East.

             

One of the most popular sessions, Weird Warfare, takes the students through the centuries as they examine warfare in the Middle East in ancient and modern times. The students are challenged to understand how the geographical, economic, and political realities of the ancient Middle East made Israel a battleground throughout the ages. They then compare the explosive nature of the Middle East today, as they consider many of the same issues which occupy the minds of world leaders: Should the U.S. continue military aid to countries in the Middle East? Why is Israel pulled in so many directions? How does an analysis of history affect Middle Eastern nations' military decisions today? In addition, they look at ancient and modern weaponry, and the military strategies associated with both.

     

Each lesson includes a follow-up assignment on the class Haiku Learning Management System page with engaging activities that push the students to delve into the subject more deeply. 

  

Through this session of the course, the St. Agnes – St. Dominic youngsters' have certainly increased their knowledge and understanding of the Middle East, and are  better-informed about the issues that affect their world.   

Jewish Teachers, User-Friendly Tools and Easy Entry into the World of 21st Century Online Learning

"At the beginning it all seemed overwhelming but as we went through each tool, I really felt like I had a virtual toolbox of how to make learning more interesting and engaging for my students...all of the follow up emails with links and the recorded classes gave us the ability to listen whenever we wanted and go back to the links via the haiku…these aids took the pressure off a bit".

When I signed up to take the JETS No Teacher Left Behind online course, I found myself diving into a world that seemed to be light years away from my previous teaching reality. Online bulletin boards? Linos? Google forms? Vokis? Vocaroos? Spreadsheets? Presentations? Who was I kidding? I still lived in the world of chalkboards and textbooks.

It turns out that chalkboards and textbooks translate very well to the digital age. All over the world, kids as young as 1^st grade are learning more and stretching their limits with synchronous, blended and asynchronous learning which can be delivered on a tablet or PC screen.

I was astounded by the No Teacher Left Behind course. I may not have been the most technologically-advanced student in the virtual classroom, but I expanded my horizons as I explored the different options that were at my fingertips which would allow me to present material via new and exciting techniques to students who lived anywhere in the world.

My NTLB course provided me with a base for using elearning tools and ideas to engage and challenge my students about almost any subject. Each year, JETS runs three such courses in which educators from around the world meet virtually and become acquainted with the new world of distance learning. This interactive course provides ample opportunity for hands on experience, as each participant prepares and presents a model lesson which is reviewed by the instructor and the other students.

The spring 2014 course ended a few weeks ago and educators from North America, Israel and Europe shared their reflections about the course.

"The instructor was absolutely excellent, what a joy to work with such an experienced educator. I was also pleasantly surprised by the level of the participants and loved learning from and with them. And so great to see all those motivated Jewish educators!"

"As we work with various students (day school, supplementary school, agegroups) it might be an idea to combine participants according to their target group. On the other hand, I loved seeing all these different perspectives."

"The fact is that working with these new educational tools is not as complicated as I expected. The choices were excellent; most could be applied directly and it was fun to use them to create teaching material. The lino board, in particular, was an eye-opener. For me, this is just a beginning and I am looking forward to learning more, especially about curriculum development for online teaching."

"I especially liked the fact that it was so interactive. And the course taught me that I can use so many different kinds of new media in online learning as well as in classroom learning."

"The course showed me new tools and taught me how to use them. Some tools I already knew, but I just had no idea I could use them as teaching tools. The course also motivated me to try those tools and practice using them."

"I gained a lot of new tools, and more importantly a new way of looking at learning - how do we learn online differently than we learn face-to-face? What are the advantages that we can use and what are the challenges we have to watch out for?"

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Making the Aliyah Story Real -- Shutafut Partnership

When I was 14, I came across Leon Uris's book Exodus and my life was changed forever. I identified with the history, the struggles, and the exhilaration of the people who made their way to the Land of Israel to build the country and work to create the state. I decided then and there that I would live in Israel. 

My aliyah differed significantly from that of the late 19^th century halutzim , even though I was a founding member of a new kibbutz for a while. We did move some rocks and bicker over ideology but we had plenty to eat and comfortable living accommodations. The only thing that I needed from "back home" was tuna fish and chocolate chips (novelty items in Israel in the mid-'80s).

Aliyah isn't a step that everyone can take, but it's still a concept that speaks to the imagination and longing of Jews worldwide. To give youngsters a sense of the magic and feeling of wonderment that aliyah engenders, JETS uses online tools to help them develop an understanding of why so many individuals are prepared to uproot their lives in order to be a part of the Jewish country.

Throughout the year, the TALI Shutafut program has been building towards the highlight of the year – the opportunity for the Israeli and American students to join together in their celebration of Yom HaAtzmaut.

After building up to the aliyah unit with units that examined the ethnic origins of Jews around the world and the challenges facing Diaspora Jewish communities, the May Tali unit is focusing on an overview of the reasons that Jews choose to make aliyah, the challenges that they face, and the aliyah stories of different ethnic groups.

The aliyah unit encourages the American and Israeli partner-classes to join together to examine some of the reasons that Jews make aliyah, despite the difficulties. Special emphasis is placed on the impact of Ethiopian Jewish aliyah, both on Israel and on the Ethiopian Jewish olim themselves. 

The students are also given the opportunity to consider the concerns that making aliyah raises such as moving to a new land with a new language that is far away from family and friends.

The unit concluded with inspiring personal aliyah stories that underscore the unique connection that Jews of all backgrounds, ethnicities, ages and religious affiliations feel for Israel.

Flipping the End-of-Year PD Class -- Students Teach

As the school year draws to a close, teachers and administrators are considering ways to enrich student learning in the coming year.

Towards that end, the Maayanot School in New Jersey invited their teachers to join a Professional Development session with Smadar Goldstein of JETS - Jerusalem EdTech Solutions about using web tools in the classroom.

As part of the session, Smadar introduced the Learning Management System as a technique to facilitate blended and asynchronous learning in a dynamic environment of independent study.

Using an LMS offers a wide range of clear benefits, including the ability to promote active learning, foster collaboration, differentiate instruction, and implement alternative assessment models. Smadar was aware that teachers are often resistant to new technologies and methodologies. In order to break through resistance she came up with a novel idea – to have her students participate in the PD session.

The PD session focused on:

·         creating lesson plans that take into account differentiated learning patterns

·         break the monotony of a classroom session by increasing communication and collaborative learning

·         monitoring students' participation

·         facilitating the exchange of ideas, concepts and data among students and between the students and the teacher

·         leveraging technology by creating content that allows for the inclusion of web tools and social media

·         providing students with flexible access to learning resources which include resource material, videos, audio casts, text files and more. All of these resources can then be stored for future referrals and further use.

·         accessing materials at any time.  Students who miss class are not left hanging….they can open the LMS and access their classwork. 

·         engaging in self-paced learning to all each student to learn according to his or her personal needs

While Smadar was leading the PD session from Jerusalem, three of her students from Yeshivat Kadima in St. Louis joined the gathering via the web-conferencing platform. They presented their own thoughts and impressions about their encounter with their LMS-based course onContemporary Jewish Issues.    

Throughout this year the Kadima students have been exploring today's issues which face the 21^st century Jewish world in light of Jewish history. Their assignments and projects are all presented and shared via their class's LMS which is facilitated by Ms. Goldstein on Haiku platform.

The Maayanot teachers took advantage of the students' presence to ask them numerous questions about how the online class works, whether they like it, how it differs from a "traditional" class, and their overall reflections. The teachers were impressed by the student responses, such as the following:

"I used to think it would make learning more complicated and that it would make everything take longer (less productive), but it makes it pretty simple. Everything is a click away and I don’t have to shlepp home a text book, which means I never have to worry about accidentally leaving books at home, because everything I need is on my computer in a cloud." Hadassah

" I love the way I can do my work whenever, and there are always fun projects both online and “on paper/physically” that make it fun to learn - almost feels like you’re not learning. If I want to add more, it’s easy to do with the online platform." Elianna

" I know that this class allows me creativity and self expression. I learn so much about the history of the Jews, but more importantly I understand how it relates to me." Bella

The students turned out to be great teachers, and the teachers were receptive students. After hearing from the Kadimah students, the Maayanot teachers expressed increased enthusiasm about the use of online tools in their classrooms.

Read More of the Kadima students reflections

Beyond the Yom HaAtzmaut Parade – An Interdependent Israel Independence Day Adventure

Yom HaAtzmaut – Independence Day -- celebrates one of the most miraculous occurrences of all times – the return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel and the establishment of the State of Israel.

Israeli kids feel the excitement of Yom HaAtzmaut as they are thrown into the spirit of the holiday together with their countrymen. They may, however, lose sight of the meaning behind the celebrations. Meanwhile Jewish kids who live outside of Israel celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut vicariously and don't experience the thrill and exhilaration that Israelis feel.

To bridge these gaps the JETS Edmonton-Emek HaHula Shutafut program focusing on Israel and Jewish Peoplehood encourages participating classes to work together to dig deeply into the theme of Yom HaAtzmaut as they take a closer look at issues of Jewish peoplehood. 

The Shutafut project, which is facilitated by JETS Jerusalem EdTech Solutions, bases its curriculum on the following definition of Jewish Peoplehood:

Jewish Peoplehood is a combination of culture, religion, history and values under a Jewish umbrella that gives us the profound feeling of being connected to other Jews. It is a sense of responsibility created by people who share a story, or are part of the same ongoing conversation. It is maintained through ongoing education and contacts between Jewish people.

As Yom HaAtzmaut approaches JETS posted the final unit of the year, exploring issues that unite the Jewish people and unify Jews worldwide with Israel.  The unit involves a wide variety of opportunities for students to think deeply about the place that Israel holds for all Jews.. Toward that end participating students were asked to complete a thought-provoking survey that points to the fact that the creation of the Jewish state has raised complex challenges. The survey forces the students to share their thoughts about issues of mutual responsibility of Diaspora Jews for Israel, and Israeli Jews for the Diaspora.  For example:

·      Should the Israeli army protect Jews around the world?

·      Should Diaspora Jews serve in the Israeli army?

·      Should Diaspora Jews vote in Israeli elections or have a say in Israeli policies?

·      Should Diaspora Jews pay a tax to Israel?

As part of this unit students also view the Fountainheads Yom HaAtzmaut video:

The video is intended to spur a discussion about the lyrics – " This is my homeland / This is my story / I build my future/ With ancient glory." Questions include:

§  How do you understand that line?

§  b. What is another line in the song that echoed the meaning, or which line did you find meaningful?

Students communicate with each other on the bi-lingual Wiki platform which facilitates the ability of students to respond in their own language or to practice their second language skills by writing in Hebrew or English.

As a recent online meeting  demonstrated, the students gain a tremendous amount by interacting on the WIKI, exchanging ideas and learning from each other. Although the Edmonton and Emek HaHula students won't be celebrating Yom HaAtzmaut together "face-to-face" they will, via their Shutafut program, be  learning and celebrating together through the online friendship that has been fostered by their year-long partnership.

Do You Celebrate the Christmas? - No, we're Jewish!

Do You Celebrate the Christmas? - No, we're Jewish!

For students of Hochberg Preparatory Jewish Day School in Miami and the Mabbuim elementary school of Southern Israel, the highlight of their year-long "Friends Across the Sea" school partnership program came last week when the kids were able to "meet" each other via live video chat.

Throughout this past school year, the 5^th and 6^th grade students have been working on shared projects which are facilitated on the MyHaiku Learning Management System.  Each month the classes would explore new subjects that were posted in English and in Hebrew on their shared LMS platform. The curriculum included a wide range of subjects such as Jewish diversity, seeing the world through a Jewish lens, and information about similarities and differences between worldwide Jewish communities. The students were also encouraged to personalize the subject matter as they discussed their own families and their views of Judaism and Israel.

  

Although the communication through the LMS was active and engaging, the students in both classes frequently voiced their desire to develop a more personal relationship with their "friends across the sea."  JETS therefore set up a virtual meeting via  web conferencing software. The students could see each other and connect by chatting, both by SKYPEing on the big screen and using a back channel to type to each other on Today's Meet. In addition to the opportunity to actually meet each other, the format allowed the students to practice their language skills and learn more about their peers' lives.

 A significant amount of the chat centered around the students' shared interest in sports, but other subjects included the weather, families, holiday celebrations and school. The students were enthusiastic about their meeting and have already asked for a second video chat opportunity.

Anat, a teacher at Hochberg Prep, was pleased with the chat results. She wrote:

"I thought it went very well! Students on both sides were asking each other questions and gave answers and sang songs to each other (ours - sang in Hebrew 'Mi Shema'amin Lo Mefached" and theirs - sang in English 'We are the World'). The atmosphere was very friendly and fun! They asked about what we do during Shavuot, our daily schedule, what sport we like, etc. Our students asked someone if they had a Bar Mitzvah, and what they do in the summer and for Lag Baomer... They really enjoyed comparing notes and cheering for each other! It was really fun to watch! Thanks for making this happen! I really felt that it brought the students closer together!  Y'shar Koach!!!"

What I Think About What You Said About What I Said -- Benefits of Collaborative Feedback in the Classroom

 Peer feedback is an online learning technique which has been receiving a good deal of attention over the past few years. The educational world has not given sufficient attention to this important component of the learning process,but as increasing numbers of teacher report on their own positive experiences with collaborative feedback, more elearning classrooms are integrating the practice into their online environments. What is clear, however, is that asynchronous written communication gives students support for their ideas and thoughts, facilitates a supportive environment of information-sharing,  promotes analytical thinking and gives them time to process and absorb information, allowing them to "come back" to the content after thinking about it. 

Peer feedback is a component of social learning, or learning as part of a group. It's an important way to help students develop important skills in self-reflection, critical thinking, and co-construction of knowledge, as well as to value and gain experience in collaboration. It has also been shown to result in an enhanced sense of community, better learning outcomes, and increased acquisition of the life skills that are necessary for teamwork and reciprocity in the classroom and the workplace.

Collaborative learning in an elearning classroom can take the form of discussion among the whole class or within small groups. To successfully incorporate collaborative feedback in an elearning environment demands skill on the part of the instructor. The teacher must be able to create and manage interaction.

Some of the basics for fostering collaborative learning involve giving students:

1.     An understanding of what collaborative feedback involves.

Collaborative feedback involves informing others of your perceptions and suggestions for improving their performance as you provide your peers with positive reinforcement and constructive criticism.

2.     An understanding of why collaborative feedback can be helpful

Students who receive regular feedback about their work perform  better, learn faster, and develop better judgment than those who do not.

3.     Feedback skills

The instructor must teach the students to develop proper feedback skills. These steps involve:

a.     Stating something that the classmate wrote with which you agreed or liked.

b.     Stating something that the classmate wrote with which you disagreed or didn't like.

c.      Asking a probing question about something that the classmate wrote.
d.     Suggesting a new idea or way to look at an issue

Some recent comments from students in a JETS Jewish Contemporary Issues Class about their experiences with collaborative feedback:

"I enjoy reading what my classmates say on the discussion forums because sometimes I hadn’t thought about something they said, and it allows me to take their ideas and internalize them and add their answers to my own. Sometimes I will even change my opinion because of what someone has said. I also like the online aspect because I can do it whenever I want - I don’t feel rushed in class that I have to finish something and it allows me time to form my answer. (I like the ability to add and change)"

"I have learned how to be a responder- how to learn about a controversial topic and respond in a polite way that expresses my opinion."

"I also like the lino boards because it’s a great example of how you can build on what people say - literally. The boards always look so cool because there are stickies upon stickies and sometimes they branch off and/or you can add new ideas."

"I often learn just as much from my fellow students as I do from my teachers. It’s great to gain knowledge by sharing from each other. It’s like a multi-faceted chavruta only online!"

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