Search for Video Content

As part of my preparation for an upcoming class in Jewish Diversity I decided to assign my students to review articles and videos that highlight the different Jewish communities of Israel.

Information about some of the communities is easy to find. Ethiopian Jews, the B'nai Menashe community, the Iranian Jewish community....these are all topical issues and there are numerous film clips that provide an overview of these groups.

Finding videos about other Jewish ethnic groups, especially those which have been integrated into Israel's society for longer periods of time, has been more challenging. During my searches I decided to spend a little time learning about how to search for video content more efficiently. Here are some of the tips that I learned.

1.       Google offers an Advance Video Search tool that allows you to refine your search by more specified parameters. These include

a.       Searching for videos of a specific duration. This is especially important for my half-hour class period. I don't want the whole class period to be devoted to watching a video, nor do I want to divide the students into groups and have some students watching 20 minute videos while others are watching 5-minute videos.

b.      Searching for videos with subtitles -- many of the videos about Jewish communities in Israel are Hebrew-language videos, so I want to make sure that my American students will be able to understand them

c.       Searching for videos whose titles/descriptions include specific words or phrases -- it doesn't help me to have the history of Uzbekistan in my list of results when I want my students to learn about the Bukarian Jewish community

After typing your search query in the search box at the top of any YouTube page, hit "Enter" to see your first page of results. Then click the "Filters" drop-down menu below the search box. You can then refine your search by the filter that you need.

this is the page of initial video suggestions after I typed in my first search query "Ethiopian Jews." Now I can select a filter and refine my search. 

2.       Most people begin their search for specific video content on YouTube. There are, however, numerous additional platforms where videos can be found. This complicates the search and wastes time during the search process. Video Finder is a search tool that allows you to search for videos simultaneously on YouTube, DailyMotion, Vimeo and MuzuTV. You can sort the videos by platform, alphabetical dates or topics as well as by the latest top Google search keywords to get the freshest videos for every topic. The app is available at the Google Play store.

3.       If you're looking for a specific genre, search by YouTube channel. On the lefthand side of the YouTube homepage you'll see a "Browse Channels" button. Click on the button and then enter the general term for which you want to search on the "Channels" page.

In my case, I wanted to identify the history of various Jewish communities so I typed "Jewish History" into the search box on the "Channels" page and was immediately able to identify a wide range of videos about Jewish history.

 4.       If you find a YouTube channel which offers you valuable content, subscribe to the channel.  Not every person or organization that uploads content maintains a channel but many providers do organize their collections of video content into a channel. Simply select one of the channel's videos and click the "subscribe" button next to the video's name.

In the future, you'll be able to click on the "My Subscriptions" button which will take you to the channels that you've already identified,  making the rest of your search much easier.     

Educators are invited to join JETS' eCom eLearning Community for more tips and ideas about incorporating online tools into their classrooms. Each month centers on a different topic. Previous topics have included online games, Learning Management Systems and online posters.  Educators may join the asynchronous class at any time.  

The Use of Technology to Foster Collaborative Learning

Rabbi Stan Peerless

Technology has the potential to enhance collaborative learning and the development of learning communities. A variety of online tools allow for students to share ideas, provide feedback to each other, and to work cooperatively on joint projects. It also enables such cooperative work to extend beyond the classroom walls, as students can access their joint projects and can be in asynchronous contact at all times and from almost anywhere. Similarly, students can access learning sources for research at all times and from many locations. In addition, the development of social media makes it possible to extend the learning community beyond the class to embrace outside “More Knowledgeable Others” – whether peers or experts - who can help provide students with necessary information. 

For example, students in two different regions can provide each other with information on current climatic conditions. Similarly, in the same situation, students can seek out a meteorologist from the area under study to supply expert information.

It is interesting to note, as well, that research implies that the use of laptops in education inherently fosters collaborative learning. In their evaluation of Microsoft’s Anywhere Learning Project, a significant number of the student and teacher outcomes resulting from the use of laptops identified by Gulek and Demirtas 2005  relate to elements of collaborative learning and the associated changes in teacher and student roles that it fosters.  The following is a summary of their results, with elements that are supportive of collaborative learning highlighted:

Student Outcomes:

• Laptops lead to more student writing and to writing of higher quality
• Laptops increase access to information and improve research analysis skills

Laptop Students:

• Spend more time engaging in collaborative work than non-laptop students
• Participate in more project-based instruction
• Become collaborators (interact with each other about their work)
• Direct their own learning
• Report a greater reliance on active learning strategies
• Readily engage in problem-solving and critical thinking
• Consistently show deeper and more flexible use of technology
• Spend more time doing homework on computers

Teacher Outcomes:

• Use a more constructivist approach to teaching
• Feel more empowered in the classroom
• Spend less time lecturing

The relationship between use of technology and collaborative learning makes it incumbent on all teachers who wish to foster social learning to familiarize themselves with relevant online learning tools.

Social Media in the Classroom

The debate about whether to use social media tools in the classroom, and if so, how to use them, has never been hotter. According to a 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation study of 8-18 year-olds, today’s teens spend more than seven and a half  hours every day consuming media — watching TV, listening to music, surfing the Web, engaging in social networking and playing video games.

So what does this mean for educators? Many parents and educators feel that classrooms are the one place that social media shouldn't intrude but others aren't so sure. There are increasing numbers of teachers and administrators who believe that schools should harness social media tools and use them effectively in the classroom.

Advocates of this type of social media use argue that, when used properly, social media can help students link to real-world examples of classroom lessons, boost student engagement and enhance collaborative learning. Social media tools can help students develop proficiency with technology, manage and analyze multiple streams of information and create, analyze, and evaluate input that they have on their PC, tablet or smartphone screens.

A significant issue with using social media for classroom applications relates to teacher-resistance. Many teachers simply don't like social media while others have not yet learned to effectively use the tool to enhance their curriculum.

In Burlington Vermont the new school superintendent, Eric Conti, is pushing the district's educators to incorporate more social media tools in their lesson-planning. Assistant superintendent Patrick Larkin expanded on Burlington's new direction. “It has to start with the leaders in the schools embracing [social media] and modeling it, not just talking about it, and that trickles to the teachers, because eventually we want it to end up in the classroom... [Teachers have] access to tools, but we still ask teachers to think about their goals and objectives. A crappy lesson with an iPad is very similar to a crappy lesson without an iPad.”

Larkin explained that incorporating social media tools into classroom instruction has helped the Burlington district expand its reach and educational abilities. “To be able to know where to find people and connect is one of the most important things we can teach our students to do. If we can find out how the world is ticking and how things are changing from [using] social media tools outside of schools, I think it’s past time that we started embracing this tradition in our classrooms.”

One of the tools that Burlington is using as part of its expanded social media policy involves blog posts in which schools feature a student, parent, educator or other school-related piece of news daily.

Another use involves highlighting student projects, research, and extracurricular activities online to motivate students and encourage them to strive for higher achievements. Finally, Burlington teachers and administrators have developed some innovative techniques that demonstrate to the students how social media can be used for good -- or not. When the students see real-life examples of the power of social media, Larkin noted, they are more likely to harness the tool in a positive way.

In summary Larkin offered his suggestions for creating a successful social media presence in the schools. “Make sure administrators support you first; make sure parents know what is coming, and pay attention to age specifications on sites.”

Online Learning -- Teachers Speak

Rhode Island's Commissioner of Education, Deborah Gist, recently held a digital learning summit in Providence with teachers and principals from throughout Rhode Island. The topic of the summer concerned the increasing shift in the public schools to elearning. The educators commented about the things that excite them and the issues that concern them about online learning:

Benefits of Online Learning

• Students can progress at their own rate
• Online learning allows for increased opportunities for customized learning, allowing students to find the learning techniques that meet the strategies that work best for their individual styles
• Students become more engaged and motivated by the available online tools and games
• Online learning offers more opportunities for collaborative learning
• eLearning makes it easier for students to continue a project at home after the school day has finished
• Using PCs, tablets and smartphones students can learn any time and from any location
• Students have more access to more information and more data when they use online tools
• Online learning offers more opportunities for different types of feedback and evaluation
• Parents can become involved in their child's education by monitoring their work 

Concerns of Online Learning

• Not all students have access to the same level of Internet and computer tools at home
• Teachers will need to manage and schedule their curriculum more effectively
• Some schools find it difficult to stay up to date with the new software and hardware needed to offer high quality online classes
• Some teachers don't feel prepared to create digital lessons that will require acquiring knowledge of significant amounts of information about sofware and etools, for which they feel ill-prepared. 
• Working online may make it easier for students to cheat. Other security issues relating to elearning are also of concern to teachers.  

Teacher and Learner Benefits of Using Computers in the Classroom

this article was excerpted from an article first published by the Michigan State University College of Communication Arts and Sciences and edited by Rabbi Stan Peerless, JETS 

Positive elements of laptop programs in general are highlighted in research done by Gulek and Demirtas (2005) in their evaluation of Microsoft's Anywhere Learning Project. Their research demonstrated positive results on student learning and curriculum delivery. The evaluation of student and teacher outcomes are summarized below: 

Student Outcomes:

• Laptops lead to more student writing and to writing of a higher quality
• Laptops increase access to information and improve research analysis skills

Laptop Students:

• Spend more time engaging in collaborative work than non-laptop students
• participate in more project-based instruction
• Become collaborators (interact with each other about their work)
• Direct their own learning
• Report a greater reliance on active learning strategies
• Readily engage in problem-solving and critical thinking
• Consistently show deeper and more flexible use of technology
• Spend more time doing homework on computers

Teacher Outcomes:

• Use a more constructivist approach to teaching
• Feel more empowered in the classroom
• Spend less time lecturing

Collaborative Learning: The Theoretical Foundation

Guest Post by Rabbi Stan Peerless
1st in a series of five articles

In our study of collaborative learning, we will deal with collaborative learning in its broadest sense. Thus, we will discuss collaborative learning as a general concept, but will also learn about specific methods of collaborative learning, such as cooperative learning and even aspect of project based learning.

Before discussing methods, let's understand the theories that underlie the collaborative learning approach and their implications. Collaborative learning is based largely on the social learning theory of Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky's theories stress the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition (Vygotsky, 1978), as he believed strongly that community plays a central role in the process of "making meaning." Everything that we learn takes place in a social context. From birth and throughout our lives, our interactions with others shape our understanding of the world. Consider the learning of a young child – learning occurs as parents interact with their child, as the child plays with other children, and as they grow, as teachers interact with the child in school.   

Unlike Piaget's notion that children's' development must necessarily precede their learning, Vygotsky argued, "learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function" (1978, p. 90).  In other words, social learning tends to precede development. For a comparison of the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, view the following short video:

Piaget acknowledged that some children may pass through the stages of cognitive development at different ages, and that some children may show characteristics of more than one stage at a given time. Nevertheless, he insisted that cognitive development always follows a universal predetermined sequence, that stages cannot be skipped. As such, according to Piaget's theory, a student should only be given learning activities that are appropriate for their current level of development. Vygotsky believed that cognitive development could not be so rigidly defined, and that development can occur as a result of interactions with others. Thus, according to Vygotsky's theory, learning activities need not be determined by a pre-defined level of cognitive development. Rather, according to his theory, the most worthwhile learning activity is that which involves interaction with a "More Knowledgable Other (MKO), and fall within the learner's the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).    

In order to gain an understanding of Vygotsky's theories on cognitive development, we must understand these two principles:

·      The more knowledgeable other (MKO) refers to someone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, with respect to a particular task, process, or concept. Although one might assume that the MKO would be a teacher or an older adult, this is not necessarily the case.  Many times, a child's peers or an adult's children may be the individuals with more knowledge or experience.  For example, who is more likely to know more about the newest teen-age music groups, how to win at the most recent PlayStation game, or how to correctly perform the newest dance craze - a child or their parents? In other words, it is often the case that different individuals have different areas of expertise that are not related to age, and social learning can thus often be a reciprocal process.

·      The concept of the More Knowledgeable Other is integrally related to the second important principle mentioned above, the Zone of Proximal Development. This important concept relates to the difference between what a child can achieve independently and what a child can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner. Vygotsky (1978) sees the Zone of Proximal Development as the area where the most sensitive instruction or guidance should be given - allowing the child to develop skills he/she will then use on his/her own - developing higher mental functions.

So, what does an ideal learning activity look like according to Vygotsky? Let's take a look at a common example that often occurs in the development of a young child. Shaffer (1996) gives the example of a young girl who is given her first jigsaw.  Alone, she performs poorly in attempting to solve the puzzle. The father then sits with her and describes or demonstrates some basic strategies, such as finding all the comer/edge pieces and provides a couple of pieces for the child to put together herself and offers encouragement when she does so.  As the child becomes more competent, the father allows the child to work more independently.  According to Vygotsky, this type of social interaction involving co-operative or collaborative dialogue promotes cognitive development.

Vygotsky's theory case important implications for classroom instruction regarding the respective roles of teachers and students, the design of learning activities, the creation of a positive learning dynamic, and grouping. We will examine these issues as we proceed.

Contemporary Jewish Issues -- Then and Now

How do you –help students understand the concept that many of the 21^st century's contemporary Jewish issues were also Jewish issues with which Jews who lived 2000 years ago grappled as well?

One unique assignment that the students of Kadima High School in St. Louis are presently completing involves researching a contemporary Jewish issue to examine how it affects the Jewish world of today and how it manifested itself in the Jewish world of the 1^st and 2^nd centuries C.E. This assignment has demonstrated to the Kadima students  that some issues of importance to Jews who lived in the time of the Tannaim have not lessened in importance  over the last 20 centuries.

Galilean Home

 The students were asked to create a game, skit or visual presentation that would clearly delineate an issue of concern to the Jewish communities who lived in the years following the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, and that continue to concern today's Jewish communities. They were required to ensure that each presentation include relevant quotes from texts and sources, visual images reflecting both periods in history, and written or oral explanations and comparisons of the two time periods. 

 

Israel technology then and now

Rubrics were established so that the students would understand exactly how their work would be assessed. The rubrics include standards for how well the students covered the material, the depth of the source material cited, creativity and originality in the project's creation, and the method of delivery. The rubrics are designed to ensure that the students fully understand the material and are able to convey it to their peers. 

 

Jewish Streimels Then and Now

The students chose the following subjects (and some have shared their projects here):

Hadassah,  Kosher Animals, Then and Now 

Bella, Female Power

Yoni, Charedim in the Army

Yonatan, Israel's Enemies, Then and Now

Eitan, Warfare then and Now 

Yoneena and Elisheva, High Tech in Israel Then and Nnow
Jake, What Kind of Hat is That? Jewish Hats Throughout History

Sammy, David vs. Goliath today

Eliana -- Galiean House

Part of each student's grade involves responding to questions their peers' projects.

Strong Jewish Women Then and Now

As the students presented their projects, it was clear that they helped them more fully understand the topics that they studied, to gain experience in examining data from primary sources, and to develop imaginative methods for sharing information with others.  

Warfare then and Now