Technology in the Classroom

There are several big ideas that I have taken from this fellowship.  Most importantly, I’ve learned how the iPad can be used as much more than a source of entertainment.  It truly is a way in which to enhance student learning and engage students in lessons through technology and creativity. These new insights will change my approach to teaching by creating new avenues to learning.  I feel that the use of technology in my classroom will create a more focused atmosphere where students will feel comfortable and excited about participating, make connections and display their knowledge.  It is no surprise that students do not want to be at Hebrew school so hopefully the use of technology and iPads will make the experience more palatable. This multi-sensory approach to teaching will benefit all students and make me a more effective teacher.  My main goal for applying what I’ve learned in the fellowship is to become more comfortable with the various apps and technology so that I can seamlessly weave it into my lessons.

New Reel/Movie Trailer Assignment Idea

One of my ideas for an assignment for my class this coming year is to have the students make news broadcasts or movie trailers on the iPads about significant topics in the history portion of our sixth grade curriculum. I plan to divide them into groups and allow them to choose their topics. Once they have chosen a topic I will allow them class time and homework time to do research into the event, movement, etc.
Hoping most of the reading and research will be done at home (utilizing a flipped classroom set up) and the students can use class time to interact and create their videos I would allot a fair amount of time for them to get to know the apps in the iPads and allow them time to edit their footage together. I would encourage them to utilize videos found online to splice into the footage they are shooting of their group members for added interest.  I would have the students use iMovie or Green Screen to create the news reels or movie trailers.

Once the videos were completed I would have the students share each group's work with the class and present a lesson on their topic to teach the other class members about their topic. After this work is shared with the class I would post the students work on our class' website Popplet.
The Popplet will be utilized to share the ever evolving and expanding curriculum with the students and parents. By posting the work on the website the students will be able to share their hard work with family members at home to instill a sense of pride. By consistently showcasing the work the students have done in this manner it will encourage them to put more effort into their classwork and constantly encourage them to strive to do better.

Technology Ideas for a Bible Unit

Studying the Tanakh is an integral part of the curriculum at Kehillath Israel Religious School. In the 4th and 5th grade class, which I teach, the students study the books of Judges and Samuel. While these are interesting books with multi-dimenstional characters and exciting events, there are some challenges to studying them. Most fundamentally, it is difficult for students to imagine living in a world so different from our own. This extends beyond imagining a world with no computers or cars--the students must put themselves in the minds of characters whose worldview, thought processes, goals, and priorities differ vastly from our own. It is for this reason that I developed an introductory unit for Bible study, which can be adapted and used for almost any age group. 

The unit centers around a WebQuest I created called "Discovering the World of the Bible." Its goal is to introduce the students to the ancient world in which our ancestors lived through the study of artifacts from that time period. The students' task is to create a museum exhibit featuring five artifacts from ancient times that they find compelling.  

The WebQuest incorporates the following technologies:

• It is built on a Wikispace platform
• Tellagami is used to introduce the project
• Websites such as that of the Jewish Museum in New York are the main resources the students use to find artifacts
• The students have a variety of options for presenting their final exhibits: Book Creator, Explain Everything, Tellagami, and Popplet. All of these apps can be accessed via the iPad.

The unit is designed to take several class periods. The exact amount of time will likely depend on the students' familiarity with the various technologies that are involved. Before each step, I will need to model the use of various technologies and allow the students ample time to practice with them. The most fundamental skills the students will need in order to complete the project successfully are as follows:

• searching and browsing on the Internet
• saving images to Camera Roll
• recording and playing back voice and other audio
• other app-specific skills

I am very excited about using this WebQuest with my class. I hope that it will be both engaging and educational for them. Please try it out and let me know what you think!

Sample lesson plan for the beginning of the unit:

Context:

This lesson is designed to take 1-2 class periods. It is the first in a 5-10 class series, of which the ultimate goal is to complete the webquest “Discovering the World of the Bible.” Ideally, it would be done at the beginning of the school year, in order to engage and ground students in the historical context of the biblical stories they will study.

Objective:

SWBAT articulate goals of webquest “Discovering the World of the Bible”

SWBAT collect information about historical artifacts for their presentation

Introduction to New Material/I Do:

Teacher	Student
Ask: What do you already know about the world of the Bible? Teacher records answers as students share them.	Students share answers in whole-group discussion.
Distribute iPads and direct students to http://cjpttfipad.wikispaces.com/Discovering+the+World+of+the+Bible	Watch “Introduction” Tellagami video Read “Task” and “Process” sections
Lead discussion	Explain in their own words the goals of the webquest

Guided Practice/Activity/We Do:

Teacher	Student
Direct students to visit “Resources” section to explore various websites containing information about different ancient artifacts. Instruct them to complete “Artifact Graphic Organizer,” found in the same section. Keep time, circulate, and give feedback to students.	Explore websites provided in “Resources” section. Complete “Artifact Graphic Organizer” on 5 artifacts of their choice. These will become the artifacts about which they will create a “museum exhibit.”

Independent Practice/You Do/Assessment/Closure:

Teacher	Student
Ask students to share out what they have found and lead discussion.	Share out the different artifacts that they have chosen for their “museum exhibits.”