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 begin our discussion on how students in a Judaic Studies blended learning classroom can use Filamentality, an inquiry tool.
What are inquiry web tools?
Inquiry based web tools are ones that empower the user to use the internet as the primary vehicle to investigate essential questions.
What are essential questions?
Essential questions are ones that provide insight and add meaning into life’s enduring inquiries.
For a more detailed explanation of essential questions click here.
Assumption: The teacher or mentor teacher has a 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 Filamentality 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.
What is Filamentality?
Filamentality is a web-based inquiry tool that can be used in a physical and virtual Judaic Studies classroom.
Where is Filamentality located on the web?
Where can you find helpful tutorials on how to create a Filamentality?
Click on the links below for tutorials on how tto use Filamentality:
- http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/
- http://scilnet.fortlewis.edu/edtech/Filament/fil_intro.htm
- http://thinkingmachine.pbworks.com/w/page/22187708/Think-Filamentality
On the next post we will share resources describing how Filamentality can be used to promote learning.
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