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 continuie our discussion on how teachers and students in a Judaic Studies blended learning classroom can use Lyrics Fly to find the lyrics of many songs including those written by Jewish song writers on the internet.
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 Lyrics Fly 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.
Note: Lyrics Fly can be used in both a physical and virtual Judaic Studies classroom.
What is Lyrics Fly?
Lyrics Fly is an online search engine for finding song lyrics.
Where is Lyrics Fly located on the web?
Examples of how Lyrics Fly can be used in a physical or virtual Judaic Studies classroom
Let’s assume that your students or mentees want to investigate Jewish song writers, the songs they had composed and the lyrics to each song. How might you empower your students or mentees to conduct this investigation?
1. Invite them to investigate Jewish songwriters on the internet.
Here are a few sample links they might explore:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Jewish_singers
- http://www.jinfo.org/Composers.html
- http://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-famous-jewish-singers-and-songwriters/famous-jews
2. Invite them to create a list of Jewish songwriters or singers they want to investigate (e.g. Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Bette Midler, Neil Diamond, Matisyahu, etc.)
3. Invite them to find the lyrics of the songs of the composers or singers that want to investigate by using Lyrics Fly.
Click here to see a tutorial on how to use Lyrics Fly to find the lyrics of different Jewish songwriters and singers.
On the next post we will share a new web tool category, internet applications for drawing and painting.
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