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 particular post we will share a list of Jewish museums around the world which have websites from which teachers and students can create virtual field trips and tours.
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 the Jewish virtual field trips can be applied in the Judaic Studies blended learning classroom, they 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 a Jewish virtual field trip/tour?
A Jewish virtual field trip/tour is an online excursion to some significant religious, historical or cultural Jewish location.
What are some of the the instructional benefits of taking students on a Jewish virtual field trip/tour?
A Jewish virtual field trip/tour enables the teacher and his or her students to:
• plan a field trip
• create a virtual field
• visit an important Jewish historical, religious, cultural or popular location online
• document taking a real Jewish field trip and sharing that experience with others online
Click here to find additional benefits gained from taking students on a virtual field trip/tour.
List of Jewish Museums around the world which have websites from which teachers and students can create virtual field trips
To see the list of Jewish museums around the world click here.
On the next post we will begin a discussion of a new category of internet applications, web tools for scheduling meetings.
