How the web tool, Google Story Builder, can be used to promote Judaic instruction and to mentor/train Jewish educators

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 of how, Google Story Builder, a video story creating web tool, can be used to promote Judaic instruction and to mentor/train Jewish educators.

Note: Google Story Builder was originally named Docs Story Builder.

Assumption: The teacher or mentor teacher has an 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 Google Story Builder 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: Google Story Builder can be used in a face to face and virtual classroom.

What is Google Story Builder?

Google Story Builder is a story creation video web tool.

Where is  Google Story Builder located on the internet?

http://docsstorybuilder.appspot.com/

How the web tool, Google Story Builder, can be used to promote Judaic instruction and to mentor/train Jewish educators

Click here to see an example of how Google Story Builder can be used to promote Judaic instruction and to train or mentor pre-service and in-service Jewish educators:

On the next post we will begin our discussion of another video web tool, Video Tool Box.