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 discuss how Evernote , an
e-portfolio and digital scrapbook app, can be used to promote
instruction in the blended learning classroom.
But what is an
e-portfolio?
What is an E-portfolio?
An e-portfolio or electronic portfolio is a
collection of selected digitized artifacts (i.e. pictures, documents, articles,
honors, work experience, files, etc.) that describe your interests, hobbies,
personal and professional goals. Instead of curating these artifacts and
placing them in a physical collection (e.g. album, or scrapbook) they can be
located online. Judaic Studies students would want to create their own
e-portfolios for the following reasons:
- To document, demonstrate and measure knowledge acquisition, and skills
- To collect artifacts of learning over a period of time (i.e. elementary school, high school, etc.)
- To provide a job interviewer with a digital portfolio of work experience, knowledge and skills
- To celebrate the wealth of experience, honors, knowledge and skills your have accumulated
- To assess the strengths and limitations of your experiences, knowledge and skills
What is a digital scrapbook?
A digital scrapbook is similar to an e-portfolio; it is a
curated collection of online artifacts (e.g. photos, images, documents, fliers,
videos, audio files, etc.) that capture the life experiences and highlights of
its creators.
For more information on digital scrapbooking click here.
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 Evernote 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: Evernote can be
used in a face to face and virtual classroom.
What is Evernote?
Evernote
is both a e-portfolio and digital scrapbook app.
Where is Evernote located on the
internet?
Note: The mobile app
version for Evernote is also available for, Android, WebOS,
Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry. There's also an online dashboard and desktop
application for Windows and Mac.
How Evernote, an
e-portfolio and digital scrapbook app, can be used to promote instruction in
the blended learning classroom
Click on the links below to find resources
explaining how Evernote can be used to promote instruction in the face to face
and virtual classroom:
- http://evernote.com/schools/for_teachers/
- https://evernote.com/schools/for_schools/
- http://blog.evernote.com/blog/2011/01/05/how-my-students-started-using-evernote-education-series/
- http://www.teq.com/blog/2012/11/10-tips-for-using-evernote-in-the-classroom/#.U6iXLxbedfM
- https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Dxuyq_9bvMWysdcR1qUF-17IzEZsqi-brRFjrSgKOys/edit
- http://www.flapjackeducation.com/2013/08/six-teacher-tips-for-classroom.html
- http://plpnetwork.com/2013/06/25/evernote-teachers-classrooms/
- http://www.theorganizedclassroomblog.com/index.php/blog/using-evernote-in-your-classroom
- http://www.slideshare.net/skrabut/evernote4teachers
- http://www.toolsandapplications.com/back-to-school-with-evernote-an-introduction-to-the-green-elephant/
On the next blog post we will discuss how Evernote, an e-portfolio
and digital scrapbook app, can be used to promote instruction in the blended
learning Judaic instruction and to mentor/train Jewish educators.