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CAJE continues…
We decided to blow breakfast off this morning and sleep until 8:00 am. I’m glad we brought those Luna bars.
Well, the good news is that our presenters who were waylaid in NY are finally here… now we just have to figure out how to reschedule their presentations that they missed yesterday.
I had one of those “only at CAJE” experiences today, as Lisa Colton from Darim Online and I met (and hugged) in the elevator at Davis. It’s amazing when you’ve shared so many ideas, had conference calls, etc. with someone that you feel like you know them but you, well, have never really met. I’m excited to go to the JESNA panel discussion later this afternoon and talk tachlis about the new direction for Jewish education.
Jeff Klepper
One of our favorite people in the whole world – and how the Chicago area misses him… Jeff Klepper performing and presenting at CAJE 33. Photo by David Harris.
First night of CAJE
What a great beginning. First we have a keynote speaker who isn’t here… so Joel Hoffman steps up to the plate and give an unbelievable keynote. Then I picked Deborah Riegel’s session on Thinking Outside the Box which was entertaining and informative – she’s a great speaker. Then dinner – which was, well, dinner. I miss diet Coke (what can I say?).
Then I headed over to my assigned location for Storahtelling’s Tisha B’Av program part one. Amichai was unbelievable. Then – to the chapel for big program – and it was a great beginning for the program, and a great end of Tisha B’av.
One glitch… due to the rains in Vermont today two of our speakers, Esther and Reuven, aren’t here yet. Here’s hoping they get here shortly!
Time for CAAAAAAAAAJJJJJJJJJE!
Here we are – in our (pretty) spacious dorm room (complete with air conditioning and wifi – albeit an anemic signal). As usual we have to figure out how to put two beds together to make them into one…
So far it’s been smooth, smooth, smooth. Check-in took mere minutes; the longest part was explaining how to unload our car, park and get a shuttle ride to the dorm. Wow – we took a lot of stuff. It’s the “we’re driving, so put more in the car” mentality. We took about three times as much as when we went to Israel for two weeks last summer.
We are also really lucky to have our own bathroom. It’s nice because, as a married couple, it’s weird to share a bathroom with (like we did last year) two female college students.
First impressions of the campus are good. This seems a lot less spread out than Wash U was last year. And the Expo is so convenient to everything – rather than that long shlep we had last year.
And the weather – so far, so good. Yesterday was positively beautiful. We walked around Church Street, ate dinner outside and went to a drive-in movie. When was the last time you went to a drive-in movie!
Okay bloggers – here’s your challenge question for the day. What’s the best one line you heard from a presenter this week? Post it in a comment to my post here and be sure to link to your blog.
And don’t forget to come hang out at the Bloggers’ Café this week. You’ll find us schmoozing and blogging Monday and Wednesday in Votey 205 from 4:15 pm until 5:30 pm. Open lab follows until 6:45, so you’ll have plenty of time to create and play!
See you soon!
CAJE is just around the corner…
I’ve been working hard to put the finishing touches on my presentations for the upcoming CAJE in Burlington, Vermont. If you’ll be at the conference be sure to say hi.
If not, feel free to visit the wiki and download my handouts.
See you next week!
Before you know it, August will be here!
CAJE 33 is just around the corner. I know – we just finished clearing snow off the driveway (really – I live in Chicago), and I’m focused on August 10-14 already. Oh, I know we have a college graduation to attend in May (our last – goodbye tuition) and a wedding to make in July (our first – way worse than tuition), but my sights are set on August in Vermont!
Check out the CAJE 33 blog!
Envisioning technology at CAJE 33…
So, you know what happens when you have a really big mouth and have lots to say about how technology training was handled at CAJE 32? You get asked to co-chair the tech track for CAJE 33.
I’ve been asked to co-chair with Caren Levine, who I actually met 10 or so years ago when she was with JESNA and I was with, well, Schechter. Oh yeah, I’m still there. Anyway, Caren and I have some ideas on how we can build a tech track that will knock the socks off of any teacher, principal or whatever, but we want your ideas as well.
What do you think? What should CAJE offer teachers and principals in the way of skills improvement, envisioning the future of Jewish education from a technology perspective, etc.?
Check out the CAJE 33 wiki
Head over to the CAJE (Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education) 33 wiki. CAJE is using the wiki format to brainstorm and collaborate about the upcoming CAJE 33 and share ideas (see Joel Hoffman’s thoughtbites on motivation and are we teaching alienation?) about where Jewish education is and where it should be going.
Like any other beginning wiki, it’s a little messy in terms of structure; you’ve got to spend a little time navigating the site and checking out the various sections before you get a clear sense of what’s there and where it can go. Yup, it’s messy to start a wiki – and pretty scary to start because you’re handing control over to the community. It’s easier, really, to set up a webpage (although, does anyone REALLY do that anymore?) where you’re the boss; or even a blog where you still direct the conversation. Kudos to CAJE for taking the step to create an online collaboratory and encourage conversations about some pretty difficult topics (and to dream a little – see the Utopian brainstorming going on in the whatif discussion).
Wandering through makes you feel like you’re in a room with some really interesting people who have some really interesting ideas; one corner is talking about the future of Jewish education, one group is bemoaning the lack of supplies and adequate training, the three people in that group are sharing some ideas about programs that looked like they would be really great but really sunk… Oh wait – it looks like a CAJE…
This is some great modeling, by the way, on how educators can use the wiki format for planning. How can you incorporate wikis into your presenting, planning and process?
About
Debbie Harris is the director of educational technology at the Sager Solomon Schechter Day School in Northbrook, IL. Involved in Jewish education for over thirty years, she has an education degree from Northwestern University with a concentration in instructional media and a master’s degree in professional Jewish studies from Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. She is skilled in using and teaching desktop publishing, video editing, presentation and animation software; and consults and presents regularly on integrating technology into Judaic studies. Her students podcast, blog, edit video and create claymations. She co-chaired the technology track for CAJE 33 in Vermont, is a SMART Certified Trainer for SMART Notebook, and a 2011 recipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish Education.
When not learning, teaching or writing about technology, Debbie likes to sketchnote and craft. She likes to knit, do calligraphy, sew, watercolor, paint fabric and just generally play with fun toys like scrapbooking supplies and anything with texture. Debbie travels to California every summer to paint tallitot with high school aged campers. Finally, she is incredibly proud of her two daughters; Lori, who teaches English at a community college; and Allie, who is the director of the URJ’s Camp Newman in California.
Look for her at:
Debbie Does Desktop
Flickr
Twitter
Diigo
YouTube
Ravelry
Email Debbie here
MuseForJews 