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?
Zahava’s site
Zahava attended some of the workshops I did for CAJE this summer, and has created a great site for her teachers at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton. Way to go, Zahava!
More on PowerPoint
There’s a lot of talk in the educational tech community about how you post PowerPoint presentations online for your students to find. A popular option is SlideShare, but the problem (and it’s a big one) is the questionable content that gets posted there. And if you post your ppt presentation to SlideShare and then embed the media in your blog or wiki, there’s something that says “go to SlideShare,” which leads teachers to ask if they could be liable for kids viewing the content there.
So the question is… how do you share your ppt?
But after my realization that I didn’t use ppt at all this last week (when, in previous years, I’m sure I would have used it extensively)… I’m starting to ask if we need to use it.
Can’t we use wikis in the same way? Is that a possible solution?
What, no PowerPoint?
I realized tonight that I didn’t use one PowerPoint presentation this week. Amazing – 7 presentations and not one of them PowerPoint. Instead, I used the wiki for presentation support. This may not have been as spiffy and pretty, but it was amazingly customizable and infinitely last-minute-editable. For instance, yesterday before my wiki presentation I thought of something I wanted to add. So, as the session was filling up, I logged into Wikispaces and made my changes. That would have possible with PowerPoint, but it would have been more cumbersome, especially since I was using computers in the rooms – not my own.
Wow.
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 