HaYidion: Cover of the iSchool issue
As educators, our mission is to create learning environments where students are challenged to think critically, collaborate meaningfully and communicate effectively. With the remarkable increase in the growth and use of technology, how do we incorporate these powerful tools to meet our learning objectives when the teacher is no longer the primary owner of information? We are living in an age where students capably navigate the many social networking tools of the digital age while those charged with instructing them often lack the know-how to keep up. With children continuously “plugged in” and “tuned out,” traditional methods of instruction need to be enhanced to better connect students and to engage them in more authentic learning.
Like many schools, early efforts at Vancouver Talmud Torah focused on acquiring the necessary equipment and resources. We measured our success by the number of computers we owned, how many students and teachers used the lab and how effectively our infrastructure worked. With a state of the art media lab in place, we soon came to realize that the machines were being utilized, but their power to transform the learning experience was not being harnessed to its fullest potential.
To begin the process of change, we began to educate the faculty and leadership team. We hired a consultant to help us understand the wealth of possibilities that exist to innovate the curriculum through the use of technology. This “pitch” was by no means easy. With a large and diverse faculty, both in terms of experience and philosophy, the message required multiple revisions to enlist the engagement of all stakeholders. One of our most successful achievements was offering no-interest loans to anyone who wanted to purchase a laptop. Having teachers own their own computers transformed what was initially perceived as threatening to something fun and challenging. Putting tools directly into teachers’ hands facilitated a paradigm shift more than any professional development or encouragement from administration.
We offered teachers the opportunity to join a summer tech cohort, led by our technology consultant, to immerse themselves in the “sandbox.” This was a stress-free, non-judgmental time of “play” where the teachers could learn, experiment, and make mistakes. The cohort, which still meets monthly, produced some impressive results. A first grade Judaic teacher filmed every one of her 30 students reciting Tal Am lyrics and dialogue. She then sent a video to each family to demonstrate her students’ remarkable progress. Several teachers created Wikis and Blogs, not only to communicate with parents, but to enhance the learning experience for students.
Our school rabbi has made it a mission to restructure the paper and pencil tasks that are given to students. Students comment on the weekly Torah portion online and are also encouraged to critique and evaluate their peers’ commentaries. Not only can Rabbi Bellas assess his students’ work at any time from any place, but parents are welcome to observe as well. Our kindergarten teachers have begun to create weekly literacy books using photos of the children. Imagine the experience of learning about spiders when you and your friends are the stars of the lesson!
One unforeseen outcome of this journey has been the strong teacher-leadership that has emerged. Teachers have gained confidence and have a renewed sense of pride in their craft. The impact on student learning is immeasurable. Many on our team are joining with their students to learn together. This indeed is a giant leap toward 21st century learning.
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