(Miami, December 6, 2014) – Targum Shlishi is helping to support the Miami Jewish Day School Blended and Online Learning Initiative, a new project organized by the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE)-Miami. The objective of this multi-year project is to provide the students with access to multiple technologies to support student learning. A blended and online learning environment incorporates digital tools and technology in the classroom as a “second” teacher, which provides expanded learning opportunities for students.
In a blended learning environment, students participate in both online learning and direct interaction with teachers. This approach provides advantages for both students and educators. Students have more opportunities to learn and reinforce creativity and problem solving, are able to learn at their own pace, and have access to subject areas and knowledge not available through their brick-and-mortar schools; at the same time, teachers are able to use digital tools to effectively assess students’ progress.
“For students in Jewish day schools to remain competitive in today’s world, it is essential to put technology to good use. There are incredible resources available, but we don’t have many strong models of ways in which day schools are optimizing technology. This new CAJE initiative, which is being developed with a great deal of thought and in multiple stages, will strengthen students’ educational experience immeasurably,” says Judy Dach, Ph.D., Targum Shlishi’s educational consultant.
Targum Shlishi is supporting the initial research and development state of the Blended and Online Learning Initiative. This phase, which runs through the academic year of 2014–15, is designed to evaluate the eleven day schools in Miami to assess both their digital capacity and the readiness of their teachers to work within a blended learning environment. This phase will result in a ranking of each school’s readiness to participate in the blended learning initiative and will help to prioritize the order in which the project will be introduced to the schools.
“CAJE shares a commitment to quality education in Jewish day schools with Targum Shlishi. This first phase of a project to introduce and enhance a blended learning approach to Miami’s Jewish Schools will enhance the education of thousands of schoolchildren and ensure that the education they receive incorporates the best resources available,” says Rabbi Arnold Samlan, executive director of CAJE.
The Blended and Online Initiative is undertaken by CAJE-Miami in partnership with the Digital JLearning Network and the Avi Chai Foundation.
About CAJE-Miami
CAJE-Miami’s mission is to promote quality Jewish learning and identity-building opportunities throughout Miami, strengthen the capacity of Jewish organizations to deliver engaging and enriching educational programs, and serve as a catalyst for connecting Jews of all ages to their rich heritage. For more information, see CAJE-Miami’s website at www.caje-miami.org/.
About Targum Shlishi
Targum Shlishi is dedicated to providing a range of creative solutions to problems facing Jewry today. Premised on the conviction that dynamic change and adaptation have historically been crucial to a vibrant and relevant Judaism and to the survival of its people, Targum Shlishi’s initiatives are designed to stimulate the development of new ideas and innovative strategies that will enable Jewish life, its culture, and its traditions to continue to flourish. For more information on the foundation, visit its website at www.targumshlishi.org.
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