Cell phones: not an opt-out tool for most teeens According to a recent University of Haifa poll, over 94% of Israeli High School students use social networks in class (via cell phones). Mostly, they’re not checking facts, but Facebook profiles. This came to my inbox today, a day after I wrote a blog from a cell phone’s point of view. In that blog, I mentioned that Jewish teens may not be aware of the rich Jewish resources available for the taking from such a small device.  I

Teachers and Classroom Behavior Photo credit: tim ellis I read an eighth grader’s blog (!) today that resonated with me, and it triggered a memory of what Jewish teens shared with me in a discussion about bullying. Back to the blog. This young teen wrote about derogatory and mean comments that kids said in hushed tones to others in her class. What they said was either whispered, written, or mouthed out—-all while the teacher’s back was turned. Can you imagine the effect on th

By now, I think most educators have figured out that technology is not something that can be isolated from educational endeavors, but should be integral to them. HAS IT? How would our teens answer? You’d think.  But the reality is that we’re not all there yet, and some educational settings are debating whether or not to offer  WiFi. The tech toys and glorious gadgets are here to stay whether we figure out ways to incorporate them or not.  So, it’s not so much that we can inco

Image via Wikipedia Getting a bad grade, especially when you expected something else entirely, pretty much stinks. It’s hard enough being in high school when so much of your life seems to be defined by grades. When the grades don’t match up with your expectations or your output, it must feel lousy. Though I have issues with the idea of being defined by grades, we’re not going there now. So, you can either sulk or use this life event to get some feedback. Think of this as an o

Image via Wikipedia Picture this: a class of freshly minted teenagers, not even a year after becoming b’nei mitzvah, who attend an optional Jewish education program. Ostensibly they come from homes where the parent/s place an importance on Jewish values. Yet, despite that, they seem to have internalized society’s penchant for abdicating personal responsiblity. Over 90% of high school students cheat. Entire schools have been accused of tampering with test results. These incide

I’m by nature an optimistic  person (I’m a Jewish educator, after all). But, there’s no doubt that when I consider the topics I’ve written about the outlook seems a little gloomy, and the word ‘kvetch’ comes to mind. The process of change seems to tug along slower than a cruiser trying to glide through oil. Even though I tell myself that what I’ve observed and written about is true  and some would say it’s in the best interest of the Jewish community for me to point these thi

Image via Wikipedia A panel of teens expressed their opinions in a workshop at a Jewish educator’s conference in Philadelphia called “Understanding the Teenage Brain.” Who were they? These were teens already involved in post Bar/t mitzvah education, both in synagogue and community schools, which means they are committed to continuing their Jewish education. I asked them to talk honestly about what they want from their relationship with their teachers, and from their Jewish ed