(Source: pelie.org)

Brooke Lieberman and Tamar Dvir have returned from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) 2012 conference, which took place from June 24 to 27, in San Diego. ISTE’s annual conference and exposition is the world’s premier educational technology event, where 20,000 education and technology professionals from 60 countries unite for four days of professional learning and collaboration. Lieberman and Dvir participated in the conference as part of a larger group of Jewish educators, selected as technology fellows by the Partnership for Effective Learning and Innovative Education (PELIE).

The 2012 PELIE Technology Fellows are involved in part-time Jewish education. They represent all aspects of complementary Jewish education: rabbis, educators, lay leaders, or volunteers in synagogue schools, community programs, JCC initiatives, or youth groups. Eighteen fellowships were awarded.

“PELIE's vision is to cultivate the technological interests of Jewish educators by exposing them to the larger education and technology community. Empowered and networked by this experience, we hope they take their new skills and enthusiasm back to their home communities to create Jewish education environments which prepare our children for the ever-changing Jewish future,” says Jane Slotin, Executive Director of PELIE.

Fellows applied and attended in teams of two in order to send more than one champion for educational technology back to each community. Now that they have returned to their home communities, team members will support one another in working toward shifting the culture of their Jewish educational community.  

Fellows participated in keynote presentations, “bring your own device” sessions, poster sessions, the global gallery, demonstrations, affinity group meetings and more. The nine teams attended a group dinner at ISTE, as well as the Jewish educators’ affinity session. Plus, as registrants of the ISTE conference, fellows gained one year of ISTE membership.

Fellows will teach what they have learned to their colleagues upon their return, serving as a resource to the larger Detroit area Jewish community.