Skip to main content

Home/ Gratz 40208B/70208B TFJE/ Group items tagged camp

Rss Feed Group items tagged

Erin Hirsh

Going iPhone-less: Camps trying to ban gadgets while embracing technology | Jewish Tele... - 1 views

    • Erin Hirsh
       
      Why does screen time seem diametrically opposed to the values of camp? Is this a false dichotomy? What messages are camps like this communicating to children about technology? I wish we were searching for a way to help kids use screentime in moderation year-round . . . that would seem like a great gift to our children and community to me.
  •  
    My children are all attending Camp Ramah in California and they are not allowed to use technology at camp either! (iPhones, cell phones, game bos, etc) They do have camper mail that parents email to the camp and the camp prints out. Their technological offerings are limited. This article does raise an interesting point. When we go camping as a family, we have ano technology rule as well. It is a time to connect as a family without the distractions of the outside world. Perhaps that is the goal of the summer camps as well. Thanks for posting this article!
  • ...2 more comments...
  •  
    I used to work at sleep away camp and I completely understand having the kids disconnect from technology for the summer, while at camp. If there is a serious issue, their counselors and the administration staff have direct contact with the camper's parents. Also, if they have access to a phone and a problem occurs with another camper, they will call home and complain to their parents and say they want to come home. By the time the parent reaches the camp and staff has had a chance to talk to the camper, the issue has been resolved already. This is especially true for middle school students who are constantly having "fights" with their friends. This has happened to me! Kol Ha'Kavod to the camps for not giving in to letting kids have electronics!
  •  
    My two kids are at Ramah Outdoor Adventure in CO right now. I miss them so much. One more week. They have a similar policy. Now onto to the topic: I've also worked at camp before (Ramah and Camp Thunderbird) and we also didn't allow screens. The exception that Ramah makes though is for kids who have their bar and bat mitzvah training. They can use their screens for that. And they also told us the kids could have an MP3 player and listen to soft music if they needed to in order to fall asleep. It's very true that the phones would be abused at camp like mentioned above. I think I also could see the need to have like 12 IPads at camp for a special video making elective. It's not that the technology is inherently bad or something to always shy away from. For me, the technology ban is so the kids can connect with nature and not have anything holding them back like mentioned by Yvonne. Every year I lead a b'nai mitzvah camping trip at our Synagogue and I tell parents it's fine with me if the kids bring their screens, we just limit the time they can use them. But if it breaks, it's on them. One time a camper brought an expensive screen with them and it broke and I said oh well, that's what happens in the woods. While on the theme of screens: When my kids at home overstep their lines or are not the nicest to each other or whatever (they are really good kids), they get their screens taken away. We don't say no TV, because then they go to the IPad, or the computer, so we just say no screens period when they overstep. I do think this is an important topic though and but would like to see ways camp can integrate technology more. It's pretty cool I think that I can email my kids every day and look at pictures of them every day on photobucket. Thanks for the conversation!
  •  
    Eliyahu, I am not sure how old your kids are, but we find it difficult to take away screens because our two oldest (15 and 17) have many of their school books, assignments, projects, etc on their tablets! It can become tricky. We do limit xbox, game time, movie time, etc, but the absolute no screen time becomes too difficult and therefore takes much more monitoring if they have overstepped the bounds!
  •  
    Good point Yvonne. My kids are 12 and 8. As they get older, you're totally right that it really isn't realistic and hard to monitor. Saying no to every screen, especially if they have homework to do on it. That would be like shooting yourself in the foot and no one likes to do that! And even though screens are limited at camp, at least at ROA, the counselors can go to the staff lounge and log in when they have time at night to do so.
Erin Hirsh

Mission/Vision - 1 views

    • Erin Hirsh
       
      This is a Jewish organization taking a whole different role in working with Jewish camps and technology - funny that it came up right with the articles about Jewish camps, education and technology. At the same time, it shares the same core mission as many Jewish camps and camp organizations like FJC.
  •  
    Harold Grinspoon has done so much to help the Jewish people. Matching grants of 60 million, wow. PJ Library, the list goes on and on! What I apprecaite about Jcamp 180 and this site is that they work with all Jewish camps to make them more sustainable. This is a powerful model of Jewish unity. This type of program will help ensure Jewish continuity!
Erin Hirsh

URJ Founds New Specialty Jewish Summer Camp Dedicated to Science and Technology - URJ - 0 views

shared by Erin Hirsh on 20 Jul 13 - No Cached
    • Erin Hirsh
       
      Interesting to see that URJ is implying some kind of correlation between unaffiliated or unengaged Jews and those who would be attracted to to STEM-themed Jewish summer camp experience. I think any off-the-beaten-track-themed Jewish camp has an opportunity to attract families who have not been interested in the somewhat more "one-size-fits-all" movement camps. On the other hand, is there a specific claim about unaffiliated Jews and technology here? What is it?
Erin Hirsh

Israeli Hi-Tech Jewish Summer Camp - eCamp - YouTube - 1 views

    • Erin Hirsh
       
      I have to say, when I watched this video, what I kept thinking was that - in terms of this being a summer camp - it made perfect sense to me that kids could have fun and learn and explore amazing activities using technology, I had this overwhelming wish that the computers would be in an outside pavilion.
  •  
    Ecamp looks like it would be a lot of fun. Innovators, workshops, pictures under the Google sign, dance pads, and now even time in Greensboro at that amazing facility. Did you check out that comment in the comment section by some guy named Jack? Maybe a self hating Jew but I hate comments like that. So disappointing. I like the idea of an outside pavilion with computers. Touch screen and super fast. That would be really cool Erin.
Lisa Vendeland

Thinking Outside Box - Jewish Education - 0 views

  •  
    Great presentation about mobile learning. Hebrew school like camp, Skype classes.
  •  
    He uses an image of a young/old woman on one of his slides. I use this same image (along with some others) in the first few days of class to talk about perception and acceptance of others' viewpoints. For me, it is a matter of figuring out how to change within the framework of my school. I only have so much flexibility in what I am allowed to do. I can use tools and technology, but have to seek approval for any new technology tool (online forums, social networking sites, etc.). My school is talking about having students sign up for Judaic Studies courses online to broaden their choices of topics. I am not sure what impact this will have on the teachers on campus, as these students would then not need to be in a physical class for their Judaica requirement. I think it is important that we look at alternatives for Jewish Education, we don't lose our human resources on site.
Adara B

URJ Kutz Camp - NFTY Summer Camp Experience for Jewish Teens - Home - 1 views

  •  
    NFTY's summer home, primary place where Jewish learning happens in NFTY
Erin Hirsh

| Behrman House Publishing - 1 views

    • Erin Hirsh
       
      It is so interesting to me that she was in a traditional Jewish camp environment and her impulse to increase the learning quality was to integrate technology - it shows how clearly of a different generation I am. It is also interesting to see how it made sense to Behrman House to bring the game out of that specific environment into those where we might more typically expect technology and Jewish education to intersect. 
  •  
    I sent this out to my school famlies last week when behrman house sent their email out. I love this game. It's an innovative way to combine fun and Jewish values. When I play Jenga with my kids, I like to put Jewish values on each block and when they pick a block or remove a block from the tower, they have to say how the Jewish midah applies to their life or situation. I think it's also interesting to see how Behrman House is amping up their technology. Like I said in a previous post, they also have a new Online Learning Center as well. The new fad of technology is becoming the new norm.
1 - 7 of 7
Showing 20 items per page