Technology takes hold at Hebrew Academy of Long Beach

The Hebrew Academy of Long Beach (HALB) has taken a giant leap into the 21st century as it has updated its technology infrastructure, hardware and added new staff to support new initiatives.
Partnering with the Affordable Jewish Education Project, kindergarten and first grade classrooms have become blended learning environments freeing teachers to focus on student strengths and weaknesses and work with small groups of students as others work collaborate on a project.
HALB has installed the Haiku Learning Management System, a state-of-the-art Internet-based tool used in grades six through 12, which serves as the hub of class communications, including centralizing homework assignments, a class activity and testing calendar, and a place to maintain handouts and other educational materials.
Using Google Apps for Education, all staff members for grades six through 12 and students have been given HALB Gmail accounts to transition to an educational life “in the clouds.” Both have helped HALB extend learning beyond the classroom walls.
In the middle school, Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls and Davis Renov Stahler High School for Boys, geek squads are being formed. Students will be trained as “techies” to troubleshoot problems and create how to videos for peers and faculty.
To know more about HALB’s technology upgrades contact Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Rothman, the principal of Academic Initiatives and Advanced Learning at jrothman@halb.org and follow him on Twitter @jffrothman.