September 6, 2012, New York, NY -- The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) announced today the launch of Mitkadem Digital-- an interactive, fully supported, online component of Mitkadem, a 5-year Hebrew curriculum for religious school students, which explores grammar, vocabulary and Jewish values through the lens of prayer.
Mitkadem's self-paced and child-centered approach allows each student to achieve according to his/her own ability and helps teachers feel capable of administering this program to all different kinds of learners, identifying those students who need additional help or are more advanced. The Mitkadem program is constructed of 23 ramot, or levels. Students may work independently, with another student at a similar level, or with another student in a "tutorial" relationship. On average, students can complete between four and six ramot per year depending on hours of Hebrew school and students' pace.
Mitkadem Digital enhances students’ learning by allowing them to move seamlessly from the print version to the digital without sacrificing any content. Full prayer texts, vocabulary, and recordings are integrated and available from any page at any time and different kinds of interactivities are available for different types of learners.
“We are thrilled to introduce Mitkadem Digital to the world of Jewish education,” said Michael Goldberg, publisher and editor in chief of URJ Books and Music. “The Mitkadem curriculum has been extremely successful in teaching Hebrew to thousands of children. The online version will allow even more students to learn at their own pace, in school, at home—anywhere they have a computer.”
The fun, user-friendly interface of Mitkadem Digital will appeal to students, parents, and teachers alike. Students get instant feedback and see instant results, while teachers can monitor each student's progress at a glance. In addition, teachers obtain powerful management tools and the ability to customize the program to suit individual needs.
“Mitkadem Digital is a great tool for students with special needs or those who want to advance quickly,” said Debbie Massarano at Temple Shalom in Dallas. “The entire Mitkadem system allows for the flexibility we need to address all kinds of students, no matter their learning ability or style.”
“I will be using Mitkadem Digital with a student who will be travelling the world this coming year,” said Michelle Schwartz of Temple Sinai in Denver. “Without Mitkadem Digital, this student would be left behind. Now, he can keep up with his Hebrew studies while abroad.”
Ramot 5-13 are now available for purchase. More ramot will be added throughout the year. Ramot are purchased on a per-student basis, and are available in digital format only, or as a Print version + Digital Combo. See all purchasing options. The learning management system, which allows teachers and educators to track student progress, upload their own lessons, and manage their classrooms online, is offered for free.
“We expect most schools to use both the digital and traditional versions as they complement one another other and are meant to be used as companion pieces,” said Goldberg.