Ulus Jewish Schools Ready for the ´New Normal´

Translation by Janet MITRANI

We talked to the Ulus Jewish Schools (UÖMO) Foundation and Administrators about the infrastructure formations suitable for education in the new normal, effective education systems and health precautions, and got information about their preparations for the new term.

UÖMO's technical infrastructure system has been restructured from scratch to be able to provide synchronous education.

Wide-angle USB cameras that are able to turn 360 degrees, zoom the teacher, the smart boards, and/or the blackboards in the class were placed in all the classes. In order for the teachers' sounds to be heard clearly, lavalier microphones compatible with the system are purchased and memberships to the software the students will use to attend the classes online are provided. Thus providing half of the class attend the classes from home and half in school, live at the same time. If either a student or a class shall be compelled to stay at home due to a related case of COVID-19, they will be able to continue their classes online from their houses and not miss classes for 14 days.

Training of the UÖMO educators continued all through the summer and still is...

For the distance learning to be effective, the system is based on the David Paul Ausubel's 'Meaningful Learning' principle. Our teachers have already started preparing the subject videos they will routinely upload on the Google Classroom. These videos are the videos with the 'entry and exit cards' system that pause and direct questions at the students, testing what is learned. Besides applications such as Screencastify, Notability, Web 2.0 tools, Canva, Wizer.me, Padlet, Wordwall, Quizlet, HSP, Mind Map, etc. software programs will be used for interactive studies.

Feedback is crucial in distance education. Our teachers are also working on the feedback systems, criteria, and assessment and evaluation applications that will be carried out during the year.

Critical decisions were made to create healthy environments in common areas.

Thermal cameras measuring body temperatures in all entry points, hand disinfection machines with sensors at entry points and common areas, AC systems that ensure 100% clean air are placed at the school.

Classes, school buses will be cleaned every day with the ULV (Ultra-low volume) disinfectant sprayers.

While the computers, laptop keyboards, education materials will be disinfected at the end of every school day, the toys will be cleaned with vapor steam cleaners.

In the cafeteria which is redesigned according to social distancing, every class will eat during their own time slot. Students will sit at the seats reserved for them every day, to be able to ensure health follow up.

Related Newsss ss

14 November

"Humor on the Margins: Cartoons in the Turkish Jewish Newspaper Şalom" by Rakel P. Meşulam

Rakel P. Meşulam signed her first book "Humor on the Margins: Cartoons in the Turkish Jewish Newspaper Şalom (1947-2016)" at Schneidertempel Arts Center.

7 November

The "Ottoman and Turkish Ketubbot" Exhibition

The Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews is opening an exhibition of Ketubbot (Jewish wedding contracts), some from forgotten corners of our homes, some as already discovered works of art, some from the walls of the collectors, some from the Chief Rabbinate Collection, on November 7th, at Schneidertempel Arts Center, after they have been cleaned and maintained.

24 October

Izzet Keribar´s "Journey of Colors" Exhibition at Istanbul Modern

Istanbul Modern, Turkey´s first modern and contemporary art museum, is preparing to host photography artist Izzet Keribar´s solo exhibition "Journey of Colors".

5 September

Virna Gülzari´s ´Dream Rooms´ Exhibition Opened in Ayvalık

8 August

Kasadolu Draws Attention to the Increasing Hostility Towards Turkish Jews

The businessperson Doğan Kasadolu wrote a letter to AKP´s Ankara Member of Parliament Tuğrul Türkeş, drawing attention to the increasing anti-Semitism.

30 May

Annette Bat Mitzvah Club and Yoel Bar Mitzvah Club Year-End Ceremonies

The 2023-2024 "Collective Bat Mitzvah Ceremony" of the Annette Bat Mitzvah Club girls, founded in 2002 within the Chief Rabbinate of Turkey Education Commission (HEGKOM), was celebrated in the Neve Shalom Synagogue on Sunday, May 26th.

13 May

Renan Koen´s Brand-New Projects for Hatay

28 March

Democrat Party (DP) Visited Şalom

18 March

Moris Karmona Declared War On Bullying With His Book "Morhis"

Moris Karmona´s book "Morhis" in which he wrote his life story, has been published.

1 March

82nd Anniversary of the Struma Disaster

The Struma Immigration Ship had sailed from Constanza, Romania to take the Jews desperate to run from the Nazis to today´s Israel, and was sunk by a torpedo from a Russian submarine after anchoring off the coast of Istanbul for weeks.