Ready to sign up? Click here to register for the Summer Life & Learning Project.

Click here if you are interested but not ready to register. You will be added to an e-mail list to receive updates about the program.

Looking for a Creative Learning Adventure?

As parents and homeschoolers, we know that learning does not stop just because "school" is not in session. Perhaps more than any other time of year, summer is ripe for learning opportunities that go beyond the ordinary. It is a time for kids to get outside and experience the world, hands-on. It's a unique time for learning, because the warm weather and feeling of freedom have a way of opening our minds to new ideas and challenges.

With this in mind, I am very excited to announce the new Summer Life & Learning Project at Room613. I invite your children to join us, whether as their main summer activity or as a supplement to other plans. This project is open to boys and girls of all ages, whether they homeschool or learn in school, and no matter where in the world they live!

What is the Summer Life & Learning Project?

This project is a whole new way to experience Torah learning, using an exciting, multi-disciplinary, multimedia approach that takes advantage of both in-person and virtual educational and social experiences. Our theme for this summer is the 39 Melachot of Shabbat, and within this rich framework, there are unlimited opportunities for self-directed learning, group interaction, and creative expression.

About the 39 Melachot

There were 39 types of creative work that were used to build the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary that the Jewish people carried with them as they traveled in the desert. These Melachot were, in essence, various handicrafts (or aspects of these crafts), ranging from weaving and dyeing to tanning leather and tying knots.

These 39 types of work are also the exact activities that we are forbidden from doing on Shabbat, when we are commanded to rest from all creative endeavors. There is a wealth of halachic literature about how this general principle is applied in many specific circumstances.

How the Project Works

The Summer Life & Learning Project is a first-of-its-kind combination of real-world exploration, individual and collaborative creative work, group learning and socializing, and online communication, sharing, and publishing.

The center of the project is a multimedia, collaborative "Wiki" site focusing on the theme, created by the students themselves. Each student will have his or her own page(s) on the Wiki, where he or she will share accumulated knowledge and experiences about one (or more) of the 39 Melachot. All of the pages will be linked together to create an amazing tapestry of knowledge and creative expression.

Each student will choose a Melacha to become an expert in. (Two or more students - perhaps siblings or local or virtual friends - can choose to collaborate on one Melacha together.) Then, in a kind of real-world "scavenger hunt" for information, students will research their chosen topic and bring back their knowledge to the group by adding to their Wiki page. 

What Can Be Added to the Pages?

Students can choose to share their knowledge by doing some or all of the following:

• create artwork (sketches, paintings, collage, sculpture, etc.) and upload photos to their page

• write a play or a scene and post the script for all to use and enjoy

• write and produce and short video showing the activity, including variations that are included in the same category (for example, building a house... and also opening an umbrella and even braiding hair as variations of "building"!)

• write a poem

• interview an artisan or tradesman who is involved with the chosen craft, and perhaps videotape the person in action

• build a model

• write a how-to article about their chosen craft

• visit museums (art, historical, etc.) and report back with a blog-type post and photos

• read books, websites, and magazine articles, and write a review or just a bibliography for further research

• draw a comic strip

• add jokes, riddles, puzzles, or games

• anything else they get inspired to do as part of their learning and sharing about the topic

The students will then transfer their new knowledge and experiences to their Wiki page. They can share ideas with other students as they go, offering feedback, help, and suggestions, and collaborating on joint mini-projects. The communication tools on Room613 will come in handy throughout the project.

Each student's unique Wiki page will be part of an incredible kaleidoscope of Torah knowledge created by all of the participants.

How to Sign Up

The cost is just $79/month PER FAMILY, for July and August of 2010. This includes:

• Your child's own Wiki page

• Guidance and ideas via e-mail, phone, and virtual meeting room for their chosen topic

• Two classes per week in the Room613 virtual classroom

• One social "kumsitz"-style online gathering each week, featuring live music and stories!

• Access to the communication features of Room613 for connecting and sharing with fellow students

Current Unlimited Learning members can register for this program just by contacting Rabbi Resnick; this program replaces our usual learning schedule for the summer months and there is no additional cost.

There will be an option for all participants to continue this project into the school-year months if desired. I am open to your input about this year's project and your ideas for future themes.

Click here to register your child(ren) to participate in this program.

Click here if you are interested but not ready to register. You will be added to an e-mail list to receive updates about the program.

This promises to be an incredible learning adventure! I hope your family will be a part of it!