Are you ready to “Think Outside ‘da Box”? If yes, I want to tell you about a new website called Catechesis 2.0.  This site was launched on Thursday, May 10 during the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) post-conference workshop CaTECHesis with HOT TECH Tools.

54 workshop participants attended.  They were introduced to 20 (mostly free) Web 2.0 tools.  The website features these tools and the blogging team, beginning June 1, 2012, will continue to add new tools to the blog.

Often catechists, RCIA coordinators, youth ministers, school teachers , and others would like to use technology in their lessons.  All of you will now have a resource to come to for potential tools. What is exciting is that all of us can contribute in some way to share what we are doing with web tools in our ministries.

Often students may be directed to complete a project from their home computers and shared with the class, families, or the world! Or if there is wi-fi access, you may invite them to use their mobile tools.  Of course, if there is an available computer lab, you may complete a project in the lab. It is a time to develop wonderful Digital Disciples. Web 2.0 tools can provide you a way to be creative with those who are participating in your faith formation programs.

If you are finding helpful information here, click the “like” button.  We are looking forward to hearing your story.  Come back often to share your stories of how you are using these tools in your parish.

Do you know someone who would like to hear about this new website? You may wish to share this link with them: www.catechesis20.org

Dr. Mary Hess

For the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg Blog Tour on Religion & Media, Dr. Mary Hess responds to questions posed by Cyberpilgrim. Please add your voice to the conversation! Click on the “LEAVE A COMMENT” link to post. And see the specific question Dr. Hess would like to hear from you about at the end of this post.

Wow, what excellent questions — and what difficult challenges. Let me start, more generally, by pointing to some wonderful new books that are available right now that I think might be useful for your readers. The first is a short book entitled “A new culture of learning” by Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown. This book will perhaps quiet some fears about what it might mean to “flip classrooms” and help kids follow their passions into new learning. The authors of that book perceive enormous potential in these new cultural spaces, but also point to the necessary structure we need to create to support that learning. Your reader is right that learning in isolation is never as rich as learning in community. These new tools can provide new ways to support learning community IF we use them wisely.

The second book I’d point to is Howard Rheingold “Net Smart“. This book is written by a really smart, digitally-connected and fluent educator with a deep sense of how to move forward with wisdom.

The third is Elizabeth Drescher’s “Tweet if you [heart] Jesus“. Elizabeth is keen on helping us to “practice church in the digital reformation.”

Ok, so that’s the “prelude,” now let me get directly to your questions.

 n (Q-1) How do I keep up with this world? “It is just the speed and lack of thinking that I hear when I learn what CAN be done.”

Well, I think a great thing to do is read this blog! And that’s not just me trying to be nice. One of the advantages of living in a web 2.0 world is that you can make information find you, instead of having to go out all the time and find it. Keeping up with this world means finding a few ‘informants’ who do the investigation for you, and whose judgments you trust, so that you can get from them what you don’t have the time or skill to do for yourself. Learn how to use RSS feeds and you will save a lot of time and effort. But then, once you’ve done that, make sure that you subscribe to some blogs that will stretch you, that might not be in your comfort zone, even some blogs that you might disagree with! Doing so will make sure that you never lack for for things to think about.

One great set of informants, by the way, are your students themselves. They might not be the best judge of what is most authoritative, but they are often the best scouts of what is new and interesting, and what can be used in powerful new ways to express their faith.

 n (Q-2) How do we teach the faith in a world that is more participatory and democratic? – “not the controlled methods” we are used to.

I like the ways in which John Roberto talks about “curating” materials for faith formation. This is another element of what I mean about finding “informants.” John is a great informant, and his online resource is full of useful materials that he has carefully curated.

I think, in addition to finding excellent materials and processes that are multi-sensory, we also need to recognize that God might well be “doing a new thing” and that we should be open to listening carefully for where we can hear/feel/see the Holy Spirit blowing. We need to trust our faith, and recognize that following Jesus may in fact be about letting go of “controlled” or at least “controlling” methods, and learn how, instead, to trust our tradition — and to recognize when there is new life being drawn from it.

“Teaching faith” in these new contexts means focusing on LEARNING. I tried to talk about this in a lecture I gave a couple of years ago, which is available online . What I was trying to do in that lecture was point out that “teaching the Bible” has to begin with helping people understand WHY they should learn the Bible. I think the same thing is true about our faith, particularly those of us who are Catholic. We can’t assume that people have any understanding of why they should learn about the tradition — indeed, in some cases we have to help people move beyond their caricature of the tradition and into the deep bones of it, the ways in which it sustains and shapes our faith (rather than seeing it only as something which constrains or silences us).

Another way to do this – instead of “carefully controlled methods” – is to work on helping people learn how to create in these new media. Producing a digital story, for instance, requires a lot of attention – careful attention – to what you’re trying to convey, to whom you think you’re speaking, and to how you craft your story. These are all great ways to do faith formation in religious education, and they’re fun to do! (check out http://www.storyingfaith.org/ for ideas).

n (Q-3) How do we hire and/or train ministers today in a world that is now a Digital World?

That’s too big a question to answer in a short blog response, but I will say that I think hiring and training ministers is a deeply contextual process – and since the world we live in is mediated, through and through, how can we be contextual without attending to digital media? So we should be asking about their experiences in digital media – what do they like? how do they access information? what do they think is wisdom in these spaces? And so on. And I would be equally wary of anyone who refuses to engage digital environments and anyone who refuses to be critical of such environments. We need to look for people who are able to balance competing commitments, and who are adept at seeking and supporting wisdom.

Finally, a question for readers of this blog:

What makes you most nervous about digital media, and what makes you most excited about its potential?

Have you ever heard of a blog tour?  I haven’t!  Not until I received an email from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, with this invite –  ”You (ACyberPilgrim)  are cordially invited to participate in a blog tour on the subject of religion and media, featuring Dr. Mary E. Hess, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN.”

Mary is a wonderful friend, so I was delighted to be included in this blog tour.  Here is a wonderful opportunity to learn something new about using a blog to carry on a conversation with others in a virtual environment.

How does this work? 

I’ve been invited to submit questions on religion and media that I feel would be of interest to readers of ACyberPilgrim.

When will this happen?

On Wednesday, May 2nd – Mary will start the conversation with her response to -

The field of educational technology is over 35 years old and media literacy over 50 years – both are important to today’s  world of religion and media.  How do we as faith-based ministers catch up with a fast-paced media world to learn and to be exposed to the best practices of both educational technology and media literacy with church leaders who may be resistant to the use of media in church ministry?  Just the other day a Media Center Coordinator casually shared the following with me -

There is a commercial in our area that talks about digital learning… students will never need to leave home… and learn all they want.  It just scared the heebie-jeebies right out of me to think of a whole generation with no interaction with others… and book smart, not street smart – and that does say something else.  Please don’t think I’m meaning this in a negative way, or don’t want things to change….. OH MY… what would this world be if we never evolved and learned!  It is just the speed and lack of thinking that I hear when I learn what CAN be done… not the controlled methods that I’m sure Catholic and well planned schools will use.  As we clip budgets, people who “knew” are being let go, and people hired are in charge that do not have the skills and education to make these decisions well, and we all know the “makers” of these products don’t care one iota the impact… they just want the sell.  They use some cute marketing… but it goes out to the public that isn’t quite ready for it all… and I only mean ready in the prepared sense.. because social networking sure is a hit.

What I’m hearing in this comment is the following:

• A judgment that “students will never need to leave home”
• Fright that a “whole generation with no interaction with others”

The questions that come to mind are the following -

• How do I keep up with this world? “It is just the speed and lack of thinking that I hear when I learn what CAN be done”
• How do we teach the faith in a world that is more participatory and democratic? – “not the controlled methods” we are used to, and
• How do we hire and/or train ministers today in a world that is now a Digital World?

What’s our role in the Blog Tour?

Come back to hear what Mary has to say about the growing fields of educational technology and media literacy in ministry.  I will post Mary’s initial response to the conversation late on Tuesday evening.  Throughout the day – Wednesday, May 2nd – you are invited to continue the conversation with Mary.  Your comments and/or questions will be a wonderful part of the conversation.  Mary will be available all day to respond to our conversation with her.

I look forward to being part of the Blog Tour with all of you!  See you soon!

“This has been an exciting year here at ESCS .  Some of our seventh and eighth grade students have been broadcasting a morning news show called ESCNN – Espiritu Santo Catholic News Network. Our students learn the positions of anchors, weather person, mixer, teleprompter, cameras, and producer.  They have been doing a great job.  As our eighth grade class is preparing to enter high school, we have been covering all the benchmarks and standards to ensure that they are prepared for a new environment.  All the students have worked for years to achieve a goal of typing 30 words per minute.  We have studied internet safety and understand that the internet is an ever evolving too. Microsoft Office is another aspect of technology that our students are very well versed in.  The eighth grade students are ready for high school.

Our sixth grade class has been working with a program called Audacity.  I have been teaching them the basics about sound recording.  The students learn how to create different audio tracks and alter them.  They can do many things such as add effects, copy and paste and even create whole songs.

The fourth and fifth grade classes have been learning the program Microsoft Office Power Point.  This is a program used for presentations.  The fifth grade just completed their Power Point Presentations from their Kennedy Space Center field trip.  It was a fantastic experience to watch all the students stand up in front of their classmates and teachers to give this presentation using a computer and projection screen.  The fourth grade is in the process of working on their St. Augustine Power Points.  This is their first major project using this program.  Prior to the field trip, they were taught all the basics of preparing and taking pictures.  They did a great job.  Those pictures will be incorporated into their Power Points.

The third grade has been working diligently all year on their keyboarding skills.  Most of the students have hit their goal of typing 10 words per minute with 90% or better accuracy.  They are learning “Home Row” and how to keep their eyes on the monitor, not on their hands.  The second grade just completed their first project using Microsoft Word.  These are wish stories that the students wrote in their class rooms.  They brought the stories to the Lab and typed them into Word.

The first grade just finished working with Microsoft Excel.  The children entered letters into the columns.  Then they learned how to change the colors and how to save their work.  It was very exciting.  The kindergarten has been using the website, Nick Jr.  It is a great tool for teaching the students how to use some of the basic computer techniques at a developmentally appropriate level.

These are just a few things that our students are learning about in technology class.  I enjoy helping them prepare for their future in this amazing new technological world we live in.”

As I finished sipping my tea, I thought – I wonder if catechetical leaders, catechists, and others  working with youth from K-12 are aware of the technology skills that our students are gaining today? Why do I ask this question?  So often these same students arrive on the doorsteps of our catechetical programs, and there is NOT one “ounce” of technology in their learning environment.

We are teaching Digital Kids today.  This video, created by Best Buy, shows us how kids are using technology and asks the question whether Best Buy will be ready for the next generation of gadgets boys and girls will want.

I sat and wondered, will catechetical leaders and catechists be ready to teach a generation that is being referred to as Digital Natives?  Are our skills on par with the skills of the Digital Natives?  I often watch young people using technology and they are excited and eager to communicate using their digital tools.  On the other hand, as I listen to adults – there is often a critical attitude: They are texting too much! They need to learn how to talk to one another! They…. you can finish the sentence.  I’m assuming that you have a critical comment as well.

But I continue to wonder – When will the religious education, catechetical, or faith formation community really wake-up.  I love the Mr. Winkle wakes video.  Yes, we need to wake up and teach what we know with today’s methods.  But we are now engaged in what is an ever evolving Culture, Language, and New Skills.  Who is involved in training the 21st Century Catechist?

Here is a video where educators are beginning to re-imagine how children are learning today.

OR

Here is a video asking the question – How Will You Teach Me in the 21st Century?

If you are involved in training today’s catechetical personnel – at any level – click the “Like” button.  More importantly, come and share your story via this blog.  Add your comments here and let us know that you would like to be a Guest Blogger.  We’d love to share your story!

http://morguefile.com/archive/display/175110

Recently I was reading ” Leadership communication tools” by Nancy Caramanico.  I liked how she highlighted various tools for school educators.  Allow me to mirror her article and focus on Parish Catechetical Leader (PCL’s) Communication Tools.

I totally agree with Nancy when she says, “Communicating in today’s world requires both a new mindset and a new toolset. Like a maestro conducting a symphony, savvy leaders pay attention to the sound, the effect, and the instruments needed to strike just the right notes. “

I would go further to advocate that as you move into this digital communications world, you will need to learn new skills, a new language and digital culture to be an effective church communicator.

As I look back at my beginnings, which go back to 1983, I realize that I have slowly learned new terminology, new skills, and have gradually immersed myself in a digital culture.  I encourage any pastoral  and catechetical leader today to take the needed steps so that you speak the language, engage in the culture, and learn the skills that you need to communicate effectively with your audiences.

So what do you need to be able to engage in today to communicate with others?

10 Tools for Pastoral Communication (Paraphrasing  Nancy’s 10 Tools):

• Microblogging – Create an account on Twitter. Follow other catechetical and pastoral leaders.  Check out Brad West’s article Go Tweet It On The Mountain Top .Tweet out information about your parish.  Explore use of twitter for conferences or meetings for sharing ideas.
• Blogging – Write frequent news updates for your parish blog. Follow other Catholics – see the Catholic Blog Directory. Who are the catechetical bloggers? Encourage and read comments. Use Google Blogger, Edublogs or create your own.
• Podcasting – Create audio messages for playback on web and devices. Use tools such as Audioboo, Audacity
• Electronic Surveys – Use Zoomerang or Survey Monkey for advanced functionality. Make quality surveys with Google Forms which is free
• Email – Yes email. It is still a common tools used by many. Regular timely updates seek responses and give responses in a timely fashion. HTML newsletters can be pre-formatted with a consistent design to add appealing design.
• Learning Management System – This may be the tool that will be a staple to our doing online learning with our students and adults in the near future.  Take time to learn more about Learning Management Systems.

http://www.ucop.edu/lms/images/lms.jpg

• Parish or Faith Formation Website – Consistently post updates that are both engaging and informational.  Ask yourself – what content are we sharing with our members online?
• Facebook – Use Facebook to update parish community on latest faith formation news, photos and videos
• Video – Use Youtube or other video sharing sites. Broadcast videos about parish events
• Google alerts – Set up Google Alerts to stay on top of mentions of your parish and other topics of interests to the parish or faith formation community.

If you like this article, click on the “Like” button.  We would love to hear about your experience of using these leadership tools?  Come and Share!

May this Easter Season be filled with NEW LIFE

Easter week around the world – in pictures

Of course, our liturgies this week are rich.  Especially during the Triduum time (Holy Thursday-Good Friday-Holy Saturday). I recall while growing up that this week was regarded as a very special week in our lives.  However, do our families today have the time they need to engage in this spiritual journey.  Often times not!

When families are unable to participate with their parish communities, let’s invite them into the virtual community.  Here are a few links and suggestions for you to share with your families:

1. View Fr. Barron’s commentary about Palm Sunday.
2. What is Holy Thursday?  Check out Rome Reports
3. A Family Together: Jesus’ Journey to Calvary. You may also want to go to Google Earth and virtually visit some of the locations mentioned in this article.
4. Click to learn more about Holy Saturday: History, Information, Prayers, Images and More.
5. Visit the Catechist’s article for the Easter Vigil.

Blessings to you this Holy Week!

If you like this article, click the “Like” button or add your comment to this blog.

(c)2012,  Caroline Cerveny

I’m back after a wonderful weekend of giving workshops during the 2012 LA Religious Education  Congress in Anaheim, California.  What I so enjoy at the conference is the energy and the gathering of Catholics who come to the conference (from all over the world) to be renewed and refreshed.  To enjoy some of the keynotes, presentations, and liturgies come and visit the LA Religious Education Congress YouTube channel.

To get a sense of the energy shared during this Congress, come and view the Opening Rite and Welcome!

As I reflect on the experience of presenting two workshops – CaTECHchesis with TECH Tools and Sharing Your Journey via Digital Storytelling – I so appreciate the hunger and curiosity of the 700+ participants who attended these two sessions.  I want to thank all who attended and to remind each of you that we can only eat an elephant one piece at a time!

If you felt overwhelmed with the information that was shared, you are not alone!  Many of us were not raised with the technology that our students have easy access to today!  My suggestion – eat the elephant one piece at a time!  Start with ONE tool that you like, try it. Weave it again into a lesson.  When you are feeling more comfortable, look back at your notes and try another tool.

Remember, it takes time and patience to learn a new language.  And today, there is a Digital Culture, with a language that is part of it, and of course new skills to learn!  Just like learning French, Spanish, or any other foreign language and culture – it takes time and a desire to learn the culture, language, and skills.

If you are curious and are wondering what was covered in these workshops, do not hesitate to visit the PowerPoints from the workshops:

CaTECHchesis with TECH Tools,  and

 Sharing Your Journey via Digital Storytelling

I would love to hear from you, what you are doing with technology in your catechetical ministry.  You could share now or come back to this post later to share your thoughts and ideas.

Or, you may simply want to “Like” this post!  If you do – Click the LIKE button below.  Thank you!

©2012, Caroline Cerveny

Here’s a CONTEST you may be interested in!  Loyola Press is inviting catechists and their students to be part of a contest that encourages children to explore the inspiring and sometimes-surprising ways they experience God’s presence in their everyday lives.  Catechists and students can team together to create a short video that answers the question: Where do you find God?  Parishes are eligible to win the following prizes:

First prize: Parish-wide adoption of the new edition of Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts (grades 1-6)

Second Prize: $1,000 Loyola Press product gift certificate

Third Prize: $500 Loyola Press product gift certificate

What do you need to do?  Create a video that is at least thirty seconds in length and no longer than two minutes.  Parish staff members must upload entries at www.FindingGod.com/contest  by April 20, 2012.  Winners will be determined by online voting, so entries should be submitted as soon as possible to allow plenty of time to vote.

For those who are religious educators in a parish program without available equipment, tell your students about the project and theme – Where do I find God?  And invite them to create videos with their families at home.  All the information the child needs about the contest, a parent can assist them with by going to the contest website.

Watch this video to learn more about the contest.

If the children create their videos at home, they can bring their video to your classroom on a thumb drive to share with the class.  All you need is one computer to show the videos to the class.  Invite your students to choose the one that will represent their class.

Click the “like” button if you plan on engaging your class in this project.

To get some idea of what you want a good computer to be, you may want to read how others purchase used equipment.  These two articles may be helpful:

Buying a Second Hand PC

10-Step Guide to Buying a Used Laptop That Works

Once you have equipment to use, what can you do in a classroom with ONE-Computer?  Plenty!  I was recently reading Grace’s Post How to Manage a One-Computer Classroom and would like to adapt her tips to fit the religion classroom:

Tip #1: Having an agreement for using the computer in the classroom is important.  Check out several of the Acceptable Use Policies and then prepare a statement for your class or program.  Here are a few models to review:

Internet Acceptable Use Policy Template

Sample Letter To Parents

Other models can be located by doing an Internet Search.

Tip#2: Place the computer in an accessible and easily supervised place.  Easy access to assist students is important as well as seeing what is being done on the computer is important.

Tip #3: Have a faith project for the student to work on.  Some examples of projects are:

Word Clouds and Prayer

A Scripture Digital Storytelling Prayer Experience

Thinking Creatively – A Lenten Challenge

Using VoiceThread for Advent Prayer

Tip #4:  Check out the videos other catechists are using in their classrooms in the Digital Catechesis Video Library (A Free Registration).  Project the computer screen so the entire class can see a video you may want to use for prayer at the beginning or end of class.  Or you may simply want to engage your students with vivid images, sound, or music that has a wonderful message and fits into your lesson objectives through a short video.

Tip #5: Use an auto response system.  A great way catechists can engage students is to include lessons designed for group participation.  With an auto response system, students can further contribute from their seats.  Mouse Mischief, a FREE response system that uses multiple wireless mice, allows teachers to integrate surveys, polls, questions, and drawing activity slides into PowerPoint.  (Grace)

Tip #6:  Give some thought and planning to what can we done with ONE computer in your classroom.  Do a Google Search using “one computer classroom,” “one computer classroom ideas,” or “one computer classroom activities”  will provide a wealth of resources to explore, like – One Computer Classroom.

If you have found yourself saying, “We’ll never have a computer in the classroom – it’s just beyond our budget.”  Now challenge yourself with, “If we had just ONE computer in our classroom, what could we possibly do to engage our students to learn more about their faith by using technology as a supportive part of our teaching?

I would love to hear your stories of how you are engaging your students with just ONE computer in your classroom.  You are invited to share your stories here!

If you like this post, please remember to click the “Like” button!

©2012, Caroline Cerveny