Teaching Theology With Technology

1. Teaching Theology With Technology Wisdom & Witness 2009 Sr. Katherine Feely, SND

2. Session Overview • In this session we will: • Highlight broad technological shifts • Explore characteristics of the “Net Generation” • Provide brief overviews on emerging technologies • Show why technology should be integrated into theology classes • Look at resources and ideas • Suggest some implications for classroom use.

3. Key Questions to Entertain: • What strategies for teaching and learning are most appropriate for utilizing technology in teaching theology and religion?

4. Key Questions to Entertain: • What dangers are inherent in the use of digital technology for teaching and learning in theology and religion?

5. Key Questions to Entertain: • What are the advantages and disadvantages of technology in relation to teaching theology and religion?

6. Key Questions to Entertain: • What are some of the issues raised for teachers of theology and religion by the inclusion of technology in pedagogical design for courses?

10. What’s our Context?

11. Life before the computer… • Memory was something you lost with age • A keyboard was for a piano • A web was a spider’s home • A virus was the flu • A CD was a bank account • A hard drive was a long road trip • A mouse was something you trapped • Twitter was what you did in the back of the classroom when someone made a mistake.

12. Shift Happens • What do we do when the pace of change and the innovation in technology create paradigm shifts that walk into the classroom every day?

13. The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2009 didn’t exist in 2004.

14. The number of text messages sent and received every day exceeds the population of the planet.

15. We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist . . . Using technologies that haven’t been invented . . . In order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.

16. 1 out of every 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met online.

17. Net Generation Characteristics

18. Digital Natives?

19. “Quote” • "Our students have changed radically. Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach." -Mark PrenskyInternational Educator and Author

20. The Net Generation By Age 21 our students will have spent: • 10,000 hours playing video games, • Sent 200,000 e-mails, • 20,000 hours watching TV, • 10,000 hours on cell phones, and • under 5,000 hours reading

21. Net Generation’s Learning Styles: • Teams, peer-to-peer • Engagement & experience • Visual & kinesthetic • Demand for immediacy • Learn by discovery • Multi-taskers/hyper-text thinkers

22. Students we teach are… • Multi-taskers • Hands on, experiential learners • Prefer media rich content • Gadget and Technology driven • Savvy Consumers • Impatient and expect quick results • Think technology is essential to education

23. “Quote” • Our intelligence tends to produce technological and social change at a rate faster than our institutions and emotions can cope with. . . . • Gwynne DyerFreelance Journalist & Lecturer

24. Church Teaching & Technology • What does the Church say about the use and role of technology? • “Do not be afraid of new technologies! These rank “among the marvelous things” – inter mirifica –which God has placed at our disposal to discover, to use and to make known the truth, also the truth about our dignity and about our destiny as his children, heirs of God’s eternal Kingdom.” Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter: Rapid Development, 2005, #14

25. New & Emerging Technologies What in the world….?

26. New Tools for a New Generation • Blogs • Wikis • RSS feeds • Podcasts • Digital Photography • Video Webcasting – YouTube • Facebook • Twitter

28. Key words: • Interactive • Collaborative - networks • Engaged • Global • Immediate

29. Blogs • Online journals about ideas, thoughts, commentaries, current events. • They can be “published” from any internet connection. • How to use them for theology…

30. Blogs: Learning Objectives • To express ideas clearly in written form. • To respond to others after synthesizing thoughts and ideas. • To foster critical thinking. • To experience the dynamic relationship between your ideas and the responses of others. • To promote application of ideas and information.

31. Wiki’s • Wiki’s are collaborative web sites that anyone can add to or edit the content. • Wiki – Hawaiian for “Fast” • Most famous: Wikipedia

33. Wiki’s: Learning Objectives • Foster collaboration • Promote an exchange of ideas • Promote dynamic linking and editing • Build on knowledge acquired • Identify web resources relevant to topic of study • Aggregate useful web sites after evaluation

34. Why Wiki’s • Customize project spaces • Create electronic portfolio’s of work • Collaborate with peers (in other countries, too) • Provide feedback • Collaborative writing projects • Ongoing discussion and review • Promote problem-solving and track progress • Brainstorming

35. RSS Feeds • RSS stands for “Real Simple Syndication” • It is a free piece of software that allows you to “subscribe” (at no cost) to online news and website updates that are of interest to you.

36. RSS Feeds • An aggregator, sometimes called a reader, collects (or aggregates) all of your subscriptions in one place, like a magazine rack in your house or classroom. Once you subscribe to few sources, you no longer need to visit each site, you simply open your aggregator to read any new updates.

37. RSS Feeds • This free software will alert the user when new content is available. • These buttons indicate that “RSS Feeds” are available on a particular site. Look for these symbols

38. How does it work? • You download free RSS software. • You open the software on your computer. • You visit a website of interest to you. • You look for the RSS symbol and click on it. A URL or web address will appear. • You copy and paste this address into your RSS software. • Save. Your RSS software, when open, will notify you of new content on that site.

39. RSS Feeds • This new content could be articles, blog posts,photos,PDF documents,PowerPoint Presentations,audio files, etc. Anytime something new is posted, you receive an alert. • For a simple RSS feed reader which is free to download see http://www. mightyticker.com

40. Why RSS Feeds? • This little tool can save you hours of web surfing. It visits the sites you tell it to, and brings back a short notice of what’s new. • You can click on the notice and it brings you to the new content.

41. Podcasts • Amateur audio communication that allows users to create content, record content and share that audio content with a wider audience.

42. Podcasts: Learning Objectives • Content integration • Script writing and editing • Thought organization • Sequential planning • Articulating knowledge • Public Speaking

43. Podcasts • What can you create Podcasts about in theology? • Content currently being studied • Summarize and synthesize knowledge • Inform others about an issue & the faith dimensions of it. • Interviews with significant figures

44. Technology • What are YOU doing?...why? • How has the use of technology changed your daily habits or activities? • What is your assessment of those changes?

45. Facebook – general growth • More than 200 million active users • More than 100 million users log on to Facebook at least once each day • More than two-thirds of Facebook users are outside of college • The fastest growing demographic is those 35 years old and older

47. Facebook – user engagement • Average user has 120 friends on the site • More than 4 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day (worldwide) • More than 30 million users update their statuses at least once each day • More than 6 million users become fans of Pages each day

48. Facebook • The 35-54 year old demo is growing fastest, with a 276.4% growth rate in over the approximate 6 months. • The 55+ demo is not far behind with a 194.3% growth rate. • The 25-34 year population on Facebook is doubling every 6 months.

49. Flickr.com

50. New Tools for a New Generation • Blogs • Wikis • RSS feeds • Podcasts • Digital Photography • Video Webcasting – YouTube • Facebook • Twitter