Ten+Great+Ideas+What+Is+Unique

What is Unique About Web 2.0 Tools?
Expected time to complete this assignment: 10 minutes

In your __#|studies__ during this course, have you discovered ways that catechists and ministers are already using technology in teaching or learning about their faith? Please use the five categories below and add examples that show Web 2.0 technology applied to __any__ ministerial setting. You may refer to something that is already in place in your own parish or school, or you may list something you have discovered somewhere else.


 * Socialization **
 * EXAMPLE: In my youth group, I am using FB as a means to encourage our youth to stay connected with one another (Your Name)
 * In my teaching, we have used You tube to provide a video based on the topic we just read and how it applies to our everyday life - Rachele Deering
 * Our parish has a Facebook page - Kathleen Kirkpatrick (Holy Family Catholic Church St Petersburg).
 * I was looking at other parishes that I'm not connect with to see what they were doing. At Nativity Parish in Brandon, one can share with others via Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, or email about the ministry or ministry topic on the page being viewed. I didn't spend a lot of time but will definitely go back to take a closer look - Susan Ajoc
 * Although its still developing, I set up a Facebook group for our parish small Christian communities - Dale Brown
 * We are working on a FB page for our first __#|Youth Ministry Program__, we are monitoring the page but the youth are actively participating - Kevin Hansut
 * I would like to see the ladies of all ages of our Parish __#|join__ a guild facebook page. They are so concerned about privacy that many of them would not do it. Is there any way I can reassure them that what they say and their ID would be just within our group>? Sherry Foecking
 * Have been using parish FB and parish E-News for a while. Ginny Nolan
 * We use FB, Twitter, four square, Linked in, and __#|icontact__. Amy Acker Mobley
 * So far we have a FB page for the parish and one for our Faith Formation Program, you could also follow us by twitter. However, I do think we need to promote more the use of these tools among our parents, students, and catechists. - Ana Munoz
 * Just started a Pinterest page which I can't figure out how to link to Facebook, but I'm going to keep working on it. And Facebook we are OLOL Faith Formation which I want to spend more time on this year. Lori Crawford
 * I would like to start a FB for my High School Faith Formation class this year- sue sharlow
 * Our parish has a FB page and we are about to begin a FB or Ning pace for our teachers and volunteers in the religious education program. Ann Ferguson
 * Our parish has a FB page. -Kelli Bonner

**__#|Collaboration__** Good news, three of them have now joined and one even added some information. I feel encouraged!Sherry Foecking
 * EXAMPLE: I am using a wiki to work on a parish-wide project to help ministry leaders feel more connected. We are sharing ideas about how to reach the youth population in our parish. (Your Name)
 * The cathecists share their thoughts and ideas and we come together after each unit it have an activity for the middle school students - Rachele Deering
 * Two ministries that I am involved in use __#|Dropbox__ for minutes and notes. I'd like to set up a wiki for each group.-Kathleen Kirkpatrick
 * Several people (some on staff, some not) collaborate on our Mass projection system via dropbox. It allows people to do things as their schedules permit. I plan to set up a wiki for the operators so they can share ideas, suggestions, etc. without having to get together for a meeting. Mary Miller
 * I would like to present the opportunity to use dropbox in the RCIA ministry; additional resources could be provided following a session. Susan Ajoc
 * Probably will be using a wiki with our catechists, young adults, and as applicable to other groups. I am interested in a blog but it will take some thought and time to develop a concept for it. - Dale Brown
 * I used a wiki to coordinate and set up our summer VBS and will be using for more fall programs.- Kevin Hansut
 * I made a wiki to help our board members communicate. Still not all of them have joined..I am trying.Sherry Foecking
 * In process of forming parish technology (?) ministry with those who have experience in Web 2.0 tools and plan to use plan to use a wiki or Drop-Box for collaboration. //Ginny Nolan//
 * //We use Google Drive, Drop Box, wikispace and google calendar share. Amy Acker Mobley//
 * //Mostly we allow collaboration among staff through google documents, calendar, and chat. We do not have a good collaboration tool for our catechists yet! This is one of my priority goals.- Ana Munoz//
 * Wikispaces for several of my groups is a goal for the coming year, especially Confirmation with all of its forms and handouts. We have a defunct parish blog that could be resurrected, and I would love to use Google calendar for the families to have easy access to the dates of all of our programs, feast days, etc. Would also love to have the staff collaborate more somehow - perhaps with Google calendar? Lori Crawford
 * I think a Wiki would be a good idea for our parish cluster for communicating ideas-sue sharlow
 * I do some work for the business office one day a week and have worked on several projects that I am now posting on a Wiki so the persons involved can collaborate online. Also just started using Google docs for another aspect of our parish work. Am sure we'll put to good use one of these even within the Religious Ed program. The kids who are working on projects can definitely use Wikis. Ann Ferguson
 * A Wiki and/or Dropbox would be a great way for catechists to get together without getting together. -Kelli Bonner


 * Creativity **
 * EXAMPLE: Our parish is posting links to videos on our parish Facebook page that highlight different ministries. Because there is a place to showcase them, the ministries feel encouraged to take on this creative endeavor. (Your Name)
 * ====Our church has Twitter and FB for the web savy to get together and share on the different events the church held - Rachele Deering Holy Family has posted numerous videos. I'd like to post more especially the digital story telling - Kathleen Kirkpatrick====
 * Various parish ministries are creating videos - we need to determine a good way of sharing them other than before Mass - we have a FB page - that should work! Mary Miller
 * I have seen parishes use podcasts or YouTube for videos from homilies to parish activities. It may be challenge to get started, but it is also a way for ministry leaders to begin thinking differently on type of media used to more effectively reach out to the community. Susan Ajoc
 * My greatest interest at the moment is in the use of video tools. I actually already have a idea in my mind for our youth to do. - Dale Brown
 * I plan to use you tube to help create a historical video of our Parish Building process which began 4 years ago and will reach another milestone in December with the opening of our building. Kevin Hansut
 * I want to make a little slide show for our first membership recruitment meeting to show the things our group has done. sherry Foecking
 * Want to make video of parish and its ministries, activities, etc. for Welcome Pot-Luck dinners we have every few months.//Ginny Nolan//
 * //We started using Animoto for videos but we have in the past allowed our teens to help make videos for You Tube and Vimeo.//
 * //We have posted some videos through our website ... The parish website is very good in posting information for the parishioners using videos, interviews, etc but we definitely need to involve the kids and catechists more in this creativity process. Apps are a big deal now days ... we loved to see more of that related to Faith Formation.- Ana Munoz//
 * //I'm thinking about having the students create and post videos about how they are internalizing and putting into practice concepts-sue sharlow//
 * There are so many creative ideas out there...I'm tackling them as my "desk" clears. I think my primary goal on completion of this course is to just review the materials, and start visiting other parish websites, stay connected on facebook with DDBC and digital catechesis to keep adapting other people's ideas. It's a lot to sort out, all the work to be done for this work year and adding to it the zillions of cool digital ideas I could! -Lori Crawford
 * Creativity is sure to abound with these tools. Kids are especially atuned to expressing their creative side technologically so I can see them really getting into video making, and other ways. Ann Ferguson
 * I plan to use pics and their subject from this year to make promotional videos for next year. Animoto and Glogster have piqued my interest. -Kelli Bonner


 * Authenticity **
 * EXAMPLE: I want to create a VoiceThread to encourage senior high youth to voice their experience of World Youth Day (Your Name)
 * I would like to include Skype to incorporate as a game with one of the activities we have at the church - Rachele Deering
 * I'd like to be really proficient with VoiceThread to encourage my high school students to think and share from their many useful experiences.- Kathleen Kirkpatrick
 * I want to continue teaching others the technology and encouraging them to use it so they don't have to rely on stock materials all the time - Dale Brown
 * We will be using Skpe with our Pastor skyping back to our students froim them pilgrimage at various sites throughout the Holy Land. - Kevin Hansut
 * I want to introduce some of these Web 2.0 tools to our members as we go through the coming year to make our activities more visible to the Parish. Sherry Foecking
 * Would like to get parishioners to share their"authentic" selves in their faith stories. Ginny Nolan
 * Would love to get our Pastor Blogging but for now I am at least blogging about what is going on here. Amy Acker Mobley
 * We created a Technology committee for our Faith Formation Program this year. The idea is to provide support to the catechists as they start to get involved with the use of technology and Web 2.0 tools. This would hopefully help us bring more authenticity and creativity to our program. - Ana Munoz
 * My comment in the creativity section is what I would apply here-sue sharlow
 * I would like to be on Facebook more regularly to really connect with parishioners outside of the pews. They know it is me behind the name and can see I care when I connect with them. -Lori Crawford
 * I couldn't help but read Ana's posting and liked her comment re forming a technology committee for the Faith formation program. We are putting together a committee also because there must be members of our parish who are able to get involved and contribute their time to support our tech programs.Ann Ferguson
 * My plan to have the subjects create their own videos lends the authenticity. -Kelli Bonner


 * Sharing **
 * EXAMPLE: I would like to share my opinions with Catholics in other countries about a book we are reading at the same time. (Your Name)
 * Getting to share what I've completed in class with other parishes and request feedback on their experiences. - Rachele Deering
 * I'd like to share with other churches locally and nationwide what our Twinning Ministry is doing in Haiti and thus encourage other parishes to incorporate Twinning. Kathleen Kirkpatrick
 * I would like nearby parishes (clusters?) to share their calendars, or at least post upcoming events. Mary Miller
 * I would like to see more parishes share reflections as a follow-up to events or activities in which that ministries may be involved. It would be a wonderful faith sharing opportunity and may encourage others who felt a call to that ministry to come forward. Susan Ajoc
 * I would just like to capture more of what we do and sharing it. We are often in the midst of an event or activity when someone asks if anyone has a camera. Yet with the number of cell phones and smart phones around we often actually do. - Dale Brown
 * First I would like to get with Mary on her idea of clusters sharing - we actually do share Youth Ministry and Faith Formation information, but we have been doing the hard way by e-mail and then posting to each individual calendar - we can do it better and expand it to other ministries. Second I hope that we can create a blog for all the YM's and DRE's in our cluster to share information. Kevin Hansut
 * I would like to have more pictures taken and shared among our group. It is such a good way to get to know each other. Sherry Foecking
 * Those "authentic" faith stories would be shared with others (with permission) which might help others along the path of their faith journey.Ginny Nolan
 * I love the idea of using a wiki for cluster sharing- agree with Mary & Kevin. I would love our parish to put the activities calendar on Google so we can share and I would love it if we considered using instant messanger so people can ask each other questions with out having to interrupt phone conversations. Amy Acker Mobley
 * One of the tools that I would really like to start implementing for sharing our faith, experiences, and events, is a Blog! I think is one of the best tools for encouraging our catechists to get involved. Not sure yet, how to implemented, maybe we could start with one for our whole program in which all catechists could be invited to collaborate as authors if they feel like it, or just to share their thoughts and reflections in a more intimate and personal way than with Facebook. In a future we could create one in which our parents are the main audience. - Ana Munoz
 * I agree that a blog is an excellent tool on the parish level, so much flexibility!-sue sharlow
 * I have thought for years about doing a book discussion online somehow...now what platform to use??? -Lori Crawford
 * We are launching our catechist site exactly for this purpose and we look to encourage participation. Ann Ferguson
 * There is a faith formation blog that includes a regular podcast in place. I just need to figure it out. -Kelli Bonner

Barbara E. In my parish I am using dropbox to collaborate with catechists as we are planning for the fall. I am also using dropbox with another DRE from another parish in my diocese to work on a project for the Director of Catechetical Studies.... I am also in the process of using Wiki Spaces to communicate more effectively with Catechists in various ministries. For classroom use I have seen how digital storytelling can be a valuable resource to use with RCIA as the catechumens and candidates tell their stories. I am already using Wordle to make pictures that connect with the topic I am preparing to teach about. i use it to keep up on the screen as people gather for the class.

Ruth E: I am using dropbox to collaborate with planning for the 2012-2013 school year. I am using with 2 DRE's to work on a Jeopardy project. I am working on a Wiki for use with RCIA team members to better communication and collaboration. This will do away with all those emails.

Mary Jane Spirk St William, Naples Our parish is using facebook to keep our parishioners updated about our renovation project. We have many seasonal parishioners and they are able to see what is happening via facebook. We have received many positive and appreciative comments about this form of communication. I am studying wiki pages to see how I can utilize it for my family program this fall.

Janet MItchell St William, Naples Not only are we using facebook to keep our parishioners updated we also have a website that we update on a regular basis, with information concerning the capital campaign and the ongoing programs that are offered in the parish. I use wikispaces as a place for all those involved in vol. ministries to check schedules and assignments.

Great ideas, all. I'm loving how many of you are talking about getting others involved, and not just taking this on as an additional task for your (overworked) self! Once our learning curves flatten a bit (we're always learning more) and your comfort levels improve, web 2.0 tools can help you achieve your ministry goals more efficiently! Keep up the good work!

Sybil Steuart The school is using smartboards with all the classes now and we have gotten WiFi in all the buildings this summer. We will just begin to see how all I learned can be used with our seasonal parishioners. As most of this will fall on me as Director of Faith Formation, it may take time to implement since I am my own secretary and have R.E. documentation and diocesan work to get through by mid-September. then I can start letting wheels turn in my head.