Social+Networking+Examples+Assignment

Assignment #4. Examples of How Social Networking Can Be Used Effectively to Create Connections Among People of Faith Expected time to complete: 30 minutes

Part 1 Find and post at least one example of how Facebook, Twitter, or any other social networking platform can be used to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, promote social justice, bring relief to the suffering, or in some way built up the Body of Christ. Your example can be a link to a relevant article, a copy of a post you found on a SN site, an event you discovered, or a link to a video. The object here is to create a list of positive uses of social networking media. Remember - no cheating! You are NOT allowed to use Google for this assignment; search only through Facebook, Twitter or Digital Catechesis.

Part of this assignment is also to learn how to post a link on our wiki. Please follow the instructions in red (below) to post your homework and create a live link.

For this assignment, you will need to create live links using the "Link" button above. Here are the steps to do this: Please sign in, select the "Edit" button, and add your example below. When you are done, be sure to click on "SAVE." Here's an example:
 * Find the article you want to link to and __COPY the URL to your clipboard__
 * __ Post __ a Facebook status update, Retweet, or post on Digital Catechesis, sharing the resource you found.
 * Go back to this page and __in "Edit" mode__, type in some descriptive text.
 * Highlight the text you want to link, and click on "Link."
 * In the dialog box that opens, click on the "External Link" tab.
 * Enter the URL of the article to which you are linking.
 * Click on "Add Link"
 * Be sure to SAVE your work!

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">// I found this great webinar on DC. My friend, Joyce, posts the most amazing resources! Take a look - it's a webinar //// about the changes in the Roman Missal. Claudia // <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">[]

**__Post your example below__**

Bobbi Harris This is from my parish's facebook page but I really like what this had to say because often I talk too much and don't listen enough. "Our stillness doesn't make God present – God is always present – but it makes us present. God is not lost; we are! When we become present, we are present to God." URL: //[]//

Catholic Blogs and Facebook pages
 * from Rhonda Carrier**
 * [|Catholic Education]blog by the Principal of Incarnation Catholic School
 * Principal's Posts - blog by the Principal of Christ the King School
 * Incarnation Catholic SchoolFacebook page
 * Incarnation Catholic Church Facebook page: I like a quote from here "Paradoxically, we cannot find God 'within ourselves' unless we go 'outside of ourselves' by sacrifice." Thomas Merton on the Power and Meaning of Love
 * Fr. Kevin O'Connellon Facebook: Fr. Kevin, the pastor of the English Language Parish in Amman, was our pastor when my husband and I lived in Amman, Jordan. Fr. Kevin is currently on study leave in Manila, Philippines.

In searching Digital Catechesis for lesson plans, I found Free Tools for Cool Projects (by Sr. Caroline, no less!). These will enhance my 5th grade religion lessons. I discovered a link to a video of the [|Sistine Chapel] that took my breath away! Can't wait to use this in class!
 * from Diane Doyle**

I love music and I love liturgical music the most. I found a blog entry by Joshua Blakesley that discusses how the 'Old' can meet the 'New' in Catholic liturgy and we as musicians can bring 2000 years of musical tradition to today by seaming the old with the new.
 * from Kathy Thornton**

From Glennell Munné This resource is from CatholicWeb.com and has lesson planning materials for all ages and stages of catechesis. There are considerations for every catecatical and evangelical setting.

http://www.faithfirst.com/about.html www.faithfirst.com/abouthtml

I love "The Stethoscope" video so attached that link on FB. My Middle Schoolers LOVE it. It's a wonderful multi-media piece helping them see the GREAT joy God takes in their creation!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYI_aOyCn9Y
 * From Amy Barber-**

From Pat Brockmann I found this on our parish website and it is a good way to start the day. []

From Jennifer Ferreris: I found this website with great resources for Catholic school religion teachers []

From Walt Smith One of my favorite support systems for catechists has been "The Catechist's Journey", a blog by Joe Paprocki, a long time catechist and now author, who really understands the role of the catechist in our faith teaching. This is a sample from Lent 2011 [] I also enjoy seeing young people follow their call to ministry after college. Katie Prejean is a young adult who will be speaking at our work camp this summer. She truly understands utilizing SN in ministry. Check her blog out at []

This [|article] is about the status of Small Christian Communities in East Africa over the past 50 years by my friend Fr. Joe Healey, M.M.
 * From Diane Kledzik**
 * Kristi Jenkins**- okay, the following link was found through the Facebook Feed, reposted through "Ask a Catholic Nun", and then I posted on our church page... So it's a friend-of-a-friend article!! (SN at its best). The article compares marriage and converting to Catholism.. saying yes to one path, the ceremony is the beginning.

The Nativity website YM page below, includes a You Tube presentation was created by Youth Ministry, and shown at a recent concert. Its use helped to raise over $900 in just a few minutes for the LaVictoria Mission in the Dominican Repubic" It invites people to be "stationery missionaries." []
 * From Pam Emery**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;">Part 2 <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 4.5pt;">Now that you have some experience in three social networking sites, we would like to know how you are planning to integrate some kind of networking media into your classroom, professional development, or other catechetical setting. Please write a brief paragraph below about your "dream plan" to integrate social networking in your ministry. It can be a visionary paragraph, or it can be practical steps with bullet points. Be sure to include your name.

**__Post your plan here__** Bobbi Harris I don't know how I'm planning to use it. Our Computer teacher has experience with wikis and I'd like to try getting students to work together on a social studies project in groups. I hardly know my way around any of this technology and have no "dream plan", just plans to keep practicing. My dislike of spending more blocks of time on the computer is certainly not helpful to me.

I have an idea that includes and would require the help of both Bobbi Harris and Diane Doyle. Our resources will be My idea: If we use the //Catholics Going Green// as our theme for the year, we can include the garden as a religion class service project as well as math and science projects. We can also use Green ideas to develop companies for the Enterprise Village project that the grade 5 students do in the spring. The 2011-2011 Grade 5 Energy company wiki could (and should) be refocused to prepare for Enterprise Village and also to support the Catholics Going Green theme. We could also use either a wiki or student blogs to track the work they are doing in the garden, which would support their language classes.
 * from Rhonda Carrier**
 * 1) Grazer, Walter. //Catholics Going Green: a Small-group Guide for Learning and Living Environmental Justice//. Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria, 2009. Print.
 * 2) The Incarnation Catholic School Garden
 * 3) Our up-coming 5th grade students who already know how to manage a wiki - US States and Regionswas a project of theirs from 2010-2011.
 * 4) Our Grade 5 Teaching Team for 2011-2012: Bobbi, Diane and I, plus another grade 5 teacher who developed the ICS garden, already has a blog, and who gave me the //Catholics Going Green// book to read.

This is just a brainstorming concept at this time. I have talked about parts of it with Diane and Lisa (the gardener and math teacher) and have mentioned part of this to Bobbi.

Using the wiki to track progress on their service projects in the garden will allow the students to share how their individual efforts have contributed to the whole enterprise. The students will have a community forum in which to reflect on how their project transforms their faith into action: respect for the earth, building community, promoting the common good. There will be time for class discussions, personal reflection, and the wiki to strengthen the sense of the Christian neighborhood. (Note from Rhonda: I love this Diane. I will help to get the students into the wiki as editors. We should have them use the same username and login for all the grade 5 wikis, so it is easier for them to remember.)
 * from Diane Doyle**

I am not sure how I will integrate all the SN sites into my ministerial work yet. I think that the process will be in baby steps. Familiarity is key in being able to visualize how the process can work outside of a classroom. I think the biggest asset for me will be in the capacity to stay in touch without the need for meetings. Collaboration will blossom when using the SN sites to brainstorm, share concepts, and materials - - without the necessity of being in the same room. This past week, I was able to plan liturgical music for several Sundays (while our group director is on summer break). I was able to ask for input from other musicians and vocalists by connecting everyone in several modes of SN communications. It was great to reach across boundaries of space and time - - we were all on the same page walking into the church for a one hour rehearsal before Mass. Sometimes the planning phase is so much more cumbersome than the implementation phase - - - this method allowed maximum use of talent with minimum amount of onsite time - -but maximum end result - - good liturgy and connectedness - end result engaged focus on Eucharist.
 * from Kathy Thornton**

I would like to build comm**UNITY** within our parish through spiritual growth and promoting relational networks that CONNECT the missing members of the faith with the body of the worshiping church. I am currently developing the concept logistics for presentation to the parish Hospitality Director and Priest. One of objectives for attending SITM2011 was to enhance the plan and learn how I can use the parish website in CONNECT ing God's people in love and spirit. I pray for the Holy Spirit to bless this small effort with energy and vision.
 * From Glennell Munné**

Your work with SITM2011 is an example of a mustard seed that has taken root. I pray the CONNECT project will be so.

I am working with Sr. Bea on revamping our Middle School Youth Group program. I feel that they will connect more with some of the ideas and projects will be doing using technology. They are surrounded with so much other stuff that if we can get God's word into a format they are comfortable with they will be able to see God in their daily lives...not just on Sunday. I am working on a weekly blog (our priests said they would be interested in being guest bloggers), a monthly podcast and a close FB group from them to join. I am hoping for a "Catholic Connection" for the kids that is more than the 2 hours they see each other on Sundays. SITM2011 was totally an answer to a prayer!!!
 * From Amy Barber**

From Pat Brockmann Right now I am not sure what I can implement in parish ministries. Hopefully when we are finished, I can meet with the heads of the ministries to get there input and see what works the best for our parish. I have already spoken to our Director of Faith Formation and we have started to brainstorm in how we can keep the children and their parents involved, not only on Sunday, but every day.

From Jennifer Ferreris As a brand new teacher, I am not quite sure how I will use this information yet! I really like the idea of using a class wiki to facilitate discussion and make a more interesting homework assignment. Also, I've been thinking about requiring each student to keep a blog about their experience in religion class. Not sure exactly how I will use it or how/if I will grade it, but I like the idea of students pausing to reflect on what the lessons they've learned in class mean for their every day lives. We'll see!

[] I learned about this you tube video from a forum on Digital Catechesis. As I replied on the forum, this video will be shown to my classes to encourage them to continue to support scholarships for students in our Holy Names schools in Lesotho.
 * From Sister Ann**

From Beatrice Caulson [|A Portrait of Christ] from [|Jeremy Cowart] on [|Vimeo]. Created on April 20th, 2011 by Jeremy Cowart - [|http://jeremycowart.com]Music by Derek Webb - [|http://derekwebb.com] Found this Portait of Christ on Digital Catechesis. I intend to use it for my class this weekend with Catechists on Morality. A discusssion of this will be one way to begin the class.

I love using facebook to direct people to movies and events that are life changing/evangelizing. I hope to one day be able to contribute to an office facebook page, now that the diocese has one and that we have guidelines in how to implement one for our office. I would love to be able to direct visitors to the great outreach happening in our parishes.
 * From Diane Kledzik**


 * Kristi Jenkins (Dream)** - I have three things I'd like to see, though I'm not sure we can do all right away! First, to get wireless in our parish hall and hold "intro" or training classes for the many involved digital immigrants. I've noticed quite a few parishioners on facebook, with only 10 friends and no photo. I'm guessing they are just involved to keep up with the far away grandkids, but I'm also guessing they'd like to feel more comfortable. Second, I'd like to move to an online collaboration among our catechists for lectionary based lesson plans. If organized by liturgical date and then grade, it can become a resource to be built on each year. Third, I'd like to see us offer adult formation online. So many of our parishioners are unavailable during our face to face times! If we structure it similar to this, with a mandatory intro meeting and then online components, I think we'd see the number of participants skyrocket. All of this, hopefully, leading to increased community and a deeper spirituality for all.


 * Jose Figueroa -** I use and refer friends to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops “For Your Marriage” web site. This initiative was established to help save the sacrament of marriages. This web site also has a “[|News and Blogs]” page with links to blogs related to marriage issues.

**From Pam Emery** - Today I created an Animoto video "commercial" to show prior to Masses with regard to Registration for Faith Formation classes. As soon as I perfect it, I will post. This year, it is my dream to create a blog for Catechists to do faith sharing. It is often difficult to get together face to face. This may be a very effective way to get to know each other and share faith.

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