This is a special version of the blog, and something I haven’t done before. I’m speaking today to a future audience.
In October I will be travelling to Wisconsin to speak to the educators of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. It is the second time I’ve attended this conference, and this time I have the privilege of speaking to the entire group. It is a wonderful conference and a great demonstration of the Archdiocesan dedication to Catholic schools and Catholic school teachers.
The talk is (surprisingly) about technology in education, but I want to specifically address how this fits into the life of the Catholic educator and how it serves our greater mission of evangelization. I’ve put together several ideas for thought, a few laughs, and (I hope) a few practical takeaways, but I want to do more.
So I am reaching out to you, the Catholic educators of Milwaukee; what would you like me to say in the short time we will spend together? As we travel together in this brave new world of technology, what are your concerns, your hopes, your frustrations?
I’m going to send the link to this post for distribution through the Archdiocese. I’d appreciate it if you would take a moment to share your thoughts in the comment section below. With this information I can tailor a talk that will be as close as possible to what you really want and need (or I will be even more pointedly aware of how much I’ve failed).
Let’s work together to build something really great.
A couple of things I would like addressed is the balance between human interaction and formation and use of technology and information. The virtual touch versus human reality. Also, maybe show some sites for personal teacher formation as well as use for students in classroom setting. That one on one face to face relationship sometimes seems to get lost in the glitz of technology. What about those without the capacity for web technology in the classroom? Is this truly a deficit. Is the technology helping us pray better and grow closer to Christ? I know at home with my children watching the rosary with beautiful art and music and movie clips is helpful quite frequently but so is the quietness of praying together and offering intercessions and just hearing ourselves praying together without the visual stimulation. A few of my favorite websites are below. Christine Dax
http://www.familyland.tv/FLTV/
http://www.familycatechism.com/#0010100060101_+Fr._Lawrence_Lovasik
http://www.familyland.org/Home.aspx
Christine, thanks for posting!
All excellent points. I will definitely include a section on the issues of balance. I suspect that these will be very sketchy…no one has figured out the balance question yet…we just know it’s a question!
I think that the balance question is made more confusing by the fact that the dialog has become polemical with different sides use the term “balance” to forward their agenda. For those who are technology advocates, “balance” means more and for those less friendly to tech, “balance” means less.
I look forward to meeting you at the conference.
Greg