NCCAT Reflections 2

One of the themes that was reiterated continually during my workshop on web 2.0 resources for the classroom was "Use it for yourself before you try to implement these in the classroom."  It can be very daunting to try and implement some of these tools.  You might even get worse results by trying to use them before you're ready.  Read here for some thoughts I've posted for teachers in these regards.

During my time at this workshop, I began to think about this in terms of our spiritual lives.  I phrased that theme this way - "learn, use, apply".  When we begin our faith journeys, our entire lives should be affected and changed.  Granted, that takes time to see the full effects, but it should happen.  The Holy Spirit enters our lives, begins to fill us, helps us learn what it means to be a follower of Christ, and we are hopefully using and applying them to our everyday lives, not just our church lives.

I can't help but think how many of us are like the teachers I reference in the above post, trying to apply or live something out that we don't really use.  I want Christ's influence on my life to be THE factor in all I do, not just some second nature.   Learn, use, & apply - that's a faith journey.

NCCAT Reflections 1.1

"It's so easy to use these things." That's what I said in my previous post. I think most churches don't employ these things because they don't use them. If we had the demographics of the churches that use web 2.0 resources, my bet is that they already use them in their regular life. Those who are afraid to use them or feel threatened by them are the ones who don't ever use them.

That's the real key to how you live out your faith journey. You do what you already do, just with a different perspective on life and with a different motivation. Of course, certain activities need to cease once you begin a faith journey, things that are obviously contrary to the Gospel. Web 2.0 resources are do not fall into that category.

Are these things being used for evil? Yep, they sure are. Does that make them inherently evil? Nope. Ever since the first sin in the Garden, humankind has been using that which God created for good for some other selfishly gratifying and sinful purpose.

If we want people to truly live out their faith, why don't we spend more time helping them use their lives for the glory of God. God gave us the creativity and intellect that has developed all that we know and have. Why not give these innovations back to him, a way of living out Romans 12:1-2.

NCCAT Reflections 1.0

This week I've had the privilege of attending a workshop at the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching. We have been talking about web 2.0 resources. The eventual goal for all of us is to move from knowledge to personal use to application in the classroom. The number of thoughts that are running through my mind are endless.

One of the things we experienced was Skype. We video conferenced with someone who explained how he used it for Bible Study! He is part of a group that meets weekly using this tool. There are all kinds of other applications that are being under utilized to help people on their faith journeys - wikis, blogs . . . Imagine being able to continue the conversation throughout the week on what you heard on Sunday or in small group or something that happened to you today.

These thoughts are not new. Plenty of others have published more in depth thoughts about this. But it's just so easy to use these things. Next chance I get I'm going to revisit that thought - it's just so easy to use these things - and develop this some more.