Wikis+-+Brainstorm+Wiki+Ideas


 * Assignment #4 **

Expected time to complete: 15 - 30 minutes
Now that you have browsed through examples of wikis in educational settings, we want you to start thinking about how wikis could be used in faith formation settings. It might be helpful if you think of some of the typical topics covered in faith formation classes, grouped roughly by age category. Perhaps the following topics will stimulate some ideas for wikis. Remember that wikis are used for __interacting and collaborating__ more than presenting facts, doctrines, etc. Choose ONE age category below. Under the suggested topics listed in red, post some creative ideas for using wikis with that age group. Your ideas do not have to be related to the topics, just to the age group. Also remember to add your name to your suggestion (e.g. Kristi)

__Younger Elementary Ages__ We Show Love for Others How Can I be an Instrument of Peace? The Holy Spirit is My Friend The Church is God's Family POST IDEAS FOR A WIKI HERE:

__ Middle School __ How can I Help the Poor?

How Do I Communicate with God?
The Young People and Parish Life POST IDEAS FOR A WIKI HERE:

How can I Help the Poor? ===Angela Jackson - A wiki can be established for middle school children with perhaps a project to adopt a classroom in a less fortunate school at the beginning of the school year. They can create a list of items needed in the classroom such what is needed and what they classroom would like to have in the way of extras. Other people businesses can be invited to visit the wiki and see pictures of both sets of kids. Picture of the middle school children bringing the items and interacting with the adopted classroom would be inspirational to others who visit their wiki.===

How Do I Communicate with God?
Angela Jackson - Middle school children in the parish can present their interpretation of communicating with God in a wiki in many different ways. Pictures throughout the day are now commonplace with the use of smartphones. Short videos of the kids doing acts of kindness. Praying throughout the day is another way. This wiki would be a great way to communicate that communicating with God can be done in many ways and not just on our knees.

__ Older Elementary Ages __ This is my Church How Can We Help the Poor? I am Created in God's Image Everyone in the Church Shares in Christ's Role as Priest, Prophet and King POST IDEAS FOR A WIKI HERE:

Rose Mary Sariava - This is a great tool for getting students to interact with each other, their parents, grandparents and parish community. There is so much faith and wisdom within the walls of our parishes. My idea would be to establish a class project in which the students would set out interviewing other parishioners and sharing the results of these interviews on wiki. This would get young and old talking about their faith, it would allow for a deeper understanding of what faith means to people; and who knows, maybe an encounter with Christ Jesus. This could be so much fun and enlightening for not only the students but their parents as well.

__ Junior High __ Right to Life of the Unborn Vocations Caring for Creation __#|What Makes a Good__ Examination of Conscience? POST IDEAS FOR A WIKI HERE:

__ Senior High __ Moral Decision Making We are all part of God's Family Discernment as a Spiritual Practice How Will My #|Confirmation Gifts Help Me in Adulthood? POST IDEAS HERE: Dee Lopez - I'm probably cheating since my wiki page in Assignment #3 was the beginning of a Confirmation Make-up class. I love the idea of a catechist being able to work with students who are struggling to attend class because of all sorts of reasons. Not only can they impart knowledge, but more importantly, they can engage the student at their level. In this topic (How Will My Confirmation Gifts Help Me in Adulthood?) a catechist could first introduce the theme of Confirmation via short paragraph ... then have the student view one or more videos out on the web (YouTube has a number of good ones). Hopefully one of the videos would touch on the gifts we receive in the sacrament. Next the catechist could engage the student to share gift ideas for someone getting ready to go on a trip, or for their parents who are getting ready to retire. The idea is to make them thing of ideas of gifts the other person could use for a specific purpose. Once the student gets the idea then the catechist could ask the student to reflect on how they might use the Confirmation gifts. The catechist needs to touch on the key points they want the student to understand (using different tools - videos, document, pictures, web pages), and then move the student to relating how they could use the tools for their personal use. All of this being done through at the convenience of both parties, and using tools that today's high school students can relate too - and in turn possibly use in reaching out to other Catholic friends.

__ Adults __ Faith is a Journey How Can I Pass on my Faith to my Children and Grandchildren? Life is Sacred at Every Stage POST IDEAS HERE: Claire McManus Wikis could be used by DREs to share ideas for lesson plans. Many times a catechist with great ideas for a lesson will be told that they can't use it with their group unless they share the idea with all of the catechists. The reason behind this is that they want each child in the program to have the same experience and not just the lucky kid who gets the creative catechist. If we can create a wiki for the DRE to use then the catechists can be trained to share their ideas in that space and the other catechisms can be invited to view the wiki.

Tanya LeSane Wikis can be used as a place to have a book discussion. I would love to suggest a book for the parish to read and we could shares our thoughts and ideas through the wiki. Holy Rosary is a parish where most of our parishioners live a distance from the church. It is often very hard to have people come back to the church for the different events that occur in the evening. This would be a great way to share and grow in our faith and get more comfortable with using social media.

Lois Locey Utilizing this for small group discussions (this can be some food for thought prior to the gatherings). Some possible small group discussions So my children have left the nest? Now what? What is God's purpose for me. What keeps me from the sacrament of penance? What are the barriers that parishes need to overcome to help me recognize that Reconciliation is a good thing? Does God still have a purpose for me at age 82? What is sin? What are the cultural likenesses and differences between the Anglo and Hispanic communities?

//(note from Kristi- you can use your idea and apply under the appropriate age group for assignment #4)//
 * Brainstorming Ideas from the live webinar - What could a Catholic wiki be used for? **

Dee Lopez - gosh the possibilities are endless. Certainly in parish-based Religious Education programs, Catholic Wikis can provide pull in students who miss classes because they are sick, or are with a different parent on various weekends and don't make it to class, or are too involved in sports and can't make it to the scheduled classes. Catholic Wikis can be used by DRE's to communicate with parents regarding supplies needed for a First Communion Festival, or a Confirmation Reception. DRE's can also use wikis to bring catechists together to exchange creative ideas. Evangelization communities can use wikis as tools to engage fallen away Catholics back to their faith. I'll stop here to give others an opportunity to build on this LOL. ===Angela Jackson - A wiki can be established for middle school children with perhaps a project to adopt a classroom in a less fortunate school at the beginning of the school year. They can create a list of items needed in the classroom such what is needed and what they classroom would like to have in the way of extras. Other people businesses can be invited to visit the wiki and see pictures of both sets of kids. Picture of the middle school children bringing the items and interacting with the adopted classroom would be inspirational to others who visit their wiki.===

Collaborating on a parish-wide festival. Example: Allowing participants to contribute with creative ideas for the festival. Coordinate temporal needs. Coordinate coordinators so everyone knows who is doing what to prevent confusion or double-dipping of resources.... Faith is a Journey could entail a series of topics to grow attendees into discipleship. The Wikis would be a collaborative space to not only learn and grow, but to share ideas to help others on their journey of Faith. Melissa Findley

that wikis are used for __interacting and collaborating__ more than presenting facts, doctrines, etc. Choose ONE age category below. Under the suggested topics listed in red, post some creative ideas for using wikis with that age group. Your ideas do not have to be related to the topics, just to the age group. Also remember to add your name to your suggestion (e.g. Kristi J.).

Susan Noble I have found that I think having a wiki page parents can go too, will be very valuable to my youth groups. It will allow me to communicate with the parents and students about a missed session. I think this space could be used for so many things, I am feeling a little over whelmed and just want to get my things in order of what our parish needs and what will best serve our ministry now and build from there.


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