A Variety of Rich Digital Resources
Digital resources are important for student engagement and offer enhancements over a static print text to help today’s students connect to faith content. This goes back to the benefit of blended options in a current catechetical program that Deacon Matt and Steve tackled in Episode 10. When you’re considering a variety of digital resources, you want to think about lesson resources, family resources, and catechist resources.
eBooks
Dynamic eBooks allow students to read textbook pages but offer enhancements over print such as annotation tools and embedded digital content, like audio and video. Printability can enhance this tool as eBooks can be accessed anywhere on multiple devices, making them easy to use when students are not in the religious education classroom.
Video
Video is an amazing digital resource that can support catechists who are preparing for lessons and need a refresher of concepts, or to use as a teaching tool for families at home or students in a flipped classroom approach to religious education. Videos might be instructional, to build on faith content in a lesson, or prayer support like visio divina. Regardless of the type, it’s important that all videos are age-appropriate and short, and followed by a meaningful activity to help students make connections.
Catechist Resources
Engagement and digital resources are not only important for students; they are important for catechists, too. Catechist formation is a great opportunity to integrate technology, especially when it’s delivered at point of use, when catechists are preparing for or giving a lesson. Technology can make preparation very simple for catechists (e.g., an audio or video recording with background) and more meaningful (e.g., meditations and prayers designed for them).
A Single, Secure Site
There are many digital tools, resources, and applications available out there. If you’re using multiple tools, a huge challenge can be managing them all at once. There are two considerations here: that you’ve got a single site for your tech resources and that this site is safe. You want digital resources in a single place that guarantees a secure online environment and secure communication.
Singular
Implementing a series of unique digital tools or applications means getting students to log in at multiple web addresses or URLs with unique codes or credentials. It also requires involving parents in this process. This approach can work, but it takes a lot of time and communication by both administrators and catechists and is tougher on parents. Having all your tech tools and resources at a single site, with as few logins as possible, is really beneficial for busy program participants.
Secure
An important consideration of any tech tool or blended program you might implement is safety. It must provide a safe environment, via a password protected, private website. It should also not allow students to leave the secure site and accidentally or distractedly end up on a website that is not intended or appropriate. And it should prevent staff from communicating directly with individual children.
When you're evaluating your program for the next year of religious education, you will want to use these suggestions from Deacon Matt and Steve to find the best, simplest, and safest tech tools for catechesis so that you can implement an engaging and effective blended approach next year!
Join the Stream
Don’t miss the chance to join Catechist Stream live in its interactive format. In addition to reading episode recaps on the Sadlier Religion Blog, you can also connect with Catechist Stream:
