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I took Media and Technology in Religious Education for several reasons, and here are my primary goals for the class:
- Become more familiar with various forms of technology and how they might impact learning communities, especially in a parish setting
- Consider the relationship between technology and hospitality: How can technology help or hinder hospitality in worship or educational settings?
- Explore media resources designed for the parish, particularly Sunday School and confirmation curricula
There is so much to consider when it comes to technology in the parish! And of course parish life is just one small segment of the broader picture of religious education. I’ve been exploring these goals over the past few weeks, so expect more reflections on each of them soon! And please let me know of any resources I should be sure to check out!
3 comments:
I am interested in your goal of connecting technology and hospitality. I think that while this seems like a "no-brainer" there are deep implications in this vein of thought. I have seen the hospitality conversation in relation to tech go two ways: 1) we (the church) have to have technology to attract younger generations and 2) the older people in the congregation will be mad if we add too much or expect them to communicate via e-mail or use screens instead of bulletins. But what is beneath these two obvious positions? I think that it is can a church be all things to all people and do you make decisions based on "who might get mad"? Technology should not be a gimmick to attract a certain demographic nor should it be divisive. Done well, it should be a point of conversation and a vehicle to communicate the grace of God to a community. Amanda, I look forward to your thoughts! Brigette
Amanda,
Like Brigette, my interest was peaked when reading your goal concerning the intersection of tech and hospitality. I've been some places where everything has become so digitized that many of the things that used to be face to face have become face to screen. Examples... Welcome flatscreens instead of Greeters. Live Link Sermons from offsite. Online confirmation class with reading and online work submission and testing. These are just a few examples I've seen where tech has not helped. I have seen some really great ways Tech has helped aid hospitality. Giant print on projection screens for hard of seeing, not to mention the ritual prayers and saying we have that newcomers might not know. Just a few thoughts!
Technology and Hospitality are key! Hospitality in and of itself is something that churches really need to grapple with. Are we hospitable because we have greeters at the door? It goes further than that.
I would say that there are huge opportunities to use technology to engage those who think that church is no longer for them.
The concern may be less about who are we leaving out with technology... and more about who are we leaving out because we aren't embracing technology's capabilities?
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