Kelly Walsh, Chief Information Officer at the College of Westchester and seasoned IT professional, recently updated his list of ten internet technologies about which educators should be informed. Walsh’s current list has changed dramatically, including only five items from his original list. The new list, in order, follows: video and podcasting resources, digital presentation tools, collaboration and brainstorming tools, blogs and blogging, social networking tools, lecture capture, student response systems and poll/survey tools, educational gaming, open educational resources, and the iPad and other tablet devices.
So What?
Education is branded in many ways in church settings. In most Protestant churches there is now a general understanding that Christian discipleship/religious education/faith formation is a lifelong process. Pastors, staff and key volunteer leaders should be encouraged and empowered to stay current with their knowledge of educational internet technologies.
- Given the general nature of the items on Walsh’s list, are you surprised to learn that the new list contains only half of the items from his original list, which was published about two and a half years ago? Why or why not?
- How many of the top ten are you aware of? have you used?
- Does your congregation provide the appropriate personnel with adequate funding and time to explore these technologies? How important is this within your ministry context?