Uses current technology - thoughts by Diane Shallue

Do we actively seek out how to use the latest innovations to reach out to others and share the Good News?

At one point in history, a flannelgraph was a advancement in technology used to teach Bible stories. Then came overhead projectors and video players.  Technology is more challenging today because the hardware and software are rapidly changing.  Our younger members are natives in this new environment while those of us who are older are often immigrants in the technological age.  But.. learning to use the newer technologies can help to engage learners in new ways.

So what are some of these newer technologies that might be useful in Christian education?  FACEBOOK groups, texting, on-line Bible studies, live chat are all internet capabilities that could be utilized.  Could we find a way to use laptops or mobile phones to teach information about the Bible or the Small Catechism?  Do you know how to find images on-line to use in your teaching or music clips or You Tube videos?

Many publishing companies are producing materials that can be downloaded on-line.  Are you comfortable with that option?  Have you checked out www.feautor.org to find the free lesson plans and resources provided on that web site?  The ELCA resorce libraries are using that web platform in a major way. 

On the other hand, some older resources seem foreign to younger generations.  An example is my son who while in graduate school was looking for a Thrivent Financial Agent.  He complained to me that he looked on-line to find an agend but only found agents in other towns.   I asked him if he had thought to look in the phone book but that idea had never occured to him. He did not even have a phone book.  He went to the library, found a phone book and found the name and phone number of a Thrivent agent near his apartment.  He and I both laughed that using a phone book to find information about a business was a resource foreign to him.   

These comments have only scratched the surface of what is possible.  What are the technologies that seem new  or foreign to you?  This is an area where people of different generations can learn much from each other.  LACE will be continuing to provide resources and conversation about this topic in the future.