We've been excited by the new technologies that have been born in recent years. From a catechetical publisher's perspective, there will be exciting new doors opened up for the textbooks we provide. The iPad especially is seen by many schools as a tool that offers many new opportunities. Our recent interview with Pam Vardano of Loyola College Prep, made that clear. So today we wanted to give you a quick peak into what an [Ave Maria Press eTextbook] looks like on the iPad. The images below are taken from the PDF version of Jesus Christ: God's Revelation to the World, the first book in the series that lines up with the USCCB Curriculum Framework. The app that is being used is iBooks, which is free with the iPad. (The images are slightly resized, but click on the image for the full view.)
A Full Page Spread in iBooks
Zoomed-In Definition
For students with reading challenges, the ability to zoom into a text is really striking. You can see how clear the definition remains when focusing on a text. Here is the vocabulary word zoomed in as far as possible:
Scroll Through Pages
Using the Search Function in the iBooks App
For more information about Ave Maria Press eTextbooks visit: www.avemariapress.com/etextbooks.
Sr. Cheryl Milner, SNJM, and Dennis B. Ryan of Bellarmine-Jefferson High School in Burbank, California, have spent the past few years asking some of the "most renowned and influential thinkers and doers in the English-speaking world" to write letters of advise and counsel to the school's graduating classes. In 2010 they assembled these letters to form an excellent book Wisdom from Giants: Contemporary Legends Give Students Advice. The letters are wonderful and difficult to summarize in limited space. Two of the best are from Los Angeles-area sports' legends: UCLA basketball coach John Wooden (who passed away in 2010) and Dodger baseball announcer Vin Scully, now in his sixty-second year with the team. Here is what they wrote:
Dear Students and Faculty of Bellarmine-Jefferson High School:
Hopefully, you will find some of the following maxims taken from my book, Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court, to be enjoyable and meaningful.
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
Make each day your masterpiece.
Do not be disagreeable when you disagree.
What is right is more important than who is right.
Disciple yourself, then others won't need to.
Treat all people with dignity and respect.
True happiness begins where selfishness ends.
Be more interested in finding the best way rather than having your own way.
Goals attained with little effort are seldom meaningful or lasting.
Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.
The "Observations and Reflections" book is suitable for people of every age. However, I also want to suggest reading any book pertaining to my favorite figures, Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa.
Sincerely,
John Wooden
To the Students of Bellarmine-Jefferson H.S.
It has taken me some time to write this letter, since we have been caught up moving from one house to another and the Dodgers have kept me busy when I wasn't packing.
My best advice to you can be summed up in three words—The Ten Commandments. Read them carefully and use them in your life. Follow them and I can assure you inner peace. I have never read a better prescription for the joy of life.
God Bless,
Vin Scully
I had the pleasure of attending a fantastic presentation at NCEA in New Orleans called iTeach with an iPad given by Pam Varnado of Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, LA. Pam, her principal Frank Israel, and their colleagues discussed their experience debuting the iPad program with two trial teachers and classes. They provided a number of tips about classroom management in the digital age and the many opportunities that the iPad provides for students.
I had the pleasure of catching up with Pam this week and asked her to share some of her story and best practices in an interview that you can listen to below. During our conversation we discussed:
The transformation of a classroom from teacher-centered to student-centered
How technology engages students in learning
The first steps a teacher should take when given an iPad for the first time
iPad apps for teachers
iPad apps for students to take notes in class or in eTextbooks
The iTeach with the iPad Interview:
(Don't see the audio player? Try going here.)
If you would like to learn more about the program at Loyola College Prep, visit their website at www.loyolaprep.org.
Recent studies have connected several health risks for women to the use of hormonal contraceptives. As Pope Paul VI predicted with the 1968 release of the encyclical Humane Vitae which reaffirmed the Church’s teaching on married couples using only natural means to regulate and space the birth of children, there would be other consequences if artificial birth control became widely practiced. Share this reading with your students. Ask them to complete the assignment that follow.
Humanae Vitae, 17
Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another effect that gives great cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection. Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife.
Contraception Discussion Questions
What has happened since 1968? Unfortunately, Pope Paul VI’s predictions about the results of a contraceptive mentality have come true in so many cases. Here are some of the results:
The rates of abortion, venereal diseases, out of wedlock births, and divorce have risen dramatically.
Sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of women occur at unprecedented levels.
Population control policies are now a part of nearly every foreign aid discussion between developing and developed nations. The export of contraception, abortion, and sterilization tools to developing nations is now a requisite for reception of foreign aid in dollars.
The defining element of a woman’s identity—her potential for bearing new life—has been redefined as a liability. Her new identity is as a person with the freedom to choose to end life if she wishes while, ironically, the man bears no responsibility.
Assignment:
Write a position paper on the “contraceptive mentality” explaining its affects on women. In the paper, cite up-to-date statistics to support your claims.
The website Slideshare.net is a powerful home of presentations, PDFs, and videos. Many expert presenters have created model presentations that could act as inspirational for the next time you create a presentation.
Unfortunately for your students, a the standard presentation might include:
A title screen.
Bullet points and numbered lists
Slides that advance in and out with fading or movement
PowerPoint templates
However, more and more presentations are exploring different models that include:
Images with very little text
3-D images
Text bubbles and boxes
Arrows pointing out key points in an image
Better fonts
Less information
The best way to use SlideShare to improve your presentation and PowerPoint lecture skills is to steal from the best. Do some searching in SlideShare for some good examples.
Here are some of the most popular presentations you might find:
STEAL THIS PRESENTATION! View more presentations from @JESSEDEE
The World in Your Hands View more presentations from Hristo Radichev
The Science of Social Media View more presentations from Dan Zarrella
Sheltering Wings View more presentations from Sarah Cullem
A Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., offered:
"In the face of a man’s death, a Christian never rejoices, but reflects on the serious responsibilities of each person before God and before men, and hopes and works so that every event may be the occasion for the further growth of peace and not of hatred."
Share the link from Catholic News Service coverage.
Ask your students to write a one-paragraph comment to the quotation.
Compare their responses with the reader comments below the story. Share a discussion.
Monday at sundown marked the beginning of the Pesach, the major Jewish feast of the Nisan cycle (corresponding to March or April). Commonly known as Passover, it celebrates the Hebrews' freedom from Egyptian slavery. God reminded Israel to celebrate the Passover meal every year to remind future generations of God's deliverance, salvation, fidelity, and love. The Israelites ate quickly and departed Egypt with only a few belongings.
Relocation Activity
Have your students imagine they have to immediately from their homes and relocate to a land a great distance away. They are given only one wooden crate that they may fill with ten personal treasures: possessions, heirlooms, symbols of their life that will remind them of their and their families' past. Tell them to write down the ten things they will take.
Then, ask them to share their most important item with a partner. Also, for discussion ask: "How many of the ten items involved a memory of a time when you our your family reached out in service to others?"
Finally, play this enjoyable look at Passover from the largest Jewish informative website.
PowerPoint can be a powerful tool for creating prayer reflections. Below you will find a sample Stations of the Cross PowerPoint prayer reflection and template that you can use to create your own Stations of the Cross PowerPoint. This could be something you create as a teacher or something you have your students use to create their own prayer services.
How to Create a Stations of the Cross PowerPoint
You can use the Stations of the Cross PowerPoint template or start from scratch. The major components of the template include the black background and the photo credits page. Be sure to use images that are either in the public domain or available for use with citation.
Finding Stations of the Cross Pictures
Though most people will likely use Google Image Search to find images for their PowerPoints, there is no telling whether those images are free for public use. To be safe, try using images from Flickr or the Web Gallery of Art.
If you wish to use Flickr, be sure to search and download images from the Attribution License photos. Go to http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/ to find these images.
The Web Gallery of Art is another great website that presents images of many famous works of art. Images can be copied and used from that site as long as the images are used for education purposes.
The images used in the downloadable Stations of the Cross PowerPoint below were pulled from Flickr and the Web Gallery of Art and the final page is used to cite all of the sources of the photos. Unfortunately, the quality of the photos available for free that are not under copyright is currently lacking. It might be worth going to the local church or school and taking pictures of the Way of the Cross images and statues there and using these images to develop the PowerPoints.
Stations of the Cross PowerPoint Downloads
1. Stations of the Cross PowerPoint Template
2. Stations of the Cross Prayer Reflection
