Ideas for Gospel Instruction

So you have the BIG idea that the Church or community needs to develop. Discuss that idea here. Maybe you just want to make a suggestion on a new forum topic. Let us know.
russellhltn
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#31

Post by russellhltn »

jkentner wrote:connect up their laptop to the CRT TV
I guess I've got them trained better then that. Can't say as anyone has tried it.

My biggest problem is setting up the projector and then having someone show up with a Mac but doesn't bring the VGA adapter.
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johnshaw
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#32

Post by johnshaw »

RussellHltn wrote:
My biggest problem is setting up the projector and then having someone show up with a Mac but doesn't bring the VGA adapter.
+1 on that one...

For the CRT monitors I've been using ROKU with a USB plug-in. The Roku works great for either LCD or CRT. But any Media Server would do that as long as it has the RCA cables out.

jkentner... give me a private message with your email, I'm across the border in Liberty, but used to be out there in Olathe --> might be good to get together from an STS perspective. I've been wanting to meet as a group in the stakes around here for a while now, maybe we can work on that together.
dannykos
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Location: UK, East Grinstead

#33

Post by dannykos »

kisaac wrote: I see a wholesale change happening already....

Added 5/27: No offense meant, dannykos. But I see some amazing similarities, and the wholesale change I see is a church moving headlong into technology, faster than many of it's members. As we move to more visual teaching, as the OP suggested, can we teach more difficult concepts better and faster, and to more people? A difficult concept found in 1 NE 11 is now on the world-wide web, in the video above, able to be accessed by millions world-wide! Wholesale change! Are we just now re-approaching the teaching style that taught these difficult concepts to prophets thousands of years ago, but now broadcasting them around the globe to all? Lets hurry this technology along.
Be that as it may - it still doesn't answer the question as to how 7 or 8 concurrently running classes will all have access to the necessary hardware. I really can't see the church shelling out for 8 laptops / LCD tv's with networked media access etc.

The church is often well behind the curve when it comes to technology - see the lack of official ward / stake Facebook support, or electronic home & visiting teaching reporting etc…
jaj78
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#34

Post by jaj78 »

Our ward has pretty heavy electronics consumption each Sunday. Tablets and smartphones abound. Two Black Friday's ago, our Bishop authorized the purchase of a couple of 32" LCD TVs with DVD in-built, and had the FM group haul the old CRTs away. So with two TVs with VGA connection and one projector, that pretty much covers the need. When someone wants to show a video or powerpoint, they can reserve the equipment via the LDS Calendar in scheduling "rooms and equipment" where the stake clerk can add custom equipment for your ward.

Smaller classes typically skip the big-screen, as running from a laptop or tablet requires zero setup hassle. Only recently did we have the hassle of too many groups hoping to use the same equipment during the same hour.

An observation: while not universally true, the lessons that are most thoroughly prepared in our ward include some audiovisual component, and the lessons that were prepared during the half-hour prior to class don't. (This CAN be accomplished using posters from the Library or effective use of the chalkboard, of course.) In the ideal case, we should then have teachers clambering for opportunities to use the equipment, because it enhances their well-designed lessons.
failproof
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#35

Post by failproof »

A little surprised that no one has brought up a couple of points here... I'll preface by saying that I am in no way anti-technology. I love being the Ward Website Administrator and helping ward members get a little more active in using the online tools available to us. I'm all for adding easier access to materials and lessons and most of the time I prepare my lessons (also a Gospel Doctrine instructor) online rather than using a printed manual.

That said, there are a couple of things that may hinder some expansion of technology in the classrooms. Any of you ever tried to use one of the TVs or projectors in one of the classrooms on the outside edge of the building on the sunny side? Yes there are curtains, but nearly all buildings I've been in, the curtains are thin and white and not very room darkening. In other words, many rooms in our buildings are not conducive to non-personal electronic display devices. Possible to overcome, yes, but at additional cost of darker windows or screens designed for display in brighter environments.

An even bigger issue though becomes the added liability and need for better security and insurance. In the mind of a thief, a church building with 10 or 12 bigger ticket reasonably portable electronic devices becomes an easy target.

We may get there some day in the not too distant future, but there are more things to work out than just getting the equipment into the buildings.
kisaac
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#36

Post by kisaac »

failproof wrote: but nearly all buildings I've been in, the curtains are thin and white and not very room darkening.
We have two arms, one for the projector and one for the roll of black plastic! But seriously, In a recent mutual, three lcd projectors were running, each brought from a leaders home, and using various connection devices, also all brought from home. It is changing, and whether the church buys it or not, I see media being used more and more, and with this change, the priority to budget for these things will certainly increase. And when our kids are in the drivers seat.....
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johnshaw
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#37

Post by johnshaw »

failproof,

The issue of direct-sunlight is going to be a problem. On one hand, my new stake center came with 7 Projectors (4 of them Epson MovieMate DVD/Projectors w/sound) on the other newer buildings are increasingly utilizing natural light, we have an outer wall and an inner wall. If you can strategically designate rooms as 'Seminary' Rooms they will all come with the 'darkening panels' behind the curtains. That was helpful... for other situations, we've found that the Televisions are fine in direct sunlight.

Churches are already known as easy targets with very cool Audio/Video equipment, game rooms, etc... Churches in general already have this problem, this is true, and may require us to think a bit more about the security, but I believe it is relatively low on the issues to worry about list. As I stated above, our new building came with a bunch of technology I'd never seen in a building before, including wireless, projectors, tv's etc.... transition has happened....

dannykos,

I believe this will naturally work itself out, there will be members of a ward who will bring in their own stuff to supplement, and as the needs arise we'll either work with FM to purchase or take some budget one year. I'd so much rather have 2 additional 32in tv's than some of the other areas we spend out of our budgets.... hey, you could even say the tv's are equipment for girls camp and have a fund raiser... then just choose to store them every year in the materials center? That's still technically within the handbook right? :) :)
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