May
29
Welcome! If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
This is the first in a series of podcast reviews and suggestions for those who teach in Catholic schools or religious education programs. Podcasts can be a powerful tool for educators, both in the classroom and for personal and professional development. During the summer months, I hope you explore some of these great audio programs and consider how you might use them with your students or for your own growth. If you’re unfamiliar with podcasts, the following video does an excellent job of explaining what they are and how they work:
Now on to our first review, Pray As You Go, Daily Prayer for Your MP3 Prayer: Read more
May
23
Prayer by Thomas Merton for Graduates
May 23, 2008 | 4 Comments
The following prayer by Thomas Merton is one that I like to give to graduates when they get anxious about moving on. It’s also a prayer I use myself when I am unsure if I’ve made the right decision. Currently I’m beginning the discernment process about whether or not I’m being called to the diaconate, so I expect to visit this prayer many times over the next few months:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
May
22
Teaching Students How to Find God in the Little Things
May 22, 2008 | 1 Comment
Sometimes we think God only speaks in grand, sweeping gestures or experiences. We forget that God most often communicates to us through the little things. It’s important to remind our students (and ourselves) of this simple truth. But how can we remember to look at the details of our lives and learn to recognize God’s presence?
In the tradition of the Ignatian examen, Loyola Communications has designed a website called Other6: Where Does God Bubble Up in Your Life the Other 6 Days of the Week? Other6 is a beautifully simple and elegant site, consisting of translucent blue bubbles spiraling upward to the soothing sounds of wind chimes. As your mouse hovers over the bubbles you can read how other people have seen God’s presence in their lives. Here are a few examples from today:
“In my daughter’s elementary school. I love visiting my daughter’s elementary school, where everyone from the janitor up is involved in keeping small people safe and providing a place for them to grow.”
“In every breath I take, every beat of my heart. I find such peace these days. I am focused on starting my day with gratitude and prayer. I know God is in every beat of my heart, every breath I take, every thought in my mind.”
“In my coworker. I see such joy & faith in my co-worker. Her life is a daily testimony of God’s love & grace. God has blessed me so much by bringing JE into my life. There is much I need to learn from her faith.”
Clicking on a bubble brings up a small window that allows readers to leave a comment. Adding your own bubble is as easy as clicking the bubble containing a plus sign.
Other6 can be used in the classroom as part of morning prayer or for prayer at the end of the day. Students can take turns reading how others found God that day, or perhaps the students can leave their own observations. No registration is required to use the site.
I find Other6 tremendously soothing, and will often surf the web with the sound of the chiming bells in the background. I’d love to hear what you think, so visit Other6 and then come back and leave a comment. Maybe Other6 will be the quiet way God speaks to you today.
May
20
Tutorials of the Catholic Mass
May 20, 2008 | Leave a Comment
One of the most important things we teachers/catechists can do is help students participate more fully in the celebration of the Mass. One way to teach about the Mass is to walk students through a celebration step by step. The following resources may help:
Fr. Jim McKearney’s Video Tutorial of the Mass: This series of 24 short video clips is appropriate for younger children, especially those preparing to make their first communion. Fr. Jim McKearney, a Sulpician priest, takes viewers on a tour of the entire mass, explaining it in language that children in grades 2-5 will understand.
Mysteries of the Mass podcast: In this podcast Fr. Bill Holtzinger, a Catholic parish priest from Forest Grove, Oregon, offers “reflections, teachings, interviews and more about the Mass.” Fr. Bill has a friendly voice and a natural manner, and his reflections help listeners to understand the Mass more deeply. His podcast is probably more appropriate as a background for teachers, but you may find it useful to use with students in grades 7-12. You might also suggest that your students subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.
The Catholic Mass Revealed: This web site is more of a sample of the dvd, but it does contain some beautiful images of the Mass, and some of the segments are available in their entirety.
Do you have a favorite multimedia resource for teaching about the Mass? Let everyone know by leaving a comment.
May
19
4 Random Resources for Catholic Teachers
May 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Here are some resources that I’ve posted in other places around the Internet that might be useful to those who teach in Catholic schools:
- 10 Inspiring Teacher Videos to Lift Your Spirit
- 5 Great Books to Read Aloud at the Family Dinner Table (also good for reading to your students)
- 10 Best Books for New Catholics (or for Catholics looking to re-charge their faith)
- My free eBook: Roman Reading: 5 Practical Skills to Transform Your Life Through Literature
May
15
Buzz Lightyear and Saint Peter
May 15, 2008 | Leave a Comment
If you’re teaching elementary students about St. Peter be sure to check out Fr. Roderick’s article, Buzz Lightyear is My Hero, in which he compares the Pixar hero to the Christian hero. You’ll also learn about the real Buzz Lightyear, a former Swiss pilot named Yves Rossy.
Every Catholic school teacher and catechist should check out FatherRoderick.com and his Catholic media supersite, SQPN.
May
15
This provocative video challenges us to think seriously about the place of technology in our schools:
Do you agree with their comments? In light of the opinions expressed in the video, what can Catholic teachers do help students become responsible users of technology? And what about those who don’t have access to technology?
My Take: Students who have access to computers and cell phones are constantly consuming and creating content. If we are to help them become bearers of Christ’s light to the world, we need to help them evaluate the content they’re taking in and the content they’re creating. In some respects, this is no different than what we’ve done for decades. We try to help students think for themselves and apply the teachings of Christ to the ethical decisions they make, and we challenge students to bring the Good News to every arena of their lives. But we can’t do that unless we are familiar ourselves with the ways in which they are using technology–unless we speak their language and know how to use the tools they use.
What’s your take?
May
14
An Example to a New Generation of Teachers
May 14, 2008 | Leave a Comment
What does it mean to be committed to Catholic education? Ask Rosemary Kingston and Judy Lanini of Notre Dame High School in Salinas, California. They retire together this year after 57 combined years of teaching at the ages of 67 and 70. That’s right–67 years old and 70 years old. Where did their dedication come from? A hint can be found on Rosemary’s staff page on the Notre Dame website:
I have enjoyed every minute I have spent in the classroom. It is a real joy working with young women. I am blessed that I am now teaching the daughters of my previous students. I love to attend co-curricular activities, especially athletic events. Over the years, many parents and students have become my friends. I have had the privilege of reading at their weddings and being a god parent to their children.
One of the hallmarks of working in Catholic schools is the community atmosphere that arises out of a group of people dedicated to a common cause working together for the sake of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Congratulations to Rosemary and Judy, and thank you for your years of service. For more about their story, see this article in the Californian.
May
13
Welcome to Catholic School Chronicles
May 13, 2008 | 5 Comments
There is a huge black hole in the Internet where Catholic school teachers should be. Where are the Catholic school bloggers, podcasters, Facebook fans and Twitterers? If you’re out there, we need to connect and make our online presence stronger. If you’re not there yet, let’s get busy and create a community to share resources, ideas and stories. There are terrific educational blogs out there like Beyond School and The Cool Cat Teacher, and Catholic homeschoolers have got great sites like the Love2Learn blog and Maureen Wittman’s blog, but where are the Catholic school teachers?
Right here.
If you’re a Catholic school teacher or administrator then I hope Catholic School Chronicles can serve as an energizing rallying point for your vocation, and a source of news and materials you can use each day. But mostly I hope that it inspires you create your own blog and join the conversation. It’s not too late to join the online revolution. The Catholic Church needs your voice to ring out over the rooftops of the world with the sound of Good News.
Though this endeavor begins as the school year is winding down, we have a lot in store for the coming months: podcasts, professional development ideas, web resources, all from a Catholic educator’s perspective. From catechesis to computers, from prayer to podcasts, Catholic School Chronicles deals with the latest issues and ideas for today’s Catholic schools.
By way of introduction, my name is Nick Senger and I’ve been teaching in Catholic schools for almost 18 years, and my entire education, from first grade to graduate school, has been in Catholic institutions.
I graduated from St. Pius X Catholic School, from Billings Central Catholic High School, and from Gonzaga University (twice). I’ve taught at Sacred Heart Catholic School and Gonzaga University, and I’m currently in my seventeenth year at All Saints Catholic School, where I’m a vice principal and eighth grade teacher. My wife teaches at Gonzaga University and three of our four children attend Catholic schools (our fourth will enter as soon as she’s old enough). Catholic education has been a part of my life since I was five years old, and it continues to be one of the foundational elements that shapes who I am.
My online endeavors includes blogs like Literary Compass and Teen Literacy Tips and podcasts like One Catholic Life. I also edit the homily podcast for St. Peter Parish and I coordinate technology at All Saints. All Saints recently received a generous donation from an anonymous benefactor that enabled us to give every teacher a Macbook laptop and to furnish every classroom with projectors and document cameras. In addition, we replaced all of our outdated Windows-based student computers with brand new 20-inch iMacs and added a wireless laptop lab with 20 Macbooks. We are tremendously excited to use this new technology to form students in ways that will spread the good news of the Kingdom of God in innovative ways.
Though I love technology and gadgets, my passion has always been for the Catholic faith and for teaching, and I can’t wait to grow Catholic School Chronicles into “something beautiful for God.” You will see the site develop and change over the next few months until it finally settles into something that I hope becomes a regular part of your online experience.
I would greatly appreciate your feedback and suggestions, and I look forward to getting to know you. Use the subscribe link at the top of the page to get the most current articles, and leave comments whenever you get the itch. Tell all your Catholic school colleagues about Catholic School Chronicles, and most of all please pray that this website will be an inspiration and resource that furthers the mission of Catholic education.
In Christ,
Nick Senger
