Wikis+-+Interacting,+Collaborating+and+Organizing+for+Ministry


 * Homework for the Wikis Module ** Your homework for the Wikis Module will be to simply brainstorm ideas for wikis used in ministry. Please add your idea to the area below your coach's name. Remember - brainstorming is an exercise in creativity! Try to think of ideas that apply to YOUR ministry. Please add your full name after your example.

**Example:** I could use a wiki in junior high youth ministry to create a collaborative digital portfolio of the activities we did over the course of a year. Students can add images, written reflections and videos of their faith journey discoveries. When it's done, we will share it with the parents and the parish. - Claudia McIvor **PLEASE POST YOUR NAME AND IDEAS BENEATH YOUR COACH'S NAME BELOW.**

I need to practice more on how to use the wiki spaces, but this site can be resourceful for all catechetical coordinators who would like to communicate with their program participants. My goal is to present this program to some coordinators so they can begin using it. (Teresa Rocha )
 * Sr. Caroline Cerveny's Group **

Our RE program uses Loyola Press for our text. It would be great if our students and/ or catechisms could "pen pal" (keyboard pal) with another group in another state to bring ideas and discuss the lesson. I think it would be interesting to see the various approaches to teaching/learning the lesson. (Diane Willis)

It is my plan to use wiki in one of my Fall 2016 courses. I want each student to post an artistic response to assigned readings, then write a reflection about the reading and their artistic response (limited to 140 characters). I'm still thinking through how I want them to respond to each other's postings. (timone davis)

It is has become difficult to bring my Adult Faith Formation committee together for meetings - busy lives - I am thinking that if I create a wiki and invite my committee to join, we can better brainstorm and fine tune ideas without trying to come up with a meeting date that works for everyone. I can pose an idea and give a deadline and then have my members check in and add their ideas and fine tune others until we create programs. (Ann Marie Carswell)

We have been discussing getting the parishioners at our parish more involved with our elementary students by having them be pen pals with one another. Our students are constantly using technology for education so this might be a great idea to use the wiki for both the individual students and the parishioners to communicate back and forth to one another while allowing the teacher to follow their conversations making sure that the letters are appropriate or safe for their kids because they would be able to go in and edit any of the letters between the pen pals. (Alicia Chiappini)

Wiki could actually be used for multiple reasons. if you are having a pot luck dinner, people could see what others are bringing and add theirs. but i dont know if when you edit, is it possible to edit someone elses work. [Fran Peters]

I could use a wiki to help collaborate with ministries in our parish, to share upcoming events, and ideas. (Cici Dishman) Where do I start!? So many things come to mind. I want to bring the things I've learned about Wikis to my church, our Caregiver program and women's group to update our ministries. Also a leader has expressed interest in bringing a better communication method to the FAST ministry in our county. Too many on site meetings! This would be a great tool. (Ethel Smith) I would like to set up a wiki used by students across degree plans (I teach in a graduate school). When I was in school, there was an official graduate student organization and I particularly appreciated the wisdom that they had compiled and passed on each year to new students: advice on courses, insight into managing the school/life balance, research and writing tips, and so on. It seems to me that a wiki would be a great way to help form a community among diverse students (some online, some onsite, many doing both), all training for different sorts of ministries. They could both learn from and contribute to the collective wisdom of the student body, over time building up a great resource for incoming students… one that surely would help them succeed! (Peter Jones)
 * Debbie Converse's Group **

I would use it as a resource page for Catechists. Catechists could post ideas around various topics. They could post a portfolio of what they have done with their classes and tips around the activities. The ability to share would help all the catechists. Sometimes you have one person that is the real creative genius and maybe has more free time than others - with the wiki, everyone can benefit from this time/energy and in the end the students would be the largest benefactor. In addition to sharing ideas, it could be a place where catechists can come and there would be links for them to gain more education around topics. They could also post questions. I think they would be great for anything that involves a team with a mission. (Christine Butler)
 * Claudia McIvor's Group **

As a student, we use Wiki to share content with other classmates. In my future ministry, I believe I would use Wiki in the same manner to share academics journals or articles, videos (such as Ted talks), and other content that I thought would future connect my community and encourage dialogue. ( Samantha Yanity)

I could use Wiki's to collaborate ideas with my Catechists. It would also be a useful tool for students to help plan lock-ins as a student leadership activity. (Jennifer Sieve) ‍ I might be able to use a wiki to introduce Catholic Social Teaching in relatively brief segments. I could introduce a topic and include links to good resources (like CST 101, a collaborative 7-part video series presented by USCCB and CRS that I learned of today on Twitter!), and then pose a question or two and invite responses. Encouraging dialog might be an effective way to inform people about Catholic Social Teaching. (Jane Martinson)

I especially like the idea of setting up different private wiki groups in which members could comfortably share with each other and not with the world. Our youth minister is going to require the participation of the parents of the HS Freshmen for the first time this year as their students prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation with Life Teen. He has asked me and another adult to help him with this. I am going to suggest that we set up a Wiki in which the parents could continue the conversation after each meeting prepared for them. It would be helpful if parents had an interactive forum at which to ask questions; share what they found helpful; make suggestions about what they would like to know; share from their own professional expertise; etc. with each other, the youth minister, the adult faith formation coordinator (me) and .the woman in charge of the vocations committee. If they each have to sign their contribution or edits of another, they assume responsibility. In 35 years of adult faith formation, it has been my experience that the adults with whom I work in a faith environment respect and learn from each other beyond what we contribute to their knowledge as instructors. e I think Wikis have widespread applications. It's a meeting place for Catechists; it's a place for parish council discussions; it's even a place to type your homework. Imagine if the entire Confirmation class posted their Saint paper on the Wiki. What a great resource for each of them to learn about each other, and about each Saint. (Elizabeth Potito)

//A Wiki can be used by the participants of one of the specialization courses in my diocese. They could brainstorm monthly on practical application of the learned material. Compose a specific lesson plans for common liturgical celebrations like Advent or Lent. Present lessons, post pictures and share them with other catechists in their parish. This could be an incentive for those catechists wanting to pursue ongoing education. (Maria Covarrubias)//

I would use a Wiki with the core team of our youth ministry to share comments and plan our activities to come. We could share calendars, resources, prayers and icebreakers.(Karina Gomez) .

For Confirmation classes - students could list/post/embed pictures or links to areas of service either completed or looking for volunteers. This one page would then become a building block for service in the parish or community. With opportunities for the students to share pictures and reflections on the services rendered. (Ann Krueger) We could make a page for our different retreats and let the kids post to it (photos, info, etc.). However, with the age group I work with, it's more likely that they'll participate in something on Instagram using our hashtag than go to another website and figuring it out when they could stay on what they're already familiar with. Could also use it for leaders or other youth ministers to share information (Nathan Aronson)
 * Katie Choudhary's Group **

Wikis platforms is a good resource between coordinators and directors of catechetical ministry in where they can share information that can be useful to put them into practice in their ministry. (Maria Antonia Amao)


 * Kellie De Leo's Group **

I am trying to develop an internet chaplaincy website for professionals and retired seniors. I hope to have internet dialog and offer educational materials. (Jenny Luse) CCD - For the last 5 years I have taught First Holy Communion to 6th, 7th & 8th graders. This next year I am moving up with my students to Confirmation. I can see giving each student a different question to answer each week on the Wiki. As well, the Saint Report with Images they do would be nice to post to the Wiki for learning purposes. Each student could be asked to read 4 different reports and make comments on what they learned. I also know the students are responsible to accumulate service hours. I think sharing on a wiki what their service/volunteer hours are and what they do could be a fun way to promote service complete with photos and or videos of their service in action. Our Faith Formation Director could always use a Wiki for learning purposes for the catechists. We could be given projects and we could post on the wiki so all could collaborate & learn. Catholic Daughters - Posting the telephone directory and calendar would be helpful. As well a write up about our speakers. Photos of the service projects we undertake would be nice. Posting the newsletter to save postage and paper. We could also have a "mini" retreat section set up so that each member gets a little spiritual nourishment. Questions could be posed for collaboration & learning. Blessed Sacrament to the Homebound- Each team could have their own Wiki. My team handles 4 people. We are on 1 month, and off 2 months. We could leave notes for the team member prior to finishing up each month and any difficulties the homebound person is having. As well, prayers to share with the homebound person. We always take a weekly bulletin, but new or different prayers would be welcome, or messages of encouragement from the next team member who will be taking over. None of the homebound ladies on my team have a computer, or Internet. They are medicaid recipients and have only the meager amount of their social security check. Posting any needs they might have such as clothing, financial, trips to grocery store, etc. Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist - A wiki could offer us some information about church season, prayers, it could be set up like a mini "retreat" so that each minister could add to, but also take away from the wiki to nourish us as we help others. (Elizabeth Degelia)

‍‍‍Can see using a wiki for our catechetical ministry. Communicating with catechists and sharing ideas for our upcoming school year. It can be difficult to get everyone together for a meeting this would help enhance everyone being able to be part of the conversation and share ideas. I would also like to set up a wiki for our Confirmation class as part of our program calls for discussion between parent and student and also our Confirmation catechist being able to direct and lead the conversation as well as myself. I am wondering about using it for some of our special events in our parish such as our Saint's Party we hold for the children in our program, K-5. I could envision setting up a wiki and outlining our needs and having a sign up for responsibilities...kind of like the video in our wiki presentation. (Eileen Doyle) A lot of great ideas have been posted....lots of possibilities (Eileen)‍‍‍‍‍

‍‍‍‍‍I also see this as being valuable for building the ministry among catechists. It would be a place to build ideas for family catechetical events and also to attend to checklists of tasks. For families engaged in religious ed., it would be a great place to build those handing-on- the-faith ideas for one another. (Joan Lawson)‍‍‍‍‍

‍‍I can think of several ways that Wiki can be beneficial to a Director of Catechetical Ministry. It could be instrumental for getting information out (monthly newsletters for catechists) collaborative sharing among other Directors/Coordinators (programing and resource ideas); providing seasonal supplemental resources (Advent workshops, Lenten ideas); communication to VBS volunteer; sharing the success stories and soliciting new ideas to spark creativity. I also think it could be a great opportunity for parish catechists to collaborate with catechists from neighboring parishes to invite participation in service projects, family events, etc. (Lori Muniz)‍‍

‍‍One of my goals is to explore alternatives to the "Mass slips" used in our parish to verify Sunday Mass attendance. I've been thinking of different ways to continue the community building aspect of the Eucharist... extend it beyond the time of Mass. Depending upon how it is set up, a wiki could really be one solution to this! (Katy Feeney)‍‍

I think using a wiki for Catechists and I to collaborate on 'best practices' for each age/grade level would be quite useful. I also like the idea of the children & young people posting things they learned or reflections on what they learned on a wiki page. Their parents and classmates can view them each week, month, or year. Our Confirmandi & sponsors attend sessions together and have topics to discuss at these sessions. The problem is that some sponsors are out of town, so it might be a good tool for Confirmation candidates to discuss topics with their out of town sponsors. (Bernadette McSparron)


 * Deanna Bartalini's Group **
 * Brainstorming. I love the wiki! Here are some ideas: create a wiki for pcls in my diocese to share best practices on a number of areas in catechesis: sacramental preparation, parent/family catechesis, planning the catechetical year, using technology creatively. This could be a great tool for a closed group. Another idea would be to create a wikispace for parish catechists to share lesson plans, leading prayer for children, youth, and adults. I think this is giving me an idea for my Capstone project. I have a lot to learn about how to use this tool and it will take practices and trial and error. I think this has great possibilities though and I am looking forward to exploring this new tool. Dr. Therese Recinella **

I would like to see an example of someone using wiki for organizing their catechists - training, lessons, materials, etc. Does someone have one set up that I could look at? We are somewhat successfully using Trello ( a different platform for collaboration) to brainstorm ideas for a welcome team at my parish. Trello seems more intuitive to my way of thinking. Becky Miklos

//Because things are getting so busy at the parish where I work, I have been slow getting involved with this lesson. I have enjoyed very much reading the ideas you have all posted already. My parish is preparing to do long range planning, and I can see something like this being valuable on a large scale. We also are forming a group to read and discuss some current books on trends in religious education. I can see using a wiki to share thoughts and ideas from the book study. I can see our high school groups working together online on a shared project. [Vicki Conder}//

//I plan to use wiki to help my new catechists set up their lesson plans. (Mary Kennedy)//

Ruth Manlandro's Group I could use Wiki as a platform for catechetical leaders within the diocese to collaborate and share all things catechetical. We have three regional clusters that meets monthly (Oct-May) to discuss specific catechetical topics but to also share our concerns/best practices in our ministry. We meet as a diocese only 2-3 times a year. With a Wiki, we can share what is discussed with the other two clusters, list our best practices, lessons, prayer services, retreats, etc... Plus, when the meeting concludes, but the discussion isn't, it can be taken online through a Wiki. This would be a private Wiki where things are centralized - such as details on our programs, dates, retreats, and other events offered throughout the diocese. (Tam Tran)

I teach online courses and we have a really great course management platform (Sakai) that has a Wiki function built into it. I once tried to use the Wiki function as the option for the final project for the course. I wanted them to collaboratively build websites addressing current or important ethical issues. But I didn't understand how Wiki's functioned well enough to be able to guide the students through the project, so I gave up on the idea. Now that I have a better understanding of how Wiki's work, I feel like I could try this assignment again. It would facilitate their skills in research but they would also be learning from others while doing it, interacting, collaborating, etc. I also can see using the Wiki function with my advisees, and having them work together to develop resources geared toward professional development (in my case, either chaplains or health care mission leaders). The upside to using Wiki's in advising settings is that the question of how to grade a collaborative project is removed. I can also see how a Wiki could be useful for some other things that we want to do at the IPS--like build a formation program for our students. A Wiki would have an upside over a survey--by being able to have them build a common document re. what sorts of formation practices they're currently engaged in, what sorts they'd like to see us offer, time/place, plusses/minuses to various options, etc. I'm so glad that I now know more about Wiki's! (Therese Lysaught)