Well, yesterday I was introduced to one of the finest LDS resources I have ever seen!

OpenLDS.com

Their whole goal is to aggregate all the awesome LDS resources that are available out there on the internet (which is a LOT!)  You can take a look at the banner above to see how they split it all up so you can easily find what you are looking for!  My favorite part is certainly the Church Leaders section.   You can go there and find all sorts of great information about each church leader and links off to the things they have written and said in all of the different media formats that are available.  Check it out!

Well… let me just tell you that there are some things I can’t fix. And hard drives DO FAIL!

Since my unfortunate hard drive failure and the resulting loss of pictures and data I have researched dozens of back-up options. I now have a complex techie solution I use for my pictures, videos and documents that involves a script and automated backups to my own personal off site server where it duplicated the data once more on a Raid network device. But that is obviously not for everyone.

That being said I have long looked for a good solution that I could recommend to others. I finally found it. It is the Mozy.com folks.  And as an added bonus, they are based out of Pleasant Grove UT and I think they have Mormon connections.  I personally love supporting my brothers and sisters and gospel in their business efforts.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have signed up for an affiliate program that gives me a little bit on money when people do sign up so if you are going to sign up, please consider going there from any of the links on my blog. I figure this can help pay for the domain name and space I use to maintain this blog.

Versions

• A FREE version with up to 2GB of data (enough to back up important documents!)
• A super cheap version for $4.95/mo with UNLIMITED DATA (pictures, videos, etc!)
• Even an Educational and Business Version with local institutional administration capabilities.

Check out this comparison page for more information.

They even have a Mac version! How awesome is that? I have it installed and running now and it is GREAT!

How it Works:

You install it once, leave it and you can sleep at night knowing you have a backup. The first time takes a while, but it uses slow network time. I could still surf and even watch streaming video while it did the initial backup.

Restoring Data – There are three easy ways to restore data with the Free version.

• Use the client version to restore it right on machine.
• Web version to restore
• DVD sent to your home ($)

Overall, I am VERY pleased with this and highly recommend it to everyone! Even if you only use it for the free version to back up the important documents… give it a try!

I know my family and MANY of my friends have all started a blog and write our family history as it happens on those blogs.  I have taken those posts and created books from them for my family.  (Technology makes it easier and I will post about how I did that in a future post).  But what about the past?

I ran across another start up today called “Remembering That.“  In their own words:

Our goal is to collect and present your memories and stories. Think of it as a bit of an historical archive and window to our past.

This is simply a site where you can share some of the stories about the past that you remember.  Some have to do with families.  Some just have to do with funny memories of the past.

What do you use to record your memories of the past?

I just came across a great new startup, Famplosion,  that helps you find family friendly activities in your area, or an area you are visiting.  Right now they only have the following locations, but perhaps they will expand one day.

• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Los Angeles
• Nashville
• New York City
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Tahoe City

Our local chamber of commerce also has a great website with local events that I use to find good and varied date nights with my sweet wife.

What do you use to keep up with local events?

So how does this all apply in a spiritual setting? I’m glad you asked.   Here are a couple of points off the top of my head.

Distance Education
Notice that this “Student at 21st century high school” only spends 3 days a week in classroom, 2 days online.  This is a great model for increasing interaction.  Technology enables more interactions outside of the classroom.  Meaningful interactions that can build up students.  I think we should certainly encourage as much interaction as possible. 

That doesn’t mean we should spend less time in a physical classroom where that is possible, but rather that we can increase interaction with those that can’t make it to a physical classroom every day of the week.

Personal Learning Network

Students in the 21st century need to be taught how to build up a personal spiritual learning network.  A lot of the work that happens in Sunday School and Seminary/Institute classes are there to teach students how to study the scriptures.  Well, today there is  lot more information out there that they need to learn how to navigate as well.

Social Bookmarking Site

This student goes out and finds relevant sites about their topic and bookmarks them where others can find them.  In the church there is certainly a ton of information out there, just from the church alone… not to mention the millions of personally created sites.  Social bookmarking sites will help students navigate this sea of information in meaningful ways.  As students begin to find the best content (D&C 88:118) and pass that on it will also help put that information to the top of search engines. 

Blogs

Students have the opportunity to not only comment on blog about their “own informed point of view,” but as they create their own blog they think critically and have opportunities to expression opinions to a global audience.

iTunes / Mobile Devices

Students in the 21st audio and video podcasts that support his learning.  In the church that is certainly the case as well with BYU TV, CES video’s, General Conferences, CES Firesides, etc. all available!

Connection with experts – Skype

Students can connect with LDS people all over the world.  If they are having a lesson on missionary work I’m sure some of the folks at A More Good Foundation would be DELIGHTED to do a Skype video interview about using the internet to spread the gospel.   Then there is the added ability to connect with General Authorities, or others that may have a special story to tell that will help the students.  Oh, and think of the global impact as well.  Perhaps connecting with a seminary class in Germany and chatting with them on a regular basis to see how the church is different/same there.

Personal Student Projects

Perhaps my favorite part of this video is where they talk about a student’s work culminates into a project of their own.  Where a student share’s his knowledge with the world through video, voicethread, wiki, etc.  In the case of the church, a student is sharing their testimony with the world.  We all know that often a testimony is gained in the bearing of it.  This is certainly no less the case.

Teacher Role

Teachers teach how to build this network, offer guidance, serve as a modeler, help the students differenciate between good information and propaganda, and help the students organize information.  They teach them to set up network that will help the student navigate their future in the gospel. 

Other Ideas?

These are just a few quick ideas off the top of my head this lovely morning.  What did you get out of the video?  If you are a teacher, how can you apply some of this in your classroom?  It can be on Sunday in church or some other setting where you get to teach. 

Hey… we are all teachers to some extent in our homes… how can you apply this with your kids?!  Mine are just starting to use the internet.  I should show them how to bookmark and share things with others.  And how to search and find good content. It’s never too early!

• “We Must Raise our Sights” – Elder Eyring – Book of Mormon Conference, 14 August 2001
• “A Current Teaching Emphasis for the Church Educational System” – Paul V. Johnson – CES Video 2003
• “Raising Expectations” – Elder Eyring – CES Satellite Training Broadcast, August 2004
• “Seek Learning by Faith” – Elder Bednar – Address to CES Religious Educators, February 2006

Additionally, the handbook for CES teachers and leaders “Teaching the Gospel” is a great resource, and perhaps the single most conscise manual for teaching the Gospel ever created!   

In each of these resources there are several principles that are repeated again and again.  It is best summed up from Elder Eyring’s 2001 address. 

“The pure gospel of Jesus Christ must go down into the hearst of the students by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

All spiritual education is about getting the gospel into the hearts of the students.  It is not about horizontal learning where students learn facts, and superficially read scriptures.  It is about vertical learning where the gospel goes deep into the hearts of the students and changes them.  Where they really become converted to the Gospel.

How do we get the gospel in their hearts?

We talk about the role the teacher can play be being prepared, but the real learning can only take place when the learner is ready to learn.  Students can only have the gospel sink in if they can think critically about how the gospel has effected them in their lives, and then the the Holy Ghost can come in and testify to them of the truthfulness of principles of the Gospel.  When opportunities are given for students to critically think about their own lives, they ponder, and then they can exhibit faith and open the door for the Holy Ghost. 

Elder Bednar goes into some great detail about how to effectively ask questions in the classroom that will encourage this type of behavior and I strongly recommend you read that.  But what more can we do?  In almost every talk it is mentioned how the world is changing, and the things we have done in the past are not going to be enough for the youth of today. 

How Technology can Augment the Classroom

More Exposure to the Gospel
Universal access to coarse language and content is flooding the lives of the students outside of seminary and institute.  One of the wonderful things about church education is that students can regularly go to a place where the Holy Ghost resides and remember who they are and what some of their spiritual goals are.  Technology will enable students to more frequently access good content in the sea of immorality that worldly media is pushing on them.  Mobile technology will also facilitate this access.

Getting the Gospel into the Hearts of the Students through Technology
The real power of technology is that it engages students.  They are digital natives that have grown up with technology and many of them use consume it in an increasing variety of ways.  I will talk more about this in my Digital Spiritual Learners segment, but suffice it to say they are very comfortable with technolgy.

This same engagement can be harnessed to get students to think critically both inside and outside of the classroom.  It can engage students on an individual level.  It can help students write their thoughts out.  Because these students are comfortable with technology they also can critically think about their beliefs in new and engaging multimedia music and video.  Things that used to be reserved for the technically elite are now common place to anyone with a computer.  Students become content creators who can eventually disseminate worthy and uplifting material to lift others.

Collaboration and Social Learning
Although conversion to the gospel is a distinctly individual act, there is great power in learning from others.  These same creative activites above are now online, and with that comes a potential worldwide audience.  One of the great powers of missionary work is that as a missionary you have the opportunity to think critically about your beliefs every day. 

Technology can also help harness the power of peer groups.  Many students will go to their friends with questions long before they would approach a teacher and parent.  Peer groups can facilitate getting correct information, as well as encouragement for struggling members of classrooms.  They build one another up and again, have more opportunities to think about what the Gospel means to them.

Conclusion

These is just the tip of the iceberg when we begin to think about how technology can augment spiritual education.  It is all about providing more personal opportunities for students to engage with the gospel.  In future posts I will talk about these technologies in much more detail, but hopefully I have laid out an important guiding principle here. 

Thoughts?  Comments?  Feel free to add/correct/etc below!  After all, that is what the social web is all about!

Today I was whitelisted to use the google friend connect on my site!  I have installed it and added a members link on the right hand side!  Come join!! 

So how is this useful in the church?

Facebook has shown that connecting people all over the world is powerful and needed.  I like the openness of this new Google connect in that you can develop your own gadgets.  You could potentially connect this with Facebook and other social components to increase collaboration in seminary classes and in wards outside of church and the classroom.

How else can you see this being useful?

I just wanted to alert you all to a new website YourLDSRadio.com. It is awesome! As the name suggests, they play LDS music online.  Great for us folks that don’t live out West where you can listen to this stuff over the air. 

I have long been a fan of good church music.  I even built my own server in my basement and set up a personal music server using Jinzora.  It works great, but there is only my music on there.  This is a nice change.

This new website plays really well with a flash player (nice for us Mac folks).  I do have a couple of requests that I posted on their forum.  Eventually I would love to see mobile device support. Some sort of Pandora type application for my iPhone! I always have that, but I dont’ always have a laptop I want to open!

If you will allow me to dream for a moment.  For years I have wanted to put together a database of
lyrics based on gospel topics that could be searched for topics. (Alas, no time.) This could be used in a lesson, or just when you need some uplifting. This would be a great addition to this site. You could also put links off to iTunes to buy the music (Affiliate program to earn $ to keep it up and running).  I suggested this to them… I hope they do it!!

I know there is a LDS music station that plays in SLC that you can listen to online, but I can’t remember the name of it to Google it… anyone know?  Other alternatives is always BYU Radio… they are pretty good too!

Know of any other good LDS radio stations?

This morning I ran across another great example of technology use… MormonConferences.org.  What appears to be an enterprising graduate student has put together a very nice web resource for Mormon Scholars where they can go to find out about upcoming Mormon Studies conferences.  Really a great job.

There are a bunch of different formats too. You can see them here:

• Online Text
• Online PDF
• Or you can order it online for $5.50… I ordered two today.

Here is a video introduction:

You know… It really is amazing to me how the church has taken to social media to get the word out. They are using YouTube to host their video’s. Awesome!