Resourcing RS through the Internet ISRSA Conference, York

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Resourcing RS through the InternetISRSA
Conference, York

• Mark S. Steed M.A. (Cantab.) M.A. (R.E.)
• Former Head of Religious Studies and currently a
  Housemaster at Oundle School with responsibility
  for the development of the school website

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Introduction

• Where I am coming from?
• ICT a servant and not the master
• our aim is to teach good RE and not to teach ICT
• I am an RS teacher not an ICT teacher.

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Aims of Todays Talk

• To answer two questions
• Why use the internet in our teaching?
• How can we use the internet in our teaching?

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Why use the internet in our teaching?
Why?

• Because
• it is easier to keep up to date with developments
  in the subject
• the range of the range of resources available
• we can interact with faith communities

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Why use the internet in our teaching?
Why?

• Because
• tackle the subject in a new way
• IT competence is a key skill to be taught through
  the curriculum

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The InternetKeeping up to date

• Government Agencies
• QCA
• Examination Boards
• new Alevel model specifications

Why?
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The InternetKeeping up to date

• Religious Education Organizations
• Farmington Institute
• Stapleford Centre
• Universities
• Departmental Websites

Why?
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The Internet as a resource An Archive of
Material
Why?

• The Vatican Archives
• The Tracts for the Times
• The Ante- and Post- Nicene Fathers

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The Internet as a resource Virtual trips to
sacred places

• St Pauls Cathedral
• Nave Floor Panorama
• High Altar Panorama
• Virtual Reality 3D Model
• The Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem
• Virtual Tour of Old Jerusalem CD 29.95

Why?
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The Internet linking with faith communities

• Asking the experts The Islamicity Ask the
  Imam
• answering those difficult questions thrown up in
  class
• ideal source material for courseworks
• reveal the diversity of debates
• Department of Islamic Affairs, Royal Saudi
  Embassy Site
• Hajj Information

Why?
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The Internet Tackle the subject in a new way

• Electronic Media open up new opportunities for
  interesting lessons
• unlike video they are interactive
• they are more dynamic and flexible than books
• they tackle the information in a new way

Why?

• Muslims pray five times a day
• Muslim Prayer Times Program

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Key Skills in ICT

• QCA Level 3 Key skills IT3.1
• Plan and use different sources to search for,
  and select, information required for two
  different purposes.
• Edexcel R.S. Specification Key Skills
• These may include the Internet and CD ROM.

Why?
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How can we use the internet in teaching R.S.?

• The Problems of using the internet
• Searching the internet
• Good link sites
• Developing your own departmental Intranet site
• Using the internet in the classroom

How?
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The problems of using the internet in teaching
R.S.
How?

• Quantity There is so much data - it can be
  overwhelming
• If put God or Church in a search engine you
  get 910,685 hits!

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The problems of using the internet in teaching
R.S.
How?

• Quality how reliable is the information that is
  available?
• University Academics or poor Alevel students?
• Essay Crawlers agendas

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The problems of using the internet in teaching
R.S.
How?

• Quality how reliable is the information that is
  available?
• Proselytizing and apologetic agendas
• Heavens Gate
• Christian Answers

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The Internet the problem of discernment

• Searching the Internet
• use a multiple search engine
• Copernic or Sherlock
• Some Tips
• Provenance
• www.anyuniversity.ac.uk/divinity
• www.anyuniversity.edu/
• Use known scholars
• Check the sites material!

How?
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The Internet Good link sites
How?

• RE-XS
• The RE Exchange
• http//re-xs.ucsm.ac.uk
• ISRSA Resources Website
• offering support for the new Alevel courses
• http//isrsa.org.uk

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Our own Intranet a vision from America
How?

• Ethics Update, University of San Diego
• Laurence M. Hinman
• A comprehensive site for an integrated course
• lectures on video to watch online
• PowerPoint presentations
• links to many sites

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Our own Intranet our sites for our pupils
How?

• Departmental Websites
• tailored to meet the needs of our pupils
• Reading lists with website links
• A censored site of link pages

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Using the Internet in the classroom?
How?

• Dependent on the availability and reliability of
  technology
• Internet points, Lap-tops
• Projectors
• ICT labs for Arts subject teaching
• Requires expertise and knowledge on part of the
  teacher
• A tremendously flexible resource

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The Internet and RE
How?

• The internet An opportunity
• to share resources and ideas
• to work together on solving and responding to
  common problems
• to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort

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Some Final Remarks

• Keep ICT in Perspective
• ICT will never replace books
• we need to teach traditional study skills
  using indexes
• ICT should never replace teacher-pupil contact
• It is should never take over, rather it should be
  part of our armoury

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• http//isrsa.org.uk