"While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian" —George Washington Let's continue to defend our rights to religious liberty in the United States of America! Happy Independence Day!
With so many schools switching to a 1:1 iPad program in the next couple of years, I am starting to get some common questions. As you might imagine the most common question I get from teachers who have been given new iPads is, "Do you have any suggestions for apps I should download?" Or, "What are the best Catholic iPad apps to use with students?" Rather than pretend to think I could possibly keep track of all of the amazing Catholic apps and prayer apps that are being released for the iPad and the iPhone, I'll defer to the experts. Check out this list of websites to get some ideas for new Catholic apps and prayer apps to use in your classroom. 1. CatholicApps.com The name and the URL says it all! Tom Lelyo, the main author and founder of CatholicApps.com, provides excellent reviews of the latest iPad and iPhone apps as well as the apps in the Android marketplace. Each app gets a rating based on price, performance, usability, design, and catholicity. The authors also share the pro's, con's, and overall impression of the apps. 2. CatholicMom.com Our friend and author, Lisa Hendey, hosts a number of different authors who contribute to the Catholic Tech Talk feature on CatholicMom.com. Writers like Sarah Reinhard and Dorian Speed share their expertise and experience using technology often sharing the newest and best apps for Catholics, particularly those who focus on catechesis and parenting. 3. CatholicTechTalk.com A rising star in the Catholic tech world has been the website CatholicTechTalk.com. Not long ago they began a great resource for reviews and information about Catholic apps. This website has a great group of writers and offers engaging conversation about the Church and technology today. 4. CatholicApps (Wordpress Blog) The Wordpress blog, catholicapps.wordpress.com, has a treasure chest of information about Catholic apps for prayer, politics, saints, confession, and more. Although not as well known as the websites above, there is some extensive information about many different Catholic apps as well as a list of videos to check out about the apps. Classroom Assignment Idea: What are the best Catholic apps? As teachers, we all know our students are much more tech-savvy than we will ever be. Why not take advantage of this? Why not save yourself the time and let them do the searching?! Give the students an assignment to find and review Catholic apps and prayer apps on their iPads. Collect the reviews as a written assignment or have them create a video review using their iPads and post it to a public place like YouTube or your LMS. You could even have them present the apps in class. Or if they are reviewing prayer apps, have them sign up to lead class prayer using the app. Question: What Catholic apps have you found to be useful in the classroom?
With summer here it is time to say good-bye to your students. But you probably never lose complete contact with your students because you continue to remember them in prayer, hopeful that they remain close to Jesus and strong in their Catholic faith. Over the past couple of months I have been so fortunate to share in the great success of two of my former students. Doug O'Neill is the champion trainer for I'll Have Another, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. Doug was on my grade school basketball team at St. Monica's Elementary School in Santa Monica. His wife Linette was in my math and religion classes. They have two nice kids who now attend Notre Dame Academy in West Los Angeles. I'm counting on them eventually attending the University of Notre Dame! Another good friend and student from St. Monica's is Mark Verge. In March, Mark became CEO of Santa Anita Race Track. Mark met his wife Lani in high school at St. Monica's. They too are parents of two beautiful children. Like Doug, Mark and his family still are parishioners at St. Monica's. Now check out this story about how Doug and Mark first got interested in horse racing! Not all our students end up as priests and nuns! Share a prayer for your own students who are leaving your class for the summer as I pray in thanksgiving for Doug and Mark—great husbands, fathers, and friends. Act of Hope O God, I hope with complete trust that you will give my students, through the merits of Jesus Christ, all necessary graces in the world and everlasting life in the world to come, for this is what you have promised and you always keep your promises. Amen.
Here's a short presentation you can share with teens to help them think about some things they can do about sin in their lives. Tell them some things that people already do about sin. Write the boldface words on a board or chart as you give this presentation. Presentation First, you could do nothing. You may admit to areas of sinfulness in your life but not make a resolution to do anything about them. This non-action usually has a serious consequence: not only will the sin not go away, it will probably get worse. You could resolve to do something about the sin—tomorrow. For example, you could say "Ill go to Mass when I get my own car" or "I will stop listening to gossip when I quit hanging out with the same group." You probably already know that tomorrow never comes. You could seriously resolve to do something about that sin now, or the very next time the temptation comes along. Perhaps this is what you did as you reflected over your examination of conscience questions. You could talk to God about the problem. You could ask god to help you with your resolution to change. This is something you did in your letter. But you may wonder how you can be sure of God's answer. You could also talk to someone who would understand our problem, who would give you guidance on how to overcome the habit of sin you are concerned about. Reflect for a moment on who that "someone" would be for you. Or, you could combine the last three steps (underline: seriously resolve, talk to God, talk to someone) in the Sacrament of Penance. Have you ever thought of the Sacrament of Penance in this way? At the end of the presentation, reserve some time to review the Sacrament of Penance and "how to go to Confession"
Share the following prayer service from Marriage and Holy Orders: Your Call to Love and Serve with your students. It is especially appropriate for juniors preparing to be seniors and seniors at the time of graduation. The last semesters of high school are filled with planning for the next stage in life. Which college will you attend? Which career will you prepare for? What will it be like to leave family and friends at home? How will you grow in a personal and adult faith? These are only some of the questions to consider on a regular basis. Pray often for a smooth transition from high school. Keep Christ close to your heart as you make these important decisions. On several occasions, pray using the following format. Call to Prayer for Seniors in High School Pray the following words or choose some similar words of your own. Construct your prayer around some specific situations arising in your final months, weeks, and days as a senior in high school. Come, Holy Spirit. Be with me today in my studies. Improve my work habits. Help me to learn to relax when taking exams so that I am able to test to my potential. When I apply to colleges, allow me the chance to show the “real me” to those who make decisions. Come, Holy Spirit. Allow me to appreciate my friends. Give me a moment to see their goodness. Help me to be always faithful to these dear people I have grown up with since childhood. Always give me the opportunity to stay close to my friends, whether we are physically near or far apart. Come, Holy Spirit. Continue to inspire my teachers, counselors, and coaches who have inspired me. In these last days of high school, give me the courage to truly follow their lessons. Allow me the inspiration to thank them for their gifts with sincere appreciation. Come, Holy Spirit. Bless my parents and family. They are everything to me. They have modeled for me your life and love. Keep them healthy and happy for many more years. Come, Holy Spirit. Help me find my way to my loving Father through his Son. Share with me a sign of my calling. Give me good ears to listen to your voice. Give me the strength to follow your lead. Amen. Scripture Reading Slowly and prayerfully read the following Gospel passage from John 14:15-21. How is God with you now? How will you stay close to God after you graduate from high school? Listen carefully to Jesus’ words. A reading from the Gospel of John. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me, because I live and you will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ. Reflection Questions for High School Seniors Read through the entire list of questions. Then go back and choose one question to spend time with in greater detail. Listen to what God is saying to you. Take notes in a notebook or prayer journal. Choose another question on a different occasion. Form your own questions having to do with your transition from high school. As your answers change, write your new answers. What are my goals for my senior year in high school? How can I better express my true self to my family and friends? To whom do I need to say I am sorry? Where do I see myself in five years? What are my God-given talents? How might I use my talents in a career? How can I show my family I appreciate their love and care? What do I need to do to learn to be more independent? How can I improve my faith-life? What can I do to be more active in the Church? What kind of Catholic will I be when I get out of high school? Who do I want to become? Act of Hope Pray an Act of Hope for your future life in college using these traditional words. O God, I hope with complete trust that you will give me, through the merits of Jesus Christ, all necessary graces in this world and everlasting life in the world to come, for this is what you have promised and you always keep your promises. Amen.
The Catholic Spirit is an anthology of classical literature (including short stories and poems), art, film, and music that should be the theology department's recommendation for a summer reading list. Consider making a weekly assignment from the text that requires both reading and a written summary. The text includes questions for comprehension and understanding and an activity to accompany each reading. You may also consider assigning art, film, and music selections for completion over the summer break. A free online Teacher Guide and several other resources are also available. Check out the following section from Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman. Connecting with God “March 7, 1848” from Meditations and Devotions John Henry Cardinal Newman Cor ad cor loquitor (Heart speaks unto heart). —Motto of John Henry Newman’s Cardinalate Author Background John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801–1899) is one of the giants of Catholic theology. He was trained to be an Anglican priest, but his reading of the Church Fathers and his experience of parish life led him to convert to Roman Catholicism. He also is one of the greatest prose writers of the nineteenth century and his works The Idea of a University, his autobiography, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, and his Grammar of Assent are classics of English and Christian literature. Newman was totally convinced that God spoke to him in the experiences of his daily life and that he had been called by God to do a specific mission for the Church. The following meditation summarizes much of his spiritual writing. Newman is currently being considered for canonization. Before the Reading Throughout Scripture, we are given examples of those who have been called by God to do some great work on his behalf. For example, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the prophets, Zachary, the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and the Apostles all had visions of angels or heard the voice of God that gave them specific tasks to assist in the building up of the Kingdom of God. In this classic meditation, Cardinal Newman shows how all of us have been called by God to do him a specific service. He points out how the essence of the life of grace is to listen always for his call and to never cease doing his will. “March 7, 1848” *God has created me to do him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission— I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told of it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught, I shall do good, I shall do his work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it— if I do but keep His Commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me—still He knows what He is about.* Reading for Comprehension What is the author’s mission in life? How does Newman serve God? Reading for Understanding How do you serve God? What great work do you feel destined for in your life? Activity As a spiritual exercise, turn your heart and mind to God and silently listen to the special call that he has for you and no other.
Everybody's heading to the cloud these days. No, I'm not talking about the Ascension. I'm talking about the new home for most of your school files: the cloud. For teachers, especially those moving to a 1:1 laptop/tablet school environment, this is huge. The cloud will allow us to send and receive files easier, provide immediate feedback on projects, and work on various devices from various places. We won't have to worry about running back into school on the weekends because our work will be in the cloud. What Is the Cloud? Wikipedia defines cloud computing as "the delivery of computing and storage capacity as a service to a heterogeneous community of end-recipients." In other words, your files no longer need to live on your computer. You can access them on your desktop computer at home, your laptop at school, your iPad in the living room, or your iPhone while at the store. In fact, your computer doesn't even have to live on your computer. With new products like the Google Chromebook, your computer exists on another server, not on the actual device you hold in your hands. Our ubiquitous access to the Internet makes all this possible. How Can I Use the Cloud in the Classroom? As more and more students create presentations, videos, audio files, and other large files, it becomes increasingly difficult to send and receive via email. Cloud computing services (listed below) allow teachers to share folders with students so they can drop their projects into the folders for review. Teachers can then easily open the files and send back comments and feedback via the cloud for the students to collect. Also, we get many questions about how our PDF Site License eTextbook program (view webinar) works. Schools have used some form of cloud storage to distribute the PDF files to their students. Each school has their own preferences, but many of the options below have been used efficiently without the danger of the files being shared illegally. Where Can I Get Cloud Storage? There are a number of services that provide free and paid cloud storage services. Here are the most popular ones among schools. Dropbox Probably the most popular cloud storage service is Dropbox. They have seen incredible growth in the last year and their ease of use is hard to beat. Free Storage: 2GB (plus bonus storage for referrals)Paid Storage: $100/year for 50GB; $200/year for 100GBAccess: iPhone, iPad, PC, MAC, Linux, Android, Web Skydrive I've heard a few teachers share on Twitter and Google+ that students prefer SkyDrive as their favorite cloud storage platform. Though it lacks the integration on mobile devices that most business professionals enjoy, students seem to like it anyway. Free Storage: 7GBPaid Storage: $50/year for 100GB; $0.50/GBAccess: Windows, Mac, Web Google Drive The newest addition to the cloud storage services is Google Drive, which effectively eliminates Google Docs as a separate product. It is new, but powerful. With so many schools utilizing Google Docs already, Google Drive will become a natural fit in many places. The best part about Google Drive is that it maintains the collaborative editing features of Google Docs with the added ability to store any kind of file and easily access them via your desktop via a synching folder. Free Storage: 5GBPaid Storage: $30/year for 25GB; $60/year for 100GBAccess: Windows, Mac, web iCloud Apple made some changes recently to their cloud services combining them into one iCloud program, which works in the iOS 5 and X on the iPhone and iPad. There is also integration through iTunes on PCs and Macs. Currently the ability to share folders and edit collaboratively is not available. Free Storage: 5GBPaid Storage: 20GB for $40 and 50GB for $100Access: iPhone, iPad, Windows, Mac Amazon Cloud Drive Believe it or not, Amazon has a large business of providing digital storage to businesses. They also want a piece of the cloud computing game. For now it is mostly for purchasing MP3s, but don't rule them out for a future flip into general cloud storage. Free storage: 5 GBPaid Storage: $1/GB per year over 5GBAccess: Amazon MP3 Uploader/Downloader for music; Cloud play for Android What's your favorite cloud computing service? What are your students' favorite?
Here’s a lesson to use with The Hunger Games—either the bestselling novel or the more recent hit film. The plot centers on a fictional dystopia and the story of sixteen-year-old Katniss who lives in District 12, a poor area of Panem with her mother and younger sister. Katniss supports her family with fresh meat that she gets with her bow and arrow just outside of an electric fence meant to keep her inside and wildlife outside. Every year, a male and female youth are randomly selected from each district to go to the Capitol to engage in the Hunger Games, a fight-to-the-death competition televised for the whole country, but especially for the entertainment of the well to do in the Capitol. When her sister is selected to fight, Katniss volunteers to take her place, and thus she travels to the Capitol with Peeta, the male from her district. The Hunger Games take over the rest of the story. Part of the appeal of this series to young people is its portrayal of teens in an adult world who are able to see past hypocrisy and understand people and things for what they are. They are also brave enough to risk their lives for one other and their loved ones. Ultimately, Katniss and Peeta challenge their national authorities by refusing to be controlled by the rules of the Hunger Games. Although the people in the book are not religious, many moral questions arise throughout the trilogy. You may want to discuss these issues in class related to the first book. Discussion Questions for The Hunger Games Katniss disobeys the law by going outside of her fenced-in district to find food for her family. Is this an example of breaking a just law or an example of disobeying an immoral law? How does District 12 resemble areas of the U.S. during this recession? What are some adjectives you would use to describe Katniss’ feelings for her sister, Prim? Would you take the place of a more vulnerable child (sister, brother, or other) if you were in the same situation as Katniss? Why or why not? Does Katniss display any of the theological or cardinal virtues? If so, how and when? What are some of the contradictions that Katniss and Peeta encounter when they go to the Capitol? Does any of the media attention given to the twenty-four contestants remind you of television today? Do you see tendencies towards non-violence among the twenty-four contestants? How would you describe the strategy that Katniss takes during the Hunger Games? How would you describe Peeta’s strategy? Does Katniss’ decision to pretend to fall in love with Peeta in order to encourage further support in the game, lying? Which contestants retain their humanity throughout the story? Do the rules of the game change the immorality of killing? Do the rules change the culpability of those who choose to kill? Was Katniss and Peeta’s final act in the games heroic, immoral, or smart? Does Katniss buy into the actions of the country’s government throughout the film? How is she able to recognize its faults having been surrounded by it since birth? The New York Times Education section has an article called “The Odds Ever in Your Favor: Ideas and Resources for Teaching ‘The Hunger Games,’” providing additional resources for using this book in class You may also with to share the commentary of Fr. Robert Barron on the Hunger Games from his Word on Fire site.
