Ruth+Blogging+Assignment+1

Assignment #1
Expected time to __complete__ written assignments: 20 - 30 minutes Please note that there are two parts to this assignment.

After you have attended the __webinar__ and read the blog pages about //Blogging: Sharing My Personal Faith Story//, your individual homework assignment this week is to identify one or two blogs that are interesting to you and to share why these ministers blog.

Part 1 : What is their passion?

Using the Catholic Blog Directory ([]), scan through the various titles. Pick three titles that interest you. Read about the author and pick one or two blog posts to read. What are you noticing about the blogs you have scanned? In a paragraph or two, identify what you notice about the author and the mission of the blog. What is their passion?
 * Please remember to include the Name of the blog (and URL) with your comments. If possible, try to pick blogs that others are not commenting on. The main focus of this assignment is to identify WHY these authors are writing their blogs. What is their passion?
 * Name:
 * Blog title + URL
 * Why is this author writing their blog? What is their passion?

Example:
 * Name: Caroline Cerveny
 * Catholic Web Solutions - []
 * Sr. Susan Wolf is a blogger who wants to help religious communities think strategically about integrating the Internet and Social Media into their mission; to develop a plan and then implement it. Using these new media we can enhance our member services, ourmembership recruitment and our outreach.

Another Example from Dave Gruber:

1) Catechist's Journey - [] Joe Paprocki, D.Min.  Joe has been a parish catechist for years and also serves as a catechetical consultant & author with Loyola Press.  He is committed to offering a forum on this blog sharing his journey and experience as a catechist with catechists from all over and invites us to share our experiences & ideas in catechetical ministry. 2) Erin's Blog - [] A clearinghouse of catechetical information for the Diocese of St. Augustine Erin McGeever - Director of Christian Formation, Youth and Young Adult Ministry Diocese of St. Augustine I first met Erin in person a couple of years ago in Atlanta at NCCL after being in contact with one another for some months about a possible position in that Diocese. She has an extremely limited budget and only 1 or 1-1/2 diocesan staff members, therefore she utilizes the blog just as described in the tagline above. 3) Maria Lai, CSJ - http://sisterrosehomepage.com Sister Rose is passion on Digital Media Formation. She is using her blog to teach and communicate with all her students and shares some catechesis with the Digital learners through media. Rose's blog is very informative. It is short and clear and always updated with wonderful material.

Blogs Reviewed by Teri Burns: 1) dotMagis, the blog of IgnatianSpirituality.com Various bloggers, but the editor is Jim Manney A service of Loyola Press, a ministry of the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus, this blog shares information on and experiences of Ignatian spirituality, encouraging all who read to find God in all things. 2) http://escapeadulthood.com/blog/ Kim & Jason Kotecki Kim & Jason are passionate about working to annihilate adult-itis. They encourage all adults to stay connected to the child of God within them, to draw from the simple joy and pleasure of living. Their blog is very upbeat, and challenges all who read to be a little wacky to better enjoy life.

Blogs reviewed by Angie McElveen: 1. Jared Dees Blog Title: The Religion Teacher [] This author is writing his blog to help other catechists with their teaching of the sacraments and other aspects of Religious Education. His passion seems to be teaching and helping religion teachers. He writes lesson plans that are exciting and engaging and also posts the worksheets or printables that he used so they may be reproduced.

2. Joe Paprocki Blog Title: Catechists Journey: Purchasing Objects for Your Prayer Table [] The author is writing this blog to give catechists new ideas to use in a Religious Education setting. This particular blog focised on th items needed for a prayer kit. Prayer kits may be used at home or in the RE classroom. It is clear that the author's sole purpose is to educate catechists and this is his passion.

Blogs reviewed by Rosemary Potts 1. Monica McConkey Blog Title: Equipping Catholic Families [] This author is a Catholic mother who is passionate about making our faith active and experiential for children. The purpose of this blog is to pass along creative ways to share our faith as well as age appropriate stories of saints and doctrine that we can use with our children. She also passes along information on materials for purchase for families to use - which is a frequent question religious education departments hear.

2. Todd Flowerday and John Donaghy Blog Title: Catholic Sensibility [] The authors are lay missionaries who both comment on current events as well as Catholic events of note. They also breakdown Church documents so that they make sense (the "sensibility" part of the name) to the common folk - like me.

Blogs reviewed by Ivy Foo 1)Fr Chris, Singapore Blog Title:Breaking the Word http://breaking-the-word.blogspot.com the blogger is Fr Chris from Singapore and he posts his homily on his blog page.Its another way for me to read (listen) to the homily from another priest in another country and yet hear the same message in last Sundays gospel

2) Peter -Catholic Churches Visited http://69.195.124.239/~dotirome/ Blogger Peter started blogging about the different churches he's visited on 1/11/11. It's just his opinion when he shares his blog abt the church,the priest,music,homily ,capacity,membership makeup,etc. he has written abt churches in San Francisco, San. Diego, Boston, Ocean City, but mainly from his surrounding hometown of Michigan. His blog abt St Patricks Cathedral in New York was very enlightening,the cathedral being a main tourist attraction.

Post your comments, then continue on to Part 2, below

// Parrt 2 : Do you agree or disagree?// //**After listening to Scott Rosenberg's video,**// **10 Myths About Blogs//, do you agree or disagree with what Scott states in the video? Why? Please post your name with your answer//**

//**For example:**// //Scott Rosenberg's video,// 10 Myths About Blogs,// gave a sometimes humorous but pointed critique of the typical arguments against the legitimacy of blogging. I have to admit that some of these Myths have been some of my own! Viewing this video gave me an opportunity to look at some of these arguments and to think about blogs and bloggers differently. As Rosenberg seemed to imply, blogs and bloggers each need to be evaluated on their own merits, just as individual authors or newspaper writers. It was interesting as well to hear him speak of 'lifecycles' of blogs. Whereas blogs seemed before to sometimes to be merely 'flash-in-the-pan' and 'transitory' in nature, perhaps they are more correctly tools which can serve issues of 'immediacy' and of a 'here-and-now' nature which are time-limited. The specific blogs must then be judged against the whole of others on the same topic to discern the authority and legitimacy and veracity of the opinions and thoughts which are discussed. Pat Ruthemeyer

Rosemary Potts: I find it interesting that this video was produced in 2009 - five years ago and that there are many of us who are just now understanding the impact of blogging. I would agree with what Scott Rosenberg states in the video - especially in light of the time span. In some ways, the myth statements are of the absolute nature and Scott is quick to point out that "the truth lies somewhere in the middle". Blogging has not replaced journalism, but in some ways I feel - it has provided some with an opportunity to use their informal journalistic talents - from which we all receive benefit. I most especially agree with the comparisons to print media - all the "myths" could replace the word "blogging" with "magazines" or "newspapers" and still have those publications who fit and don't fit the myths.

Angie McElveen: I agree with all of the points made in the video - some more than others. For example when Mr. Rosenburg points out that bloggers provide the reader with experiements to help figure things out, or he says that the bloggosphere is whoever you read, I agree with those points. He goes on to say that it is a myth that bloggers can't be trusted. I believe it depends on the reputation and following of the blogger as to whether their points are relevant and should be taken into consideration. I agree with Rosemary above in the fact that the video was produced in 2009 and I didn't even catch on to blogs until very recently. I didn't even know that the millions of blogs existed. One thing is for sure, there are not too many blogs, because they are like books or magazines, where you choose the ones you want to read (when time permits!).

Ivy Foo: Wow! Like Rosemary and Angie, I am surprised that this video was done in 2009.. In 2010, I met a couple from Colorado who was travelling in Perth, Australia. We were on a winery tour together.They told me that their travel expenses were paid for from blogging about their adventures. Guess it's too late to join the band wagon and have my travel expenses paid for huh? Scott Rosenberg was correct when he said that to "**__Blog well, one has to learn to link well".__** This seems true from the couple's experience as their travel blog income fluctuates based on the number of hits they get.It is true that blogs are the "product of someone's passion, that they are learning and we are too". Well, there is room for everyone on the blogging world. As the saying goes "TO EACH HIS OWN".