Amy-Deanna+Social+Networking+Assignment+1

Assignment #1
Expected time to complete this assignment: 10 minutes. After you have attended the webinar and read the blog pages about social networking, your individual homework assignment this week is to contribute to a list of Pros and Cons about the use of __social networking media__ in a faith formation context.


 * Pros **
 * Great tool for reaching large groups within the community (Claudia McIvor)
 * Saves time and paper! (Paula Penepent)
 * Quickly learn about struggles/success in the lives of those we minister to (Susan Leigh Baker)
 * it's a quick and easy way to share news links, pictures and videos with your audience (Debbie Parisi)
 * it is both a relevant and timely approach to meeting our participants where they are (Kelly Schreckenberger)
 * It is a way to build a group and connect groups, especially early in the year, when they are not part of each others' social group. (Kendra Lockhart)
 * Let parents and the larger community see all the great things you are doing as you are doing them (Maureen Rotramel)
 * A quick and convenient way to reach a lot of people you may otherwise not have contact. (Theresa Franks)
 * allows catechists to share resources for use in the classroom in a much easier fashion (Carolina Helsel)
 * Almost unlimited amount of resources and ideas - it makes it easier to get creative and try new things in the classroom or wherever you are presenting/teaching (Colleen Murray)


 * Cons **
 * Must be continually aware of what is being shared (Claudia McIvor)
 * There is a learning curve for those new to social networking (Paula Penepent)
 * Inflections are often lost in text and misunderstanding can occur (Susan Leigh Baker)
 * Postings of more controversial issues (i.e. Church teaching) can be read as offensive by some recipients (Debbie Parisi)
 * Those who do not have access to social networking (however few that may be, it is not insignificant) are left out of the loop. (Kelly Schreckenberger)
 * Some of the social media tools can become obsolete for some of the groups we communicate. We have to constantly be checking in with our groups to know what is the best method to communicate our information. (Kendra Lockhart)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Carving time out of an already busy day to do keep posts up to date and fresh (Maureen Rotramel)
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">It is impersonal and it is hard to build substantial relationships. (Theresa Franks)
 * Once something is shared/posted out there, it's out there - possibly seen by a multitude of people in a matter of minutes! We have to make sure our information is accurate and positive. (Carolina Helsel)
 * The time factor. It makes communication much easier and quicker, yet it seems to consume so much more time in order to stay connected and current both for those generating content and those reading/searching. (Colleen Murray)

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