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Assignment #2
Expected time to complete this assignment: 30 minutes

Read the entire statement from the USCCB Communications Committee report to the 2011 Fall General Assembly. It's not very long.

Social media: Friend or Foe, Google or Hornswoggle? []

While you are reading, be aware of words of phrases that might apply to our topic of wikis. Now post a short reflection about what impressed you the most in the USCCB statement. If you would like to reference or other Church documents or statements, please do. If you can create a hyperlink to the document, even better!

Example: I was impressed that the bishops recognize the evangelization opportunity created by social media. That could apply to wikis, too. If wikis allow ANYONE to contribute, maybe I could set up pa wiki for two Catholic schools to collaborate in a project. I think my junion high students might enjoyh that. I have been searching for a project where they can articulate their faith in a new way. -posted by Claudia

POST YOUR REFLECTIONS ON YOUR COACH'S PAGE

It is really wonderful to see that the Bishops are seeing the value in using digital media. I think there is a lot of values in using all the social media tools and I feel that we just need to find what works best in our churches seating and start enhancing our ideas and sharing more. **Susan Noble**


 * Paula Penepent** - First, I am hoping that this is my Coaches' page and would appreciate an indication if this is s...as the last time I posted on the page for the assignment in which we commented on one of the Bishop's documents on Social Media only a few replied which makes me wonder if there was another place that is the "Coaches' page and I am missing it.


 * Paula you are in the right place...we have it divided out so you will not see everyone's post...We have so many people that we don't want to miss anyone's post or assignment.**

...So, for this assignment, I think that Bishop Herzog is right on target when he indicates how important social media is by indicating that it is a paradigm shift of equal caliper to the invention of the printing press and the accessibility of Scriptures to the people. Further, he made two relevant points that need to be taken seriously. One, the need for training for digital immigrants and the second asking the serious questions of what is it that we can let go of in our given ministries in order to develop true social media sites. No one can keep adding more and more to their positions of leadership and expect sites that are up to date, interactive and relevant as well as faithful to the Church's teaching without adequate time dedicated to maintaining this new form of relationship. I know I can be quite overwhelmed with the day to day busyness of my ministry and further I can guarantee that the times of the year when most people would participate in social media sites created through the diocesan office I work in - these would be times I would be least able to be updating and interacting. So, on multiple levels challenges are present ... but the benefits, vision for evangelization and need to be engaged far outweigh any challenges that lay before us ... Simply, we don't have time to waste, the new paradigm is here!


 * Colleen Murray** - What impressed me most about the article was: "It’s more than just learning how to create a Facebook account. It’s learning how to think, live and embrace life on the Digital Continent." It is a paradigm shift for us non-natives and is harder for some than others. It's not just a matter of having a page or an account (as the article said, "if we build it, they will come" doesn't hold true for social media). It's about reaching people and building community. Wikis certainly can be one effective way to do this. But people of faith also want to know how to use it effectively and be trained as missionaries, or "immigrants" in this digital culture. At a previous job, when we were trying to become more present in social media and learn best practices and practical guidelines, I researched these considerations from a general nonprofit perspective. I found this website very helpful (http://www.idealware.org/reports/social-media). It has some free downloads of guides and surveys about choosing, planning, and implementing a social media presence.

**Debbie Parisi** – The article makes two very important points about **social media** that cannot be overstated:
 * “**Almost half of Americans classified as the baby boomers** – born between 1947 and 1964 – **have a Facebook account**. Social media may have started with the younger generation, but it is now a very useful tool to reach Catholics of all ages.”
 * “**Young people use it as their first point of reference**. In other words, they’re not even going to their email to get information. The news, entertainment, their friends – are all coming to them through their mobile devices and through their social networks.”

This article was written in 2010, and by my own observations the use of social media and apps has further exploded since then. I myself am a baby boomer who no longer uses email as a source for information. In fact, I rarely check my home email more than once a week. Email has become the "snail mail" of this generation. I can attest from my own personal experience that it is much easier and quicker to get news and information through social media outlets. It has become part of my daily routine to scan the headlines via [|Flipboard], which conveniently links Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more in one convenient location.

I am very curious as to what constituted "the list of seven possible resources" that diocesan communications directors were asked to rate, seeing as "nearly six out of ten chose all seven resources as useful or very useful." This social media thing is here to stay, and we’d better get comfortable using it ourselves. It IS the way people are communicating with each other today, and we need to meet them where they are. However, the tools are only as good as the personnel using them; and I am pleased that the need for training and guidelines for its use are being addressed.

**Maureen Rotramel** - While I did not see much that specifically speaks to using wikis, Bishop Herzog's analysis of the need for social media in its various forms and for the Church to respond with training and personnel resources seems spot on. As I was reading this I kept thinking how I need to forward this to the people at our parish (yes, through email and maybe even print it out for one or two!) as we keep having this same discussion over and over about designating one or two people to be in charge of social media at the parish and having a specific plan in place. As for using wikis, his comments seems to validate the need to recognize the power social media, such as wikis, can have as far as evangelization and catechesis goes - to go beyond the "traditional" models we have always used but also recognizing that we don't completely abandon the old either!

**Jonathan Sansgaard** - Our office manager position came down to someone who was well qualified and the perfect fit for what we wanted, and one who was a digital native. We chose the digital native even though her qualifications were not as high as other candidates. I think the multiple points in the article make it clear that the church needs to become inculturated into this digital nation, but I also think it is important to seek out and invite in those who are already digital natives. This is not to dismiss the need for education among immigrants, but to become learners alongside those who are already in the know. I also think the awareness that a digital presence is not just about having an account - Facebook, Twitter, etc. - but even more about having a plan. Knowing the resources may get you started, but knowing how they should function is key.

**Carolina Helsel** - The article touches upon some very important points concerning the Catholic church and social media. I agree with Pope Benedict that it is "a great opportunity for evangelization." We need to meet people where they are with relevant information that will amplify their faith life and encourage their presence in mass, as well as other church fellowship activities. These days social media outlets are the primary means by which we attain all our information (weather, latest news, church activities, finances, personal communications, etc...). We are shrewd to notice the significance of joining the digital age, as a church. Even more so, it's good to read that the church is also aware of the need to train its staff on the use and implementation of the various social media tools. As a group we can take the beauty and relevance of our church traditions and teachings to a new age via the use of technology. We can let this opportunity pass us by.

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