Discussions about educational technology do not answer larger questions of educational philosophy, but I believe they must be at the forefront of any discussion regarding changing how we train people for ministry. Technological advances fuel the future. We cannot be married to technology, but we also cannot let our inability to be innovative (technologically) handicap us. Unlike many of our predecessors, we must unshackle ourselves and utilize the cutting edge.
ReadWriteWeb posted today about CourseSmart’s new iPhone app which will allow students to access textbooks from their iPhone. Right now, CourseSmart has over 7,000 eTextbooks available. This may very well provide competition for the Kindle.
A little over a month ago, I posted “Mobile Learning: iPhone, Kindle 2 and the Future of Christian Education” examining, among other things, the potential for Amazon’s Kindle to be used as an educational tool. “I think the Kindle 2 is a completely untapped resource for [Christian/ministry] education.”
ReadWriteWeb asks, “wouldn’t it be more advantageous for students if Amazon and its partners released a Kindle for the Desktop similar to the Kindle for an iPhone app? Some of the current eTextbook offerings, like CourseSmart, already give students the option to download eTextbooks for a considerable discount.” Good call. While the Kindle iPhone app is a little difficult to use, laptops would seem to be the perfect solution.
So, why won’t Amazon do this? Because they would then have to face the reality that you don’t really need an e-book reader if they would be willing to release all their library via laptop friendly apps. Oh well.
Earlier this week, I posted about the Future of Ministry Education and a discussion going on at The Road Less Traveled. The way it currently stands, when most churches identify someone they want to serve in the ministry, they send them to a Bible College or Christian University. But, what if there were no limits, traditions, or built in assumptions. What would be the best way to train people to do ministry?
Last week I took a few students from Castle Hills Christian Church, where I work as youth & young adult minister, on what we called the “Spring Break College Tour,” visiting Christian Colleges and Universities here in Texas. I had never stepped on the campus of Abeline Christian University or really even interacted with ACU until this trip. Right away, I was impressed, especially by their Mobile Learning Initiative.
At first, giving iPhones to incoming freshmen seemed a little gimmicky, but the longer I listened, the more I liked it. ACU truly seeking to integrate cutting edge mobile technology into the college experience. They have 22 ACU exclusive apps, everything from mobile quiz taking and downloadable class lectures, to a map of campus. As a result of the Mobile Learning Initiative, Alcatel-Lucent selected ACU as one of the first recipients of the Dynamic Enterprise Award.
I am not saying that ACU has achieved perfection in the arena of Christian Education (let alone ministry training). What I am saying is that they are doing something well. Most churches and Christian educational institutions are so far behind on technology. And, for so many people (especially 18 to 20 somethings, like those typically found enrolled in college) mobile technology is (like say the iPhone) integrated into their everyday lives. I believe many educational institutions are now realizing that the traditional models and methods of education won’t cut it any longer. Unfortunately, many of these institutions are caught in the “deer in headlights” type position. If this isn’t soon remedied, they will get run over. Students are becoming less and less tolerant of outdated education.
What ACU is doing, may not be enough though. Their model is still mostly limited to the come here and experience model. At some point, I believe, students will begin asking, if I can view all of my class lectures and take all of my quizzes on my newly acquired iPhone, can you explain to me why I have to pay you $30,000 a year and come to you? Is it all together possible that the future classroom will exist wherever you happen to be?
The iPhone has become a huge open-source market. Apple has given away development tools, and is encouraging developers to distribute their apps. This is an open door for Christian educators, churches, and ministry mentors to take the iPhone technology and run with it. They sky is the limit.
Along similar lines, I think the Kindle 2 is a completely untapped resource for [Christian/ministry] education. Completely portable. Under $400. Over 245,000 book are already available for download (and you can send a harassing e-mail request to the publisher of books not available). There are 2 features that I believe make the Kindle prime for educational use. One, you can highlight text, make notes and e-mail them. Can you say book report? Two, you can e-mail Word or PDF documents to the Kindle, like say class syllabus, notes, or assignments.
It doesn’t exists yet, but the ability to read socially via the Kindle doesn’t seem far off. If someone at Amazon saw potential for Kindle as an educational tool, I’m sure a software update would come quickly.
Discussions about educational technology do not answer larger questions of educational philosophy, but I believe they must be at the forefront of any discussion regarding changing how we train people for ministry. Technological advances fuel the future. We cannot be married to technology, but we also cannot let our inability to be innovative (technologically) handicap us. Unlike many of our predecessors, we must unshackle ourselves and utilize the cutting edge.
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