Liz+Girton


 * Please post your project proposal below in the following format:**
 * Project Title
 * Project Description
 * Project Goals
 * Audience Description
 * Projected Timeline
 * Technology To Be Utilized
 * Projected Budget
 * Do you need Departmental or Administrator approval? If yes, please indicate the steps you have taken.

Proposal Deadline: October 3, 2013

__ Note __ : Projects should be carried out in a two-month period following the Proposal deadline. All projects should be completed by November 14, 2013.

Elizabeth Girton Capstone Project Proposal __Project Title__: Diocesan Certification for the Over-extended Catechist __Project Description__: My ministry as the parish catechetical leader at my parish includes keeping my catechists current with our diocesan policy for basic and continuing formation in compliance with the vision set by the diocese. All of my catechists are sincere in their dedication to their faith and give generously of their time in preparation for their sessions with those whom they share the Word of God. They are all working at jobs outside their homes as well as having family obligations making it difficult to find the time that is just right for them to get together for training. As a Parish Catechetical Leader, I meet monthly with colleagues from our vicariate to provide them with two Saturdays set aside for Adult Formation with the catechists as a vital target of our efforts. Trying over the years to do this on various days and times has not worked in the past. So now with the skills I have developed in Digital Disciple Boot Camp I am dreaming of creating a method that the catechists will find fits into their schedule and that they will actually enjoy participating in together. To get my catechists to do more than just an occasional training session, for my capstone project I will build a blog to which they can add their shared wisdom and continue their formation at a time convenient to them in a sharing environment. Our blog site is called Basilica of St. Lawrence Catechists 2013 and is found at this blog address: [] Eventually, I want to open the same blog to any of the other Parish Catechetical Leaders in our diocese who would like to have their catechists take part in this type of learning community. I have had people from around the country trying to view the site but until my catechists are comfortable with this learning style I am keeping it private. In the near future I can see using the same type of instrument to help parents working with their children in sacramental preparation, RCIA, Adult learning ifor the parish, even sacramental preparation for the youth. __Project Goals __ __Audience __ For the present project, the audience will be a selected group of parish catechists. However, I can see how the same tool can be used for parent catechesis, sacramental formation, adult formation and in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. __Timeline __ All the catechists were sent an invitation to join the blog at the end of August. It took a little assistance but finally they all were onboard. Some have participated more than others which is why I want to encourage the ones who are using it regularly to invite the others to join in the conversation. In September I added two more posts with the intention of adding one post a week through the month of October now that the catechists are familiar with this tool. I want to evaluate the blog’s usefulness for the goals I set for this project using an online survery at the end of October. By November 1, I will see if I need to change my approach and evaluate the usefulness of the blog with ITSE standards. __Technology to be used __
 * Create a private blog for my parish catechists as a tool for furthering their catechetical formation to meet parish and diocesan guidelines.
 * Create a community of digital disciples who are excited about sharing their faith with each other.
 * Using “Catechist Magazine”, challenge the catechists to read current materials that will increase their skills within their ministry.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Include articles that will also encourage catechists to develop a closer relationship with Jesus Christ which they can then share with those with whom they minister as well as other catechists.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Form leaders within the catechists who will encourage any catechist who is not participating whether it is because of fear, time or whatever the circumstances, so that I as the Parish Catechetical Leader do not come off as a taskmaster.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Blog – Wordpress
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Email
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Links to articles related to the topic of the blog
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">PowerPoint presentation
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Imbeded a YouTube into one post
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Imbeded a Wordle in one post
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Goggle forms for a self-guided quiz
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Google Drive
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Digital story telling
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">On-line Survey tool - Survey Monkey

__<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt;">Projected Budget __ <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 1.5;">Minimal amount which will be covered under my budget for Faith Formation. __<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 1.5;">Do you need Departmental or Administrator approval? __ <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 1.5;">Yes, I need my pastor’s approval and my diocesan supervisor’s approval both of which I have already secured.

Link to Liz Girton Essay

Link to Liz Girton Article