Question about New Curriculum and the Gospel Library


andypg
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I'm a Sunday School President 

 

The Gospel Principle book changed a couple of years ago.

I just got the 2015 curriculum order in and it is a new President of church book of course, that is the only change this year.

The Sunday School Youth Classes changed 2 years ago as well.

 

What is changing is how we teach classes. We've done 2 training sessions in the Ward so far and I've had a couple from the stake.

 

A focus more on bringing the spirit into the room and less on the facts and figures.

 

As an example it is more important to feel the spirit and believe that young Joseph Smith went into the sacred grove and spoke with God. His age and the date it happened is nice to know but not as important.

 

And yes the church is encouraging us to make more use of multi-media and to use more of those resources where we can. For example we ordered less President of the Church Manuals and are encouraging members who use electronic means to NOT take a manual.

 

Manuals for other classes will change at some point but nothing has been said as of yet.

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Some select areas will see a some differences in the curriculum for 2015, mostly in that they will be presented (taught) more in the same format of the youth program that was rolled out a few years back ... this is part of a development process for an adult curriculum change, though like LDSValley said, the material being taught is not changing so much as is the way it is being taught.

The test is not on names & dates & places, rather the test is in our understanding & application of the Principles of the Gospel, our ability to incorporate them into our day-to-day lives and to teach others the Gospel not just by spoken word but also by actions/example, through the direction & guidance of the Spirit.

My Stake President stated it very clearly ... Teach by the Spirit & teach the spirit of those things in which we are instructing.  The Spirit giveth life, the word or getting hung up on the details taketh life.   

 

Many of the lessons I encounter tend to be full of speculation of what is/was meant by something & frequently veer off-topic& even offend some as a result ... I find it interesting that such emphasis is placed on the words rather then the spirit.  The greatest strength in testimony does not come from someone else telling us or debating their belief or interpretation of the meaning, but rather through our own personal study and prayer seeking out the meaning.

 

As for buying the Teachings of the Prophets series ... I don't think the church will ever do away with access to the electronic versions, rather just the opposite, they are promoting the electronic versions.  Electronic format readily reaches beyond the membership much farther & faster then do the printed books. 

For me, I use the electronic versions all the time; however, I also have the complete set on the bookshelf ... I get a few reminders every year (severe spring T-storms & heavy winter snows that knock out the power for several days at a time), those electronic versions are not always accessible when you need or want them ... & without electricity & being snowed-in for several days, it gets pretty boring without board games to play (I HATE board games) & books to read.

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Our present Gospel Doctrine teachers are already following the same format that the Youth SS has been doing for 2 years. If you haven't read the lesson, you are going to be lost and not contributing very much. 

 

Now if the RS would follow suit. Personally I have never liked being read to, be it RS class or a *talk* at sacrament. 

 

We recently changed Youth SS teachers. The new one is young - barely 30 something - and a fast talker. She taught seminary in her old ward. Well, my husband (who is SS President) audited her class today, and he couldn't understand half of what she was saying or *teaching*. After the block, the students cornered husband and complained about the teacher. To sum it up: We were talked AT, not facilitated. Can you get her to slow it down??? Can you get her to stop "Broad Casting" please????  

 

So he called her this early evening, saying that this call was a follow up to his email to her two weeks ago, he asked if she had gone to lds.org, to the Come Follow Me pages? Nope, not yet. He asked her to please do so before next Sunday. 

 

Two years ago, the Youth SS Teacher was a returned Senior Missionary, in her mid to late 60's, she and my husband coined the term Facilitator, to replace Teacher to describe the Adult in the class. The kids loved her, and responded eagerly to the new format. She emailed, texted and called them during the week. Expecially the students who were really shy, and also the new from Primary kids. She was prepared to *facilitate* if the student floundered, or was hit with stage fright. She would still be teaching - -'er, Facilitating, but she and husband are on a mission in the Philippines. 

 

I have been told by some of the students themselves and quite a few Mom's & Grandma's that they love it when my husband *teaches*. They learn more, and enjoy responding and participating in class. One grandma quoted her granddaughter: Br. Iggy doesn't broadcast, he doesn't spend the entire class time talking at and "preaching at" us. And when we come up with an answer that is better than the one he was thinking of, his eyes light up and he tells us right then and there - That is a great answer - Thank You.

 

Proud of my hubby, Proud of the youth in our branch too.

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From what I've been hearing, there is going to be a new curriculum starting in 2015. Will this mean they'll be getting rid of the current curriculum on the Gospel Library app? If so, I may need to purchase a hard copy of the Gospel Principles book just in case.

dunno that sounds like more work than just archiving the current years, and just adding a new section for the new stuff. does your app have a website listed on it somewhere?

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Deseret News says that this new curriculum will be more technology-based. I find this worrying, as the only technology I have access to is my cell phone, which is what I use to come into here.

it would seem weird to me that the church would ever put more of the required stuff in digital format while leaving out portions it's paper medium.... so I don' think we'll have to worry about that as that would seem to go against the principle of recording. such a statement seems to me to say that it will be optimized for digital media as well, it also suggest possibly that it's integration will be more complete. also with a digital form it's also a lot easier to link to outside sources.

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