I am proud to have a guest writer to my blog, Bridget G. Bridget is a senior in the Prendie Division at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School. During her years in high school Bridget has been involved in many activities including: cross-country, indoor and outdoor track, the Respect Life Club, Community Service Corps, National Honor Society, the school newspaper, and the school ministry team. She is a tremendous representative of our school community and I am privileged to post her writing here.
Sr. Kathleen Looby, I.H.M.
The beginning of the 21st Century will forever be marked by advancements in technology. Sister Kathleen Looby has embraced this great technological change. Sister Kathleen teaches Theology to freshmen at Bonner & Prendergast Catholic High School. She, too, attended and graduated from Prendie. She then further continued her education at Immaculata University where she graduated with a major in Biology and Theology. From there, Sister received an MA from Notre Dame Institute in conjunction with the Angelicum in Rome. Sister Kathleen’s involvement in technology began when she worked in the new library at Immaculata. Computer systems were replacing outdated filing systems, so everything in the library was being documented on the computer. Maybe this foreshadows Sister’s interest in using computers as part of her teaching.
Sister Kathleen has always wanted to keep up with the times, whether that meant replacing cassettes with CDs or upgrading from movie rolls to DVDs. Teaching the same curriculum every year can force a teacher into somewhat of a rut. Students also grow disinterested or bored when a teacher simply lectures in front of the class. Sister enjoys making her classes more relevant and interesting. Sister Kathleen believes, and many will agree, that students learn better by doing rather than listening. Students are more excited when they walk into class and see the computers on their desk instead of notes to copy. Time is better spent actually engaging in the learning.
Computers open many educational opportunities. Sister Kathleen has her students access the Internet and Google to find articles for information about the formation of the Bible and the location of important Biblical places. This in depth information is not always available in an ordinary textbook. Quizlet and Wordle make memorizing theology terms easier and more fun. Learning to present in front of peers is a valuable lesson to learn and develop. This is done through Sister’s use of both PowerPoint and Prezi. Every student already knows how to use YouTube, but now students use it for educational videos and spiritual music.
Sister Kathleen hopes using technology in her classes will benefit her students both now and in the future. She wants to develop skills in thinking critically and collaborating with each other. Sparking her students’ creativity is another added plus of using technology. The ability to find, organize, and communicate information well and efficiently is important for being good students and good workers.
Technology is becoming part of people’s everyday life. It is important to bring that aspect of students’ life into the classroom. Technology is important for advancing in this world, so learning how to use it properly is necessary to excel.
Love the idea of a guest blog…..Bridget you did a great job. You highlighted a great teacher who recognizes that one needs to keep learning themselves to help their students learn. Sister Kathleen seems to be a forward thinking educator who will lead by example. Thanks for sharing!
Bridget, there’s nothing more motivating to an educator than positive remarks from a student. Thanks for taking the time to do this. Very well written. Best to you
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Bridget, I teach 8th grade in South Phila. It was really nice to see how much you appreciate Sister’s efforts in teaching your class using 21st century skills. Teachers are so used to evaluating students that they very rarely hear evaluations of their own teaching. On behalf of all teachers, thanks for recognizing our efforts to be collaborators in your learning journey. Well done!
It’s great to see this article about one of my favorite people, written by one of our favorite students! Sr. Kathleen is awesome and “constant learner” is a wonderful way to characterize her. She is also generous in sharing her ideas and her enthusiasm is contagious! Sister is modest in her achievements and talents so I will say it here – she is on the very best teachers ever and we are lucky to have her. I am grateful I have had the opportunity to work with her and learn from her. Way to go, SKL! Good job, Bridget!