The Virtual Symposium Component
The Partnership for Adolescent Catechesis is excited to offer the opportunity for you to participate in the Virtual Symposium on Adolescent Catechesis!
What is a Virtual Symposium?
Given the size limitations of the on-site National Symposium that will be held November 5-8 in Baltimore with 100 people, the Virtual Symposium will allow a large number of participants to hear and see the same presentations and engage in the same discussion processes as those attending the live event. The Virtual Symposium will be hosted on the internet using WebEx technology. Virtual Symposium participants can choose to engage in the Real-Time Virtual Symposium (RTSV) or the At-Will Virtual Symposium (AWVS).
What is the difference between the Real-Time Virtual Symposium and the At-Will Virtual Symposium?
The Real-Time Virtual Symposium (RTVS) will be running live during the National Symposium on Adolescent Catechesis. It will be following the same schedule (on Eastern Standard Time), taking the same breaks, and beginning and ending at the same time as those on-site. Participants in the RTVS will need to block out the same schedule. Because of the computer server limitations, participation in the RTVS will be limited to 50 groups (i.e. a “group” equals one computer connection).
The At-Will Virtual Symposium (AWVS) will be a recorded
archiveof the National Symposium. Participating groups in the AWVS will be able to designtheir own schedule, once the actual Symposium has been completed. For example, your group could spread your AWVS over the course of several weeks, or participants could view the Symposium at home on their own computers and then gather for discussions, or groups could view and discuss only portions of the Symposium. The AWVS will be available on-line from November 15, 2008 to April 1, 2009.
Because the server limits 50 computer connections at one time, registration for both the RTVS and AWVS is required. There is no cost to participate in the virtual symposium.
Who can participate?
Well, virtually anyone! We do have recommendations.
Registered groups will have priority over individual users.
To gain the greatest value out of the experience, we recommend that you gather a diverse group of people together who have an invested interest in forming the faith of young people to view the Symposium sessions and engage in the table discussions. Your groups could be as small as 5-6 people or as large as 100. These invested people might include:
• Parish staffs
• Religion teachers at parish schools
• Parents
• Diocesan leaders
• Catechists
• Young People/Young Adults
The virtual symposium can be done as parish groups, deaneries or vicariates, (Arch)diocese, and schools.
How does it work?
• Registered groups will have priority over individual users. Individuals will be asked not to connect during specific time periods. Please consult the schedule before connecting.
• Determine if your group will engage in the Real-Time Virtual Symposium or the At-Will Virtual Symposium.
• If doing the At-Will, decide on the format and dates (please determine back-up dates in case specific time periods are full). We recommend that the leader preview the Symposium sessions to determine if all or just some of them should be used by the whole group. You will need to register to preview the Symposium as well.
• View the "Current Registrants" log. This log will give you the number of computers registered to view the Symposium during common time periods. It is recommended that you DO NOT select times that 40 or more groups are currently registered. The system will not allow more than 50 computers to log in at one time. If you choose to register during those times we cannot assure you a log-in.
• Register for the Virtual Symposium starting June 1, 2008.
• Invite participation. Consider having a group that has a mix of parish and school representatives.
• Participants should engage in the Pre-Symposium reading and reflection. Resources for this are available on the web-site.
• Set-up your Virtual Symposium site. (see “What technology do I need?”)
• Download discussion guide.
• Watch the symposium and lead your own discussions during the group discussion times that are built into the Symposium schedule. Record your group’s feedback.
• Complete and submit Virtual Symposium processing form using the provided template.
What Technology Do I Need?
• Computer with high-speed (cable or DSL) internet connection
• LCD or DLP projector (if watching Symposium as a group)
• Speakers that can connect to your computer or a microphone used to amplify the sound from your computer.
• WebEx is a free-standing program and will not require you to download any software
• Compatible with both PC and Mac systems
IMPORTANT: Set-up and test your computer, projector, and speakers a few days before the start of the Symposium. This will allow you to work out any bugs beforehand. Although WebEx can provide assistance with connecting to the Symposium, they do not (and neither does PAC) offer technical assistance regarding projector and sound set-up.
Questions?
Connection questions should be addressed to WebEx.
Registration, content, password, etc. questions should be addressed to ElaM@NFCYM.org
Helpful Links
Symposium Schedule
Current Registrants Log
Registration Form
Pre-Symposium Process for Virtual Participants
Resources