Sunday Software’s Email Newsletter
August 2008 (excerpts)
From Neil MacQueen
A copy of this enews can be seen at www.sundaysoftware.com/enews.htm
If you are having trouble receiving this enews, put neil@sundaysoftware.com in your email program’s addressbook.
1. Match Software to your Story
2. Watch out for Software recommendations found in published curriculum
3. Neil’s #1 Lesson Plan Tip
4. Tips on Buying a New Computer, and Vista
5. How to Save Money when Ordering with Us
...plus, tips on stretching your software budget
6. Spotlight: Awesome Bible Stories CD
10 Donut Holes per Sunday…
The cost of
software per week per kid is about the cost of
2 donut holes and a cup of juice.
A new Sunday School computer costs about
8 Donut Holes per week.
Read this and other amazing true revelations at www.sundaysoftware.com/cost.htm
1. Match Software to Your Story
See our Bible Story Cross Reference for all major Bible stories at www.sundaysoftware.com/crossref.htm -or- email me your list of stories and topics for the year, and I’ll send you back a list of recommendations.
2. Watch-out for software recommendations found in some Published curriculum
Some of the software recommendations found in published curriculum are out-of-date, or simply NOT GOOD. Some published lesson plans are many years old by the time you see them. And some lessons have been written by people who have little or no experience teaching with software. Check our recommendations against theirs, and feel free to email me or call me.
See our Bible Story cross-reference which lists ALL the good software which covers a particular story. www.sundaysoftware.com/crossref.htm. The cross-reference also has LINKS to the scope and sequences of published curriculum which include computer lesson plans, -and our software recommendations for their stories.
3. Neil’s #1 Lesson Plan Tip
Outline your lesson on a whiteboard at the beginning of every class.
· It will help the STUDENTS know what to expect and focus on (and reduce anxiousness).
· It will help YOU organize your thoughts and remind you of tasks.
· It will help your ASSISTANTS know what to emphasize, say, ask, and do.
Include:
o How much time to spend on each lesson step,
o Software navigation notes.
o Key Verse & Vocabulary
o Key Questions for the day
Outline your lesson even for non-readers, because the outline is as much for you and your helpers -as it is for them. And…they will focus on what you are saying as you draw it out for them.
For more lesson plan and classroom tips, read my book: Teaching with Computers in Christian Education www.sundaysoftware.com/book.htm
4. Buying New Computers for Sunday School
Vista or XP? --I like Vista and it’s a good choice for a new computer, but it can’t run 2 popular titles in our catalog, and you may have to ‘tweak’ it to run another 2 or 3 titles. See all our Vista tech notes at www.sundaysoftware.com/vista-list.htm
Buying New? --You can still get XP loaded computers. Dell is selling Dimension desktops (renamed “Vostro”) in their business section which come loaded with XP Pro, and a copy of the Vista upgrade disk, should you later want to upgrade to Vista. They come with a 19” flatscreen for under $550.
Processors: Dual Core is pretty much standard these days. But even a “lowly” 1.8 ghz processor is fine for use with kids. You won’t be crunching data or having 4 programs open at one time.
Ram: 1 gigabyte of Ram is plenty for a computer that’s running just one program at a time –as is often the case with kids. Many manufacturers upgrade to 2gb for free.
Videochips: The basic graphic chips found in “most” brand name computers (Dell, Sony, Gateway) are FINE for what you’re going to use it for. This wasn’t the case a few years ago. This advice does NOT apply to off-brand/cheapie PCs.
Monitors: 19” minimum for 2 to 3 kids per computer. Most 19” flatscreens today are good and not expensive.
A New Computer Costs about 8 Donut Holes per week… The average new computer will last about 8 years in Sunday School. Use it 40 weeks a year = 320 uses “just” for Sunday School. Divide $550 by 320 uses and you get $1.71 CENTS PER USE…. Or, the cost of 8 donut holes a week. See the full article at www.sundaysoftware.com/cost.htm
See my latest hardware minimums at www.sundaysoftware.com/techie.htm
5. Tips on Saving Money on Software
Ordering Tips and Tricks…. See the full article at www.sundaysoftware.com/orderingtips.htm
Includes: How to get the quantity pricing on one preview copy, and “How not to blow $1000 of God’s money.”
Stretching your Software Budget …. See the full article at www.sundaysoftware.com/stretching.htm
Includes tips for new computer
labs, scheduling tricks that same software $$, and how to save money during
certain times of the year.
The Real
Cost of Software
… A computer lab software library for FOUR computers will cost you between
$3 and $6 PER
WEEK (40 wks per year) over 8 years. That’s less than many
churches spend on their ART project materials each week. And about what many
teachers spend on donuts and juice each week. See the full article at
www.sundaysoftware.com/cost.htm
6. Software Spotlight: Awesome Bible Stories CD
Each
story is lovingly and humorous animated & retold for kids. Each story has a
game, study notes and reflection activity.
Here are some HIGHLIGHTS found in each story…
Creation -- In Gabby’s Creation Power Poem activity, kids select from a pallet of words spoken by God in Genesis 1 to create a new poem of creation that gets spoken out loud by Gabby, the program’s animated narrator.
Adam & Eve -- the interactive/illustrated study notes and questions really dig into this story as a parable about confession and forgiveness. Students use “Gabby Talker” to rephrase what should have been Adam & Eve’s admission of guilt before God.
Jacob & Esau –this huge story is retold in compact and humorous form, and includes a story quiz disguised as a sumo wrestling game between Jacob and God.
Esther – this enormous story is retold like a Purim story, complete with a “Boo Haman” button, and videoclip of a modern Jewish synagogue’s Purim festival.
Parable of the Talents (the servant who buried his master’s wealth) – students create their own version of this story as they go through it, selecting from new words to mean the same thing (which gives you dozens of version of the story that are possible). Narrated notes “unpack” the story’s rich imagery. A Stewardship Game for up to 2 players highlights what kids can do to not bury what God has given them.
Zaccheus – after encountering the story, students can play the “Zappin Zaccheus” quiz game, and engage in an interactive reflection about “how does your faith measure up?”
See the full outline and
description at
www.sundaysoftware.com/awesome
Windows and Mac, 400mhz and
higher. 6 mb videoram minimum.
Print the new free student worksheets for
Awesome Bible Stories at
www.sundaysoftware.com/tips
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Shipping Reminder:
If you need it for early September, order it now to beat the rush.
Coming Mid-August ….the free Exodus Adventures CD update!
Game 3 “the Promised Land” will be added for free to your existing installation. Some Game 1 and 2 improvements will also be part of the free download. Watch for details in the next email newsletter.
<>< Neil MacQueen
1-800-678-1948