Introduction | The
Secret to Using Diary | Diary
Background | 10 Steps Outline
Teaching Tips & Sample Lesson Plan
| Locations of Quest Game's 10 Scrolls
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Introduction
Disciple's Diary is a marvelously rich multimedia database
about Jesus. The main feature of the program are 10 Periods in
the Life of Christ as narrated by "The Disciple." After
each of these short presentations the student can search the
CD's content for that period by using the Search Jar (an icon
seen during the narrated presentations. This same information,
plus some new features and material are also arranged into a
Quest Game that takes students through the CD's content. At the
beginning of the program you can select either the Quest Game
or the Archive/10 Periods section.
Disciple's Diary is receiving a new wave of fans after several
years being thought of as an "advanced program for advanced
teachers." The guide you have in front of you is a breakthrough
in understanding that makes Diary easier to use for more people.
These important teaching insights from come some of Diary's early
fans. Through trial and error, experience and insight, they have
made Disciple's Diary a much easier program for all.
I'm really proud of this particular guide. It truly represents
what Sunday School Software Ministries is all about....finding
the good software....sticking with it.....learning how best to
use it...and sharing these teaching insights with others. Of
course, this electronic document can change. Your suggestions
are welcome.
A reminder: Much of the information and stories about Jesus
in Disciple's Diary are paralleled in two other popular programs:
Life of Christ and A Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus. Each presents
its material in a unique way. Used in combination with each other,
students have an tremendous wealth of material.
<>< Neil MacQueen
The
SECRET to making DISCIPLE'S DIARY easy to use:
Instead of plowing right into the Archive of the program --go
to the STEPS under the Archway in the Archive menu screen.
The Archway is labeled "Periods in the Life of Jesus."
You can see them in the picture here --the Archway left of the
Bible. Unlike the rest of the Archive which throws the entire
contents of Diary at you (thus making it difficult to sift through),
the Archway Steps or Periods organize this vast archive into
ten neat and tidy units or lessons.
More on the breakthrough....
Each of the ten steps is really a lesson. The Disciple offers
up a 4 to 7 minute narration of that period in Jesus' life --and
then something very important happens.... the SEARCH JAR appears
as a jar icon on the narration scroll. When opened from the
parchment (see illustration below) the Jar selects only
those elements from the archive related to what the Disciple
just talked about in the narration.
The Search Jar throws all Diary's vast content at you if
you use the Jar in the main area of the Archive (pictured above).
Frankly....this is what was making Diary so hard to use.
Teachers and students were approaching the program through the
Jar in the Archive rather than the Jar in the narrations where
the material is organized better. When you use the Steps in the
Archway, you can plan a lesson around each step --listening to
the narration and then browsing related information collected
by the Jar.
Steps = Scrolls = Periods The "steps"
in the Archway are called "periods" and also "scrolls."
It's a bit confusing but the ten scrolls in the Quest game are
indentical in period to the steps under the Archway. This was
throwing some teachers off a bit who were searching the ten scrolls
found in the main Search Jar in the main room of the Archive
NOT realizing that the term "scroll" corresponded to
the "steps" in the Archway.
How can you use this steps = period = scroll info?
As a navigational shortcut....
For example: Say you're studying The Birth of Jesus but don't
want to use the narration. You can shorcut right into the Search
Jar in the Main Archive, move the slider until you come to Scroll
#1, then look at what can be found in Scroll #1 ...it's the same
material the Jar automatically would have called up for
you were you to have gone into Step #1, listened to the narration
and then clicked on the scroll icon on the narration parchment.
This one simple automatic and organizational trick that Diary
makes under the archway makes the program much easier to teach
with.
The 10 scrolls or steps in the Archive are the exact same
ones used in the QUEST GAME.
Other program observations: Disciple's Diary
includes an excellent article database for serious student
and teacher researchers. Some of these articles should be printed
out for teacher background. Some of the special multimedia
materials can only be found in the Quest Game, including
the spectacular tour of Caesarea Philippi and the satellite map
fly-overs. The 40 minute video presentation on the Life
of Jesus (found on the shelf in the Archive) is an entertaining
weaving together of many of Diary's video segments into a narrative.
To access only a portion of it, use the fast forward button.
Some interesting background
on Disciple's Diary
Diary was produced in Israel by three Israeli software companies
and the Center for the Study of the Early Christian Church in
Israel. It's former American distributor and financier was Word
Media -which was bought by Thomas Nelson Publishers. The Israeli
team which made Diary had previously worked on Israeli airforce
software! ...among other projects. Sunday School Software is
now the exclusive distributor and tech support provider for Disciple's
Diary.
Our Techie Notes: Diary says it will run on
a 486/33 or Mac 68030/25. No way. This CD really needs a +75mhz
chip, 16mb+ ram, and definitely a 12x CD or higher. Some of the
clues and the scroll niche in the Quest Game work frustratingly
slow on slower machines. If you're using a really slow CD drive
you may find certain Quest Game features difficult to use.
If you have any problems running Diary's videos, make sure
you've installed Diary's Quicktime program (located on the disc).
Turning down the hardware accelerator in
Win 95/98 advanced Display settings may help solve strange Quicktime
video errors. The tech support number that comes with the program
no longer supports Diary. Contact our ministry for help and new
Diary tech support information.
OUTLINE
to the Ten Steps Under the Archway in the Disciple's Archive
I've given brief outlines of each step, plus don't miss
highlights from the video selections the Jar icon presents
you with when clicked. The artwork and other items are interesting
too but it is the videos which are most special and thus outlined
here.
These 10 steps correspond very nicely with the stained
glass window menus in A Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus CD
and many of the lessons in Discovery's Life of Christ.
In fact, this is one of the most popular ways to use Disciple's
Diary --in conjunction with other Jesus software.
 When viewing any of the 3-D
buildings, first press the >> play button to hear and
see. Then go back through the house controlling the speed yourself
and pausing uing the << and >> buttons.
When viewing any of the THEN
and TODAY pictures, slide slowly to see what are usually
several more pictures in-between then and today.
Step 1: Birth and Early Life
Narration: Jesus chose to live with his family. His
observations of daily life became basis for teachings.
Several excellent video selections listed by the Jar:
Bethlehem 1 and 2, One Room House 3-D.
Technical error: The Jar at the end of the narration
may try to go to Herod material. Instead, select Scroll #1 from
the Jar and let the Jar list its contents again for you (only
technical glitch in the program we've found).
Step 2: Baptism and Early Ministry
Narration: All about John the Baptist and Jesus' Temptation
in the Wildnerness
Videos: Don't miss Jordan River flyover, Essene Temple,
Judean Wilderness, and Qumran. See note about controlling 3-D
motion above.
This section corresponds quite well with the Jordan River
"photobubble" in Footsteps of Jesus.
Step 3: Itinerant Ministry
Narration: Cana and Miracles. Jesus in Nazareth (Luke
4), Outward and Inward Change
Videos: Cana, Nain, and Nazareth are not to be missed.
This section introduces the exciting idea of Jesus early on
in his ministry travelling alone and teaching in homes and synagogues.
Bring a map (or pull one up on a computer) to study this Step.
Step 4: Ministry from Capernaum I
Narration: Jesus moves to the seashore. The Disciples
tells how he became a disciple.
Sermon on the Mount, How Jesus taught, Who is welcome in the
Kingdom.
Videos: Beatitudes, Capernaum I ruins
A Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus CD has some really nice "photobubbles"
of Galilee and the hillside connected with Jesus' Sermon on the
Mount.
Step 5: Ministry from Capernaum II
Narration: Jesus goes to Eastern Galilee to preach
to the Gentiles, Jesus sent to save the lost, Gerasene Demoniac,
Feeding of the 5000, What these miracles pointed to, Why some
didn't believe.
Videos: Decapolis cities, Sea of Galilee
Bring a map into this lesson.
Step 6: Missionary Journeys
Narration: Peter declares Jesus the Messiah, Transfiguration
Videos: Mt. Tabor video of Transfiguration, Caesarea Philippi
declaration of "you are the Christ."
Step 7: Last Journey to Jerusalem
Narration: More Jesus miracles, Explanation of why
somne believed, What the Disciples were thinking was going to
happen.
Videos: Capernaum 3-D is spectacular. Remember to use
<< and >> to slow down your walk through. A Walk
in the Footsteps of Jesus CD travels to Capernaum too. Life of
Christ lesson #17 recounts the healing of the paralytic at Peter's
house in Capernaum.
Step 8: Final Ministry
Narration: Blind Bartimaus story, Raising of Lazarus
Videos: One room typical house 3-D walk through, Bethany
video, home of Lazarus/Mary/Martha
Once again, Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus CD takes you to
these places. Footsteps "Photobubble" of the Lazarus
house is special. Life of Christ CD covers both Bartimaus and
Lazarus stories.
Step 9: Last Week
Narration: Approaching Jerusalem, Issues about Jesus'
popularity, Money changers, Judas
Videos: Jerusalem 3, Herod's Temple, Essene Temple
This reoccuring theme in Diary about "what others thought
of Jesus" and "what we disciples thought about his
activities" bears further exploration. You might want to
have the students create a wall display or give them a handout
about "who is who" in these stories and "what
their opinion was of Jesus." Certainly the issue of "things
that make you popular and unpopular" will be interesting
to kids today.
The Gethsemane photobubble in Footsteps of Jesus CD and Herod's
tour in Pathways Through Jerusalem will give students a view
of the Temple, money changer's area and Kidron Valley.
Step 10: Passion, Death & Resurrection
Narration: Last Supper, Mt. of Olives, Jesus' Trial,
Crucifixion words, reaction of disciple's to resurrection. The
Disciple's narration keys in on what the disciples were thinking
about all these events.
Videos: Last Supper, Mt. of Olives, Trial. Step 10 is
chock-full of good videos to view. Plan for plenty of time.
Step 10 Comments:
Here again, A Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus is an excellent
companion for Step 10, especially the photobubbles of the Garden
Tomb and Gethsemane. Pathways Through Jerusalem's Raphael Tour
also visits many of the same locations. Discovery's Life of Christ
has an excellent lesson on the Passover-Last Supper connection
(lesson 31).
Fodder for discussion: "What would you have been thinking?
What would you have done if....."
Plan on spending at least two class periods to explore it
all. You might want to set up your computers to do a bit of rotating
during these classes between the various pieces of software that
dovetail so nicely with this step. Note: Step 10 does NOT have
much on the Resurrection. Use other software mentioned to cover
this topic.
Teaching
Tips
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A Sample Lesson Plan:
1. Open up class time with discussion away from the computers.
Ask your students if they remember their own baptism, and
what they think about when they see others being baptized. Describe
what software is going to be used today. Set out a few ground
rules about sharing the computer controls. Set the context for
Jesus' baptism at the beginning of his ministry.
2. Begin with a visit to a Step in the Archive Archway
and listen to the narration. Follow-up with brief discussion.
Discussion questions about the Disciple's narration can be written
on a worksheet.
Sample Questions for Baptism
Step Narration:
Why did Jesus need to be baptized? Why was he immediately sent
into the wilderness? What happened in the wildnerness? Can you
find that passage in your Bible? Let's take a look....(Luke 3).
Etc.
3. After the Narration, click on the Jar Icon located
on the parchment/scroll. Go right to the videos and tell your
students they may select up to five (or any number) different
related videos to view. (Preview all the videos and tell the
kids which they should skip to save time).
On paper or on the board, post questions for students to consider
while they browse the videos. Discuss these after they are done
browsing.
The kids may not at first sense the connection between certain
videos and the Disciple's narration. For example: they may not
make a connection between the cool Essene Temple tour and John
the Baptist mentioned in the narration. Your comment (written
or spoken) could be something like this...
"John was probably an Essene.
Some people think Jesus might have lived for a time as an Essene
because he was related to John and was baptized like an Essene
by John. An Essene is something like a Pharisee except they had
some different beliefs. Some Essenes lived in special Essene
communities like Qumran (hence the Qumran 3-D video). After viewing
the 3-D of the Essene Temple, Do you think Jesus might have been
an Essene? Why or Why not? (Answer: Not. Their Temple was going
to be even more exclusive of people than the one that existed.
Jesus preached inclusiveness.)
4. Wrap up your explorations with "so what" and
"what does it mean to us?" questions.
Example: Are their limits to
inclusiveness? Do you think anybody should be able to be baptized?
What is Baptism? What's our church's Baptism policy? What does
it say about Baptism to know that when Jesus got his he was immediately
led into the desert to be tempted?
5. Option: Invite student to explore Foosteps of Jesus
or Life of Christ for related or similar subject matter. See
"who can find it first." Prep a few questions. (Footsteps
has a great "photobubble" of the desert wildnerss Jesus
was led into.)
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How to Work Diary into Your Schedule:
Many churches have reported that they are using Diary as a
curriculum on the Life of Jesus. Two of those churches
have even given their computer lab the name of "The Jesus
Lab." They rotate their sixth and seventh grade classes
into the lab for four to five weeks in a row several times
a year to work through software like Diary, Footsteps and
Discovery's Life of Christ. Some let their classes in for up
to 10 weeks --using a combination of Jesus software like Diary
with other Jesus media, such as the video Jesus Christ Superstar
(one of my favorites).
Some churches are using the Steps in the Archive when the
subject matches something in their curriculum schedule. Other's
are systematically taking classes through the steps over several
weeks, or intermittently over the course of the year. Creating
a schedule of use seems quite appropriate.
Instead of going into the Archive Steps, some churches have
their Jr. or Sr. High class play the Quest Game which makes a
game out of going through the Archive. Going through the Quest
game students sometimes skip over some Archive information in
order to keep the game moving and find the scrolls. **Over
a period of a year or two you might want to go through some of
the Steps in the Archive and then return at a later date with
the same class to visit the Archive through playing the Quest
Game. Other churches have reported that they let only those
kids who want to -play the Quest Game after class or during the
week.
General Teaching Tips
1. It is strongly suggested that you spend some class time
browsing the Archive, particularly the Archway with the 10
steps (Periods in Jesus' Life), before making a decision to use
the Quest Game with a class. Many churches have found the Quest
Game excellent for their needs. Others have found that with attendance
patterns and kids interest levels -spending 4 to 6 weeks on the
Quest Game is just too much. Instead, the break up the 10 steps
and use them throughout the church year.
2. Some churches skip certain steps when they have
software that does those topics better. Many churches have reported
using the Steps/Periods in the Life of Jesus during the same
class with other similar software such as Life of Christ and
Footsteps of Jesus.
3. Get familiar with this CD! We suggest that you take
an hour or two and wander through the Archive looking at the
videos, getting a feel for how the program controls all operate,
and learning how to search for info. Then play through the first
scroll or two of the Quest game to see how it works.
4. Set your preferences! The stained glass control
panel has a preference section that allows you to set degrees
of difficulty (children/youth/adult). It even has some helpful
controls for slower machines.
5. Do a "Dry-Run"... Some programs need a
little more preparation. You may want to spend an afternoon with
a student or two experimenting with Diary before unleashing it
in a full-blown class. Often times, the difference between mediocre
and great lessons are in the little tweaks and adjustments you
make in progress. Getting stuck without knowing how to get unstuck
can also sabotage a lesson. Your "dry-run" could make
all the difference.
6. Consider your presentation! Depending on your class size
and number of computers available, Diary can be used several
ways. The Quest will take at least three hours to complete
and could span as many as five one hour classes.
7. If you have MULTIPLE COMPUTERS and MULTIPLE COPIES of Diary,
you could create a "contest" for several teams. In
this case, give each team the scroll clues in sealed envelopes
(or you can tell them while keeping track). They can open the
clues but make it count against them in the final score. Use
your imagination here depending on your circumstances.
8. If you have ONE COMPUTER consider either hooking
up extra monitors to the one computer, OR borrowing a computer
projection system to project it up on the wall. While using a
projector removes the interactivity, it can be an impressive
way to teach with programs like Disciple's Diary (ok.....you
know I don't favor computer projectors as replacements for extra
copies and computers......but there are exceptions to the rule.)
9. The Archive can be used as an INDEPENDENT RESEARCH TOOL
or Presentation Aid either by students studying specific
subjects, or by the teacher who is looking for ways to spice
up their lesson presentation. Some of the videos are quite interesting
and would spice up a traditional Bible study quite nicely.
10. "Quest-type" software is a fairly popular type
of software game among children and teenagers (for example: the
popular Carmen San Diego and King's Quest I -VII series). Girls
seem particularly attracted to the "hunt." Some teens
are better "gamers" than others. One of your challenges
will be to include everyone in the quest. Take turns letting
students control the mouse and keep Quest notes and clues.
11. If you're playing the Quest Game have CHEAT SHEETS
and ARTICLES ready! There will be places where your students
may get stuck (especially scrolls 6 and 7). There may be times
when you want to move the game along more quickly. You will also
find it very handy to have PREPRINTED the articles that contain
the clue.
12. There is some material in the Quest Game which is not
present in the Archive! The Archive, for example, doesn't
have the cool Caesarea Philippi section (pictured right) or the
3-D satellite maps or panaramic photos of locations.
13. <<This Teaching Tip space is being reserved for
YOUR great insight! >>
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Here are the correct
positions of the flags needed. When you get the flag in the right
spot, they wave.