I really enjoyed this article as well as the presentation. The presentation used very interesting pictures. I really believe that the Internet is the new frontier for missionary work. I know that the Church is already using the internet to its advantage. For example, a friend of mine works for the MTC. His job is to chat with people on the internet about the gospel. People who are interested in the Church can now log on to Mormon.org (I believe that is what it is) and instantly chat with returned missionaries about the gospel. Isn't that amazing?! I am sure that this course will better prepare me to spread the gospel through the internet. I think it will be especially helpful for me to learn how to send videos over the internet. I think that it is extremely important to teach my future students to use the internet effectively. As they acquire these skills, they will be able to really spread good throughout the world. They will be able to reach more people than their ancestors ever dreamed of reaching. Used appropriately, the internet can be an extremely powerful tool for good in this world.

Great presentation. I really enjoyed the connection with images. It is easier sometimes to remember key parts with pictures. Thank you. I also enjoyed Elder Ballard's comments about how words, or sound bytes, do not disappear when put on the web. I have had a couple of interesting experiences with the internet and missionary work. I keep a blog of my family for my extended family to view, and one day I received a random comment from an unknown source discussing how it was nice to see a small family happy. I sent a reply and we had a short conversation about basic doctrine of the family. The second experience was actually playing a game. My wife and I love playing a board game called "Ticket to Ride" and it is also available to play online. It has space for a chat and many times I have had the opportunity to discuss little things about the church. The easiest way this happens is when people ask where you are from. When I mention Utah they either don't know where that is or it leads into something related to the church.

Elder Ballard made a very good point about using such a powerful tool to aid in missionary work. I had never thought about the fact that "words" can last forever on the internet and can have such a stronger impact than newspapers and radio shows that go away so quickly. I also appreciated the caution he gave relating to gospel discussions stating that we need to represent the Church well in not arguing or criticizing others but rather have a good, uplifting conversation. Sharing the gospel where ever we go and standing as witnesses of Christ is definitely a good thing to keep in mind whenever on the internet and in a position to share what we hold so dear.

Elder Ballard's article brought to light a big issue for a lot of members of the church. Sometimes, I get stuck into thinking that sharing the gospel is something done in the front room with the missionaries present. I think it is great that we have been reminded that the internet and technology are wonderful mediums for sharing the gospel. I am from California and the leadership of the church had a huge push to use the internet to spread our beliefs with regards to the recent proposition 8. It was amazing to see so many members sharing their testimonies on their facebook profiles and blogs. I was glad that I was able to also participate and chat with my friends on the importance of the family. Elder Ballard also commented on how the power of the technology can be twisted to serve Satan's purposes. This is important for us to realize as teachers since our students will also be exposed to it. We will most likely use this technology in our teaching and so it is our responsibility to warn our students and help them avoid inappropriate uses of it.

Reading Elder Ballard's talk really made me start thinking. Too often we hear about all the negative things that are said about the internet, but there is good that has come from it too. I have never thought of sharing my testimony though the internet, but it is such a great idea. People are always online, so what better way to reach alot of people then through the internet. We do need to be careful in using it, but it is such a great tool.
In the slide show I really liked the slide on how we need to be part of the conversation that is going on around us. That is such a ture statement, especially when it comes to out future students. They are using technology all the time, and if we don't know what they are using we we won't be able to connect to them.

I loved the talk that Elder Ballard presented! It gave such insight into how we could use the internet and modern technology to spread the gospel. I like how he posed the question, "How are we using the internet to further the work of the Lord?" How are we? I'm sure many of us can answer that question in our own personal ways, but I feel that it can be done on a daily basis. Another interesting point that he made was the age old saying of every member a missionary. We can spread the gospel in positive ways through modern technology in ways that could never have been done before. We should practice now how to become great teachers not only academically, but spiritually as well. I'm not saying that we should all go and bear our testimonies to ur student (that could probably be illegal!) but i feel that we can be positive example for our student by the way we teach and the conten thereof.

I thought that this was a particularly poignant article for this class. As secondary education teachers we will be doing a lot to shape our students into responsible citizens and adults. By being aware of the technology resources that are available for good or ill we can equip our students with the tools and information that they need to use these resources effectively and successfully.
I recently watched the movie _Wall-E_. The comment made by @McKenzie Borup made me think of this movie. She said, "People are always online, so what better way to reach a lot of people...". In the movie people have become so absorbed in their virtual world that they miss things going on physically around them. In our own society people are becoming more and more connected to each other through different technologies. This makes it ever more important for us as teachers to know how to use these technologies so that we can communicate effectively with our students instead of relying solely on face-to-face contact.

I like this talk because an apostle is promoting good use of the Internet rather than dismissing it because of pornography. This presentation streamlines the talk perfectly. The first slide is particularly effective because it brings to mind the speed of the Internet.
I agree with Jennifer about the wise council to avoid confrontation when online. The web is a “non-threatening” way to share our ideas, but it is tempting to misuse the anonymity that the Internet provides. The Mormon.org website sounds like a very speedy way to answer non-members’ questions and I am very grateful that Olivia mentioned it.
I have had much success “demystifying” the Church through Facebook, because my non-member friends have the opportunity of seeing Mormons as average people participating in something transcendent (the Gospel).
With this class, I think we will be able to help each other exponentially by sharing our own experiences.
Elder Ballard made a good point about the shift of responsibility from the “elite” to the average person in the field of communication. As teachers, it is our responsibility to teach our students how to avoid “unpracticed, undisciplined” use of the general public's new-found abilities.

This is a wonderful talk! Much like 'Crisco' our family blog and even playing "Ticket to Ride" has given frequent chances to talk about the Church. A conversation arose in the lobby of the online game in which someone mentioned that they were unsure about the truth of the Book of Mormon. Immediately, myself and three others began testifying of its validity. There were about 30 people logged into the lobby, all of which saw the words. Interestingly, I later found out that the person that initiated the conversation was a member of the Church who simply wanted to start some positive conversation about the Gospel!! I feel we can get very creative with the internet tool in sharing our standards and values. I anticipate becoming familiar with more formats, especially web-videos and class wikis, which allow for more personal interactions and continued conversation. Using this technology in a positive way with our future students and colleagues will definitely be a unique way to show our faith and be positive examples.

I am so impressed that several of you have seized the opportunity to share the gospel using the internet. A few sisters in my ward were discussing the internet; we mentioned the evils and the benefits. Sadly, not one of us thought about the internet being an instrument in bringing souls to Christ. We did talk about recent events involving a teenager that posted a cruel picture of a classmate and the heartache that has brought to both parties, because it can’t be ‘undone’. The picture will remain for an unknown amount of time. I also appreciated Hammari’s comments about proposition 8. Elder Ballard remarks that we need to stand up for what is right and then take it a step farther to voice our concerns when inaccuracies are expressed on the internet or elsewhere.

I liked this presentation--it was simple and to the point with relevant pictures that added to it. It bulleted Elder Ballard's talk nicely. Something that stood out to me in his talk was that, "Perceptions of the Church are established one conversation at a time." The first time I heard this talk, I thought to myself, "I hardly know anything about computers and the Internet. I don't know how to make a website, and I'm not really into blogging, so this doesn't apply to me all that much." I was wrong--I had a Facebook account and I later set up a blog, so I did have more opportunities than I had recognized to share my testimony. It didn't have to be a huge production with me creating a whole comprehensive website; I just needed to find simple ways of opening up conversations about the Gospel in my little sphere. I'm excited to be taking this course so that I can learn more ways to keep the conversation going (and keep it accurate). Thanks to all of you who have already been doing this.