That\’s it!

I often hear this question:  How is web teaching different than postal and email WBS?  It’s a good question, because there is a change in the way the gospel message is communicated in a web-based, social network environment.

The best way I can explain it is to draw you a picture.  Then, after you look at the picture, post some comments and let me know your questions. Then we can visit about it. I hope you like what you see!
~Kit

The day after the February newsletter was sent, my inbox was filled with responses – all of them upbeat and encouraging. I opened Bill Martin’s message, “This sounds exciting! Even to an ‘old dog’ like me. I’m ready…” Mary McKinney put it this way, “I’ll do whatever it takes to win souls. I will do like Paul and be all things to all people that I may win some!!” Pat Stamps responded with, “This sounds so good. Just let me know what I need to do. I am excited and ready to go.”

What do you need to do?

Before I answer the question from one “old dog” to another, I would like to reassert the point that the new myWBS will be a seamless application for all WBS users. Postal, email and web – teachers, students, follow up workers and churches. So, if you are reading this message, myWBS 2.0 is for you and your students.

For Postal Teachers who are myWBS 1.0 users. Your students’ records will be migrated into the new system for you. We are currently building your Postal Teacher & student pages. When the pages are completed, we will notify you that your students are being moved into the new system. At that time we will also give you instructions for how to login to the new system as a teacher.

For Email Teachers. The email teacher & students will be released following the Postal system in myWBS 2.0. Your system is a more complex with all of the auto-generated emails associated with your processes. You too will be notified when your system is ready and your students will be moved into the new system for you. We’ll give you step-by-step instructions so the migration will be easy.

For Follow-Up Workers and affiliated churches. The two systems – the one for follow up workers, and the one for WBS affiliated churches is scheduled for release in 2010.

So, what do you need to do right now?
1 – Watch for the notification with instructions about your system and your students.
2 – Keep giving us feedback and asking questions. Your opinions not only influence our path, they also encourage us! Lance and I have set up a couple of blogs to make it even easier for you to communicate with us.
3 – Read Lance’s technology blog and post your technical questions to him.
For now, that’s it!

~ Kit

Yes! We invite you to try the web courses as if you were a WBS web student.

Please visit myWBS 2.0 and login using this Username and Password information.

http://my.worldbibleschool.org

Demo Password:        Psalm119

When a student completes a lesson, his answers are archived in the myWBS database.  The study helper is notified that the student has completed a lesson and is prompted to review the student’s answers.

When the teachers logs in and opens the student’s answers, a text box will be visible for the teacher to type in a response.  When the teacher submits his response to the student’s discussion question answers, the student is then notified and prompted to login and read the comments by the study helper.

The role of the study helper has not really changed.  However, since the multiple choice questions will be graded automatically by the system, the study helper will have more time to focus attention other aspects of the process such as responding to discussion question answers, writing students who have not responded in a while and strengthening the relationships.

Teachers will also have more “instant” access to communication with the students because of features such as logged in presence awareness, and mobile phone notifications.

Whether to move students to the web-based courses or leave them in the email version is a decision that needs to be made on an individual basis between the teacher and student. We do not want to compromise relationships that are already successful.

Remember that myWBS 2.0 features will support your existing students and enhance your relationships regardless of which type of courses the students are studying.

No.  We place a high value on the data entrusted to WBS. Therefore, WBS has taken an industry standard approach to back-up our back-end SQL data.

Yes! We find that when given the option, about 25% of the new students still choose email over web or postal courses.  That percentage translates to thousands of new students each month requesting email courses.

myWBS 2.0 is more than just the web courses for web students.  There are many features of “social networking” – like the course blogs, and live chat – that an email or a postal teacher may want to use with his or her students.  These features will enhance the student/teacher communication and increase the student’s sense of Christian community.  The features will also give other study helpers the opportunity water the seeds of the Gospel you have planted.

Yes. There are many successful WBS ministries who are reaching their local communities.

One of the key factors in a successful local WBS ministry is the evangelistic nature of the church.  WBS is a useful tool, when it is the tool in the hands of a church with the spirit of reaching out and sharing the Good News person-to-person. These are the elements that make a local ministry work.

WBS will link to churches who choose to participate in the Affiliate Program.