Virtual Class Cohort
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More than an online class.
An online community, growing disciples in and through God’s Word.
Since 2010 the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan (CBSM) has launched 37 class-cohorts at different parish and community locations across Michigan, making a prayerful understanding of the Scriptures as a disciple of Jesus Christ possible for thousands. But, time and geography can still be limiting. Because of this, we offer an online virtual class-cohort to make the full CBSM experience accessible to everyone who desires to know God better. From Michigan, to North America, to the world, we invite you, wherever you are, whatever your schedule, to consider joining us in an online virtual class.
How does a virtual class online work?
What's a typical lesson or week like?
What tech skills/resources will I need?
I'm interested. Now what?How does it work?
Each virtual class-cohort will be led by a CBSM teacher, all adjunct faculty members of Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Micghian with a Masters degree or higher. Each year, from mid-September through mid-May we'll journey together through 28 lessons covering a major movement in the story of Sacred Scripture. We call the first year, Year A, second year, Year B, etc.
What's a typical lesson like?
Every week of class (also known as a "lesson) we'll grow together through:
Lecture
A pre-recorded presentation (approx. 60 min) from your teacher--you’ll not only hear, but also see visuals and your teacher speaking. It’s recorded (not “live”) so you can watch (pause, re-watch, etc.) whenever it’s most convenient for you.Reading
Weekly reading assignments, primarily from the Bible and supplemented with quality secondary sources.Small Group
In small group discussion, we grow in our familiarity with the Bible, how to share our faith, and experience a community of like-minded individuals, interested in studying the Bible in-depth.
Choose from 3 types of groups:- live video teleconference at a set time
- “talk” by typing short conversational remarks, at any time, in a group discussion board
- gather a group of local friends/parishioners for an in-person weekly chat at a convenient local location
Written Responses
Every lesson includes a handful of short-answer questions designed to prepare you for small group discussion. You’ll send/submit these to your teacher, who will provide written feedback and insights--a way to grow and ponder God’s Word as an individual.Prayer
A weekly written or recorded prayer prompt connected to the week’s content will be shared by your teacher.Live Q&A (Optional)
Each week your teacher will host two 30-minute “live” video conferences for open conversation. It’s a great time for Q&A on the week, new questions on previous lessons, and conversation about living out the Catholic faith. It’s optional, simply drop-in when your interest/schedule allows.
What tech skills/resources will I need?
At CBSM, we exist to help grow disciples of Jesus Christ in and through God's Word. For us, it's about removing barriers and helping people engage and connect with God in the Bible and in our daily lives. In this spirit, we use simple, straightforward websites and links. While all of our sites and applications are mobile and tablet friendly, we recommend you also have weekly access to a desktop or laptop computer or tablet-keyboard for composing your own short written responses.
Can I watch online videos? As a test, try viewing this inspirational Catholic video on the Holy Spirit, "God's Love Poured Out"
In general, if you're currently able to use the internet for emailing, downloading attachments, browsing text-based websites (like this one), and watching live-streamed video, your technology readiness is just right for a virtual class experience like ours.
If you're not quite sure about your computer readiness, here's a more detailed breakdown of specific technology skills/resources needed to get the most out of a CBSM virtual class-cohort:
Can I download or view attachments from Google Drive? As test, click here to open a two-page handout describing our virtual class-cohort. You may be able to view it online. You may also want to download it for offline viewing.-If using a computer/laptop, click the "File" menu (top left), then hover over "Download As..." to reveal a variety of options, and choose PDF. Your computer may prompt you to Save the file to a folder of your choice, or automatically download it to your Downloads folder.
-For tablets/mobile devices, you can view without downloading on the web (by clicking the link above) or download the Google Slides app to manage files. To do this,- Open the Google Slides app.
- On the file you want to copy, tap More
.
- Tap Make a copy
. The copy will open in the app
Can I view a Google Classroom website? You can access Google Classroom using the web on a computer with any browser, such as Chrome, Firefox ® , Internet Explorer ® , or Safari ® . In general, Classroom supports major browser releases on a continual basis. If your internet-data speed supports viewing this CBSM website, you'll be able to view your class website, as it will have a similar mix of graphics and text.Google Classroom is also available for Android and Apple® iOS® mobile devices. For more information, see the Google website Get the Classroom App.
Optional: Can I use "Google Hangouts Meet" for video conferencing? If you choose a small group that meets live at a set time each week or choose to talk to your teacher during weekly live Q&A (both optional), we'll be using a tool called "Google Hangouts Meet."-You can participate on a computer/laptop with an exernal or built-in microphone and video camera. To try this on your computer/laptop, go to https://meet.google.com/ and click the "machine cog" picture in the top right for a test.
-You can also dial in on a phone line using a unique phone number and passcode.
-"Meet" is also available for free from Google as a mobile app for Android, iPad, and iPhone devices.
Interested? Take the next step.
Whether you've already decided to register for our Virtual Class or are still deciding, we invite you to attend one of our live video/tele-conference "Info Sessions" which will run from April through August. To take the next step and participate in an "Info Session," please share your contact information and time zone below and we'll send you a schedule (with video links and dial-in phone numbers) for upcoming "Info Sessions."