Concepts for Training/Utilizing Accordance

[G Springer]

Now that Accordance is available in Windows and Mac our online school is going to begin to require students to purchase Accordance as part of our classes (also taking advantage of the academic purchasing program---thanks Accordance!!). Our online school has a strong emphasis on learning the original languages.

 

With this in mind our school is going to field a course in our next term that will train on various aspects of the Accordance program. We are going to require our future enrolled students to purchase the Original Language Collection as a minimum. So the lessons I'm developing will mainly focus on the resources provided in that collection. Although, I will highlight other tools in the training hoping that our students will consider the Essential collection as a better option-just not required at first.

 

I am designing 10 modules to be taught one per week - each with their own emphasis, title, and assignments where applicable. I would love to hear any suggestions others might have for using/training Accordance.

 

Here are my first 6 ideas.

1. "Accordance Features" I will use one of Dr. J's podcast to introduce this unit. He has one called "One Sweet Suite" that in about 17 minutes

(http://www.accordancefiles2.com/podcasts/p79_onesweetsuite.mov) goes through 25 different features of Accordance. Not only is it an excellent overview of Accordance but it will reinforce from the start all the tools Accordance has developed to train and teach (Thanks Dr J. your podcasts are awesome!!!) In this module I will link to his video first and then do a second video of my own that reviews or goes more in depth into some of the features he lists.

2. "Life-long Study Bible" (develop the philosophy behind Accordance[using their documentation/help files/ and website verbiage] and show user notes, user tools, highlighting, and introduce a few basic features)--the assignment will be to create user notes for a list of verses (to be determined) and upload/share the user note file. In part, I will be selling the idea of creating notes that can be handed down to children or grandchildren. This would be the modern approach to giving a treasured study bible with all your notes and highlights to a son, daughter, or grandchild. Except in this case you wouldn't be limited to giving it to just one person. It would be as easy as emailing them a few files and they would all now have your study notes with them wherever they might be.

3. "Semantic Range--Living life beyond Stong's numbers" -- this will focus on searches - simple and complex. A list of words will be provided and some report formats based upon copy and pastes from Accordance. Word's could be chosen for this module that are often misunderstood based upon a "Strong's number only" approach to Bible Study. Studying scripture from a historical-grammatical frame of reference would be the focus of this module. This lesson would also teach a few simple rules about hermeneutics.

4. "Vocabulary Building" Using Accordance to study original languages (basic level for those who have limited language skills and an intermediate level for those with more skills) The focus would be on showing the language tools (parsing and instant details). I will also show how one could use Accordance to create vocab cards for various passages, charts that might be used in a home school setting, and how to create reader versions of Hebrew and Greek text (this puts a parallel column that list definitions for words that appear...say....less then 50 times). An assignment would be to create some spreadsheets, vocab cards, and a Hebrew reader for a Psalm or a Greek reader for some section in the gospels.

5. "Amplifying a Passage--Learning and Teaching in Context" This will leverage a wider range of Accordance tools to amply given passages. Using Timeline, Maps, Photo guides, and Bible dictionaries to dig deeper into a text. The exercise will be to create a simple Keynote or PowerPoint. This unit would be based somewhat on a presentation Roy Brown did at the SBL Bible Software Shootout a few years back entitled "How Can Accordance be used in a Teaching Environment?" [see the Accordance exchange for a copy of this document http://www.accordancefiles1.com/exchange/downloads/documents/SBL_Shootout-2.pdf ]

 

6. "Daily/Weekly/Annual Bible Reading Plans" I would like to develop this concept beyond just the simple showing how to use the daily readings feature of Accordance. My goal in the unit (really the whole course) is to train people on how to use Accordance every day and to attempt to inspire them to get maximum benefit from the tools it contains. For example, I've made it a habit throughout my life to rotate readings of Psalms and Proverbs based upon daily schedules (like reading a chapter from Proverbs based upon the day of the week or going through the Psalms the same way--reading 5 chapters a day to make it all the way through in a month--for example on December 5th reading Psalm 5, 35, 65, 95, 125). This module/lesson needs more ideas...

 

I need at least 4 more modules/lessons...does anyone out there have some ideas? Thanks in advance!

 

Gary Springer
TorahResource Institute
Administrator/Student Services/Instructor

http://torahresourceinstitute.com

(888) 547-8889

 

P.S. Dr J. you may already have done some of these other areas in your podcasts...I will have to search through them and see--I would like to link to your podcast whenever applicable in the course I'm creating...sorry to say, while I have watched many, I've not watched all your videos...You won't think the less of me will you?

Edited December 6, 2013 by G Springer

[Timothy Jenney]

Sounds great, Gary!

 

I did do a podcast on Vocabulary-building this year. You're certainly welcome to include it in your course.

 

BTW, the same is true of all our podcasts and for all professors. Feel free to use these resources in any of your classes. They are our gift to you.

[G Springer]

7. "Text and Tools-know what's under the hood" Most non-automotive people (that's me for the most part) know very little about what is under the hood of their car(s). The size of the engine maybe or whether their car is gas, diesel, electric or hybrid...who doesn't know that? This lesson will go into detail about all the modules provided in the Original Language Collection. (I might make it the second lesson and bump all the others down). It will start with explaining the library feature and then how Accordance groups modules and why knowing what group a book is in, and why it is there, is useful knowledge. I might end with helping them install a Firefox extension called Zotero that helps one to manage sources, have them import all the new "books" they have just added to their personal library, and end with a short review on how to properly cite sources and how Accordance can help to add support to research papers.

 

Does anyone at Accordance have a database of bibliography information that could be exported to a spreadsheet or csv file? Useful information for this project would be all bibliography information for modules with separate fields for author, editor, publisher, title, ect... It would also be helpful to include Accordance Collection fields (a simple yes/no) for sorting.

 

8. "A noun is a person, place, or thing..." After I find someone to teach this module (I think I need this module/lesson as much as my students--English grammar was never my favorite subject in school--I was a math and science guy), this lesson will focus on the basics of English grammar as the starting point and foundation to learning and retaining expertise in the Biblical languages. Most people who teach original languages (Hebrew and Greed) know that one of the greatest challenges in teaching is overcoming basic misunderstandings and poor skills in English grammar. This lesson will also go into detail on the differences in searching the "lemma," "inflected," "root," and "tagged" forms and serve somewhat as a review and reinforcement of my "Semantic Range" lesson. The diagramming feature of Accordance will also be demonstrated. Doesn't this lesson sound like a trip to the dentist? No offense to dentist (or English teachers for that matter) is intended in this short post.

Edited December 7, 2013 by G Springer

[Jonna Schmidt]

I think that idea #7 is great. Another possible topic might be the use of slides and graphics. I was at the developer conference in Texas a few years back, and I remember that the "fancy" studies were packed, with fewer people going the graphics classes. Now that I am a Sunday school teacher -- I sure wish that I had attended the graphics classes! So, I think that there is a role for a module on "graphics".

 

Of course: the Word never changes! But a fresh presentation can motivate people to further study, greater enjoyment.

[Anon]

Gary,

 

Sounds like #9 and #10 should then be Greek Searching and Linguistics and Hebrew Searching and Linguistics respectively.

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

Some other features/practices to consider covering:

 

-comparing translations using: the interlinear feature, the compare texts feature, parallel panes, and favorite workspaces. [perhaps also including Comfort, Metzger's commentary, NET notes, and the apparatus for the original language texts]

 

-Workspace organization/different workspace setups for different tasks/favorite workspaces [some of this may be covered in #1, but I think workspace "design" is critical to making good use of Accordance, and worth serious focus. This could also include the LINK, CONTENTS, and HITS commands, since all three of these involve connecting/relating individual tabs/zones.

 

Also, somewhere be sure to be clear about the differences between User Notes and User Tools. This trips up a lot of folks on the forums.

[John Fidel]

Regarding item 8: Here is a YouTube video of Bill Mounce teaching on English Noun System that may be helpful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GHFyATZ_v4

[davidmedina]

Bill Mounce has an excellent video on how to original language studies. I'll look for the link and added here.