Fact Sheets: Purpose/Goal
I want to focus on interpretations and recommendations of the Network Age instead of just covering facts. And I realize that my insights concerning all the facts are what I should challenge myself to, and what would be especially helpful to my varied audiences.
But there are so many important facts/data!
So I conceived this plan. I will develop a number of "Fact Sheets" around certain topics where I can simply list (with bullets) some of the key facts and statistics on that topic. I will make these copies available (on paper) to individuals in connection with my presentations in various places.
I can call attention to several key factors on the list in my presentation, but audience members then have data sheets they can refer to later in their own teaching/writing.
This frees me to concentrate in my presentation on the "meanings" behind the facts.
One example. One thing that emerges from my research is the dramatic changes in poverty globally and in the US due to the impact of technology on labor and jobs (and, of course, on financial systems).
This is a significant challenge for churches and for all of us. I can develop this moral imperative in my presentation, linking it to the factual basis, but my focus can be on where we go rather than on the facts as such. In any published document, my Fact Sheets can simply be Appendices.