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Teaching notes used at Life Transforming College international - 501, Introduction to Christian Education.
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Knowledge cannot be passed like a material substance from
one mind to another; for thoughts are not objects which
maybe held and handled...Ideas must be rethought,
experience must be re-experienced
John Milton Gregory
As a teacher:Your job is to impact people not
to impress them;You are not just to convince
them but to change them
Law 3The Law of Activity
Law 3The Law of Activity
Maximum learning is always the result of
maximum involvement
Law 3The Law of Activity
Maximum learning is always the result of
maximum involvement
As long as the activity in which the learner is engaged is meaningful
Christianity is the most radical life changing force on the planet - it changes people.
Christian teaching is passive and boring!Many teachers / preachers never change their style (or content)
Romans 8:And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
How much change should we expect?
If teaching were telling my children would be brilliant!The problem is the teaching-learning process is far more!Just because students are busy it does not mean they are learning anything.
The Law of Activity:Maximum learning is always the result
of maximum involvement
The Law of Activity:Maximum learning is always the result
of maximum involvement
One Condition:The activity in
which the learner is involved must be
meaningful
The Law of Activity:Maximum learning is always the result
of maximum involvement
One Condition:The activity in
which the learner is involved must be
meaningful
In teaching:Activity in learning
is never an end in itself; it’s always a
means to an end
The Law of Activity:Maximum learning is always the result
of maximum involvement
One Condition:The activity in
which the learner is involved must be
meaningful
In teaching:Activity in learning
is never an end in itself; it’s always a
means to an end
Your purpose determines your
outcome. You achieve that for which you aim
Purposeful activity implies quality activity.
How can you improve each of the following statements?
1. Practice makes perfect
1. Practice makes perfect
Practice does not make perfect - it makes permanent.
1. Practice makes perfect
Practice does not make perfect - it makes permanent.
If you practice the wrong way you will not improve.
1. Practice makes perfect
Practice does not make perfect - it makes permanent.
If you practice the wrong way you will not improve.
In sport you use a coach to help you improve
1. Practice makes perfect
Practice does not make perfect - it makes permanent.
If you practice the wrong way you will not improve.
In sport you use a coach to help you improve
Well guided practice makes perfect
2. Experience is the best teacher
2. Experience is the best teacher
Experience is a good teacher
2. Experience is the best teacher
Experience is a good teacher
But what if you get addicted to drugs or alcohol?
2. Experience is the best teacher
Experience is a good teacher
But what if you get addicted to drugs or alcohol?
Experience can be a dangerous and difficult teacher.
2. Experience is the best teacher
Experience is a good teacher
But what if you get addicted to drugs or alcohol?
Experience can be a dangerous and difficult teacher.
Properly evaluated experience is the best
teacher
3. We learn by doing
3. We learn by doing
3. We learn by doing
Plato is thought to have first said this.
3. We learn by doing
Plato is thought to have first said this.
We do learn many things by doing - but we have to make sure we are not learning wrong things
3. We learn by doing
Plato is thought to have first said this.
We do learn many things by doing - but we have to make sure we are not learning wrong things
If we learnt he wrong things it can be destructive
3. We learn by doing
Plato is thought to have first said this.
We do learn many things by doing - but we have to make sure we are not learning wrong things
If we learnt he wrong things it can be destructive
We learn by doing the right things
Learning and doing are linked - the higher a learners involvement the greater his potential for learningThe best learners are participators - and they enjoy learning more than those who aren’t involved
Imagine:You are required to teach a class about the Holy Land.You have all the resources that Richard would usually use in his class - and any other things that would be available to you.How would you do it?Hendricks suggest three options...
Option 1LecturePerson with great historical and archaeological knowledge
Option 2 PresentationGreat pictures, good background music.
Option 2 PresentationGreat pictures, good background music.
Option 3Join the Person on a VisitSee it for yourself!
I do - and I Change
Ancient Chinese proverbI hear, and I forget.
I see, and I remember.I do, and I understand.
I do - and I Change
Ancient Chinese proverbI hear, and I forget.
I see, and I remember.I do, and I understand.
Hendricks adds;When you do, the result is more than understanding;
You also change
Psychologists say we potentially remember 10% of what we hear.(If you do this you are in the genius category)
Problem: Most of Christian Education is hearing orientated - hence it is often so
inefficient
If we add seeing to hearing our potential to remember goes up to 50%So, visual aids become important
What type of visual aids could you use in teaching? (only ones that would be available to you)
•In the USA:•66% of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day•kids under 6 watch an average of about 2 hours of screen media a day•8 to 18 year olds spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the computer
•In the USA:•66% of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day•kids under 6 watch an average of about 2 hours of screen media a day•8 to 18 year olds spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the computer
Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
Doing, seeing and hearing - memory potential goes up to 90%
Learning by using is an highly effective tool
Truth and way of life are married in the Bible.Titus 1:1Jesus, “He who has ears to hear...”According to Hendricks when you read hear in the NT you can read it as doLuke 6:46
Truth and way of life are married in the Bible.Titus 1:1Jesus, “He who has ears to hear...”According to Hendricks when you read hear in the NT you can read it as doLuke 6:46
The name of the game in Christian education is not knowledge - it’s
active obedience
Truth and way of life are married in the Bible.Titus 1:1Jesus, “He who has ears to hear...”According to Hendricks when you read hear in the NT you can read it as doLuke 6:46
The name of the game in Christian education is not knowledge - it’s
active obedience
In the spiritual realm, the opposite of ignorance is
not knowledge, it’s obedience. In NT
understanding, to know and not to do is not to
know at all.
5 Examples of Meaningful Activity
5 Examples of Meaningful ActivityMaximum learning is always
the result of maximum involvement - if the activity is
meaningful
In giving assignments there should be a sphere of freedom - a structure to help the student learn which is not a straightjacket.
1. Activity that provides direction without dictatorship
Most students act as if the aim is to find out what the teacher wants.Good teachers enable a student to work for themselves not for the teacher
In education you are meant to draw out - not pour in[In fact the root of the word education is “to draw out”]This means you also have to let the students learn from their own mistakes (the lack of applying what you have taught them)
This is activity that immediately lets the learner put to use everything that has been taught.This suggests that at one time you need to only teach what can be taken in.Teachers treat the students like storage tanks that need to be filled up.
2. Activity that stresses function and application
Jesus didn’t do it this way! In fact he warned his disciples that he had much more to teach them, but he had to leave it to the Spirit of Truth to do that.
What do you aim for in teaching? Your objective determines your outcome.What am I aiming for in wanting a student to read that book or paper? Why do I want that paper written?Do you do it simply because it is the way it has always been done?
3. Activity with a planned purpose
A twin of making students busy is entertaining them.How much of a challenge is offered in your teaching or church - is Sunday merely a part of the programme?Is anything ‘demanded’ of the students?
4. Activity that is concerned with the process as well as
the product
Students should not only know what they believe, but why.You can limit a student by only teaching them what you know - the product.Give the student the process and you launch them on a path with no limitations.
Your students can, in fact, exceed you and become more
effective than you!
Your students can, in fact, exceed you and become more
effective than you!
Do you want students to do
better than you?
Research has shown there are surprising similarities between Christian and no-Christian children in terms of morals, values and behaviour. The only major difference is a verbal one - the Christians answer no when asked if they would lie, cheat or go to bed with someone. The non-Christians say, “Of course, if it is to my advantage”.
The actual behaviour of both groups is the same.
Do we settle for the wrong thingsDo we accept words without looking for the process to be right?
5. Realistic activity that includes problem-solving situations
A student is not looking to answer your questions about things but their own.You need to bring situations into the classroom which are real in the life of the students.Ask: Where are the students ‘at’? What are they struggling with? What temptations are they facing?
There are many moral issues facing the church today - are you talking about, and teaching about them?Are Biblical figures real with the same problems or temptations we face?Are your activities lifelike - and realistic.
“Do you want the will of God for your life with peace, satisfaction and success, or do you want your own will with poverty, emptiness and misery?”
Is this a good question?
Learning is a process - so don’t just give a student one experience and think they have learned it and experienced it.
Going On...
Hendricks tells the story of Peter walking on the water.He then asks the, excellent, question, “How do you think Peter got back into the boat?”Did Jesus carry him, did the disciples dive in and rescue him, or, did he walk back on the water (watching Jesus all the time)?
“Studying the life of the Saviour, the greatest Teacher, makes it clear that he didn’t cram a lot of heads full of a collection of theological facts. No, he involved his disciples in the process so that later the pagan world was compelled to testify, “These are they who have turned the world upside down.”
Hendricks (p. 67)
Law 3The Law of Activity
Law 3The Law of Activity
Maximum learning is always the result of
maximum involvement
Law 3The Law of Activity
Maximum learning is always the result of
maximum involvement
As long as the activity in which the learner is engaged is meaningful