BIBLICALINTEGRATIONintheK-12CURRICULUM

TheWHATandWHYandSomeRadicalImplications

BiblicalIntegrationis(isthiswhatistrueforyou?)Ø AmandateforChristianschools;thepressureforsome

schoolsisevenmore.Ø AneverendingchallengeoffulfillingtheGreat

CommissionintheK-12curriculum.Ø ToacknowledgethevalueofBibleteaching,eventhe

primacyoftheBibleØ Togiveimportancetothebiblical/Christianview.Ø BUTwhatdoesitlooklike?Ø Howdowedefine?Howdoweintegrate?

WhatisBiblicalIntegration?Whatdoesitlooklike?

Howdoweviewbiblicalintegration?Whatistheactivityofbiblicalintegration?

WhatdowedowhenweintegratetheBibleinourlessonplans?

IstheBiblesomethingthatwe“intentionallyinsert”inourcurriculum?

ThinkingBiblicallyandCritically

ThegoalofBiblicalintegrationistohelpstudentstothinkbiblicallyandcriticallyabouteverysubject.Further,thegoalisforstudentstothinkbiblicallyandcriticallyabouteveryaspectoftheirlives.Ideally,studentsshouldseektoseeeachsubjectthewayGodseesit.Whenstudentstrulyunderstandsomethingfromabiblicalperspective,theyshouldgainagreaterunderstandingofthecharacterornatureofGod,orhaveagreaterunderstandingofhowGoddesignedthingstobe.(ExcerptfromBiblicalIntegration.com)

HOWDOWEINTEGRATETHEBIBLE?

SOMEEXAMPLESOFBIBLICALINTEGRATION

AnExampleofBiblicalIntegration

AnExampleofBiblicalIntegration

ChallengesPosedbyDoingBiblicalIntegration

ChallengesPosedbyFLI• Forcedinsert(“pilit”)• 2frameworksareintroduced(confusing)• Whereshouldbetheemphasis?• Teachersareactuallynotequippedtodotheskillofbiblicalintegration.

• Inconsistency;hugedisconnectbet.“talkandwalk”• Whatshouldoutcomeslooklikeinabiblicallyintegratedcurriculum?

SomeModelsofIntegration

1 TheFansworth Model(1982)2 TheBurtonandNwosu Model(2003)3 FaithLearningIntegrationthrough

ValuesEdandReligiousPractices4 BiblicalIntegrationinallsubjects

TheFansworth ModelofBI(1982)Farnsworth’smodeloperatesonaproblem-posingapproach.Thestudentsorresearchersaregivenareallifeproblemthatispertinenttotheirdisciplines,whichmustthenbesolvedthroughtheuseofintegration.Oncetheproblemhasbeenidentifiedthefirststepistodeterminethepossible“sourcesofrevelation.”InFarnsworth’smodelthismeanstheBibleandthehumanexperience.(appliedinadultlearning)

ConnectingFaithtotheSubjectMatterbyBurtonandNwosu(2003)

Integrationisaprocessofconnectingfaithandthepertinentsubjectmatterathand.ThismodelencouragestheuseofChristianexamplesthatwillpromptstudentstoreflectabouttheirownChristianperspective.Thismodelofintegrationalsopromotesthedevelopmentofcriticalthinking.

Thespiritualandintellectualaspectsmustworkhandinhandinintegration.Inthismodel,therequirementsofthecurriculummustfirstbeaccomplishedbeforesupplementingitwithpertinentlifeissuesandexperiences.Notonlywillthishelpthestudentsunderstandandrememberdetails,facts,examplesandreasonsbutitwillalsoguidethemintheevaluationoftheirfaithalongtheway.

SomeObservedModelsintheK-12CurriculumLandscape1 FaithLearningIntegrationthrough

ValuesEdandReligiousPracticesØAVerycommonmodelofintegrationØOftenfacilitatedbyreligiousgroupsØSomeotherreligiouspractices:Chapelservices,camps,retreats,prayertimes

SomeObservedModelsintheK-12CurriculumLandscape2BiblicalIntegrationinallsubjectsØIntentionallyintegrativeØDrivenbydiscipleshipoutcomesØRequiresmuchtrainingforteachersinknowledgeoftheBibleandpedagogicalskills

AssumingthatBIisintentionallydoneacrossK-12curriculum,sowhatissocompellingaboutit?

ArewegraduatesofChristianschools?

Howwasyourexperienceofbiblicalintegration?

Thequestionofimpactandtransformationallearning

ThinkingBiblicallyandCritically

ThegoalofBiblicalintegrationistohelpstudentstothinkbiblicallyandcriticallyabouteverysubject.Further,thegoalisforstudentstothinkbiblicallyandcriticallyabouteveryaspectoftheirlives.Ideally,studentsshouldseektoseeeachsubjectthewayGodseesit.Whenstudentstrulyunderstandsomethingfromabiblicalperspective,theyshouldgainagreaterunderstandingofthecharacterornatureofGod,orhaveagreaterunderstandingofhowGoddesignedthingstobe.(ExcerptfromBiblicalIntegration.com)

THEGOALSOFBIBLICALINTEGRATION

WhatcanyoudotointentionallypromotelovingGodandobeyingHiscommands?• Seeteachingasaministry,avocation,acalling.• FindwaystointroducethestudentstoGodandHisWord.

• HelporassiststudentstomakeconnectionswithwhattheyarestudyingtowhatGodhasdoneandstilldoing.

• EncouragestudentstoaskquestionsaboutGodandtheworld(subjects).

• PRAYFOROURSTUDENTS.

TheSpiritualLifeoftheTeacherisVeryCritical

• Wecannotgivewhatwedon’thave.• Modelling isthebestformofteachingfaithandpromotingspiritualgrowth!

• Remember:Studentscansensepretenseandhypocrisy.

• Thecurriculumistheteacher!

TheCalltointentionallyandactivelyPromoteAuthenticityinTeaching