introduction to christian education: section 3

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


Maximum learning is always the result of

maximum involvement



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



One Condition:The activity in

which the learner is involved must be

meaningful





meaningful

In teaching:Activity in learning

is never an end in itself; it’s always a

means to an end





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


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




In sport you use a coach to help you improve

Well guided practice makes perfect

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.




Experience can be a dangerous and difficult teacher.

Properly evaluated experience is the best

teacher

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




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 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

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


The name of the game in Christian education is not knowledge - it’s

active obedience


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)



maximum involvement



maximum involvement

As long as the activity in which the learner is engaged is meaningful