Introduction to Christian Education and Formation: A Lifelong Plan for Christ-Centered Restoration
by Ronald T. Habermas
256 pages
Zondervan (2008), Hardcover

Author: Ronald Habermas is the McGee Chair of Biblical Studies and Christian Formation at John Brown University; in this book he works with ten collaborators.

Intention: To offer a pathway for the reader to be interrupted by God by offering a work that blends the voice of one author with many collaborators, inviting the reader in to strengthening/integrating interactions, and provides help to readers as they navigate through their divine interruptions (15-16).

Structure: Building from broad foundational issues to concrete application, this work is divided into three parts.

--to be inserted when the book is returned by the borrower--

Resources

• Short biographies of the contributors
• Select bibliography
• Scripture index
• Subject index
• Chapter end notes
• Ample charts, tables, and diagrams to help the reader grasp the ideas
• Online resources: 50 page personal responses workbook, 300 PowerPoint slides, 250 pages of additional appendixes
  

Tag: books

Wisdom and Eloquence: a Christian paradigm for classical learning
by Robert Littlejohn and Charles T. Evans
224 pages
Publisher: Crossway Books (April 12, 2006)

Authors

• Littlejohn has 25 years of experience in K-12 education and higher education, both in teaching and administration.
• Evans "serves of a boart that represents the interests of schools before the Texas State Legislation" (back of book).

Intention: To offer an apologetic, historical overview, and how-to manual to professional educators (and collaterally to parents) for a Christian liberal arts education.

Structure: The book is organized into an introduction and ten chapters. The first four chapters discuss the idea and goals of liberal education. Chapters 5-8 lay out the general content and practices and chapters 9-10 discuss implementation.

Resources

• Appendix A Message to parents
• Appendix B The Liberal Arts Tradition in the Public Square: A Historical Apologetic for the Liberal Arts
• Appendix C The Aligned Community: Purpose and Planning
• Notes
• Bibliography
  

Tag: books

Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject (Paperback)
by Mel Silberman
Paperback: 189 pages
Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 1 edition (February 20, 1996)

Excellent resource with theoretical grounding and clear instructions for in-class implementation. What it does not have is time. Time is a necessary ingredient because students who have not participated in active learning often have a bit of culture shock. If you teach adults or 'near adults' this text is an excellent resource.

Tag: books

THE SEVEN LAWS OF TEACHING

by John Milton Gregory
Originally published in 1884
Revised in 1917
Paperback version, 2004 Baker Books
121 pages



In 121 pages, Gregory intends for his readers to see the leading principles and rules of the teaching art groups around seven factors, and that the readers may methodically learn and use them. There are seven laws (pp. 18-19):

1. A teacher must be one who knows the lesson or truth or art to be taught.
2. A learner is one who attends with interest to the lesson.
3. The language used as a medium between teacher and learner must be common to both.
4. The lesson to be mastered must be explicable in the terms of truth already known by the learner--the unknown must be explained by means of the known.
5. Teaching is arousing and using the pupil's mind to grasp the desired thought or to master the desired art.
6. Learning is thinking into one's own understanding a new idea or truth or working into habit a new art or skill.
7. The test and proof of teaching done--the finishing and fastening process--must be a reviewing, rethinking, reknowing, reproducing, and applying of the material that has been taught, the knowledge and ideals and arts that have been communicated.
   

In eight chapters, Gregory explains the idea of the laws and the philosophy, rules, and violations for each of the seven laws. If you teach or if you learn, this small volume is highly recommended. Despite its obvious basis in modernist thought, it remains a classic about teaching and learning.

Tag: books

WHY NOBODY LEARNS MUCH OF ANYTHING IN CHURCH AND HOW TO FIX IT
by Thom and Joani Schultz © 1993
Pub. Group, 237 pages.


Why Nobody Learns much of anything in church


This book is an excellent first step in the transformation of a church's teaching efforts. The principles are sound, the motivational and explanatory stories are effective, and the interactive 'Do It' sections accompanying each chapter help the reader begin the process. Further work is needed, though, especially in applying the ideas to adult curriculum, for while adult learning is mentioned, nearly all the examples are from children's ministry.

Summary
Introduction. The lost art of learning at church: The church continues to use outdated, ineffective teaching methods like lecture, rote memorization, and text-book based teaching.
Know the goal. Teaching in the church needs a clearly defined goal toward which all teaching efforts are aim. This goal focuses on output rather than inputs or management.
Focus on learning rather than on teaching. Despite the fact that church goers rarely remember the sermon or Sunday school lesson once they leave the room, churches continue to neglect effectiveness assessment. We must start where the learners are, and then help them discover truth and provide opportunities to practice that learning. Finally, we must devise meaningful ways to verify learning.

Concentrate on the essentials. Rather than assuming people know the basics, we must start with and emphasize the basics, focusing each lesson on one major point. Understanding is important, coverage is not. Finally, teachers must clarify what is important to know, rather than assuming the students know what is important.

Emphasize understanding over rote memorization. Rote memorization is designed for ease of assessment rather than for understanding. When students simply memorize rather than understand the knowledge simply does not remain. Students must be led through the process of theologically thinking through knowledge and the connection to life.

Make people think. Learning follows thinking, and people need to learn how to think, not learn what to think. An effective way to encourage thinking is to ask questions. There are five principles to asking questions: ask open-ended question and follow-up questions, wait for students to answer, do not evaluate discussion responses, and encourage student questions.
Use active learning. Active learning takes place when students engage in real or simulated experiences, and then debrief after the experience. The debrief provides opportunity for reflection, interpretation, and application.

Use interactive learning. In interactive learning the students begin to see one another as resources and helps rather than as competitors. It builds learning communities that continue outside the classroom. Some techniques include pair-share, reading buddies, learning groups, summary partners, and jigsaw.

Use a curriculum that produces authentic learning. Teachers are, of course, crucial to learning, but teachers must be supplied with effective curriculum that follows the principles in this book.
Renovate the sermon. If Madison Avenue were to preach sermons they would follow three rules: know your people, involve your people, and use visuals.

Welcome change. For change to occur, we must recognize where we are, realize the urgency of the need for change, understand the process of change, why people resist change, and have the courage to start.

Tag: books

QUESTIONING AND TEACHING: a manual for practice
by J. T. Dillon © 1988
Pub. Resource Publications, 195 pages

In less than 200 pages of Questioning and Teaching, Dillon provides rationale, purposes, processes, and extended examples of the effective use of questions in teaching. Most important is the focus on student questions. Teachers are generally practiced at asking questions and evaluating responses (though usually not as skillfully as chapters two through four teach), but are notoriously bad at allowing for and encouraging student questions. Dillon's continuous premise is that learning results when a genuine question and its answer join to form understanding. Dillon's book provides the teacher of any level with the tools to help students become inquirers and to ask questions that serve pedagogical purpose. This book is highly recommended.

Summary

The practice of questioning. This book investigates the question, "how are questions rightly used to serve educative purposes?"

Student questions. The culture of the classroom works against student questions. The process of questioning begins with perplexity after which the student chooses either an asking or a non-asking process. Because of classroom culture, the teacher must make systematic room for student questions, invite them, wait for them, and when the question is asked welcome it and sustain the asking rather than slipping into teacher questions (all too common),

Teacher questions. While teacher questions are used in nearly every aspect of classroom circumstance, the first use of teacher questions is in planning for classroom activity. Teacher questions are involved in the design of the lesson, the study of the subject matter, the preparation for activity, and in evaluation processes. The planning and process of teacher questions must all aim at pedagogical purpose, keeping in mind the particular classroom circumstance. The use of teacher questions follows a seven step process: purpose, preparation, question, answer, reaction, assessment, and redesign.

Questioning and recitation. The principle to remember is to "use questions in service of pedagogical purpose in classroom circumstance." In recitation, which searches for correct answers, the teacher asks a question, a student answers, and then the teacher evaluates the answer and asks another question. Recitation questions can either be based on teacher questions or on student questions. Either way, the primary task of the teacher is to wait and listen to the entire answer before responding. It the recitation is based on student questions, the teacher listens while the students engage in the question-answer process. In recitation, multiple questions are produced.

Questioning and discussion. Unlike recitation, discussion usually involves one main question with no clear correct answer. Further, in a discussion, while the teacher still retains control at every turn at talk, the teacher most often passes the turn to a student or remains silent, and when taking a turn, makes a statement rather than asking a question. When the teacher does ask a question, it is a question that genuinely perplexes the self. The point of discussion is to allow the students to explore the topic themselves.


Tag: books

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN
by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe © 1998
Pub. Prentice-Hall, 201 pages

In this book, Wiggins and McTighe offer the reasoning and the tools for developing curriculum that aims at real understanding. This book is a must read for anyone designing curriculum and is highly suggested for anyone who regularly selects curriculum. While Understanding by Design is not a “Christian Education” book, those in ministry know that if anything in life needs to be understood rather than merely known, it is God and God’s ways.

Summary

What is backward design? Backward design begins with the desired results, determines acceptable evidence, and then plans learning experiences and instruction to equip students to successfully accomplish those evidences. Desired results are worthy of knowing, are important to know and do, and are enduring understandings. Acceptable evidence is chosen across a continuum of assessments ranging from informal checks for understanding to a formal project. Generally speaking, traditional quizzes and tests assess understanding of that knowledge worth being familiar with and that which is important to know and do. Performance tasks assess enduring understandings.

What is a matter of understanding? Good curriculum design prioritizes important ideas, encourages student exploration of essential questions, has clear performance targets, and established the necessary evidence. When students understand they know and are able to use that knowledge in practical, authentic ways. Questions are an important way to focus teaching and learning. Essential questions are those overarching questions that lie at the heart of a discipline. Unit questions are content specific questions that naturally lead to essential questions. Both types of questions are important. Entry questions are provocative questions that prepare the students to begin thinking about unit questions and essential questions.

Understanding understanding. Because students are adept at apparent understanding, there needs to be a way to assess in-depth, justified understanding. Knowledge of the content of a discipline and the understanding of that discipline are not the same. One can have knowledge without understanding and understanding without accurate knowledge.

The six facets of understanding. There are six facts of understanding: explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy, and self-knowledge. Understanding should be developed and assessed in all six facets.

Thinking like an assessor. There are two basic questions an assessor asks: “Where should we look to find hallmarks of understanding, and What should we look for in determining and distinguishing degrees of understanding?” (pl. 67). The criteria and indicators of understanding are found across the facets and at differing levels within each facet. This book suggests a rubric for assessing understanding across the facets and levels (p. 76-77).

How is understanding assessed in light of the six facets? Suggestions are made of several assessment tools for each of the six facets.

What is uncoverage? Uncoverage teaches the subject rather than simply about the subject. Depth and breadth are two key factors. Depth is understanding the how, why, and how to. Breadth is understanding both the details and the bridges to related topics. Uncoverage deals with “nonobvious [sic] meanings.” Descriptors for depth include unearthing, analyzing, questioning, proving, and generalizing. Descriptors for breadth include connecting, picturing, and extending. Suggestions are made for giving for depth and breadth within the six facets. Uncoverage deals with the big idea, because the big idea must be discovered, not just taught.

What the facets imply for unit design. The acronym “WHERE” is a reminder of five things to consider before beginning unit design. “Where are we headed? …Hook the student through engaging and provocative entry points. …Exploration and enable/equip. …Reflect and rethink. …Exhibit and evaluate” (p 115-116).

Implications for organizing curriculum. The form of a curriculum must follow the function of understanding. Spiral curriculum (revisiting ideas), narrative structure (using the logic of drama), and task analysis (performance accompanied by and followed by didactic teaching) are some ways to achieve this.

Implications for teaching. To teach for understanding, the method employed must match the type of learning desired. Also, assessment should occur throughout the course. Finally, the teacher’s attitude must frequently be reexamined in light of the goal of understanding.

Putting it all together. The book provides a set of templates to guide the reader through the process of designing curriculum for understanding.

Tag: books

TEACHING TO CHANGE LIFES
by Howard Hendricks
pub. Multnomah Press, (C) 1987, 180

Tag: books

THE LOGIC OF THE SPIRIT: Human Development in Theological Perspective
by James E. Loder
pub. Jossey Bass, (C) 1998, 362 pages

Comments: I read most of this book for a Christian Ed class, and I must say it is a very refreshing view of developmental psychology. He integrates a theology of the spirit with Erickson and others. One quote is very telling: "...the theological reality, which is only reflected in the human, is ultimately definitive for every aspect of human development. Thus, only the transformed identity is 'normal' identity" (p. 210). Definitely a bold statement, faithful to the truth of imago dei.

Tag: books

HOW TO READ A BOOK: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
by Mortimer Adler and Charles van Doren
A Touchstone Book, (C) 1940, 1967, 1972

Comments: I skimmed this one, but will definitely read it in full sometime. Even if you think you know how to read--after all, you're reading this blog, right?--this is a must read book. Especially necessary for those who do tons of reading that is actually supposed to be remembered and understood. A definite classic!

MINDMAPPING: Your Personal Guide to Exploring Creativity and Problem-Solving
by Joyce Wycoff
Berkley Books, (C) 1991

Comments: I first read Mindmapping about six years ago (give or take). Having gotten out of the habit, I decided to read it again. The technique taught in the is an excellent tool for creative thinking--individual or group--regardless of the setting. It is an oldy--odd that 1991 is old these days--but a goody. Even if you don't read it, give it a power skim.