A Review of Assigned Readings

CED 522 Teacher as Facilitator of Learning

A Review of Assigned Readings

Saturday, September 25

Timothy W. Brock

Interim Director of the Master of Religious Education Program

and Associate Professor of Christian Education

Assigned Readings from

Keeping in Touch: Christian Formation and Teaching by Carol Krau

Prior to class on September 25, all students should have read Chapters 1-6 of this text. A summary of the content of the book is included below:

Chapter 1

In this chapter, the author argued that the teaching ministry of the church is much broader than conveying information and knowledge to the members of the congregation. She stated that the mission of the church and the purpose of teaching in the congregational context is transformation: transformation of the individual, transformation of the congregation, and transformation of the world through the Gospel. She stated that we should “live as disciples of Jesus Christ so that our relationships and our world are transformed by God’s Spirit.” (page 18)

Frau also indicated that, we are to seriously embrace this mission and this purpose, the ways in which we approach the task of teaching in the congregational context must shift. In the chart on page 21, she highlighted a few of these shifts. Be prepared to discuss these shifts in class discussion.

The author then suggested five critical processes to be undertaken by congregations who embraced this mission and this purpose. Based on the metaphor of “keeping in touch,” Frau listed and explained these processes in Chapters 2-6 of the text.

Chapter 2--Keeping in Touch with God

Krau argued that teachers and leaders should be intentional in their own relationship with God (that is, with their own spiritual formation). Writing from a Methodist perspective, Krau suggested that teachers and leaders should use any number of spiritual disciplines (as a “means of grace”) to enrich our relationship with God. My definition of a spiritual discipline is “any activity that opens our hearts and lives to God.” What is your definition? Krau listed the following disciplines:

· Prayer. What did you learn about prayer in this section of the material?

· Studying the Scripture. Have you ever practiced lectio divina? If so, what was that experience like for you?

· Worship (especially participating in communion.

· All Forms of Fasting. Have you fasted from food and drink for an extended period of time? From what other things might you fast in order to strengthen your dependence on God?

· Christian “Conferencing.” Have you ever participated in a small group or an accountability group through which you hoped to enrich your relationship with God? If so, what was that experience like for you?

· Acts of Mercy. Specifically, how does your relationship with God find practical expression in the world?

In preparation for class discussion, consider the following questions:

· In response to the information included in this chapter, what one specific spiritual discipline might you add to your life in order to enrich your relationship with God?

· As a congregational educator, how will you work to enrich the relationship between your church’s teachers and God?

Chapter 3—Keeping in Touch with God’s People

In this chapter, Krau developed the idea that we must celebrate the diversity of the people whom we are called to teach and must do everything in our power to get to know these folks at increasing deeper levels. To this end, she suggested that teachers might use:

· Personality Types, such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, and

· Spiritual Types, as described by Holmes and Ware (pages 49-51 of the text.

She also argued that teachers in the congregational context should develop skills in listening to the people with whom we work and might engage members of the congregation in mentoring relationship (spiritual friendships).

In preparation for class discussion, consider the following questions:

· Have you used personality types or spiritual types as a means to “keep in touch” with the folks whom you teach? If so, how did you use these assessments?

· On a scale of 1 (very poor) to 10 (excellent), how good of a listener are you? How might you improve your listening skills?

· Have you ever participated in a mentoring (or spiritual friends) relationship? What was that experience like for you?

Chapter 4—Keeping in Touch with Your Experience

In this chapter, Krau developed the idea that theological reflection on life experience is a critical aspect of the teaching ministry of the church. In exploring this idea, she indicated that the teacher must understand his or her context and must be aware of the sources of authority in his or her faith.

In preparation for class discussion, consider the following questions:

· How does your understanding of the cultural and social context of your congregation inform the way that you teach in the church?

· In this chapter, Frau described four sources of authority in faith: scripture, tradition, experience, and reason. How do you mix these four sources of authority in your faith life, that is, what percentages would you assign to each of the sources?

Chapter 5—Keeping in Touch with the World

In this chapter, Krau explored Jesus’ call to us to be “the light of the world.” Based on the idea that the mission of the church is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with whomever we come in contact,” Krau suggested a number of strategies for us to serve humanity and protect the natural world. Again, growing from her background as a Methodist educator, Krau suggested that we, as teachers in the congregational context, participate in small groups built around the theme of accountability. These groups will help us to live a disciplined life around individual dimensions of faith (works of piety--acts of devotion, prayer, Bible study, and fasting; and works of compassion—response to human needs around the world) and corporate aspect of faith (acts of worship--participation in the ministry of word and sacrament; and acts of justice—working together to change the systems, policies, and structures that maintain inequities and injustice between people). See the diagram on page 79 for a visual representation of this approach.

· In what acts of piety and works of compassion do you regularly participate? How do these activities help you to stay in touch with the world?

· In what acts of worship and justice do you and/or your congregation regularly participate? How do these activities help you and your congregation stay in touch with the world?

Chapter 6—Keeping in Touch with Teaching

Krau began this chapter with an assumption: she stated that “teaching is a means of grace” (i.e. teaching is a sacrament that (can) convey grace from God to the student…it this case, through the activities of the teacher). She further stated that teaching is a dynamic process (building on the past, interpreting the present, and imagining the future), an interactive process (bringing together a diversity of people, with many different needs and many different beliefs to learn together), and a process that uses a variety of different methodologies (including conversation, storytelling, team learning, creative arts, and additional resources). She ends this chapter with a blessing and a challenge to those of us who teach in the congregational context.

· In your own words, describe your understanding of “teaching as a means of grace.”

· Krau suggested a number of methodologies that could be used to facilitate teaching in the congregational context. Select one of the methods listed and speculate on how you might use that method to teach in your congregation.

Assigned Readings from

TeachingToday’s Teachers to Teach by Donald L. Griggs

Prior to class on September 25, all students should have read Chapters 1-5 of this text. A summary of the content of the book is included below:

Chapter 1—Teaching: The Church’s First Ministry

In this chapter, Griggs argued that “teaching must be considered a high priority if we are going to be faithful to Jesus’ great commandment” (to love God and to love neighbor as we love self). He furthered stated that, if we believe this axiom, that the church must then do all that it can to equip its teachers to become more knowledgeable and skillful in the art of teaching, in both formal and informal contexts. The bulk of the material in this chapter develops these ideas.

· The author used Deuteronomy 6:4-9 as a “paradigm passage”—a specific piece of scripture that has direct implications in our teaching ministry. Read this passage and consider its implications for the teaching ministry of your church. We will discuss this passage in class.

· Griggs discussed several different types of scripture that function as the content of our teaching. These included: parables, dark sayings, things we have heard and known, glorious deeds of the Lord, and the Law and the Commandments. To which type of scripture are you most often drawn in your teaching? Speculate on why this is so.

· Griggs suggested that an intentional teacher should survey the gospel in order to identify the specific strategies that Jesus used to teach during his earthly ministry. These are listed on pages 19-20. Of these strategies listed on those pages, which is your favorite teaching method? Why?

Chapter 2—The Realities of Teaching in the Church in the 21^st Century

On page 26, Griggs listed a number of basic assumptions about the task of teaching in the congregational context, then and now. Then, he suggested a number of responses to new realities faced by the teacher in the 21^st century context. These included:

· Change from a “doing my duty” to a “this is my ministry” approach.

· Change from recruiting to calling the teachers based on their gifts.

· Emphasize what is expected of teachers rather than understanding the expectations.

· Invite teachers and leaders to serve with partners.

· Emphasize Christian relationships as being most important.

· Demystifying teaching to make it less complicated, not less important.

· Affirm, encourage, and support teachers (a list of possible activities is included on pages 31-32).

· Consider new models for doing Christian education.

· Adopt ways for equipping teachers that fit the new realities.

In preparation for the class:

· Study the chart of page 26. What is your reaction to this material?

· Select one of the responses to the new realities (listed above) and be able to discuss it during class.

Chapter 3—Roles of the Teacher

In this chapter, Griggs listed and described a number of roles that the teacher in the congregational context must assume. These included: friend, God’s messenger, translator, curriculum writer, and learner.

· With which of these roles do you most closely identify? Why?

· With which of these roles do you least closely identify? Why?

Chapter 4—Ten Questions for Teachers to Ask and Answer

In very practical fashion, Griggs listed and described ten questions that should be at the heart of the teaching experience in the congregational context. These are:

· How will I prepare myself personally for teaching?

· Who are the people I am teaching?

· What will I teach and what will the participants learn?

· What activities and resources will I plan for the session?

· What strategies will I use to convey the main idea and involve the learners?

· How will I prepare the learning space?

· What questions will I ask?

· How will I respond after a participant says or does something?

· What choices will the class members be invited to make during the session?

· What directions will I give to guide student participation?

Be prepared to discuss these questions during class.

Chapter 5—What Will I Teach?

In this chapter, Griggs described how the teacher in the congregational context should address the content of his or her teaching. Whenever the teacher approaches the passage to be taught, Griggs suggested that she or he should 1) focus on key concepts, and 2) express the main idea of the session. These concepts are very important. Every passage of scripture is rich in its content, with many different themes, concepts, and ideas. The novice teacher is often tempted to do too much: to address all of these aspects of scripture, often in a limited time frame. In trying to address them all (often in a superficial fashion), the power of the passage is diluted. In this chapter, Griggs argues that we should focus on one key idea and develop that idea for the participants in the study.

· What one key learning developed from your reading of the section entitled, “Focusing on Key Concepts”?

· What one key learning emerged from your reading of the section entitled, “Expressing the Main Idea of the Session”?

Assigned Readings from

To Set One’s Heart: Belief and Teaching in the Church by Sara Little

Prior to class on September 25, all students should have read Chapters 1-10 of this text. This book was written by Christian educator Sara Little, a leading proponent of the religious instruction paradigm of Christian education (see the paradigm chart in the previous set of class notes for more information about this approach). A topical summary of the content of the book is included below:

The Definition of Belief

In this book, Little attempted to expand our understanding of the word, “belief.” On page 7, she wrote, “Belief is not the same thing as thought (or mental assent to a creed or series of statements about faith), and believing is not the same thing as thinking. “ Rather, she stated that “belief is multi-layered, that it has an affective (feeling), volitional (willing) and behavioral (acting) component, as well as cognitive (thinking).” She stated that the best definition of the word, “belief” is “to set one’s heart.” What is your reaction to this definition of “Belief?”

Two Thesis Statements

In this book, Little defined teaching as “that offering on the part of a designated teacher of a structure and a process within which the intentional learner may be exposed to the integrity of the subject and supported in his/her efforts to understand and assimilate the meaning of that subject for himself/herself.” (page 9) Little further averred that “teaching that contributes to the formation of this kind of belief necessitates the selective use of a variety of models with clear purposes, and presupposes the existence of a context that supports and interacts with intentional teaching.” (page 10) Please be able to restate these two thesis statements in your own words.

Three Affirmations about Belief

In the book, Little identified three points of agreement among scholars on the nature of belief. These included:

1. Belief has a strong cognitive component. Language, thinking, and understanding are important parts of believing.

2. The language, thoughts and understandings associated with belief have a subjective content, it that belief is rooted in cultural relationships and individual and corporate experiences.

3. Belief has a psychological and historical context. (page 15)

Three Affirmations about the Relationship between Faith and Belief

In the book Little identified three aspects of the relationship between faith and belief. (pages 15-18) These included:

1. Faith is the religiously important category, and is not the same thing as belief. In this way, “beliefs become avenues by which we interpret and thereby re-appropriate at deeper levels the meaning of the Christian faith.”

2. The relationship between faith and belief is reciprocal or interactive or correlative, i.e. a shift in one directly and immediately affects the other.

3. Belief as a factor in faith is to affirm the existence of a cognitive component (among others).

The Function of Christian Belief Systems

Little stated four functions of Christian belief systems. These included:

1. To help a person make sense of the world and have a frame of reference for understanding, caring, deciding, and doing.

2. To aid a community (i.e. the church) to achieve identity and maintain continuity.

3. To link human experience and the Christian tradition through an interpretation that internalized meaning and gives direction to life.

4. To link lives of individuals and communities to larger, ultimate realities and purposes. (pages 18-21)

Intentionality and Teaching

In Chapter 4, Little stated four key assumptions that lie at the heart of her understanding of Christian education, in general, and serve as the heart of her approach in this book, in particular. These included:

1. That the existing situation calls for more direct, conscious attention to belief formation as an emphasis of the teaching ministry of the church.

2. That to be a teacher is to be intentional.

3. That familiarity with domains (cognitive, affective, and behavioral) and levels of knowledge is an aid to being intentional; and

4. That understanding and being able to use models or approaches with clear purposes and strategies give a basis for choice, and therefore for drawing on appropriate knowledge and skills to develop teaching activities congruent with one’s vision of what she/he is about. (page 30)

On pages 40-41 of the text, Little provided a chart, comparing and contrasting five different families of models of teaching. These included: information processing, group interaction, indirect communications, personal development and action/reflection. Please read this chart and be prepared to discuss its content.

A Chart Comparing the Five Families of Teaching Models

Information Processing

Believing and Thinking

Group Interaction

Believing and Participating

Indirect Communication

Believing and Encountering

Personal Development

Believing and Becoming Aware

Action/Reflection

Believing and Doing

Role of the Teacher

Controller—

Of the subject matters and the way it is organized, when the teacher becomes the presenter

Of the process set up to guide students’ thinking in a planned sequence of activities, when the teacher becomes the director

Guide and resource person skilled in group process

Artistic, imaginative use of art forms, with a sense of timing and appropriateness to students and subject matter

A willingness to “stay out of the way” and not to prescribe response

Student advocate and guarantor

Facilitator, resource person, reflective counselor

One knowledgeable of the arts and of that which is imaginative and “actualizing” in the student

Facilitator

Consciousness-raiser

Director of process

Active participant

Mutually accountable

Role of the Learner

Responder—

To the material presented

To the concepts and insights emerging out of the process as specified

Initiator of ideas and procedures

Participant in cooperative investigation and decision making

Share control and responsibility with the teacher

To enter into, discover, and appropriate meaning for oneself

To make the effort to perceive truth, and to risk decision and response

Assume increasing control of and responsibility for learning, expressing ideas, feelings, imagination, in growing personal freedom

Develop the capacity to feel, to be aware of self and others

Active participant

Open to new ideas, feelings, and practices

Mutually accountable

Strategies

Development of intellectual freedom through helping persons learn how to think by—

Stimulating thought processes through posing questions

Organizing subject matter

Organizing the processes for investigating the subject matter

Variety of strategies appropriate, depending on task or subject matter assigned or chosen by the group

Planning, formation of task, research and report, simulation, role-play, evaluation

Use of a variety of forms—parables, drama, film—“clothing” that which is to be communicated

Silence, introspection, free reflection, and response

Expectation of personal encounter with truth and decision

Use metaphorical, lateral and/or divergent thinking

Participate in processes designed to increase self-understanding and build self image

Develop individual learning contracts

Utilize role-playing and simulation

Use of awareness-training models, consciousness-raising groups

Training in problem-solving, with a focus on analysis, planning, and evaluating skills

Specific Models Associated with the Family

The Advancer Organizer

Inductive model

Programmed instruction

Group Investigation

Simulations

Depth Bible Study

Some suggestive incidents

Kierkegaard’s writing as indirect learning and teaching

Evocative modes of teaching

Expressive activities

Awareness training

Non-directive

Synectics

AAAR (Awareness, Analysis, Action, Reflection)

Shared Praxis