Practicum in Teaching - Student Questions on Teaching Styles

What exactly is a practicum in teaching? This is the question a class explored during its first meeting in order to develop an operational definition/description.

A practicum involves teaching in a laboratory setting complete with assessment in order to enhance one's teaching skills.

Teaching involves motivating students to learn new information so as construct an understanding of the world that shapes how they live.

Employing these description, the students self-understanding of their instructional styles, development of an assessment instrument and teaching multiple times in class the objective is to enhance their skills and effectiveness as instructors.

In reviewing student questions and synthesizing them, two important questions emerge.
1. How does one effectively adjust her/his teaching style to enhance effectiveness?
2. What is the relationship between the type of content and the teaching style employed?

Reflections on the above questions will appear in the next couple of days.

Practicum in Teaching

The evening was spent prepping for a new course titled Practicum in Teaching and reflecting on the axiom what is good for our young people is good for our congregations. How are these two things related, you ask? First, it keeps the focus on student learning. This questions the ever present assumption that good teaching ensures learning. Rather the focus ought to be on student learning in a way that contributes to creating meaningful learning experiences, including lecture. Second, by focusing on student learning it forces the instructor to identify the learning base present rather than assuming students know more than they do. Third, it challenges one to keep things simple - one point illustrated/illumined in multiple ways.

Pushing students to consider "Who they are teaching?", "What they are teaching?" and "Why they are teaching?" is fun, especially when they are forced to confront these questions after teaching.

I just finished reviewing three curriculums: Where you live matters; Advancing the common good; and Being countercultural from Q and hosted by Gabe Lyons. The three curriculums engage a variety of ideas and people as discussion starters. The topics are not surprise and the standard boogie people of evangelicalism are once again harpooned. 

Though the curricula provide helpful leaping off places for discussion, there were two elements missing. These missing elements undermine the overall intent of the curricula and leave one feeling that the issues are merely "hot" topics within "pop" Christianity (i.e. evangelicalism). The first missing element is a lack of historical grounding. The church has a long history and it has at times contributed constructively to culture, and even led the way. A clear example is the work of Arthur Guinness described in Stephen Mansfield's, The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World. This lack of historical grounding is addressed quite nicely in Jamie Smith's Letters to a young calvinist.

The second missing element is a clear biblical theology that is missional in character. How do the issues addressed fit into the larger scope of God's intentions for creation. Tim Keller perhaps get the closest to addressing the larger narrative in his biblical theology of the city. The issues addressed must be understood and explained with the context of the biblical Story, not drawn from the story and then validated through proof texting. Michael Goheen's A Light to the Nations: The Missional Church and Biblical Story  could serve as a clear biblical theology for approaching the identified issues in a more robust manner.

Montreat Chapel Talk 1 of 2

Okay, two chapel talks ahead on Eph 2.10 and spiritual formation. Here is a draft of talk #1:

“A child's success can't be measured in IQ scores, standardized tests or vocabulary quizzes, says author Paul Tough. Success, he argues, is about how young people build character. Tough explores this idea in his new book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity and the Hidden Power of Character.

"For some people, [the] path to college is so easy that they can get out into life and they've never really been challenged," he [Tough] tells NPR's David Greene. "I think they get into their 20s and 30s and they really feel lost — they feel like they never had those character-building experiences as adolescents, as kids, that really make a difference when they get to adulthood."[1]

Paul Tough goes on to explain why character is more important than IQ scores, academic achievement and athletic prowess. His observations are unfortunately confirmed everyday in the stories of “successful” people whose character is marred through bad decisions.

In Ephesians 2:1-10 the Paul addresses the “character” of the church in Ephesus believing that it is essential for the church to understand who it is before exploring its purpose. In many ways this has also been the purpose of college in American Higher Education – the formation of character. Academic achievement and athletic performance were evaluated in light of a person’s character. A person’s character reflected on the character of his or her fellow students as well as the institution. Character has always matter; unfortunately in the church and society character is often devalued.

In Ephesians 2:1-10, Paul writes:

2:1         As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2     in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3     All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4             But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5           made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6       And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7          in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8          For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9        not by works, so that no one can boast. 10          For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ^[2]

This passage explains how God and the out workings of God’s work form our character. Ephesians 2;10 is in essence a summary of the previous nine (9) verses. This passage is not about individuals; it is about the people of God. It is here that one of the key counter-cultural truths of Scripture slaps us aside the head, reminding us [plural] that spiritual formation or how the Holy Spirit is shaping our character is a corporate experience. Paul is addressing the church in Ephesus as a whole; the individual believer is understood through the lens of the community. A loose paraphrase of this passage for our setting might be as follows:

As for the Montreat College academic community, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2          in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3          All of us [the faculty, staff and administration] also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4        But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5         made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace the entire Montreat Academic Community [Faculty, staff, administration and students] have been saved. 6 And God raised us up [spiritually] with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7           in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you [Faculty, staff administration and students] have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9    not by works, so that no one can boast. 10            For we [the Montreat College Academic Community] are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

No one is spiritually formed apart from other believers; just as no one becomes an “honor” student or “MVP” by him or her self. We are spiritually formed as God through his Holy Spirit works through the scriptures and the faith communities in which we live. Spiritual formation is about the formation of character; the formation of a person’s being in light of God’s original intent: dependence, interdependence and intentionality.

            Dependence. Paul reminds that it is God that saved us. The gift of faith is the gift from God. This resonates deeply with the scriptural story. Early in Genesis we learn that God is the creator and we are not. We are creatures and not the Creator. The scriptures continually remind us of this fundamental truth. God works continually in the lives of us people to remind them of this reality.

            Interdependence. Pauls’ use of the plural “you” and “we” were already noted. In Genesis 2 when the woman was fashioned from the man we learn that a she was formed around a “rib” from the man. “Rib” refers to an aspect of personality; in essence man is only “whole” with the woman. In addition, the term “helper” whom God is creating is one that brings something necessary to the relationship. This particular term for “helper” only describes God in its other usages. From the very beginning the man and woman were dependent on each other to fulfill their intended purposes. Paul echoes this, noting that God is at work through the church in Ephesus. This stands counter to one of the great lies of our age, the individual is more important than the community; and in the church that individual spiritual formation is more important than the formation of the community of faith. God is primarily concerned with the formation of his people.

            Intentionality. We, the Montreat College Academic community are a specific type of community of Christians brought together to be spiritually formed by the grace of God. Whether one professes to be a follower of Christ or not; you are here through the work of God. The man and woman in the Garden of Eden were created to care for God’s creation and worship him. Caring for creation was an expression of worship. Why? The tree of the knowledge of good and evil provides a needed clue. The man and the woman were to develop a God-like knowledge of good and evil. God’s knowledge of good and evil is that the good is loved so much that anything contrary to it is repulsive. The man and the woman were to learn to love the things that God loves in word and deed in the way that God loves. To be spiritually formed as a community is to learn to love the things that God loves in word and deed in the way that God loves. It involves more than action or service; it is a living out of our core identity in Christ. God has brought this community together for a specific purpose – spiritual formation or the formation of your core identity using curricular and co-curricular elements – for God’s purposes. He is the work person; we are the one’s in which he is at work. 

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[1] http://www.npr.org/2012/09/04/160258240/children-succeed-with-character-not-test-scores

^[2] The Holy Bible: New International Version. 1996 (electronic ed.) (Eph 2:1–10). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

MindList from Beliot College

 Each August since 1998, Beloit College has released the Beloit College  Mindset List, providing a look at the cultural touchstones that shape > the lives of students entering college this fall. The creation of
Beloit’s former Public Affairs Director Ron Nief and Keefer Professor  of the Humanities Tom McBride, authors of /The Mindset Lists of  American History: From Typewriters to Text Messages, What Ten
Generations of Americans Think Is Normal/ (John Wiley and Sons), it  was originally created as a reminder to faculty to be aware of dated  references. It quickly became an internationally monitored catalog of  the changing worldview of each new college generation. Mindset List  websites at /themindsetlist.com <http://themindsetlist.com/   and   /Beloit.edu/, as well as the Mediasite webcast and their Facebook page  receive more than a million visits annually.

For those who cannot comprehend that it has been 18 years since this > year’s entering college students were born, they should recognize that > the next four years will go even faster, confirming the authors’ > belief that “generation gaps have always needed glue.”

The Mindset List for the Class of 2016
For this generation of entering college students, born in 1994, Kurt Cobain, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Richard Nixon and John Wayne Gacy have always been dead.
1. They should keep their eyes open for Justin Bieber or Dakota Fanning at freshman orientation.
2. They have always lived in cyberspace, addicted to a new generation of “electronic narcotics.”
3. The Biblical sources of terms such as “Forbidden Fruit,” “The writing on the wall,” “Good Samaritan,” and “The Promised Land” are unknown to most of them.
4. Michael Jackson’s family, not the Kennedys, constitutes “American Royalty.”
5. If they miss The Daily Show, they can always get their news on YouTube.
6. Their lives have been measured in the fundamental particles of life: bits, bytes, and bauds.
7. Robert De Niro is thought of as Greg Focker's long-suffering father-in-law, not as Vito Corleone or Jimmy Conway.
8. Bill Clinton is a senior statesman of whose presidency they have little knowledge.
9. They have never seen an airplane “ticket.”
10. On TV and in films, the ditzy dumb blonde female generally has been replaced by a couple of Dumb and Dumber males.
11. The paradox "too big to fail" has been, for their generation, what "we had to destroy the village in order to save it" was for their grandparents'.
12. For most of their lives, maintaining relations between the U.S. and the rest of the world has been a woman’s job in the State Department.
13. They can’t picture people actually carrying luggage through airports rather than rolling it.
14. There has always been football in Jacksonville but never in Los Angeles.
15. Having grown up with MP3s and iPods, they never listen to music on the car radio and really have no use for radio at all.
16. Since they've been born, the United States has measured progress by a 2 percent jump in unemployment and a 16 cent rise in the price of a first class postage stamp.
17. Benjamin Braddock, having given up both a career in plastics and a relationship with Mrs. Robinson, could be their grandfather.
18. Their folks have never gazed with pride on a new set of bound encyclopedias on the bookshelf.
19. The Green Bay Packers have always celebrated with the Lambeau Leap.
20. Exposed bra straps have always been a fashion statement, not a wardrobe malfunction to be corrected quietly by well-meaning friends.
21. A significant percentage of them will enter college already displaying some hearing loss.
22. The Real World has always stopped being polite and started getting real on MTV.
23. Women have always piloted war planes and space shuttles.
24. White House security has never felt it necessary to wear rubber gloves when gay groups have visited.
25. They have lived in an era of instant stardom and self-proclaimed celebrities, famous for being famous.
26. Having made the acquaintance of Furby at an early age, they have expected their toy friends to do ever more unpredictable things.
27. Outdated icons with images of floppy discs for “save,” a telephone for “phone,” and a snail mail envelope for “mail” have oddly decorated their tablets and smart phone screens.
28. Star Wars has always been just a film, not a defense strategy.
29. They have had to incessantly remind their parents not to refer to their CDs and DVDs as “tapes.”
30. There have always been blue M&Ms, but no tan ones.’
31. Along with online viewbooks, parents have always been able to check the crime stats for the colleges their kids have selected.
32. Newt Gingrich has always been a key figure in politics, trying to change the way America thinks about everything.
33. They have come to political consciousness during a time of increasing doubts about America’s future.
34. Billy Graham is as familiar to them as Otto Graham was to their parents.
35. Probably the most tribal generation in history, they despise being separated from contact with their similar-aged friends.
36. Stephen Breyer has always been an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.
37. Martin Lawrence has always been banned from hosting Saturday Night Live.
38. Slavery has always been unconstitutional in Mississippi, and Southern Baptists have always been apologizing for supporting it in the first place.
39. The Metropolitan Opera House in New York has always translated operas on seatback screens.
40. A bit of the late Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, has always existed in space.
41. Good music programmers are rock stars to the women of this generation, just as guitar players were for their mothers.
42. Gene therapy has always been an available treatment.
43. They were too young to enjoy the 1994 World Series, but then no one else got to enjoy it either.
44. The folks have always been able to grab an Aleve when the kids started giving them a migraine.
45. While the iconic TV series for their older siblings was the sci-fi show Lost, for them it’s Breaking Bad, a gritty crime story motivated by desperate economic circumstances.
46. Simba has always had trouble waiting to be King.
47. Before they purchase an assigned textbook, they will investigate whether it is available for rent or purchase as an e-book.
48. They grew up, somehow, without the benefits of Romper Room.
49. There has always been a World Trade Organization.
50. L.L. Bean hunting shoes have always been known as just plain Bean Boots.
51. They have always been able to see Starz on Direct TV.
52. Ice skating competitions have always been jumping matches.
53. There has always been a Santa Clause.
54. NBC has never shown A Wonderful Life more than twice during the holidays.
55. Mr. Burns has replaced J.R.Ewing as the most shot-at man on American television.
56. They have always enjoyed school and summer camp memories with a digital yearbook.
57. Herr Schindler has always had a List; Mr. Spielberg has always had an Oscar.
58. Selena's fans have always been in mourning.
59. They know many established film stars by their voices on computer-animated blockbusters.
60. History has always had its own channel.
61. Thousands have always been gathering for “million-man” demonstrations in Washington, D.C.
62. Television and film dramas have always risked being pulled because the story line was too close to the headlines from which they were ”ripped.”
63. TheTwilight Zone involves vampires, not Rod Serling.
64. Robert Osborne has always been introducing Hollywood history on TCM.
65. Little Caesar has always been proclaiming “Pizza Pizza.”
66. They have no recollection of when Arianna Huffington was a conservative.
67. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has always been officially recognized with clinical guidelines.
68. They watch television everywhere but on a television.
69. Pulp Fiction’s meal of a "Royale with Cheese" and an “Amos and Andy milkshake” has little or no resonance with them.
70. Point-and-shoot cameras are soooooo last millennium.
71. Despite being preferred urban gathering places, two-thirds of the independent bookstores in the United States have closed for good during their lifetimes.
72. Astronauts have always spent well over a year in a single space flight.
73. Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive baseball games played has never stood in their lifetimes.
74. Genomes of living things have always been sequenced.
75. The Sistine Chapel ceiling has always been brighter and cleaner.
Copyright© 2012 Beloit College
Mindset List is a registered trademark

"What's Next": Reflections on Travis' little book

Dave Travis’ What’s Next? A look over the next hill for innovative churches and their leaders published by Leadership Network is an intriguing look at how current sociological dynamics may possibly impact the church, especially large churches, in the future. Rather than giving you a summary of his main points, I want to consider this statement, “What about theological foundations? Some readers will look for doctrinal justification for each observation. These are always valid questions, of course, but this report is designed to be concise and factual. Other organizations actively pursue those debates, which fall outside our purposes” (pp.11-12).
I find it interesting that he equates theological foundations with doctrinal justification. How one sees, interprets and makes sense of the facts is informed by the theological foundations (commitments) with which one is working. In fact, Travis is socialized into a way of seeing the world that is primarily Western and leads him to value some types of information more than others. His theological foundations are implicitly present and inform his understanding and interpretation of the data. To equate theological foundations with doctrinal justification is sophomoric and allows him to avoid the hard work of theological reflection.
His lack of attention to theological foundations leads to a glaring omission; the centrality of the gospel in his projections is absent. At times his descriptions seem to view the church as another social service agency (I am overstating my point). In reality, the church has nothing to offer the world apart from the gospel; the gospel is the thing which distinguishes it from all other social service agencies or NGOs.
Travis’ ideas were interesting though there is nothing distinctive about them. He merely applied futurist ideas and sociological principles to the church without serious theological reflection.

Baptism, Infant Communion and Community

I often wonder what Karlie, my 15 month old grand daughter is learning. A few Sundays ago she drop her offering into the plate without any prompting. How did she learn to do that? It wasn’t explained to her; even if it was she couldn’t have understood what was said.  The neurosciences remind us that the brain creates neuro-pathways by repeating an action or activity. Each Sunday since she was born I’ve carried her forward and helped her place her offering in the plate. Neuro-pathways are being created that connect attending worship with the bringing of an offering. Bringing an offering, I trust, is becoming part of her identity in Christ.

That same Sunday as we gathered for the Lord’s Supper a troubling thought raced through my mind. I was holding Karlie and as the elements went by she eagerly and expectantly reached for a piece of bread.  She seemed to intuit its significance. As Karlie, a baptized member of the covenant community, reached out for the bread I wondered “why not?” What is she learning about the community of faith when everyone else partakes but she is not permitted too?

I’m still wondering what she is learning when she experiences everyone else partaking of the Lord’s Supper. She cannot tell me; she only looks at me with disappointment her eyes, pointing to the bread and saying “That”. This saddens my heart because I suspect she is learning something different than what is intended about her place and value within the body of Christ.