1/2 Credit Reflections

I'll be turning in my final project for my Education 1 class tomorrow. It's a three-ring binder that will function as a "learning portfolio" for many of the materials, readings, and educational resources I'll be collecting while here at Luther over the coming semesters and years. Included in the portfolio will be a copy of all the blog posting that I've done for this class including this final reflection.

The assigned readings for this class included a variety of sources and subject matters. Asked to select the one book that added the most value to the course, I'd have to lift up The Church as Learning Community: A Comprehensive Guide to Christian Education by Norma Cook Everist. As I had no prior formal background in the science of education, I was grateful for this book's seemingly comprehensive review of Christian educational theory. Structured around a church-related rhythm of gathering, growing and sending, this guide is a helpful tool that I am certain I'll return to in the future.

It has been interesting for this education theory novice to take into consideration the principles presented in this class when evaluating this and my other courses this semester. Apparently, I picked up enough knowledge to be dangerous when it comes to critiquing the teaching styles and lesson planning of the faculty with whom I have come in contact. While I'm sure my course evaluations will certainly be filled with greater commentary, I have to hope that I'll also have more empathy for the teachers that are working so hard to perform this incredible task. God bless them.

I'm glad that I decided to take this class so early in my time here at Luther; many of the ideas explored should prove to be integral to much of what comes my way. Indeed, some of it already has. I thought my instructor performed admirably and I would look forward to taking additional courses from her in the future. The only major negative is that I felt this 1/2 credit course was at least as content-rich and expectation-filled as most of my full credit courses. I'm not sure what material I would have left out, but perhaps limiting the readings somewhat would have allowed for a little more depth and a little less breadth. All in all, I have to admit that the return on my invested time and effort was quite high.

Learning in Paradox

"My vocation (to use the poet's term) is the spiritual life, the quest for God, which relies on the eye of the heart. My avocation is education, the quest for knowledge, which relies on the eye of the mind. I have seen life through both these eyes as long as I can remember - but the two images have not always coincided... I have been forced to find ways for my eyes to work together, to find a common focus for my spirit-seeking heart and my knowledge-seeking mind that embraces reality in all its amazing dimensions." - Parker J. Palmer

Here are a few of my reflections on Parker Palmer’s Six Paradoxical Tensions* when considering teaching/learning spaces:

1. The space should be bounded and open. I have seen how important it is for teachers to create learning environments (literally and figuratively) that are big enough to allow for and encourage exploration. At the time, learning needs focus and establishing boundaries remains a critical piece of the teaching/learning dynamic. In written assignments for my Old Testament class, for example, we are free to write on any topic or question that comes to mind in relation to a chosen set of verses. Yet we are confined to use the Bible as the only reference point and encouraged to exclude any outside sources. In this way, we are being trained into careful scriptural study and yet remain open to the depth and range of how the scriptures can speak to us.

2. The space should be hospitable and charged. I can say with certainty that most of the teaching/learning environments I’ve experienced since coming to campus this fall have created safe, nurturing settings. In addition, there is no sitting back as I am continually challenged to perform at a deeper level. I appreciate this juxtaposition of comfort and stress and how it seems to be pushing me to engage the work at hand in a more compelling fashion.

3. The space should invite the voice of the individual and the voice of the group. While a lot of attention is given to this tension here at Luther, I can tell that this is one of the harder paradoxes within which to maintain balance. Given the amount of lecturing that goes on here, you can imagine that certain voices reign supreme. In addition, during the group discussion times of my courses with fairly large class sizes, only a few voices seem to be heard. No significant efforts are placed into drawing out the quieter voices or toward group consensus-building. While I see this as a necessary evil of this academic setting, and perhaps more unique to these larger “survey” courses, I look forward to watching this dynamic change in the coming semesters and certainly within the educational aspects of my own ministry down the road.

4. The space should honor the “little” stories of the students and the “big” stories of disciplines and tradition. Here too, I am experiencing a stronger presence of the “big” stories during this first semester at Luther. While I am valuing greatly the learning of foundational elements of theological education, I look forward to the times when the stories of the individuals break through. For example, when we get opportunities to connect with people who are actively engaged in the life of the church in the world, I feel that learning seems to come full circle.

5. The space should support solitude and surround it with the resources of community. I feel like I am sitting comfortably within the tension of this paradox. Since my time during the First Week Orientation and up until today, I am impressed at how this seminary has worked to create a rich learning community. At the same time, I am pleased to have found great benefit in the times spent alone. This has given me the freedom to pay attention to the specifics of my work and yet supported me with tremendous resources, some tangible and others spiritual.

6. The space should welcome both silence and speech. I am a reminded of a practice that was included in the daily rhythms of Christikon Lutheran Bible Camp, where I worked as a staff person during my undergraduate college years. At one point during the day, the whole camp engaged in “quiet time” when everyone was instructed to go off by themselves and use the time for personal reflection, reading, journaling or the like. Most of all, there was no talking permitted with any other camper or staff person. As you can imagine, this silence was easy for some and nearly impossible for others. I rode both ends of that spectrum during my time at Christikon. Now, I have come to value the importance of this practice. I have found that when I can be intentional with times of silence then I am able to more deeply appreciate the times when I am engaged in conversation. I look forward to seeing how this rhythm will develop during my time here at Luther.

Another paradox? If I were to make an argument for a seventh paradox, I would give some thought to learning environments that are at times casual and at other times professional. In creating spaces for learning to take place, benefit can be gained from casual settings that encourage relaxed conversation and lowered inhibitions. At the same time, there are times when the subject matter or the learning style may profit from a more professional approach. A more structured environment may lend certain credibility to the topic at hand.

* Parker J. Palmer, The Courage to Teach (San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1998), pages 73 – 77.

A walk through the Eight Facets of Learning*

This is a reflection on how my ideas of learning in the church have been transformed through the work experienced in my Education 1 class this past semester.

Community
The role of community in the learning and teaching process is integral to my developing Trinitarian understanding of the purpose of the church. To be a Christian means to be in community. Therefore if we are going to teach about Christianity, then it needs to be done in community.
In my own experience, I struggled with the decision to begin my studies as a “distance learner” or become a “residential student.” While I decided that I would be too distracted in my home surroundings and thus would need to remove myself from those distractions in order to focus on learning, I was also pleased to benefit from a number of the characteristics of learning in the community located here at Luther. In particular, ... continue reading

Presentation
This facet of learning is demonstrated by the majority of teaching I have experienced here at Luther. The variety of presentation methods and styles has spanned a broad spectrum. At times I have found presentations to have been highly effective in my learning and at other times I’ve questioned the value of having invested the time to even listen. I would like to contrast two recent presentations that describe some of what I have experienced:
The first presentation employed the use of power point, a technology that is widely used but when not employed properly can actually become a hindrance to carrying the message being presented. In this case, ... continue reading

Discussion
As we are called to be in a dialogical relationship with God, it only makes sense that we employ good use of a discussion technique when focusing on Christian education. Important when considering discussion is to recognize that good listening creates as much value as does good talking. A number of my courses this semester have employed discussion times to provide opportunity for greater learning and I have gained a few insights along the way.
Group size may have more to do with the quality of the discussion more than any other factor. It’s no surprise that the larger the group, the less effective the discussion becomes. In a number of my ... continue reading

Study
It seems that much of what I dedicate my time to when outside of the classroom is study. This study is taking on a variety of forms. Much of the work I am doing is in reaction to class presentations and assigned readings. For example, while my Greek professor presents concepts and briefly demonstrates the basics of the language in class, it remains for me to spend time memorizing vocabulary, practicing verb conjugations, and translating verses. It’s through this work that the bulk of my understanding of Greek is occurring. In addition to performing rote memorization, a number of my other classes are requiring me to put in significant time studying in preparation for analytical writings and exams. Depending on my interest level in the topic, this effort has yielded varying results.
The effectiveness of my studies seems to be linked to a number of factors. First, the quality of the resources available in my study has much to do with my ability to engage the topics at hand. Next, when I am given ... continue reading

Individual
One of the major teaching techniques employed here at Luther is to assign significant volumes of reading, a key element of the individual learning facet. In fact, I believe that I have read more words and pages in the past six weeks then I’ve read in the past six years. While I believe the quality of the readings is high, the value of them has been compromised by their sheer volume. One of my classes, for example, would be better served to use just one of the assigned textbooks and discard the other two. I believe more would have been gained if we could have drilled down into the one text rather than just glancing off the surface in order to skim the material presented in the other two.
It’s important to note that ... continue reading

Confrontation
I can appreciate that the goal of confrontational learning relates to the church’s missional identity by demonstrating “that the Christian learner is now alive and thinking, making choices and acting in the world. Unfortunately, I just haven’t had much opportunity to engage in this type of learning in the past six weeks. It’s just not a technique that has been employed by any of the courses I am enrolled in. On a personal level, I do feel like my developing faith has made itself known within the conversations I’m having around the coming regional and national elections. I suppose it’s a bit like the early confessors of the church, who in the course of public discourse, were forced into formalizing statements of their beliefs and then watching as those statements become the foundation for debate, disagreement and discord. Over time, hopefully, the truth seems to rise to the surface and we should give thanks to those on both sides of the arguments for sticking their necks out to engage in the debate.

Experience
In a previous piece, I stated how much I value experiential learning. Yet only a few of my classes this semester seem to be offering me this type of opportunity. Employing case studies, role playing, simulations, expeditionary learning and the like, I find to be incredibly helpful in my learning process. When I find the need to access the information later, I always appreciate being able to tell a story of my own experience with the topic at hand. With respect to this education class, I certainly have appreciated all of its experiential elements and can imagine that the topics of the class that I was able to experience first-hand, like preparing the Advent/Intelligence Model presentation, will remain in the forefront of my memory. A case study being developed ... continue reading

Reflection
The last of these facets of learning is probably the one I had the least exposure to prior to coming to Luther this fall. Not unaware of its value, however, I decided to begin this blog in order to provide a medium for me to process my journey and open up my story to those who may be on this journey (literally and in spirit) with me. Perhaps it’s serendipity, but the reflective writing assignments for this class have created great content for me to share on my blog. In addition, the experience of preparing these writings has given me valuable coaching in continuing to use this technique to the benefit of my learning while here at Luther. This journaling exercise has created a greater emotional buy-in of the material being presented and discussed. It has also provided ... continue reading

*Norma Cook Everist, The Church as Learning Community: A Comprehensive Guide to Christian Education, Abington Press, 2002

Am I learning?

Experiencing the other presentations in my Education class last week as a learner taught me a lot, not only about the material presented, but perhaps more importantly about the various teaching styles at my disposal in the future. It's clear that the other groups in the class experienced some of the same challenges (i.e. too much material, not enough time) and some more unique (i.e. getting graduate students to act like junior high kids).

From a content perspective, I was most drawn to the three Bible stories explored during the Epiphany presentation. I was happy to be reminded of the richness of the lectionary during this time just following Christmas. I thought the skit development was a great way to approach the elements of interpersonal learning, but it's important to remember the need to follow up one learning method with another. Even in my small group, it was clear that not everyone was easily engaged into this type of activity. Further, while I may have learned much about the topic of our skit, the nuances of the other skits may have been lost on me. The post-skit debriefing is a critical component to this type of learning, and that debriefing could take multiple forms.

The single most enlightening idea presented for me had to be, however, the concept surrounding the "Easter Garden." This one idea has the potential to engage many a congregation on multiple levels and in multiple ways. I am especially struck with how involving an entire congregation in the details of creating a garden could present a wonderful opportunity to turn learning into "meaning making," as suggested by Joyce Mercer in her book Welcoming Children: A Practical Theology of Childhood. Even in the case of the Easter presentation, the teachers group could have taken just this one idea and rallied all of their efforts in one place. Doing so would have allowed more time for more participatory and social learning. I know the idea of an Easter Garden is one that I'll endeavor to find an opportunity to explore deeper.

With respect to the writing pieces that were submitted by the various presenters, there was a broad range of styles exhibited. One overarching takeaway is that the pieces that appear to say the least, with respect to word count, actually said the most. That is, I think a good piece of public writing drills down to the fundamentally critical information that needs to be communicated and excises the remainder. I would have to lift up the "Easter church newsletter" and the "Teaching Ideas for the Lenten Lectionary" as particularly well written. A number of the other pieces attempted to convey too much content and ultimately, that may be their communication downfall. One thing that was lacking from all of the groups' written communication however, was a coordinated look & style. While I'm sure it fell victim of the time pressure and work dynamics of this group project, in the future I would try harder to create a common presentational form that furthers the key themes of the work being done.

When I grow up, I want to be an adventor!

Last week in our Education class, we spent most of the time participating in 20-minute presentations by each one of four small groups. Each group had been assigned a season of the church year (Advent, Epiphany, Lent or Easter; Christmas & Pentecost were set aside) to research and the goal of the presentations were three-fold. First to share faith-forming ideas around these seasons. Next, to gain further insight into small-group dynamics. And lastly, to experience teaching and learning first-hand in four of seven ways of learning. These ways (based on Dr. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences) include: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal and intrapersonal.

My small group was assigned the season of Advent and our intelligence was logical-mathematical. As our group went first (only fitting as Advent is the first season of the church year), I'd like to reflect a bit on my experience in the small group and as a teacher/presenter. I must begin by saying that I have had more than my share of small group dynamics study and practice over the years and this group proved to be no different in both its predictability of characteristics and its expected uniqueness.

The ultimate take-away from this experience is that I wish we had been able to dedicate more time into the project. Our group was pretty interested in discovering that which was unique to Advent. Our conversations were rich when trying to get at the heart of this season's meanings surrounding the preparation for the coming of Christ into the world, both the newborn Christ and the returning Messiah. The conversations were so rich that we struggled to quickly develop a thematic structure within which to build the presentation. Once the theme statement of "Advent: a time for preparing..." was developed, we were able to start producing the work for the the teaching/learning task. Fortunately, the group was equally invested in a positive outcome and I'm fairly pleased with the results.

As for the presentation itself, I question how much learning actually occurred. While I'm confident that the material was presented in a logical-mathematical way, I think the volume of information presented was far too great for a 20 minute presentation. Much of this was the result of feeling the need for each member of the group to demonstrate (for the purposes of the class) that they had indeed prepared a breadth of content that was pertinent to the topic at hand. In their book Teaching the Bible in Church, authors John Bracke & Karen Tye express the need of teachers to possess a "knowledge of space" and that includes recognizing more than just the physical constraints placed in the teaching moment. The space created and constrained by time is of critical importance in any teaching-learning paradigm. Quite honestly, you can expect to cover only so much material in 20 minutes, regardless of how well prepared you are. We might have been better served to have just focused on our key theme statement, explored its basis and then briefly introduced all of the supporting materials available.

With respect to our audience of supposed logical-mathematical learners, I think we offered up one approach to engaging this particular learning intelligence and there certainly are many more to be considered. I do think we missed out a little by not having prepared a concise agenda for the presentation. The agenda could have had bullet points addressing the key takeaways that were revealed over the course of the presentation. In addition (excuse the pun), we were fundamentally lacking in any sort of mathematical challenge to the presentation. I would like to give this some more thought in the future but I'm not sure the topic lent itself to much in this context.

Overall this was an enjoyable and beneficial exercise and although I groaned a bit (see post from 9/14/08) when initially engaging in the small group nature of the project, there were more than enough take aways for me to value greatly my and my group mate's efforts.

Are you experienced?

In her book, The Church as Learning Community, Norma Cook Everist proposes Eight Facets of Learning and related methodologies to teaching to a diverse audience. When considering my own stylistic preferences, it's fairly obvious that I prefer an experienced-based environment and struggle within a study-based environment.

Educational environments that feature experience as the basis for learning tend to employ are variety of tactics including expeditionary learning, field education, dramatization, role playing, simulation, and case study (p. 104). I have always valued opportunities to get my hands dirty in the process of learning. Learning by doing (and making mistakes) has proven invaluable for me over the years. In particular, I am an avid seeker of case studies in which others can do the learning for me and I can glean the results.

On the other hand, study-based learning tends to provide me with the most challenges. I struggle to find the patience or focus for long periods of self-guided work. Learning that requires route memorization or lengthy research often fails to capture my attention for sustained periods of time. I prefer to roll up my sleeves, start producing work, evaluate the results, tweak the approach and retry.

Perhaps these preferences are a result of the environments that I've been passionate about for the last 20 years or so. You can't learn about wine & food by just reading about it. You have to get in there and taste it. I'd like to think there's a way to approach Christian education in a similar fashion. I look forward to finding that way.

Jesus loves you... go do something about it!

There you have it. The one sentence that describes what I hope people in my future congregations will take away from my ministry. Simple, straight forward and hopefully, easy to remember. It's the Gospel revealed and the commission implied. -KISS (keep it simple stupid)

Objective vs. Subjective

I suppose my upcoming role as a Christian educator will be one of the most challenging aspects of my calling to ministry. As much as I know that I am an objective thinker, I know that the world around me is an anything but objective place. Nurturing others faith will be a subjective activity.

I imagine that I'll need to cultivate a patience for developing educational strategies that will be unique to each time, place, subject and person. The one-size-fits-all approach I may desire to implement most likely will not generate any lasting contributions to the process. I do feel that one of my gifts is an ability to "read" others frames of reference which should serve me well. I also like to maintain a sense of the world that surrounds the contexts within which we live. At the same time, I know that I will struggle with agenda anxieties and will have to learn to accept greater flexibility in the educational process.

The good news is that while learning is a subjective process, so is teaching. I think there's room for me in there too.

Religious...anyone, anyone... Education

Last week in class, we discussed John Westerhoff's three Christian education metaphors. In my own experience, I can say that each one accurately portrays different times of my life.

My earliest memories of attending Sunday school, at about the 1st or 2nd grade level, exemplify the Production metaphor. It was a classic school setting where I was grouped into a classroom with kids my own age and we were "taught" to by a teacher. I would say this technique was again mirrored during my time in confirmation. Each week, I would just sit at a desk in a classroom and the pastor or a volunteer teacher would lecture to me and my classmates. In both instances, the setting was formal and less than stimulating. I especially remember the painful times during confirmation classes when, after having lectured for some time, the instructor attempted to engage the students in some sort of discussion. In reality, the instructor just wanted us to recite what had just been presented. No room for discussion. It was just like the classroom scenes from Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Westerhoff's Greenhouse metaphor more accurately describes my 4th through 6th grade Sunday school experiences. Clearly the church educators in my congregation started to wise up and divided the Sunday school into groups of similar abilities rather than just age levels. While we met as a combined group of elementary-aged kids for portions of the time, the material was presented for our benefit and much of the small group work was conducted in a way that matched our developmental stage. While I think this may have increased levels of participation, I'm not sure that there was any greater transference of knowledge or understanding.

In contrast to these first two metaphors stands the idea of Christian education as a Pilgrimage where the teacher and students progress with each other. My time as a post-confirmation junior and high school student active in youth group activities seem to be best described in this manner. The primary person responsible for Christian education during this time was the youth director. Everything we did was done on a journey together. Sometimes this was more figurative in nature, like discussions about faith in very secular settings. Sometimes the educational journey was literal, like trips to Montana to go backpacking at bible camp. No matter the activity, the youth director always engaged the rest of the group as a co-learner and co-experiencer. There's no doubt that those trips were foundational in the formation of my faith. There's something to be said for a journey shared together.

Ready, Set... Wait!

I've often said that Advent is my favorite season of the church year. Now I get the chance to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak. In my Education class, I have been assigned to a small group that has the task of creating a curriculum for church education around the season of Advent.

Advent is the first season of each new church year and comprises the four Sundays before Christmas. It is intended to be a time of preparation and waiting; for the coming Christ child and for the return of Christ. What I love about Advent is that if enough attention is focused onto this time of preparation, we can slow down the march towards Christmas and all of its commercialism and misdirected enthusiasm. Don't get me wrong. I love to celebrate all the traditions of Christmas and I'm certainly happy to participate in the joy of holiday gift giving and receiving. But I appreciate the intentional efforts of Advent to truly prepare us for the radical way in which our lives are to change when Christ comes into this world. Perhaps for a few brief moments we can turn our attentions away from ourselves and focus on those around us.

In addition to preparing this curriculum for a church's educational theme, our small group must also make a presentation that reflects Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, in particular the logical-mathematical category. I hope this proves to be as interesting an exercise as our research is shaping it to be. Logical-Mathematical learners aren't necessarily just good at math but rather enjoy problem solving through scientific theory, pattern recognition and logic games. At this point, we're looking hard at doing something with an Advent calendar that slowly reveals the elements of what we hope to communicate to our audience. I'll be sure to post some results.

Squeezing Into Education

In Norma Cook Everist's The Church as Learning Community, she describes various factors in establishing learning environments, two of which include physical and emotional factors. In considering these two elements, I am compelled to share a couple reactions.

First, my most recent home congregation in Red Lodge has to literally think outside the box when it comes to creating effective physical learning environments. The spaces available for learning within the confines at Messiah Lutheran are limited to the sanctuary and the basement underneath the sanctuary. The limits to these spaces have certainly handicapped even the traditional Sunday School and Sunday Adult Forums. I have to wonder how many potential participants choose not to participate regularly because the spaces are not appropriate to the needs of learning (too cramped, too public, too noisy, inaccessible, interfere with other activities, etc.).

On the other hand, I do feel that our congregation has a strong history of establishing an appropriate emotional setting for learning to take place. I have felt an intentional commitment towards respect of differing opinions. This behavior has definitely been modeled by the pastor and other congregational leaders.

It's interesting to note that this congregation is taking steps towards re-visioning their physical space needs in order to alleviate current limitations and better accommodate desired growth in ministry. Already some of the non-Sunday morning study groups are finding it more effective to gather in spaces away from the cramped church. Working from within a culture of respect should give the congregation the strength to head down a path of facility redesign or possibly the construction of a whole new facility.

Yes, you can learn and drink wine at the same time!

The strongest example I have experienced of an effective community of learning would have to be at camp. This time however, I'm not talking about church camp. I'm talking about Pinot Camp. Yes, that's right, Pinot, as in Pinot Noir - the wine grape. One of the few perks of owning and operating a restaurant is that occasionally I get invited to attend "trade" events designed to increase my awareness or knowledge of a particular wine, winery or wine region. Rarely, however, do I come away with learning as much as I did during my time at Oregon Pinot Camp this last June.

As much as I'd like to talk right now about what I learned during those four days in the Willamette Valley south of Portland, I'd like to explore why I learned so much. In a nutshell, the effectiveness of my learning had everything to do with the community that was created during that remarkably brief time traipsing through the vineyards and wineries of one of the world's hottest new wine making regions. I am certain that the forethought and attention given to creating that community will have lasting impacts not only on me but certainly on a number of the country's most promising restaurateurs and wine merchants.

Before I get to the elements of why I feel this learning community was so successful, I need to give a little background on the nature of Oregon Pinot Camp. Fifty of the most committed wineries each chip in financial and human resources in order to host 200 wine industry professionals. The event takes place over four days and in a variety of locations and settings. As you can imagine, given the topic, there is a lot of wine-ing and certainly dining as a major part of the activities, but the overall goal of the camp hosts is to educate the participants on the ins and outs of the Oregon Pinot Noir industry.

First, it must be noted that participation in Oregon Pinot Camp is by invitation only. This way the hosts can guarantee that each participant has a comparable level of wine knowledge and interest. This commonality wasn't intended to stifle thought but instead resulted in conversations at a much deeper level. Grape-growers and wine makers enjoyed having an audience that spoke their language. In turn, the participants appreciated being brought into the conversation by well-respected experts.

Secondly, the organizers/teachers and the participants shared a very important characteristic; they were truly passionate about the topic at hand. This passion fueled every presentation and conversation, which ultimately ensured that real learning could occur. It was obvious that both teacher and student cared about the outcomes of their time spent together.

Lastly, it has to be said that Pinot Camp was fun. It was not just an academic exercise. No other trade event I've participated in was so good at creating fun in the midst of some serious stuff. (Yes, there are people, like me, who take wine very seriously.) There's something to be said for the effectiveness of learning while in an enjoyable environment.

What does all of this mean for creating an effective learning environment within the boundaries of Christian education? Well, I'm fairly certain that the lessons learned from Pinot Camp will serve me well in the future.

1) Make sure teacher and student are able to speak the same language at the same level.

2) Make sure the participants are gathered together because they are passionate about the topic (and if they're not, figure out a compelling reason for them to be).

3) Have fun. Even if the topic is less than funny that doesn't mean the educating/learning can't be enjoyable.

And if these rules don't succeed, go straight to lesson 4) Have a glass of Oregon Pinot Noir.

This is my brain on books!

So guess what? It turns out that my brain is wired like no one else's. Yes, I still have all the parts and pieces common to the human brain but my collection of neural networks are unique to me. So watch out!

In their book Teaching the Bible in Church, John Bracke & Karen Tye introduce a sketch of basic brain function and insight into memory & learning in order to lay a foundation for how we are to teach if our goal is for others to learn. And in this case, given the woefully low level of Biblical literacy prevailing in the church, the need for successful teaching is greater than ever. How can we expect others to know God if they don't know him through the Word?

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1

Here's what my brain looks like when I'm trying to learn:
1) I'm very visual. I appreciate pictures, graphs and demonstrations. (This book could use more pictures, for instance.)
2) I don't easily retain written information.
3) I'm thankful when I get to hear information presented to me audibly.
4) I value an interactive approach and the opportunity to discuss and debate (sometimes, maybe a little too much).
5) If I have the chance to engage my senses of smell and taste, I have a better recollection. (Is it any wonder that I can remember the name and character of most wines I've ever drunk?)
6) I'm most certainly an intuitive and spontaneous learner that prefers to examine the whole rather than its parts.
7) I am an active experimenter that would rather do than contemplate. (I can still remember being chastised for acting before thinking.)

This is my brain. This is my brain on books.

I have much to learn... groan!

Reflections on To Know As We Are Known by Parker J. Palmer:
First, it was not nearly as quick of a read as my professor led me to believe. Secondly, while I didn't find much to argue with, I did find it a good foundation piece on a basis for learning and teaching that I'm sure will relate nicely to the context of this course. Parker's contention is that to know is to love and he makes strong arguments for this case.

While "to know is to love" may not have been my choice of words for how we best share or receive knowledge, I do agree that our ability to comprehend the world around us is rested in the relationships we hold; with each other and with the subject matter. I was struck by how many parallels I found in Palmer's book with the work of James Surowiecki in The Wisdom of Crowds. (I'll have to go back and check to see if there are any cross references.) Basically, we are better served when we listen to the voice of the collective whole rather than any individual voice alone, expert or not. (compare Palmer's Moon Game vs. Surowiecki's Gumball Survey)

While there is much to consider in Parker's piece, I have to admit the final chapter may have the biggest impact on me in the coming months here at seminary. Here's Parker on the importance of prayer in the role of learning/teaching:

"In solitude we acknowledge ourselves. In silence we acknowledge the world. In prayer we acknowledge the spiritual bonds that tie us and our world together." (p.124)

The first class this semester began with the lighting of a candle and then a time of silence. As I sat in that silence, I groaned to myself wondering if this was what was to be expected for the rest of the semester. I'm glad to know now that even that groan of my own misdirected frustration was a prayer for understanding and that my groans join together with the groans of Abba Felix's students and all students before, since and yet to come as we seek to find truth in this quest.

My Edumacashun: An Introduction

I have been going to church for as long as I can remember. No matter where my family lived and even though we moved about every three years when I was growing up, my parents always found a church home. That means that I have more than a few divergent memories of being "educated" in the church. I remember times when Sunday School was like regular school, with classes of kids all the same age and individual rooms with dedicated teachers. I also remember smaller churches where all the kids got lumped together and the parent who drew the short straw was the teacher that day.

In hindsight, I'm thankful that my parents made such an effort to bring us to church over the years as the collection of those different faith communities, their settings, their congregants, their styles have certainly infused my appreciation of the variety that exists within the church. As a result, I probably have a higher tolerance for change than your average Lutheran and perhaps now grow bored too easily when the rhythms of the church remain the same for any length of time.

Generally, I can say that as a kid, I was a good student. I took the job of learning as seriously as most of my classmates and tended to perform well. I did well through high school, never the top of my class but that's a spot that was usually in my sight. It was during high school, however, that I was confronted with the realities and value of experiential learning. In my quest to become admitted to the Hotel School at Cornell, I followed the advice of an admissions counselor and got a job in the restaurant industry. This accomplished two goals. First, I was able to gain a deeper appreciation for the highs and lows of the hospitality business. Secondly, I was able to demonstrate to Cornell a connection to and consciousness of the realities of a business notorious for long hours, less than glamorous work and unconventional rewards.

Through my undergraduate college years, I know that I learned as much outside the classroom as I did in it. I soaked it all up, sometimes with undesired consequences like academic probation. But mostly I was able to find real application of academic theory in a more immediate way than the average student. I am thankful for a college setting that not only provided so many experiential opportunities but also valued those experiences in the classroom.

As a restaurant manager and owner, I've practiced the role of teacher on an almost daily basis. In the busy restaurant setting, creating time for formal education is always a challenge so I learned how to take advantage of even the smallest moments to convey information to my staff and customers. Occasionally, I was able to create more formal learning opportunities and enjoyed being able to share and explore ideas around food, wine, customer service and hospitality. I've known success and even more failures when it comes to teaching and each of these experiences has shaped the next.

I am excited about the coming weeks as a student in Education I. I've never had any formal training in what it means to teach and even though I've been teaching for some time, I look forward to bringing a greater sense of clarity to my efforts (some could argue that even some clarity would be nice!). As I start to explore my calling as pastor, I have to admit that serving in the inevitable role of "Christian Educator" comes with a fair amount of anxiety. I look forward to gaining confidence in this capacity and expect this confidence to grow in direct proportion to my familiarity with subject matter.

The good news is that the subjects do matter.

Let's get educated!

I am enrolled in a class entitled "Education I" in which I will be (from the course outline) "exploring three dimensions of Christian education: congregation as learning community, equipping people for teaching/learning tasks and connecting learning community with vocation in the world." All this in just the next six weeks. And I was worried that seminary would move too slow for me!

One element of the class will be a weekly reflective writing on the assigned readings and subsequent class discussions. We have been encouraged to use whatever narrative style we believe would give us the best ability to respond. Ah ha... the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. I can use this blog to post my reflections for the assignment and also share publicly some of my experiences and observations.

In order to distinguish the postings relative to this particular class, the themes of education, learning or teaching will be in the title of the post. I will also tag these post with "Education I." This way if any of my musings lead me in odd directions, you'll know whether or not this class is to blame.

You can thank my professor if any of this seems to be interesting, thought-provoking or valuable. I know I will.