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.