Section One Activities

Section One

The Interaction of Philosophy, Worldview and Cognition with Teacher Preparation for 21^st Century Schools

3.1.0 Introductory Learning Activities:

Before engaging in studies of Chapters 1 – 9, discuss the following questions with some of your colleagues and attempt to develop personal answers related to Section 1 of the text:

1. How can Christians, who teach in public schools, be salt and light to those who have no personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ?

2. What are some of the characteristics of authentic, effective and pro-active Christians who make a constructive mark in public arenas across communities, towns, cities, states and nations?

3. If Christians who teach are to be effective in their work, what characteristics and competencies must they demonstrate?

4. What characteristics, skills and personal attributes might be essential or core for productive teaching in the 21^st Century?

5. On what issues ought Christians be less dogmatic so as to cause less offence to those who need to see Christ in us which is the hope of Glory, … and … read and known of all mankind?

6. How might Christians be trained to major on the majors rather than be caught up in community skirmishes that major on minors?

7. What places of safety are evident in your personal and professional life?

8. What does faith have to do with learning? Everything or nothing?

9. What roles do cognitive, psychomotor, psychosocial, moral, and … development play in one’s spiritual formation?

10. How ought Christ’s principle of unconditional love be developed in us and through us?

11. What might be some essential characteristics of a Christian learning community?

12. What is your concept or notion of moral intelligence?

13. How does one’s conscience develop? What Christian approaches are involved here?

The following learning activities are developed on a chapter by chapter basis. Consequently, you may decide to engage with (i) the whole sequence of activities or (ii) those relating to a particular chapter or chapters of the text that are of interest to you.

A set of concluding activities is also included in 3.3. These activities assist in the analysis, synthesis, critical review and personal reflection on the ideas, concepts and practices developed in Section 1 of the text.