The Bible and Human Transformation—Part II: Jesus’ Parables and Human TransformationPosted on October 31, 2014 by Yung Suk KimBecause of the parable’s nature as such, it has double-entendre. On the one hand, students of the New Testament may find parables to be easy to understand because they are taken from everyday life. On the other hand, however, they are very difficult to understand because parables involve figurative language which needs careful attention and skill from the reader. It is here, at the points of overcoming difficulties in understanding the text, where we find their power unto human transformation….
Co-Hosting and Collaborative Networked TeachingPosted on October 30, 2014 by Nathan LoewenCollaborative networked teaching and learning has the potential to address a yawning gap between the strategic objectives for internationalization of higher education institutions and their actualization. In so many cases, institutions place “internationalization” in their vision, mission statements and strategic plans; it is usually the case that internationalization is either poorly realized or overlooked. The conventional thinking about internationalization focuses on student mobility abroad, garnering international students, founding niche programs, leadership centers or extension campuses abroad, sending delegations to establish MOUs and pitching MOOCs or distance programs online. To support these conventional strategies requires significant investments in staff, infrastructure, travel, administration, legal consultation, accreditation, and so on. These conventional strategies are rarely sustainable over the long-term, and they are incredibly difficult to scale-up.
The Bible and Human Transformation—Part I: The Nature of the BiblePosted on October 24, 2014 by Yung Suk KimNo matter how disparate biblical writings may be, the bottom line is that they are life stories involving some sort of human transformation, whether it is personal or communal change: a change in terms of human behavior, a change in terms of human attitude or a change in terms of society…
Student-Centered, Teacher-Centered, Pedagogy, OH MY!Posted on October 22, 2014 by Cari CrumlyThe field of education can engender a great number of buzzwords, such as “student–centered,” “teacher-centered,” and “pedagogy.” These are the three primary terms discussed in the Seminarium Elements book, Pedagogies for Student-Centered Learning: Online and On-Ground. Student-centered vs. teacher-centered—what does that mean? Does it mean online vs. face-to-face? Does it mean students become the teacher and the teacher becomes the student? Does it make a difference on the content/curriculum, lessons, or activities that are or will be used during instruction? What pedagogies are commonly used with student-centered learning vs. teacher-centered learning, and do any of these cross over? What do professionals in the field have to say and contribute to student-centered learning?
The BYOD Classroom: Smartphones May Change How You TeachPosted on October 20, 2014 by Nathan LoewenStudents appeared with smartphones in my classrooms long before my pocket-sized revolution. Their use of these devices were the trigger for changing how I teach….These devices allowed them to do more advanced work in-class. This pedagogical shift made my classrooms BYOD/BYOT learning contexts. Bring-your-own-device/technology, in my mind, names an approach to teaching that intensively and directly leverages whatever equipment that arrives in my classrooms via student’s pockets….