Salvation and the World’s Religions Posted on November 13, 2014 by Kristin Johnston LargenOne of the first hurdles that many Christians experience when they begin learning about and dialoguing with other religions is the question of salvation. Often, this is because the framework that they have learned to use to interpret non-Christian religions is defined by two specific and overarching claims: first, belief in Jesus Christ (and baptism into that faith) is required for salvation; and second, all Christians are called to share their faith with the hope of converting others to Christianity (the traditional, even if perhaps not quite accurate, interpretation of what is typically called “the Great Commission” in Matthew 28:16-20). Consequently, immediate discomfort can result when Christians are asked to think more positively and constructively about another religion: What does that mean for their own commitment to the Christian faith? What does that mean for the exclusive claim about Jesus’ salvific action? When looked at through the lens of salvation, interreligious dialogue can feel very threatening and uncomfortable, especially in the context of theological education.
Teaching Theatre Acting: A Case for Student-Centered Learning Posted on November 7, 2014 by Cari Crumly<b>Teaching Theatre Acting: A Case for Student-Centered Learning</b> In the first blog, I gave you a peek into the Seminarium Elements book, <i>Pedagogy and Student-Centered Learning: Designing the right environment </i>and shared a little about the first two chapters highlighting the differences between student-and teacher-centered learning and investigating a variety of pedagogies that can and are used in the classroom. I introduced the use of theatre and creative pedagogies as highly effective methods for fostering a student-centered teaching and learning environment. Current teaching trends are seeing a rise in arts-based educational approaches, which hold promising applications to virtually all subjects. This is because the creative process is intrinsically <i>student-centered</i> and engages students in a way that fosters and develops “soft skills” necessary for every career path.
Co-Hosting and Collaborative Networked Teaching Posted 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.
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?
Envy—holy and otherwise—and Interfaith Dialogue Posted on October 15, 2014 by Kristin Johnston LargenIn case you didn’t know, “envy” is one of the seven deadly sins—a categorization that has been around in the Christian church for millennia, and also gets lots of play in popular culture. [Did you see the movie “Seven”? Some of those images still play in my head at night!] Envy is more dangerous than it sometimes appears at first glance, because of its insidious nature: you start by wanting someone else’s job, then you want her life, then you get mad that she has that job and that life [certainly, she is undeserving and ungrateful], and finally you start wishing ill on her and taking pleasure in her missteps. Envy gets ugly fast…