Learning Involves Moving and Being Moved—Part 1: Hinge MomentsPosted on January 12, 2015 by Mindy McGarrah SharpHinge moments often evoke dislocation, opening certainties and unfolding more multidimensional possibilities to what appeared to be smoothed out maps. For theological educators trained to map a place in a field, carve out a scholarship domain, advance a particular line of thought, maps and map-making are key vocational tools to meet the dislocations that new questions of hinge moments propose….
Sleep in Academia: The Brain We’ve GotPosted on April 21, 2014 by A+ Brooke Lester, Curator(See also Part One: Waking Up to the Problem.) It’s sometimes said in “recovery” circles that “You can’t fix the brain you’ve got with the brain you’ve got.” But let’s see if we can’t try to think clearly—our crippling sleep deficit notwithstanding—about the brain. Anybody who can manage a Google or YouTube search can discover…
Sustainable Theological Education: Part 2—Stages Toward Pedagogical “Soil” AnalysisPosted on March 31, 2014 by Jennifer ShepherdOver 500 years ago, Leonardo DaVinci quipped, “We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.” Amazingly, it is still true today that we know less about the living ecosystem under our feet – the soil – than we do about the far side of the moon. Yet, every plant and animal on our planet depends on these living systems that provide many of the most fundamental functions needed for life.It is also true that people know very little about the foundations of their beliefs and ways of thinking.
The Changing Understanding of How We Learn–Part 3 : What’s next for Theological Education?Posted on November 4, 2013 by Holly InglisYou are a seasoned professor who has taught countless numbers of first year students your particular discipline, but this year you resolve to try a different approach to teaching, one that includes brain-based strategies for helping students learn. In previous posts, we’ve examined the shift from teaching to helping students learn and the nature of effective learning. How do you structure a seminary class/learning experience that makes this shift while continuing to communicate important content?
The Changing Understanding of How We Learn–Part 2 : What is Effective Learning?Posted on October 27, 2013 by Holly InglisSome of my most significant learning in seminary happened in the cafeteria.The cafeteria was where we all gathered after chapel, drawn in by the aroma of freshly baked cookies and newly brewed coffee, timed to coincide with the “Amen.” That was where we asked the questions of one another that we could not or would not ask in class. That was where we wrestled with ideas and boldly challenged the notions of professors with whom we would not dare publically disagree in class. I would often leave with more questions than answers, but usually the sense of community and mutuality left me with a positive feeling. Enhanced by the delicious cookies, the cafeteria experience became a positive memory of learning for me. We’ll explore why in a little bit.