Introduction:
Using the IB education system to develop a Christian Model of ethical thinking and behaviour.
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"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
The challenge of educating our students to become ethical thinkers and championing ethical behaviour as an outcome, is the 21 century educators' nightmare. Where do we start?
In order to develop ethical beings, Christian schools need to identify a set of learner profiles that reflect the desired outcomes of a successful learner, within the education sphere. My years teaching in secular education, has created within me, an acute awareness of the presumption of secular teachers with regards to their imparting of their own "socially accepted" value system.
It is often these exact assumed "politically correct" value systems that poses conflict for the Christian student and their Christian parents. A Biblical worldview requires that one teaches from God's perspective. The only way to be successful in this endeavour is to get to know God and His character.
The IBO system prides itself on being an education system that delivers quality academic rigor, while maturing the individual to take up their place in society. However the IBO is a system which does not address the student's spiritual needs. A truly holistic education requires the student's entire being, to actively take part in their learning. The rigor and well balanced approach of the IB program is matchless. On the other hand often Christian schools have weak academic programs and do not prepare students for the rigor of college, much less for the competitive demands of the 21 century. So the relationship between academic excellence and Biblical Worldview is grounded in the premise that quality education stems from a ground motive that promulgates a Christian ethos. Personally, my husband and I have taught in multiple International education systems, and firmly believe that the IBO program is; while being a rigorous teaching experience; the best well rounded, balanced and academic education program worldwide. By choice, our own children have only been educated in an IBO system and until third grade our eldest son was in a secular IBO program. It was at this point that we realised, the limitations of a secular school and a secular IBO program. Only true transformation and eternal education can take place in a school that values and understands that education is at its best when the WHOLE child is educated. Ethical thinking and behaviour cannot be effectively developed in the student without the ground -motive of a worldview. We then started a determined search for a school of excellence: This for us had two essential, non negotiable precepts: 1) a Biblical Worldview school and 2) an IBO school program. As parents, we no longer were willing to sacrifice our values and norms for insipid humanistic values and we definitely were not prepared to accept a second rate, archaic "Sunday" school curriculum education.
I am a better teacher teaching the IBO DP; the extent of academic rigor has sharpened my own learning and I am now a "life long learner" but what has impacted my teaching more so, is that I have become a better person, who uses my Biblical Worldview to impact the lives and character of my students.
There is NOTHING more rewarding than educating for eternity!
By Chantal McAllister.
The challenge of educating our students to become ethical thinkers and championing ethical behaviour as an outcome, is the 21 century educators' nightmare. Where do we start?
In order to develop ethical beings, Christian schools need to identify a set of learner profiles that reflect the desired outcomes of a successful learner, within the education sphere. My years teaching in secular education, has created within me, an acute awareness of the presumption of secular teachers with regards to their imparting of their own "socially accepted" value system.
It is often these exact assumed "politically correct" value systems that poses conflict for the Christian student and their Christian parents. A Biblical worldview requires that one teaches from God's perspective. The only way to be successful in this endeavour is to get to know God and His character.
The IBO system prides itself on being an education system that delivers quality academic rigor, while maturing the individual to take up their place in society. However the IBO is a system which does not address the student's spiritual needs. A truly holistic education requires the student's entire being, to actively take part in their learning. The rigor and well balanced approach of the IB program is matchless. On the other hand often Christian schools have weak academic programs and do not prepare students for the rigor of college, much less for the competitive demands of the 21 century. So the relationship between academic excellence and Biblical Worldview is grounded in the premise that quality education stems from a ground motive that promulgates a Christian ethos. Personally, my husband and I have taught in multiple International education systems, and firmly believe that the IBO program is; while being a rigorous teaching experience; the best well rounded, balanced and academic education program worldwide. By choice, our own children have only been educated in an IBO system and until third grade our eldest son was in a secular IBO program. It was at this point that we realised, the limitations of a secular school and a secular IBO program. Only true transformation and eternal education can take place in a school that values and understands that education is at its best when the WHOLE child is educated. Ethical thinking and behaviour cannot be effectively developed in the student without the ground -motive of a worldview. We then started a determined search for a school of excellence: This for us had two essential, non negotiable precepts: 1) a Biblical Worldview school and 2) an IBO school program. As parents, we no longer were willing to sacrifice our values and norms for insipid humanistic values and we definitely were not prepared to accept a second rate, archaic "Sunday" school curriculum education.
I am a better teacher teaching the IBO DP; the extent of academic rigor has sharpened my own learning and I am now a "life long learner" but what has impacted my teaching more so, is that I have become a better person, who uses my Biblical Worldview to impact the lives and character of my students.
There is NOTHING more rewarding than educating for eternity!
By Chantal McAllister.
using_the_ib_education_to_develop_an_christian.ppt | |
File Size: | 320 kb |
File Type: | ppt |
What is a Biblical Worldview?
Living the life that God desires of us, requires us to see the world through the eyes of God. The Christian world is impacted by the "fruit of the Spirit" - our guidelines for Biblical living revolve around the glorious example that our Lord and Saviour has given to us from the WORD of God. In Using the King James Version of Galatians 5:22-23, these attributes are easy to highlight, but are a challenge to truly absorb: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.
The world is filled with conflicting worldviews. It would be so easy to see the world through a Biblical perspective / worldview if we were born with a Biblical Worldview in our minds; but we are born into this world with a sinful nature and therefore do not have an automatic Biblical approach to life. This is the crux of conflict in our lives: we spend so much time feeding our flesh or physical being that our spiritual lives are marginalized or reduced to meaningless, godless activities like yoga; alternative meditation and modern spiritual distractions. We forget to seek God in SPIRIT and TRUTH. We allow our sinful nature to guide our souls - God requires of us to "Seek His kingdom first" Matt.3v7. This concept is really hard to follow if we do not adopt a Biblical Worldview to govern our lives. For 15 years of my teaching career I was a Christian - teaching in a secular environment. I was expected to educate students about the world but definitely NOT about God. The impact this had on my personal worldview perspective was significant, and posed the greatest challenge for me as a teacher - how does one teach without using a worldview? Impossible! It cannot be done. If not a Biblical worldview, then which worldview is significant enough to prepare students for life and life here after? The fact of the matter is that all teachers teach from a worldview: that is why Christian education is essential to excellent holistic education practises.
Biblical Worldview is not just a "lens" through which we see the world but rather an action required of us to take! We have to grow a perspective of being kingdom minded and think like Christ. In order to develop the mind of Christ we must reject the mind of this world: - the flesh and celebrate the mind of God. A Biblical Worldview requires you to make a choice.
In Acts 17:28 (New International Version © 2010) God reminds us of our NEED to see the world through His eyes, "for in Him we live and move and have our being." Wow, thank you God, for reminding us of our high calling to make the TRUTH incarnate through our lives. A Biblical World view means that "In Him we live and move and have our being." Ultimately when one realizes that, as in Ephesians 1 v 17 - 20, God is all powerful and mighty to save, there is no other worldview worthy enough, through which to educate God's precious children.
Final Thoughts on understanding a Biblical Worldview come from God's own word through the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1 v 17-23:
"17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
By Chantal McAllister.
Citations:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1&version=NIV
http://www.bible-knowledge.com/fruits-of-the-holy-spirit/
The world is filled with conflicting worldviews. It would be so easy to see the world through a Biblical perspective / worldview if we were born with a Biblical Worldview in our minds; but we are born into this world with a sinful nature and therefore do not have an automatic Biblical approach to life. This is the crux of conflict in our lives: we spend so much time feeding our flesh or physical being that our spiritual lives are marginalized or reduced to meaningless, godless activities like yoga; alternative meditation and modern spiritual distractions. We forget to seek God in SPIRIT and TRUTH. We allow our sinful nature to guide our souls - God requires of us to "Seek His kingdom first" Matt.3v7. This concept is really hard to follow if we do not adopt a Biblical Worldview to govern our lives. For 15 years of my teaching career I was a Christian - teaching in a secular environment. I was expected to educate students about the world but definitely NOT about God. The impact this had on my personal worldview perspective was significant, and posed the greatest challenge for me as a teacher - how does one teach without using a worldview? Impossible! It cannot be done. If not a Biblical worldview, then which worldview is significant enough to prepare students for life and life here after? The fact of the matter is that all teachers teach from a worldview: that is why Christian education is essential to excellent holistic education practises.
Biblical Worldview is not just a "lens" through which we see the world but rather an action required of us to take! We have to grow a perspective of being kingdom minded and think like Christ. In order to develop the mind of Christ we must reject the mind of this world: - the flesh and celebrate the mind of God. A Biblical Worldview requires you to make a choice.
In Acts 17:28 (New International Version © 2010) God reminds us of our NEED to see the world through His eyes, "for in Him we live and move and have our being." Wow, thank you God, for reminding us of our high calling to make the TRUTH incarnate through our lives. A Biblical World view means that "In Him we live and move and have our being." Ultimately when one realizes that, as in Ephesians 1 v 17 - 20, God is all powerful and mighty to save, there is no other worldview worthy enough, through which to educate God's precious children.
Final Thoughts on understanding a Biblical Worldview come from God's own word through the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1 v 17-23:
"17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
By Chantal McAllister.
Citations:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1&version=NIV
http://www.bible-knowledge.com/fruits-of-the-holy-spirit/
Additional Reading:
Isreal Wayne identifies a BWV in the following way: http://www.israelwayne.com/
http://www.israelwayne.com/
What is a Christian Worldview? Everyone has a worldview. Whether or not we realize it, we all have certain presuppositions and biases that affect the way we view all of life and reality. A worldview is like a set of lenses which taint our vision or alter the way we perceive the world around us. Our worldview is formed by our education, our upbringing, the culture we live in, the books we read, the media and movies we absorb, etc. For many people their worldview is simply something they have absorbed by osmosis from their surrounding cultural influences. They have never thought strategically about what they believe and wouldn't be able to give a rational defense of their beliefs to others.
~Israel Wayne
This website is a non-denominational outreach designed to reach seekers and serve the Body of Christ.
~Israel Wayne
This website is a non-denominational outreach designed to reach seekers and serve the Body of Christ.