Friday, September 2, 2011

Adventist Education in the 21st Century


In her book, Education, Ellen White tells us, “True education means more than pursuing a certain course of study. It has to do with the whole person, and with the whole period of existence possible to human beings. It is the harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers.”

Rather than pretending that we live in a pencil, notebook paper, and ring binder world, we need to put a digital learning device into every student’s hands; or let them bring and use their own. It is time that Adventist education get serious about "harmonious development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers.”  We must recognize the power and potential/limitations of online learning rather than just assuming that it can’t be as good as face-to-face instruction.

Teachers need to be proficient with the digital tools that are transforming everything in the world, instead of chuckling about how little we know about computers. Conference administrators need to insist that teachers and principals know how to use digital tools for creating, facilitating, and/or sustaining 21st century learning environments. 
A study should be done to discover the percentage of our schools’ families that don’t have broadband Internet access at home; instead of claiming the ‘digital divide’ as a reason not to give homework requiring the Internet.
Instead of banning online social networks, because they’re “dangerous” and/or “frivolous,” our policies should require teachers to show students how to edit the privacy settings and use groups in Facebook or other social media. Students ought to be taught how to contribute to information sites rather than banning Wikipedia. We need to have schools creating videos, using live streaming, and developing ways to collaborate with other schools—even ones in other conferences or sponsored by other churches.
We need to learn about and teach the true risk of students encountering online predators and make policy accordingly instead of useing the scare tactics of the media, politicians, law enforcement, computer security vendors, etc. We can not train our students to be missionaries if they are afraid to contact anyone who is not an Adventist.
We are teaching students in the 21st Century. If you are still using 19th and 20th century methods your students are not being given the education they need to be workers for God.






No comments:

Post a Comment