Christian Educators and Teachers

Comment

Comment by John E. Smith on March 27, 2010 at 9:56pm

Hi, Lee - thanks for your comments.

Sounds like you have a fascinating experiment going there. I have no experience with doing this, unfortunately. Most of the members of the adult Christian Ed class I teach are not "into" social media. I certainly see the value for any group whose members are geographically scattered.

Let us know how this goes.

John

Comment by Lee Yates on March 23, 2010 at 8:11am

On the topic of social media...
I'm in the process of trying a new strucutre for young adult learning / sharing.
We have two face to face groups talking about the same book.
One group meets in town (Lawrenceburg KY) and the other in Lexington KY, where the largest number of our students are in college.
We also have a facebook group that connects in those who live further away or just can't make one more meeting.

We are starting with the WTF? book "Oh God, Oh God, Oh God!".
I dont' have a great success story... yet... I do have hope!

Anyone else have any experience with this type of format?
Any wisdom from those who have gone before?

Comment by John E. Smith on March 21, 2010 at 7:30pm

Hi, All

This forum was originally created to provide a place for those engaged in Christian Education in various formats to exchange ideas, frustrations, and engage in discussion with others who are "into" helping people learn in a religious environment.

This forum has been very, very quiet of late. As part of the general planning for The Intersection, we are discussing whether to keep inactive forums open.

I like the general concept of this forum, but am also very conscious of meeting your needs. What are your thoughts on all this?

John

Comment by John E. Smith on August 31, 2009 at 8:48pm

Anyone doing anything with social media in their Christian Education programs or other work?

John

Comment by John E. Smith on August 24, 2009 at 10:53am

I have noticed that adult Christian Education classes (Sunday School:) tend to come in two flavors:

Traditional Classes that have long-term members, focus on prepared curriculum, and a stable environment

"Not So Much" Classes with changing membership and environments, along with a discussion-oriented atmosphere.

First question: What other types of CE classes am I missing?

Second question: What do you see as the positives and negatives of each type?

John
John

Comment by Tim Graves on August 13, 2009 at 8:19pm

Hello---

I am late to the discussion but here goes:

I am an early childhood educator by first profession, though I am now a 50-year-old seminarian. I have tended to gravitate toward Christian Education as a "role" in the churches in which we have been. I have often been frustrated by aspects of the adult--but especially children's education--that happens (or doesn't) in our churches.

In the last ten to fifteen years I have been involved in teaching young adults and returning to college adults at the community college level. My experiences with adult ed in churches goes way back. I have often marveled at how poorly we teach adults and then we wonder why they don't come to our Sunday School or other education events. I am PASSIONATE about EXCELLENCE in education both in the secular and church worlds. I could ramble on forever...hopefully this gives you a flavor of where I come from.

Comment by Elizabeth Vincel on August 4, 2009 at 1:07pm

Hi,
I am the Director of Christian Education at my church and work with all ages, but am spending lots of focus this year on young adults and children. I am hoping to learn and share with others in the same situations.
Elizabeth

Comment by John E. Smith on July 28, 2009 at 4:59pm

As additional introduction, I have a long, but sporadic history of teaching young adult and adult Christian education groups, both in the traditional "Sunday School" mode and more facilitation-oriented groups. My purpose in being a member of this group is to learn from others who teach and facilitate.

I have a separate discussion going on about my current adult class at http://disciplesworld.ning.com/forum/topics/christianity-for-the-rest-of where I'm wrestling with how to best approach "Christianity For The Rest Of Us" by Diane Butler Bass. These are the kinds of questions for which I am seeking answers.

I also am interested in how to actively engage adult learners in this particular venue. The traditional Sunday morning get-together is one way, but I would love to hear about others.

I hope everyone will post an introduction so we know a bit more about what you are seeking here:).

John

Comment by John E. Smith on July 27, 2009 at 3:35pm

Hi, all.

I hope that this group will create some energy around innovative and effective strategies for Christian Education. My specific interest is in adult classes and how to best support learning styles. Please share your interest in Christian Education here.
John