I can tell that we are nearing the end of the semester and that things are starting to ramp up for summer courses. It has been a few days since I reflected on the blogs from Clark. The next blog in the sequence was about Jesus: http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/jesus-72-bc-to-3036-ad-parables-sermons.html. Here is my latest reflection:
“…there is no sense of exclusion as he encourages shunned lepers, hated tax inspectors, prostitutes, criminals and especially the poor, to receive his message.”
Reflection: As compared to Plato and Aristotle, Jesus was about teaching the masses and accepting the masses. For this reason, an argument can be made that his methods are more appropriate for education today. The audience is a mixed one.
“Parables are image rich and allow the listener or reader to picture the scene and recall from episodic memory.”
Reflection: Definitely a reminder of how important creating a picture is to teaching and learning. Stories create context necessary for the learner to attach and understand how a principle applies to them.
“Jesus…used sermons…to tell his story and the sermon was to become the priest and preachers pedagogic weapon for centuries to come.”
Reflection: It seems to me that learners have a hard time tolerating being talked to in modern times. Maybe it is because we spend more time on academic pursuits or maybe it is because we have more to think about and say today than in the past. More important to listening, it is essential to reflect on what is taken in. Whether it is something that is being read, heard, or watched.
“Given the hold religion had on educational institutions until relatively recently, especially Universities, it is hardly surprising that the sermon transmogrified into the ‘lecture’, which to this day, remains the main pedagogic technique in Higher education.”
Reflection: It seems to me that people from times of old enjoyed listening to stories in the form of sermons and lectures because they spoke to the masses. The audience was considered, so it was appropriate for those who heard. The problem with alot of lectures now is that lectures are mostly riveting to the lecturer, not the audience. If a worthy lecture is created, the learners will enjoy and learn from the lecture.
“…attitudinal change can come if we show exemplary behaviour in a way that is memorable, through story-telling.”
Reflection: My guess is that Jesus and effective lecturers have many non-verbal cues that accompany and make the message more dynamic.
“…it is through action that we learn to change ourselves. The point is not just to look and listen but to act.”
Reflection: We all decide how we will move forward. As educators, it is important to remember that students make their own strides. We are only facilitators who are here to help others reach their potential. To me, Jesus was the master of reading and reaching his audience using the appropriate tools.
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