TEACH Volume 10, Issue 1

Volume 10, Issue 1 (2016) of TEACH Journal of Adventist Education is available online. In his editorial, Graeme Perry briefly discusses some of the issues brought up in the articles, which include:

Let Me Do It and I Will Learn: Investigating Three Models of Student-Centred Learning by Neroli Dobson and Peter  Kilgour
The Socratic Seminar, the Graffiti Model and the Pirozzo Matrix were trialed in high school English and history classes, and it was found that “each of these methods created discussion, involvement, cooperation and learning at many levels.” Read the article for a description of the methods, as well as more details on the study.

Irlen Syndrome: Why the Cool Coloured Shades? by Melissa Heine, Bradley Martin and Marion Shields
Inclusive education challenges classroom teachers to meet the various needs of all their students. “MISViS (Meares-Irlen Syndrome Visual Stress) is one example of a learning disability that will require additional accommodations, but can be readily managed once a teacher is familiar with the individual’s needs.”

Australia’s Medical Marijuana Subterfuge by Gary Christian
Medical cannabis has been legally prescribed by Australian physicians for nearly 20 years, yet in a push to legalize marijuana, the media has created the opposite illusion. “This discussion informs educators and potentially their students, particularly in areas within current personal development and health curricula.”

Transforming Classroom Practice – Active Recreation in Nature by Peter Vaughan and Graeme Perry
Many children in urbanized nations such as Australia and the United States experience very limited interaction with nature, as well as inadequate physical activity in general. Consider this article’s suggestions to combat this problem with your classroom program.

Holistic School Improvement: The Journey in Australian Adventist Schools by Daryl Murdoch
Christian schools strive to offer the best possible education, but how can this be most successfully evaluated? “This organisational journey traces transition from an initial recognition of an archaic ‘inspectorial model’ of school evaluation to an encompassing holistic school improvement process.”

Developing a Culture of Learning by Making Thinking Visible by Raelene Delvin and Sandra England
Is your school working to create a professional learning culture, allowing for “all people in the organisation to be afforded the opportunity to build capacity[?] Such a culture relies upon balancing both a collective and an individual approach to work.”

Exploring Spirituality in the Teacher-Leadership Role of Mentoring Through Collaborative Action Research by Alaster Gibson
Colleague mentorship can transform teachers’ practice and the school culture. “This paper reports on a collaborative action research project exploring spirituality in teacher-leadership through the life-world of a New Zealand Christian school principal.”

Teaching with Interactive Simulations – One Small Contribution toward Science Education for All by David Geelan
With science-related challenges growing worldwide, all citizens should have an understanding of science in order to participate in the democratic addressing of these issues. Enhancing education will require a variety of methods. “This paper briefly describes interactive simulations and an approach to teaching using them, and addresses evidence of the effectiveness of this approach.”

Beyond Telling: Narrating Trauma in the Wartime Writings of Great War Chaplain William McKenzie by Daniel Reynaud, Carolyn Ricket and Paul Bogacs
What do war heroes and Christian teachers have in common? This story of Salvation Army Chaplain of the Australian Imperial Force William McKenzie draws similarities to educators, who are also “engaged in the midst of suffering, disarray and confusion”, yet “leave a legacy and provide a model for being salt and light.”

Understanding History – Seventh-day Adventists and their Perspectives by Daniel Reynaud
History affects us today, and “a knowledge of a Seventh-day Adventist understanding of history explains a great deal about the church and touches on many of the key conflicts and controversies that have affected, and currently affect, the church. Hence, it is topical for the teacher in Adventist schools, and by parallel, to teachers in all Christian schools.”

Author

CIRCLE Editor

The Curriculum and Instruction Resource Center Linking Educators (CIRCLE) helps Seventh-day Adventist educators locate the ever-expanding array of resources for the ministry of teaching. Visit CIRCLE.adventistlearningcommunity.com to find and share Adventist educational resources anytime, anywhere.