Adventist EDGE

2011-03-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

Why Our Youth Are Leaving The Church...

And What To Do About It

There they go...over 50% before age 20. It is hard to admit, but ouryouth are leaving the church; by droves. The impact has been verytelling on the Seventh-day Adventist church membership in NorthAmerica where the average age is 52+. One thousand churches don’thave enough children to conduct Sabbath Schools. Disturbing as this percentage is, it does not seem to stir church members to action. This state of complacency and self-centeredness manifested by church members toward our youth is predicted in Revelation chapter 3 when itcalls our time in earth’s history Laodicea. The complacency of church members provides an open door for Satan to do his work.

We are told, “When the mind is youthful and vigorous and susceptible of rapid development, there is great temptation to be ambitious for self, to serve self. If worldly schemes are successful, there is an inclination to continue in a line that deadens conscience, and prevents a correct estimate as to what constitutes real excellence of character. When circumstances favor this development, growth will be seen in a direction prohibited by the word of God. In this formative period of their children’s life, the responsibility of parents is very great. It should be their study to surround the youth with right influences, influences that will give them correct views of life and its true success. Instead of this, how many parents make it their first object to secure for their children worldly prosperity.” A Call to Stand Apart p. 22

In the book entitled “Generation Me” Jean Twenge, Ph.D. writes, “Today’s young people are experiencing the society (Generation Me) right now, and they speak the language of the self as their native tongue. The individual has always come first, and feeling good about yourself has always been a primary virtue.” She also said “The society that molds you when you are young stays with you the rest of your life.” Church members must take decided action to counteract the shaping of our youth by “Generation Me”. Great Controversy page 601 states, “We are living in the most solemn period of this world's history. The destiny of earth's teeming multitudes is about to be decided. Our own future well-being and also the salvation of other souls (our children) depend upon the course which we now pursue. We have not a moment to lose.”

The Bible is clear about how a child should be raised and it is in direct conflict with the shaping of today’s society. Moses in Deuteronomy 6:4-7 says, “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” One can readily recognize the command that Jesus gave to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul and your neighbor as yourself”.

This process, Deuteronomy says, must take place all throughout the day, every day, to achieve its purpose. It must first be modeled by parents while being reinforced through morning and evening worships and during discussions throughout the day as opportunity presents itself. God views the home as an on-going evangelistic series lasting 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Child Guidance supports this on page 193, “Too much importance cannot be placed on the early training of children. The lessons that the child learns during the first seven years of life have more to do with forming his character than all that it learns in future years”.

The effectiveness of parenting in the homes of our church members has been greatly compromised by 50% of marriages ending in divorce.

This calls for increased commitment on the part of teachers, pastors and church members to help parents raise the children of the church for the Lord and His work. It is comforting to know that, outside of the home, the most proven and successful evangelistic series the Seventh-day Adventist church have been our schools and Pathfinders. These tried and true programs are most effective when parents work cooperatively with them in training of their children for Jesus.

In the Valuegenesis study our children and youth told us that when the three most important environments in their lives, the home, the school and the church, work effectively together there is a 99% likelihood they will develop an intrinsic faith in Jesus. This information gives clear marching orders for all members and entities of the church to find ways of working effectively together for the salvation of our children and youth. The tide can and must be turned. God says in Isaiah 49:25 “I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.” But, God does not do what we as parents, teachers, and church members can do. Desire of Ages page 535 agrees where it says, “What human power can do divine power is not summoned to do. God does not dispense with man’s aid. He strengthens him, cooperating with him as he uses the powers and capabilities given him.”

To assist in this spiritual nurturing process, the Southern Union Education Council is partnering with Kids In Discipleship to provide training for homes, schools and churches and develop ways to effectively work together for the sake of our children. Kids in Discipleship (KID), a ministry of the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church has partnered with the Southern Union Conference Education Council to develop Kid School (KIDS). Kids School is dedicated to equipping parents, educators, and pastors to spiritually nurture their children and youth to have a personal, meaningful, and fruitful relationship with Jesus Christ.
The principles of Kids School training, when effectively applied, provides a strong foundation on which our children and youth can develop faith in God, a loving relationship with Jesus which can lead to baptism as well as skills for serving. The partnership between the Southern Union Education Council and Kids in Discipleship is being intentionally implemented to promote the God-centered aspect of the Adventist EDGE.

Starting at or even before the sixth grade our children and youth become increasingly dissatisfied with having little or no opportunity for meaningful involvement in “their” church. Youth love to be involved in serving others and thrive in an environment where their talents are appreciated and utilized.

The Southern Union Education Department has developed a second partnership with ACTS, (Active Community Team Services) to assist in providing meaningful training, mentoring and serving opportunities for youth. ACTS method of training for and involving youth in disaster relief maximizes their capabilities in serving. It is incumbent on all stakeholders groups of the church to intentionally partner together to include and train our youth in all matters relating to the mission, vision and management of the church. Our youth are far too perceptive and intelligent to remain in a church that refuses to acknowledge them as willing and talented contributors to the growth and wellbeing of the church in which they were raised. The notion of keeping youth on the sidelines until they are “card carrying” tithe payers develops frustration and boredom with the “system” and ultimately leads to them to leaving the church.

Through God’s grace the church and all of its stakeholder groups CAN and MUST work effectively together to this end. If we do not or cannot we will have to give an be answer for the result. Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students page 129 tells us, “They (the home, the church and the school) must set before their children an example worthy of imitation. Should they be remiss in this respect, what will they answer if the children entrusted to them stand before the bar of heaven as witnesses to their neglect?” In the eyes of God ALL church members have a collective responsibility to see that the youth of the church are involved NOW. The Bible, Spirit of Prophecy, past experience and our children all speak clearly on this matter. It must be a personal concern for all.
The Adventist EDGE Comprehensive School Improvement Initiative invites all of YOU to do YOUR part to make sure that OUR children and youth develop meaningful relationships with Jesus Christ; and that YOU involve OUR children and youth to become involved in the mission, vision and management of the church. If YOU ask, God WILL show YOU what to do. How many more youth must leave the church before YOU wake up and take action? JESUS IS COMING! PREPARE YOURSELF! PREPARE OUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH!

Article written by Jim Ingersoll, Associate Director of Secondary Education, Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

How Do We Set The Course

2011-01-07T08:59:00.000-08:00

We set the course by taking action.

Rationale
The Adventist EDGE is about innovative change that will result in measurable school improvement. To do this the Southern Union has implemented a comprehensive improvement initiative of Adventist education PreK-12 and has set the course for excellence in all areas. This initiative is aligned with the North American Division Journey to Excellence and focuses on the essential core elements that identify the high expectation of what students should know and be able to do, as well as the preferred practices that support an effective ongoing school improvement process.

Components
The Adventist EDGE initiative is made up of three subsets: the central, enabling, and supporting components. Each area focuses on specific needs. The central focuses on learning. The enabling enhances the learning process and the supporting provides professional development, administrative leadership, and resources.

God-centered

Results-oriented

Environment that is safe and nurturing

Aligned with Adventist and National Standards

Team effort

Professional Growth
Professional development is an essential, ongoing process that creates a collaborative school environment to foster student achievement. Teachers and administrators participate in professional growth activities at regular intervals throughout the school year and intentionally provide adequate time for planning, implementing and participating in these activities.

Funding for ExcellenceThe Adventist EDGE “SMART” Fund (Schools Making A Real Transformation) will provide funds to help schools in the Southern Union Conference deliver GREAT education and achieve Adventist EDGE “School of Excellence” status over a maximum period of three years. This funding can be used for pre-approved expenditures that accelerate the progress of the schools’ continuous improvement Action Plans.

Learning

In order to make a clear and planned change, teachers will intentionally move from the old model of instruction to new models. This involves using authentic strategies that are meaningful to students and relevant to their daily lives thereby transforming students from passive recipients of information to active participants in the learning process. No longer will they teach “to the middle”, but actively find ways to honor individual differences with lessons that are appropriate for all learners.

This is an overview of how the Adventist EDGE is setting the course. For a detailed explanation of how to implement the Adventist EDGE, go to www.adventistedge.org to purchase Adventist EDGE Handbook.

Central Component

2011-01-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

The Adventist EDGE initiative is made up of three components: Central, Enabling, and Supporting. Each area focuses on specific needs. The Central Component focuses on learning and directly relates to the instruction process of what is taught, how it is taught and how learning is measured. The Central Component is broken down into the following categories.

Curriculum
In Adventist EDGE schools curriculum is no longer out-of-context and textbook driven, but is authentic, relevant, meaningful and standard-based. The Curriculum section is dissected even further into Early Childhood Education, Elementary and Secondary areas.

Early Childhood

Early Childhood Education curriculum design and materials are currently being developed by the North American Division in conjunction with The Review and Herald. These materials should be available during the 2010-2011 school-year.

Elementary
Elementary curriculum is comprised of, Southern Union Standards, Integrated Language Arts/Comprehensive Literacy, and Integrated Curriculum. The Southern Union standards describe what students who attend Seventh-day Adventist schools in the Southern Union should know and are able to do as a result of their education. Integrated Language Arts/Comprehensive Literacy has connected the core components of language arts: spelling, handwriting, phonics, and English to help students become better readers and writers. Integrated Curriculum offers a cohesive curriculum enabling students to see connections between the many fields of learning by integrating faith throughout the curriculum and building connections within a discipline/subject area. Integrated curriculum also includes other related areas including co-curricular activities and cooperation and collaboration with other teachers in disciplines/subject areas and grade levels..

Secondary
Secondary Curriculum is comprised of Integrated Classes, Differentiated Instruction, Technology, Standards Writing and Distance Education. Integrated classes allow the merging of subjects to gain class schedule time while developing skills and acquiring knowledge normally associated with separate classes. Differentiated Instruction affords academy teachers with masters degrees in a given subject area, and/or college professors the ability to teach dual credit course that fulfill graduation requirements for high school as well as provide full college credits. Technology in Adventist EDGE secondary environments is cutting edge. Students can acquire Microsoft Office certifications, web design, video editing and production skills. Standards are written for the core areas of language arts, math, science, and social studies. These standards are accessible online and teachers can utilize them to plan instruction and to select appropriate resources for delivering the curriculum. Distance Education is used to connect schools that want to enhance their curriculum by linking to other schools with teachers that have specific training for the classes they would like to participate in.

Distance Learning Program

Instruction

Instructional delivery in Adventist EDGE schools is intentional and moves from the old model of instruction to a new model that enlists student collaboration and involvement in the learning process. It coaches all students toward success and mastery while presenting education that is authentic and relevant to their daily lives. The learning process no longer teaches to the middle, but actively finds ways to honor individual differences with lessons that are appropriate for learners on all points of the continuum.

The instruction portion of the Central Component is broken down into various strategies such as Cooperative Learning, Multiply Intelligences, Dimensions of Learning, Models of Teaching, Differentiated instruction and Other Research-based Strategies as well as Integrated Language Arts/ Comprehensive Literacy. The 4MAT framework has been selected in the Southern Union as the preferred delivery system for improving instruction in grades Prek-12. It is based on the natural cycle of learning and learning style theory. The 4MAT framework supports all brain research strategies and best practices

There are other research-based strategies which are outlined in the Journey to Excellence that can be selected for use in the Southern Union once teachers are competent in the following areas:

use of the 4MAT framework and/or differentiated instruction and cooperative learning structures
EDGE 4MATION professional development collaborative group infrastruction.

Comprehensive Literacy instruction in the Southern Union includes the following components: Reading and Writing. The frameworks that have been identified for use to support effective implementation of a Comprehensive Literacy curriculum are Readers Workshop and Writers workshop. See the Adventist EDGE Handbook for a detailed explanation of Comprehensive Literacy Instruction.
Assessment

The Adventist EDGE initiative has identified assessment as a critical element of a learner-centered curriculum, therefore its process must be altered and enhanced to include the kinds of assessment that form a complete overview of student achievement. These include both formal and informal sessions, standardized test results and criterion-referenced results, “on the way” and “at the gate” assessments, snapshots (quizzes and test) and videos (progress over time), verbal and non verbal evaluations, as well as performance requirements and portfolios.

FOR A DETAILED EXPLANATION, INCLUDING AN OUTLINE OF DESIRED OUTCOMES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ON THE CENTRAL COMPONENT OF THE ADVENTIST EDGE INITIATIVE, SEE THE ADVENTIST EDGE HANDBOOK WHICH CAN BE PURCHASED IN THE EDGE STORE. CLICK ON THE PUBLICATION TO THE RIGHT.

Right Way - Wrong Way

2011-01-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Is there a right way versus a wrong way to teach?

Teachers who understand how learning occurs will teach better and can better serve all the children God gave them to teach.

Ellen White counseled this:

"True education is not the forcing of instruction on an unready and unreceptive mind. The mental powers must be awakened, the interest aroused. For this, God's method of teaching provided. He who created the mind and ordained its laws, provided for its development in accordance with them."2

The Human Brain: In all of creation, is there a greater wonder? A single egg is fertilized. Within nine months it develops into a human being whose mind (unless impaired) has a mental capacity for carrying past achievements and future dreams to generations that follow.

The genius and power of creation are demonstrated in the nervous system’s complexity. An adult human brain consists of at least 100 billion neurons (nerve cells) and about 10 times as many neuroglial (functional support) cells. Together, these elements make up a three-pound mass of protoplasm—the most complex and inscrutable object in all of creation. Neuroscience research discovers more of its secrets—daily.

Once thought to be relatively unchangeable, scientists now know that the brain can change and even be stimulated for positive effect. Almost a century ago God gave us, through Ellen White, an early alert to the importance of this amazing organ. She referred to the brain's developmental process and enormous range of factors (both internal and external) which mold the final product in this quote: "The greatest care should be taken in the education of our youth to so vary the manner of instruction as to call forth the high and noble powers of the mind. There are very few who realize the most essential wants of the mind and how to direct the developing intellect, the growing thoughts and feelings of youth."1 The God of creation desires that we seek His counsel to understand how to provide instruction that is compatible with the human brain. Neuroscience research confirms both Scripture and Spirit of Prophecy wisdom.

Teachers who understand how learning occurs will teach better and can better serve all the children God gave them to teach. The 4MAT Framework, adopted by the Adventist EDGE initiative, has significantly influenced our thinking about instructional design. It presents learning as a natural cycle which capitalizes on the strengths of four major learning styles identified by researchers from many fields. This cycle entails the use of right and left brain strategies within four distinct phases of the learning cycle—experiencing, conceptualizing, applying, and creating.

By following the natural learning cycle (illustrated in the 4MAT model), the teacher becomes a learning facilitator, rather than the information provider―and learning comes from the inside out. Instead of starting a lesson by presenting the facts, 4MAT proposes that teachers begin by engaging learners in a practical, concrete, and authentic experience with the content. In that way, educators create a “big picture” to help learners grasp the whole concept of what they’re learning. At the same time teachers also cement in the students’ minds a positive experience with the content, which helps each student understand what the concept feels like, looks like, and sounds like in practice.

4MAT incorporates brain compatible instructional techniques into each of the four steps of the cycle, resulting in an eight-step cycle of instruction.

Real learning does not take place in a vacuum. Instead, it involves making connections with prior knowledge. In other words, the life experiences and learning that has happened before provides the groundwork for what will happen next. This real-life connection prepares the student for the next step—learning something new. This is the place for “traditional teaching,” where teachers define what the experts call the “acknowledged body of information” the learner needs to know.

4MAT offers specfic guidance for teachers on how to design and deliver instruction around this cycle, appealing to diverse learners.

In the third step, learners use the new content through practice. The question, “How will this information work in real life?” is asked and answered. Here the teacher becomes the “coach,” as learners take over the learning for themselves.

Finally, students complete the learning process with a personally designed application task, where learners transfer what they have learned into their lives. Here, students demonstrate first-hand information about the value and impact of the new learning. In this final step, students move from the classroom into real life.

Start with “what I know”
Next, discover “what they know and want me to know,”
Then, “let me try it,”
And, finally, “let me find out if what I know has new possibilities.”

In practical terms, the natural cycle of learning works this way: True learning starts with one’s self and ends with a return to the self.

James Zull, Professor of Biology at Case Western Reserve University, says, “Without biology the learning cycle is theoretical. With biology, we see that the brain is actually constructed this way. Teaching is the art of changing the brain.”3 [Italics mine.] The learning cycle fits perfectly with the brain’s physiological structure. The 4MAT Framework, pure and simple, presents an organized way to make sure that a teacher engages all areas of her or his students’ brains for balanced learning. In 2002 James Zull wrote, “Our structure for learning should have a well-proportioned foundation. There should be balance between receiving knowledge and using knowledge.”4 Once again Ellen White had already given this information to the church. In 1905 she wrote: "Let the youth advance as fast and as far as they can in the acquisition of knowledge…And as they learn, let them impart their knowledge. It is thus that their minds will acquire discipline and power."5

By combining current brain research with Divine inspiration, the Adventist EDGE brings Adventist education full circle in the spirit of the Kellogg’s Corn Flakes commercial, “Try it again for the first time.” Adventist education started with the Creator providing the method of teaching for the mind’s development in exact harmony with its natural laws. Clearly, the Adventist EDGE perpetuates the original philosophy behind Adventist education by employing methods of teaching that are scientifically, philosophically, and spiritually sound.

Adventist education offers a “cutting edge” dynamic that is more than a luxury: it is an essential that the Seventh-day Adventist Church owes its children.
Yes there is a right way to teach.

Written by W. Eugene Brewer, EdD

References:

1 Ellen G. White, Testimonies For The Church (California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1948), III, p. 131.

2 Education (California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1903), p. 41.
3 James E, Zull, The Art of Changing the Brain (Stylus Publishing LLC, 2002), p. 27.
4 James E, Zull, The Art of Changing the Brain (Stylus Publishing LLC, 2002), p. 45.
5 Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing (California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1905), p. 402.
McCarthy, Bernice. About Learning. Wauconda, Illinois: Excel, Inc., 2000

The 4MAT System: Teaching to Learning Styles with Right/Left Mode Techniques. Barrington, Illinois: Excel, Inc., 1981, 1987.

What is Certification?

2011-01-06T16:34:00.000-08:00

Denominational certification is the process whereby a person is recognized to be academically and professionally qualified to teach in Seventh-day Adventist schools. A teaching certificate with its endorsement(s) indicates that the individual has completed the qualifying requirements to practice the profession of instructing children and youth in a Seventh-day Adventist school setting.