10/13/10-alternatives

St. Johns approach differs from John Brown in that it has a strong focus on studying great books as opposed to studying actual textbooks. Their education involves a great deal of "classical thinking" and urges students into deep, philosophical discussions and plunges them into great written works throughout the ages. JBU endeavors to "create" students that can indeed think for themselves, but also form students into well-rounded human beings with a general knowledge of many subjects as well as a focus in a certain area. Personally, I would probably respond very well to this type of schooling. As a literature major, books and I understand each other extremely well and I would, therefore, respond beautifully to a school that focuses solely upon this type of learning. Great authors throughout the ages have done an incredible job of dissecting human nature and presenting it in a way that helps others understand the plight of the subconscious. Cultural themes and era distinctions are hidden within the expansive labyrinth that is literature. This combination of people and culture could not make for a more perfect fit of my majors: Psychology and Literature. Thus, this type of education would grow me in a way that is fitting for my calling and utilizes my gifts and my passions. On that note, I also do not believe that JBU ought to adopt this approach to education. It takes a very...different sort of person to respond well to it. We can't all be book nerds. Liberal arts and JBU go well together; well-rounded students are much more socially accepted than classically trained students. St. Johns certainly has one unique curriculum that a select group of individuals across the nation would be lucky to be a part of.

10/6/10-titles

Education has disintegrated to a constant game of cat-and-mouse. By this, I mean to say that teachers lay "traps" for students to "figure out" and through this process of continual chasing, students pass through the education process unscathed and sneaky. That is a very roundabout way of saying that learning has become less of a process of continual discovery to an ignorant following of the statements of others, and then regurgitating the right answers back to them. In the case of Jack and Jill, Jack was the ideal student; he answered correctly, participated in class, and stayed in school. Jill, on the other hand, ditched the whole entity. However, Jill became consumed by the studies from her flunked course. The book she started in class revolutionized her way of thinking, and consequently, her life. Jack, though, following the class, flushed all the "knowledge" gained down the drain. His learning was quantity, her learning is quality. The difference between the two is key. In my personal education, I define quality as gleaning as much knowledge as possible from any particular subject and putting all the energy that I can muster into mastering that topic. Overall, the different parts of my education create a quality whole because they address all facets of learning: not only am I learning how to absorb information, but I am learning how to listen, discuss, communicate, and process information. My answers may not always be right, but they are mine. That is the difference.

9/29/10-From Mindlessness to Cognition

As an extremely passionate educator, Paul Freire expresses his opinions about current education in his book The Pedagogy of the Oppressed. In this excerpt, Freire discusses the key differences between two distinct styles of teaching: the "banking concept" and "problem-posing." Within the "banking concept," information pours into the empty vessels of student brains via a stoic, dictatorial instructor. In this version of learning, students memorize facts and "knowledge," mindlessly regurgitating information. The student-teacher relationship, in addition, lies unknown. Supporters of this specific type of teaching do not recognize that any sort of "relationship" ought to exist between the "narrator" and the "receptacles." On the complete opposite side of the spectrum lies "problem-posing." This style of training involves discussion, integration of constructive reasoning, and a strong student-teacher relationship. Students learn to think for themselves, ask questions, and build creative thinking skills. Their relationships with professors, too, are revolutionized as the purpose is not to "manage students" but to learn from as well as teach their pupils through a unique bond. In my own experience, I have endured both types of education. In many a class, information has been shoved down my throat through mindless lectures on nothing, tedious worksheets, busywork, and tests that are created for me to regurgitate exactly what went in one ear and out the other. Yes sir, that basically describes my United States History class. It was awful. However, other courses I took in high school went about educating me very differently. I remember my first day in Mr. Doyle’s Bible class. His discussion was on advertising. His simple question was “What are they selling you?” Simple right? The product. But no. He went on to readjust our mindsets to look deeper. They weren’t just selling a car, they were selling adventure, experience, and danger. That was the first time that a teacher challenged me to become something more, to want something more, to thirst for something more from my education. Jimmy Doyle revolutionized my previous ideals of education and brought me to higher ground.

9/22/10-What do YOU see in me?

THE QUESTIONS

What do you think I am most passionate about?
What do you think I'm good at?
What do you see me doing or being in ten years?

RESPONSES

Daddy:

1. New Life Ranch. Learning. College.

2. Writing. Discipline in school.

3. Married and working on a doctorate.

Brother:

1. Make-up and fashion. hahahaha. But seriously. Friendships.

2. Are you sure this is for a class and not like a facebook post on "15 things about me" or something?

great friend. writing. thoughtful. pretty discipled. good at school stuff.

3. Ten years??? Oh man...uh...I could probably answer this better in like two years...uh...teaching, brain surgery (hahaha. joke) managing a coffee shop or something, doing something and then trying to write on the side, 28? You'll probably be married.

Friend 1:

1. I think you are most passionate about people and your relationships with them. You have a knack for making people feel needed and important.
2. You're good at making friends with anyone. You are super cheerful and friendly and have a great outgoing personality.
3. I see you being involved with high school girls some how. Maybe sharing your story and encouraging them somehow. Not sure what capacity...but yeah.

Best Friend:

1. Passionate about the perceptions of the church
2. Good at making people feel included and safe
3. Ten years i see you married with kids being involved in some random ministry to kids/highschoolers

MY RESPONSE

Interestingly, my view of myself and the view of those around me is basically the same. In my opinion, I would say that I place very strong emphasis on relationships and academia. Not surprisingly, others see that in me as well. I honestly was surprised that my best friend remembered my passion about the worldy perception of the church. I sometimes forget that she actually listens when I talk about things. Another thing that I found interesting was that my brother and my dad both knew about my passion for writing. I don't think I've ever talked about that with them, so it took me off guard that they would even think to add that in as something I am good at or want to do with my life. I don't think I have ever considered owning a coffee shop, but hey. You never know. I like coffee. I like people. It could be a beautiful relationship. One thing that I didn't expect, or rather that I do not always see in myself is the response from both Friend 1 and my best friend: "making people feel included and safe" and "you have a knack for making people feel needed and important." I don't think I am that way. I love people and I love talking to people and understanding them and guiding them, and yes I'm glad that people see that, but I guess that I do not often see in myself an...encourager or includer. I suppose I often feel as though my love for others goes unnoticed. I truly enjoyed asking my friends and family these questions, though. It gave me a unique opportunity to get inside the perceptions of me from those that I love.

9/15/10-Gifts and Strengths

Via “StrengthsQuest,” I discovered that my top two strengths are “restorative” and “input.” Restorative (just a refresher) means that I have an affinity for broken things, people or otherwise. I find pleasure and accomplishment in listening to people and “fixing” their problems. Input means that I collect things such as old high school papers, interesting words, old books, and other random items. My spiritual gift, exhortation works nicely in association with these strengths. Being a “fixer,” I am required to be real with people and open their eyes to the cause of their struggles and that takes a very direct approach. Input works in association with these gifts because I am extremely observant of others and “collect” details about them, which aids greatly when discussing their lives. You may be wondering, “what does that have to do with anything?”, but people become much more open when you care enough about them to observe changes about them as well as those little personality quirks they think no one notices. I could not pick more applicable traits than these to help me with my future plans. As I wrote about previously, I am going to work in a rehab center for girls overcoming eating disorders. All three of these personal qualities cohesively work together for that cause. There is not a job or a degree better suited for me if one were to look only at my spiritual gifts and strengths. For my personal life, though, these abilities will bring me a lot of joy and a lot of heartache. Joy because I find strength in restoring people and heartache due to the weight of people’s stories. All in all, my gifts and strengths blend beautifully to create a powerful partnership.

9/7/10-Spiritual Gifts

Growing up, my family always teased me because even as a child, my directness was startling. Never one to beat around the bush, I clearly articulate exactly what people need to hear, whether or not they want to hear it. Other comrades bless the world with cheerfulness or encouragement or mercy, but I have the “unique” ability to “just tell it like it is.” In addition, I have always just “gotten people.” Friends and strangers find in me a person willing to listen and give insight into decision-making. Although I am not someone who could be considered “emotional”, I enjoy listening to the emotional struggles of others and encouraging them in the way of the Lord. After the initial emotional catharsis finishes, I draw the conversation back around to the logical side instead of the “feelings and mush” side and help direct whomever I am speaking with to decision-making and behavioral change according to God’s word and His will. In groups, I naturally watch people instead of taking the spotlight and running my mouth, but when I do say something, people listen to me. My loving heart and clear-mind combine to express my spiritual gift of exhortation.

9/7/10-The Least of These

//Quick preface: I'm trying to combine all my bloggings into one blog. Good or bad. One blog. So this is the first of a series of transfers. Enjoy.//

Christians as a whole have the tendency to become extremely complacent and one-minded. By that, I mean that followers of The Faith lean towards the mindset that serving God means “going into the ministry.” Often times though, that plan ends up less impactful than the average position. For myself, I plan on going into the ministry of cultural reversal. The ideal of beauty and physical appearance deeply saturates the minds of youth today. In moderation those concepts harm none, but the extreme extent to which they are taken these days arouses me to action. Thus, my “life plan” is to go into counseling of girls inflicted with eating disorders. Although indirect in changing culture, I speculate that even small steps impact the kingdom of God. Sure, I do not intend on running crusades for Christ or leading hundreds in the prayer of salvation, but I am one of those old-fashioned kind of people who believes that Christianity is at the core simply love. Putting a Christian label on my job description would not make my “ministry” any more effective, it would just make it an easier target for criticism and a hub for Christians to come and gossip about non-Christians. To truly go into the world and love like God asks, I need to go into the messed up worlds of crazy teenage girls; start with “the least of these” and see where God takes me from there.