At a recent consultation with a school I once again encountered the dilemma faced by school leaders who lack a background in the field of education. This school has been in existence for ten years, well past the “make it or break it” point for a private school. They were at a point in their institutional development where they had the luxury of taking a breath and addressing educational issues that had been long ignored in the flying-by-the-seat-of-our-pants phase. They had a new director and a new assistant director who were eager to see the school step up to a new level as an educational institution, but both lacked formal training in the field of education or educational administration.

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A student from my January philosophy course recently came by the office to follow up on some lingering questions. It’s always a good sign when a student pursues learning after the conclusion a course. It hints that one has achieved a measure of retention, sustained interest, and perhaps tweeked at least a curiosity if not a thirst for learning. It seems to me that the nature of studying enduring subject matter (philosophy, history, etc.) tends to have that effect more so than the more entertaining “designer” courses teachers often foist on their undiscerning students.

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Bad ideas are like bad pennies. Despite my promise to self to have put the issue of postmodernism (pomo) to bed with “Galindo’s Last Postmodern Rant” the concept remains one of those “ideas people fall in love with.” Here’s a piece by Andre Gucksmann on pomo and the current financial crisis from City Journal, titled “The Postmodern Financial Crisis.” Here’s an excerpt:

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It’s been an interesting academic year for conversations about educational matters. Between an online course on models of education, diving into curriculum assessment at the seminary, teaching a course on philosophy of education, consultations with faculty and school administrators about curriculum and learning, leading several teacher workshops, attending a conference for academic deans, and engaging in conversations with parents about their children’s education, three things at least are evident:

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Quick quiz: What philosopher said, “To think is easy, to act is difficult. To act as one thinks is the most difficult of all.”?

Answer…

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Some of us observe with amusement, and some impatience, the ongoing occasional conversations in theological education about the legitimacy, value, or congruence of online delivery for seminary education. At one time it was appropriate to include in that conversation talk about “emergent technologies,” but that epoch is past. Despite the track record of the effectiveness of online learning in just about every field of education, and the increasing number of schools, from kindergarten to graduate programs, that embrace online learning, theological education as a whole has been left in the dust.

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I’ll be teaching the educational philosophy course during J-term. It’s a course I enjoy teaching and one I think, when it connects with students, yields enduring understanding. Recently a former student wrote me to share his frustration at the lack of an educational philosophy at his church, and the effects it has on the practice of Christian education. It’s gratifying when we see evidence that students have cultivated discernment and understand the importance of educational foundations—theory and philosophy.

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My current online course aims at helping students discern the nature of particular educational approaches. One aspect of that exercise is to discern how context influences what constitutes learning and education (and therefore, the roles of teacher-pupil or teacher-learner, master-apprentice, sensei-disciple, etc.). It doesn’t take long for most students to make the distinction that school is school but church is church (community).

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Practices, programs, projects, and structures that lack rigorous attention to an informing philosophical foundation tend rarely to be effective over the long run. Lacking a philosophical base that informs practice assures that most educational enterprises will flutter from one technique, approach, or fad to another trying to find “what works.” That practice ensures a perpetual lack of direction, an inability to practice discernment, and a lack of guiding principles and values to inform and shape practice.

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It is always gratifying to see attention paid to the perennial ideas and ideals, the importance of understanding the events and lessons of history, and to the appreciation of the classics in any educational enterprise. Perhaps more so today, it is cause to celebrate when that attention happens in the context of theological education. An informal survey of courses of study in theological schools will reveal a diminishing opportunity for being introduced in any systematic way to the history and philosophy of educational thought and Christian education.

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