An Introduction to Ministry by Ian S. Markham & Oran E. Warder

Author:Ian S. Markham & Oran E. Warder [Markham, Ian S. & Warder, Oran E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781118779897
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2015-10-19T00:00:00+00:00

Diagram of Learning Styles (see p. 141)

Figure 11.1 How students learn today.

Source: Graph data from Michael J. Anthony, Introducing Christian Education: Foundations for the 21st Century (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001), 136.

The challenge for educators, both inside and outside the Church, is to honor preferred learning styles by offering congruent teaching methods. When these efforts are made, amazing things can happen. When efforts are not made, some students will likely be left behind. The sad fact is that students can quickly convince themselves that they are either smart or not smart and it is nearly impossible to overcome that initial impression. “One public elementary school teacher once quipped, ‘It takes no time at all for a child to understand the difference between being assigned to the Robin Reading Group or the Buzzard Reading Group.’”25

The challenge for church educators is to find a way to teach all those different learning styles in one classroom. In addition to always finding ways to speak, show, and actively engage and experience particular content, Michael Anthony, in his book Introducing Christian Education, offers a four-step natural learning process that moves beyond basic modalities to address different types of learners. He suggests that all four steps be considered in every lesson that is prepared. The first group and step one is addressed to collaborative learners. The key question in this step is Why do I need to know this? It is important for collaborative learners to start with something they already know, and then seek to connect any new information to that past knowledge or experience. The second group and step two is addressed to analytic learners. The key question in this step is What new things do I need to know? This group needs to learn something new in every lesson or gain some new perspective on something they already know. The third group and step three is addressed to common sense learners. The key question in this step is How does this work? This group seeks application of the content they are receiving. The fourth group and final step is addressed to dynamic learners. The key question in this step is What can this become? This future oriented group has the potential to lead the entire class in finding creative ways to use what they have learned.26 Realizing that almost every classroom, at any given time, consists of students who possess a variety of preferred learning styles, the goal is to consistently and intentionally offer a blend of approaches and teaching methods with the hope of making a substantive and meaningful connection.

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