Wednesday, February 5, 2003
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Wednesday, February 5, 2003 |
Specific worldview shapes Landmark learningLandmark Christian School is committed to presenting students with an education entirely shaped by a Christian worldview. What does that look like in the classrooms? At first, it may seem almost invisible. Many of the textbooks Landmark uses are used in public schools, and most of their library books are not specifically Christian. Nevertheless, a vast and wonderful difference exists, not so much in the material itself, but in how the material is presented. LCS teachers use Christian worldview as a specific tool to examine and evaluate the information studied in class. Like a magnifying glass, this tool helps students see more clearly the true form of ideas under consideration. In art and music classes, students learn to value what is pure and lovely, since art is meant to glorify the most creative One of all. Science classes study the work of God's hands - chemical molecules, laws of motion, variety of life forms, things amazingly intricate and interesting. Language classes study vocabulary, literature, and grammar not to simply help students achieve high SAT scores, but also to enable them to express their faith clearly. Math classes present a world of logic and order, carefully not randomly constructed. In history classes, students watch the development of human thought and institutions, marked by both sin and righteousness; in P.E. classes, kids practice how to "present your bodies a sacrifice" to God. Utilizing a Christian worldview educational lens encourages students to submit every thought to Christ and to evaluate all "facts" in light of Biblical truth. Recently Landmark Christian School teachers were asked the question, "How will students see Jesus in your classroom?" Here is a sampling of their responses. Language arts: "My hope is that my students see Christ first in me: in the way I respond to them, the way I do my job, and the way I love them. I also seek to relate Biblical truth to the subjects I teach so that they in turn will begin to look for God's design in everything even in diagramming sentences and in the characters we read about!" Becki Stacks. Math: "It is so exciting to show students that God created the system of mathematics and that order comes from God. We see geometry as Euclid did, as writings on the wall of a cave or house. God wrote them and they are covered by the cloud of the limitations of our finite minds. Slowly, piece by piece, God allows us to see Himself through the portions of the plan he reveals to us." Cheryl Hughes. Science: "Christ is the source behind all we study. Science is ever striving to discover and understand the world that God has created. His fingerprints are the patterns that we struggle to understand." Stephanie Snyder. Fine arts: "I encourage me students to see Christ in the classroom by getting them to understand the following: We are created in the image of God ... God is a Creative God ... therefore, we, too, have been given the gift of creativity. They learn to appreciate the beauty in God's creation. God created the world with a myriad of colors, shapes, forms, textures, and a sense of balance. The basic elements and principles of design that I teach are what God himself created in the world around us!" Tina Eden. Physical education: "Students learn that their body is truly created by Him, from the tiniest of cells to the biggest of muscles. I teach 'your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit ... you are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.' 1Cor. 6:19-20." Fred Gilkeson. History: "Students will see Jesus in my classroom by seeing God's mercy and grace in the events of history and seeing His sovereignty over His creation." Doug Vinson. Lower School: "Every day the Lord renews me and grants me grace. It would be my hope that young children would learn to take risks and to realize that the only perfect one is Christ. I want to create a learning environment which equips children with the knowledge that God created them for a very unique purpose. Filling their minds with fuel to do the job is my mission!" Becky Joiner. "The sovereignty of God is emphasized in reminding children that God is in control of all including their young lives." Kelly Bulger. Bible: "Christ is seen as the Word the living source of all truth." Chris Brody.
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