Category: Teaching

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Parenting Teaching

The Next Revolution

What Is Artificial Intelligence And Future Scope | Chitkara University

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) is set to bring about the next great revolution in Culture. We all remember how the iPhone changed the world in 2007. AI will do much the same, if not more, very soon.

We are already seeing more robots being built that can respond to and interact with human voice command. For the time being, don’t worry, robots are not going to replace humans. The more likely scenario however is that humans and robots will increasingly work side-by-side.

We’ve already heard how chatbots like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard will change our lives . . . And they will. However, AI technology still has a ways to go when it comes to applying itself to specific domains. Yes, industries will be turned upside-down, but not yet. This is because AI has a lot more to learn about itself. In other words, though AI is a reality now, its pervasiveness  across all sectors might not be felt for another decade.

In ten years, we will look back and see how much AI has come to age. By then, specific fields will have been integrated with a developed AI, so much so that perhaps they will be unrecognizable. This won’t be true of all fields, but every niche will be impacted to a certain degree.

AI will not be without its inherent dangers and opportunities. There will be a learning curve for us all. We may not like these changes, but they have arrived. As with any new technology, parents/teachers will need to set boundaries of appropriate use for their kids/students. For example, it will be easy for a child to do a book report if all they have to do is ask their chatbot to come up with one. Instead, kids should be trained to do the hard work of reading a book and writing a report for themselves.

If we allow machines to do all the thinking for us, will we not fail to be human? Some will say, “The world has changed. Why should kids have to do work like this anymore?” I understand that sentiment, but I would say, “Because they’re human.”

We’re thinking things but we’ve also been made with the capacity to feel, touch, say, and do. Yes, robots can take over our jobs. But the question we need to think long and hard about is “Should they?” We need to answer this question before its everlasting too late. Because my fear is that if we don’t, there won’t be any turning back.

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Teaching

If Pigs could fly

What if I came up with a theory that said pigs could fly? Ok, someone else has already come up with that one, but work with me here. Imagine that I was the first person who came up with this theory and then imagine that somehow, this theory propagated into nearly every K-12 school in America. All teachers were then forced to teach students that pigs could fly and many students themselves began believing the theory was true.

From the outset, my theory that this theory could take root in every school and flourish sounds absurd. But, isn’t this was has happened or is burgeoning to happen with CRT and the public school system? The thing we miss when talking about the spread of CRT in our schools and society-at-large is the T part of CRT. CRT is just that, a Theory. Theories aren’t necessarily true. That’s why they are theories. Theories must be tested tried and true, proven over time before they should gain widespread acceptance. History itself has proven that CRT, laced with Marxism and racism, has not brought about worldwide good. Many wars have been fought and many lives have been lost due to ideas inherent in CRT.

CRT can be found in a philosophy of education called reconstructionism. Reconstructionism contains tinges of other educational philosophies such as progressivism and constructivism. These latter two philosophies pave the way for reconstructionism to take root in our postmodern times. Social utilitarianism becomes a dominant theme within this philosophy. Within postmodernism, constructs lose their meaning. Language itself is deconstructed and old words take on new meanings.

Postmodernism actually leads us to a destination where meaning has no value at all. Taking my theory to its logical postmodern conclusion, we could say the students that believe my theory end up believing they themselves are pigs and they themselves can fly. The results of believing in and living by such a theory would be disastrous, both for the students and for our society. Thousands upon thousands of students would venture to climb tall buildings and leap off, thinking they were Superman, only to plummet to their death.

Theories have consequences. CRT is dividing students and adults alike on racial lines and the consequences of believing such a theory could be just as disastrous as the consequences produced by my proposed theory that all pigs can fly. America doesn’t need another war fought upon racial lines. Our nation’s history has produced enough bloodshed.

Modernism, with its reliance on science, took man’s need away for a meta-narrator (God). Postmodernism, with its reliance on the subjective, took man’s need away for a metanarrative. However, the results from both periods have not been good. We live in what academics call between the 2nd and 3rd world cultures. In the 2nd world culture, sacred and social order is valued, whereas in the 3rd world culture, sacred and social order is abandoned. The 3rd world culture is a culture of “deathworks” and is the reason we see socio-political historical norms and precedents being pushed to the side.

We need our schools to be places once again where teachers can teach facts and not feelings. We need to get back to valuing both form and meaning. Context matters! So does history. So does grammar. So does the 3 R’s. I could go on, but I’ll stop there. I’ve seen enough pigs jump to their death.

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Parenting Teaching

For History’s Sake

This past Sunday, my church celebrated Independence Day. I was asked before service if I could lead the congregation in the pledge of allegiance. I said yes and then two funny things ensued. First, I asked the church to place their hearts over their chests (your heart should already be in your chest). Now, everyone knows I should have said “hand over your heart,” but the more I think about it, I wonder if I wasn’t right after all. If you’re not going to say the pledge from your heart, why say it all. Secondly, I was late in saying the word “indivisible.” You might as well say I made the word invisible.

In our postmodern society, the next generation struggles with saying the pledge of allegiance, singing the national anthem, etc. In some ways, our nation’s symbols and values are becoming invisible. It’s not the next generation’s fault. What passes for being taught as history in some schools is not history at all. Our very constitution is being rewritten and revised to say something it never originally intended. This is why the next Supreme Court justice selection is such a big deal. We need Judges in office who will interpret the Constitution as it was written, not the way they want it to be said.

But we have got to do far more than select the right judges and teach American history to our children. We must teach the next generation biblical and church history as well! What is America after all without the Bible and our Christian heritage? Help them discover God! Tell them the stories of creation, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, the judges, kings, and the prophets. Tell them about the tabernacle, the temple, and Bible geography. Tell them about Jesus’ miracles, teachings, crucifixion, resurrection, and Pentecost. Tell them about the birth of the Church, missionary journeys of Paul, and the Revelation. Introduce them to the religious practices of Christians, Christian symbols, and the Christian calendar. Walk them through the time line of the history of the Church . . . destruction of the temple, fall of the Roman empire, the Crusades, the early reformers, the Reformation, the age of reason, and mass evangelists (many have never heard the name of Billy Graham). Talk to them about Christian missions and the Apostles’ Creed. Introduce them to Christian works of art, architecture, paintings, and music. Help them understand that science and the Christian faith are not enemies.

This takes time, but there are resources available to help you in the task. I recommend the Parent/Teacher Handbook series (4 volumes) by Dr. Edward Buchanan.

Have we all but forgotten the pledge to the Christian flag? Teach this to your children as well. There are many in our nation who would like to turn our red, white, and blue flag into a rainbow-colored flag. We must not. We cannot forget who we are, where we come from, and the price paid to get us where we are. American blood and the blood of Christ are what paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today. History is after all His Story! Take time to study history and make time to share His Story with those you love.

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Teaching

All the Same?

Barna recently said that new spirituality is one worldview that the next generation is adopting. New-age religion comes to mind, but I’m sure there is more to new spirituality than just new-age. For instance, perhaps Tom Cruise’s promotion of scientology or other Hollywood actors/actresses’ spirituality of choice fits the bill.

Tom Brady’s favorite book, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, by Don Miguel Ruiz is a book that is based on ancient Toltec wisdom. Don has sold over six million copies of this book alone and has received Oprah Winfrey’s vote of confidence. My guess is Oprah has voted for many others in the self-help category and that her own spirituality would be quite varied and quite complex.

The point of this post is not to bash all self-help books, theories, or personas. To the contrary, all truth is God’s truth and there are principals and practices found in both God’s Word and man’s word that at times can be very similar to one another. For example, let’s take Tom Brady’s favorite book along with its four tenets that Tom says provided him a road map for much of his 30’s.

  1. Be impeccable with your word
  2. Don’t take anything personally
  3. Don’t make assumptions
  4. Always do your best

I would submit that Tom has experienced much life-success because he has followed these four creeds. If we all obeyed this set of Toltec wisdom, I think we would all be better off for it. However, I don’t put Toltec wisdom in the same category as the Word of God, which I consider ultimate wisdom. The problem with following other philosophies and spiritualities is they are often a mixture of truth and error. Sure, there may be some devotional material that says things in a simpler way that help us believers understand or clarify hard biblical sayings. But accepting these new spiritualities in whole can cause trouble in other areas of one’s life. Only the Word of God is perfect for reviving the soul. Only the Word cleanses, purifies, and makes one wise for salvation in the faith of Jesus Christ. Only the Word teaches, warns, corrects, and trains so that its students can be made complete.

Now let’s take the Word of God, which is the will of God. Emmerson Eggerichs recently wrote a book entitled The 4 Wills of God: The Way He Directs Our Steps and Frees Us to Direct Our Own. Dr. Eggerichs finds “four passages that identify precisely the will of God (John 6:40, I Thess 5:18, I Peter 2:13­–15, and I Thess 4:3).” The acronym BAGS sums the 4 wills up:

  1. Believe in Jesus Christ.
  2. Abstain from sexual sin.
  3. Give thanks in everything.
  4. Submit in doing right.

Eggerichs’ believes that following these four universal wills of God will help individuals begin to discover the unique will of God for their life. I agree with Eggerichs’ thesis. Obeying the Word of God sure can’t hurt.

If we take a deeper look into Tom’s life, not only do we find a man who says that the four agreements have become “kinda of a mantra for my life.” We also find a man whose personal trainer and life guru coach, Alex Guerrero, promotes “eastern” medical practices. Eastern practices can promote a meditation whereby a person empties him or herself so that they can be filled. Biblical meditation is the opposite. One fills him or her self with God’s Word so they can be emptied of the competing worldviews and philosophies.

Again, some of the eastern medicine might be good. But, if I am looking for a cure-all, I’m not going to waste my time on anything I wouldn’t consider the real thing. Let’s make sure our students know the difference too!

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Teaching

Facts, Feelings, or Fear?

Which word above best describes the way a believer can reach someone from the next generation for Christ? This is a great question. I think the answer would revolve around the best way a believer can reach anyone for Christ.

Let’s start with facts. If knowing the facts were enough, America would be in good shape. Access to the Bible and its content is not a problem, especially since the advent of the internet. Bible facts are true! But, if you’re in love with facts, you’ve missed the point (John 5:39–40). Bible thumpers love the Bible, some more than God himself. I can’t help but wonder if these have ever met the God of the Bible (His name is Jesus)? Giving the next generation a list of facts isn’t going to cause much change. Even more than experience (FOMO is real), the next generation is seeking relationship. We all are because this is how we were made. Life wasn’t meant to be lived out on an island alone.

How about feelings? If this is your answer, I think you’re onto something! Emojis, anyone? These little images provoke feelings. The LGBTQ movement has advanced by appealing to people’s emotions, not because it makes the most sense. We always hear in the church that head knowledge must move six inches down for hearts to change! But, for some reason, feelings have been downplayed in the church. It’s okay to have feelings and it’s definitely okay to express feelings. King David used psalms, prayer, and music to express how he felt to God. And sometimes he was angry at God. How do you feel now??? No matter how you feel, I hope you feel something. Can you feel or have you taken self-control to mean having and showing no emotion??? We think when someone at church gets real demonstrative, they have obviously lost it. No, not necessarily! It’s called emotion, and many of our robotic, zombie-like, cookie-cutter Christians that have been manufactured at church all come out looking and sounding the same. I’m here to tell you it’s ok if you’re different and it’s ok for you to show emotion!!! If anyone should have life, it’s the Christian, who has The Life living inside of them (John 14:6).

If you still can’t tell which answer I’m leaning toward (facts, feelings, or fear), let me say some things that well, might make you feel something! How many times have you told your students that Jesus died for them on the cross, etc…………….. (I know, that’s one too many periods)! Did they look back at you with blank stares because you say it every week (maybe in the same way)? Try this on for size! Next time, ask your students if they “remember the thump as the nails were pounded into His flesh?” Ask them if they remember the look on Jesus’ face when he carried a heavy wooden beam up a hill with a back that was missing skin? Make it real, because it was! Make them feel something, because they should! Let’s not treat the most sacred event in the history of humankind like it’s just another day! They know about the cross, but do they really?

Some of you may be thinking . . . well, we have to make sure our students are not saved by emotion alone. True, and some of our students may not show much outward emotion, but, if the story of Christ doesn’t affect a student to some degree on the inside, I would question if the student heard the true gospel. Whether one expresses him or herself in bodily emotion such as in crying or not, I don’t think one can receive the gospel as truth without feeling something (I should say, someone) on the inside! We don’t just hear Jesus’ call. I think we feel it too! Let me explain with a story where I hope you are moved on the inside. I don’t know if the person in the story ever accepted Christ, but I do know his emotions were stirred. Ravi Zacharias recently asked a university student if God loved him? The student said no, because he was a bad person that did and thought bad things. Then Ravi asked the student “whether, years from now, he would stop loving his child if that child began to think and do bad things.” The student responded that “no, I would continue to love him.” Ravi then said, “If God is a father and you are his child, wouldn’t He continue to love you through both good and bad?” The student paused, his eyes filled with tears, and said, “I guess that makes sense.”

Isn’t love the greatest emotion? The parable of the Prodigal Son is a classic! Bible facts don’t ask you if you love them, but Jesus asks Peter three times the same question I think he asks of you and me, “Do you love me?”

Warning: Let me say some more graphic things to stir your emotions. Christian, you may be going through a hard time, but thank God you’re not going to hell! Speaking of hell, have you forgotten that hell is a real place where people who have not accepted Christ will spend an eternity in? How does that make you feel??? One time, Francis Schaeffer was explaining Scripture to a group of young people in his chalet in Switzerland. A young man spoke up and asked, “Dr. Schaeffer, what about those who have never heard the gospel?” The group waited expectantly for an incisively brilliant answer. But Schaeffer did not speak. Instead, he bowed his head and wept.

I had an old Sunday school teacher (a couple) tell me they would rather talk heaven into a person rather than scare the hell out of them. I agree! The Bible says “there is no fear in love” and that “perfect love casts out fear” (I John 4:18). There may surely come a time to talk fire and brimstone with people, but I wouldn’t start my conversation with a new acquaintance by saying, “you’re going to hell.” We need to be winsome when sharing Jesus and we don’t need to be the ones freaking out. To quote all the great rappers (and I’m not one), “Do you feel me?”

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Teaching

Who is Generation Z and how are we to minister to them?

Much has been already been written about the generation which follows the millennials, Generation Z. Just google Gen Z and see what happens! The thing that stands out most to me about Gen Z is their shrinking attention span. Though some would label the phenomena a myth, I think most concur that Generation Z’s attention span of 8 seconds is less than that of a goldfish, whose attention span is 9 seconds.

Maybe you are thinking that someone has too much time on their hand if they are staring obsessively at a goldfish to determine its attention span, but I can assure you the business world would disagree. Marketers know how much money Gen Z is worth and how much Gen Z is spending and are tracking their every wireless move on the internet and abroad.
Just like the internet must have a captivating picture, keyword, or video to capture Gen Z’s interest, so too must next generation leaders. If you do not hook Gen Z’s attention in the first seven minutes of a talk, you can forget about Gen Z listening at all.

Darla Rothman notes learning needs of Gen Z and how leaders can engage Gen Z:
• Give fast delivery of content, data, and graphics.
• Provide kinesthetic, experiential, problem-solving, hands-on activities.
• Everything is about speed, convenience, and finding short cuts to obtaining information.
• Integrate interactive multimedia.
• Allow them to Multi-task.
• Give instant feedback, clear goals, challenges, rewards, and positive reinforcement, as found in video games.
• Deliver learning in small “bites” or little chunks.
• Have a trial and error approach in learning.
• Stress problem solving assignments and exercises instead of memorizing.
• Get students working in teams/small groups.
• Ensure engagement in creativity and collaboration, whether it is spontaneous or structured.
• Be flexible to provide learning in the way that works best for them.

Planet Classroom promotes the idea(s) that Gen Z is

• Used to multitasking but are not necessarily very social with in-person groups
• Connects more easily with teachers and professors as facilitators or guides.
• Are highly capable of self-directed learning and critical thinking but only when they feel what they are learning is important or valuable.
• In need of active learning and a student-centered learning environment.
• Wanting leaders to do tasks right along with them and show them that it is OK to make mistakes.

Tim Elmore provides a snapshot of the power social media plays in today’s world:

Social media now plays a central role in:
• How students derive their personal identity
• How students determine their value and popularity
• How students bully, criticize or affirm each other
• How students discover news stories and causes to engage in
• How students communicate with both friends and strangers
• How students find and connect with partners, from hook up to break up

So, Elmore gives tips to next gen leaders on how to utilize social media platforms:

1. When you want to broadcast something, Twitter or YouTube are valuable resources for you to utilize.
2. If you have a more personal message for a handful of select students you know, Snapchat could be helpful.
3. If you want to teach something to students that will open up a discussion later, why not leverage a video on YouTube?
4. Before a performance (a game, competition or show), why not post an inspirational meme on Instagram?
5. If you have an article you’d like students to read, Facebook may be the best platform to use.

Just who is Gen Z? Rothman says,

• They have never known a world without Internet, cell phones, or iPods.
• They are tech savvy and in constant contact with people 24/7 using Facebook or Twitter.
• They want technology that is easy to use and will solve their problems, help coordinate their activities, or provide them with relevant people or information.
• Their brains are affected by Internet use. They find answers to questions in Google and YouTube, but they lack the critical thinking skills to evaluate sources.
• They have low/no tolerance for being without digital resources.
• They have never had to use a library card catalog or rummage through shelves to find a specific book.
• They don’t use a wristwatches or alarm clocks because they use their smartphones for that.
• Instead of reading an article, they want to watch a video (YouTube) that summarizes it.
• They may never send an email: [that is “so yesterday”]. Why email when you can text, instant message, tweet or FaceBook?
• They use a texting “slanguage.” Examples: Cray Cray (when life is too crazy for one word), Probs (other generations say probably), Totes (used to show agreement—totally), XOXOX (used to end any text. For Baby Boomers it means sincerely yours), V (very) and I (because I am the center of everything).

Even Universities are responding to the needs of Gen Z. The University of Hawaii says its faculty needs to:

1. Go with the flow and go virtual
2. Tap into its ‘rock star’ qualities
3. Surrender the soapbox
4. Meddle in the middle
5. Revalue the notion of ‘play’

You may not agree with all of the above assessments, but realize Gen Z is different than its predecessor and they will require a different approach when it comes to teaching and learning.

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Teaching

Bruce Lee vs. Jesus Christ

If you read my last post, you know how unexcited I felt about seeing the newly released The Emoji Movie. However, there is a movie coming out this summer that I have really been wanting to see: Birth of the Dragon. I loved Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and most have seen the classic Bruce starred in himself Enter the Dragon where he fights the American version of himself, Chuck Norris!

But if all you know of Bruce is his fighting side, then you don’t know Bruce. Bruce was just as much of a philosopher as he was a fighter. Lee, claimed by many to be the father of mixed martial arts, had a method behind his madness. Bruce never let a crystallized style determine his fighting substance. He was ever-evolving so that he could take on and defeat any art form. Some of Bruce’s greatest teachings relate to this belief such as “become like water” and “using no way as (the) way, having no limitation as limitation.”

Bruce is what I call a master teacher. With school starting back up for most of the next generation (unless your school-round, etc.), teachers are beginning to get back into gear. However, most school teachers couldn’t hold a candle to Bruce’s teaching. I find Bruce to be one of the greatest teachers from the 20th century. He lived what he taught and practiced what he preached.

But whereas Bruce was a great teacher; Jesus was the best teacher! Jesus had some sayings that were similar in wording to Bruce’s teachings, but as different from night is to day in meaning. Bruce said no way was the way. In other words, any religion will do. In fact, mix all religions together and that will work just as well. Just never claim that you have it all figured out. Jesus said the polar opposite in John 14:6 when Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me.”

When it comes to water, Jesus says in John 4:14, “but whoever drinks of this water that I give will never be thirsty again.” When it comes to limits, the Lord says he is the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8).

No one taught like Jesus, not even Bruce Lee. Jesus never said you needed a lot of faith to do great things. Jesus just said you needed faith (“as small as a mustard seed”-Luke 17:6).  Jesus said the first would be last and the last would be first (he went as far to say that one must be a slave to all in order to be first) and that no one could receive his kingdom until they first became like a child (he wasn’t talking about one’s maturity level).[1] Like Bruce, Jesus was very methodical in his teaching. Both were great teachers. I would love to take a martial-arts lesson from the master. But when it comes to matters dealing with eternity and how to live life, I choose the Master every time.

[1] James C. Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered, 143-44.

 

 

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Politics Teaching

Politics Aside: What are we teaching the Next Generation?

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It has been well documented that the next generation considers the church an institution that is too political.  Too political in that many churches split over silly agendas and preferences but also too political in the sense that national politics are given a bigger stage to shine on they ought to be given from both behind the pulpit and inside the church itself.  When churches emphasize political parties more than they do the gospel or even worse claim their political preference as the gospel, the next generation turns off. 

I do not intend to use this platform to provide you with statistics on how the next generation will vote or how the next generation should vote in the upcoming election.  Ministry leaders understand the old cliché, “people vote with their feet.”  Many young people will choose not to vote at all.  Is the church taking notice when young people decide not to enter their church doors?  Do politicians notice when the younger generations decide not to show up at the poll?  People vote all the time.  We, the church, must take inventory, look at ourselves in the mirror, and decide if we ourselves are a stumbling block to the next generation not being able to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

At his crucifixion, Jesus did not receive any votes.  His closest friends turned away and as his triumphal entry indicates, the notion of popularity is here today and gone tomorrow.  It would be easy to provide you with statistics and polls which indicate the values and beliefs of the next generation.  How many Millennials voted for Bernie Sanders in contrast to Hilary Clinton?  How many votes will Donald Trump receive when compared with Hilary Clinton’s vote count?  How many Millennials feel helpless and will choose not to vote at all?  Yes, votes do reveal feelings and beliefs, but I sense there is something at stake for the next generation in this election that I feel has been overlooked and ignored.

Life boils down to relationships.  Jesus placed an extremely high value on relationships.  Jesus desired that men and women not only love God, but also their fellow man.  The Great Commandment (Mat 22:35–40), The Golden Rule (Mat 7:12), and The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) all remind us of how paramount relationships are to the Kingdom of God. 

The way in which Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton have related to each other in this election period is the epitome of treating one’s fellow man as nothing less than slime.  Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton are not only two politicians running to be the next President of the United States.  They are two national leaders who are to set an example of what it means to love one’s neighbor.  My greatest fear is that the next generation looks at how these national leaders treat each other in dialogue, etc. and think to themselves that this is natural and normal behavior.  If our nation’s leaders, and one whom will soon be proclaimed our nation’s greatest leader, can name call, sling mud, and degrade another, the next generation’s rationale becomes “why can’t I?”  After all, this “leader” climbed to the top of the ladder in his or her profession with a manner that dehumanizes another, so “why can’t I?”

With this line of thinking at work, it does not take long for us as a nation to soon forget that “we the people” are made in the image of God and to begin witnessing our children acting as mini-Clinton’s and mini-Trump’s toward one another.  Bullying is already a huge problem with students in school and cyber-bullying often plays a major factor in teen suicide.  The election campaign has become so horrid that children should not even be in the same room where the evening news is heard.

I vote that we love one another as Jesus commanded us to and that the church and the family teaches the next generation to act the opposite toward one another as our presidential candidates do toward each other.