Teaching and Learning

Teaching and LearningSession 1 - learning in faithSessions sequenceLearning faith learning history catechesis

Content: what are we passing on?

Delivering catechesis: planning a presentation

Your presentation and feedbackModule aimsan understanding of the nature and history of Christian religious education within the Christian tradition;a basic understanding of the ways in which people learn and the implications of this for adult formation;an awareness of the links between catechesis and Christian initiation.An understanding of the current role of Catholic schoolingAn ability to communicate what they have learned from an adult stance

In this session we will - Set out the module contentStart asking some related questionsLook at tools you will useSurvey briefly broad educational theoriesThink about adult learning and good learningFocus on RCIA as adult learningConsider your presentation task

Your presentationA short catechesis in the last sessionWorking in pairs perhaps?Choose a topicFind relevant toolsPlan a session and tell us about itReceive feedback from the rest of usCould be written up as an assignmentPassing on the good newsWhere did WE hear the Good News?How? Who was responsible?What did we hear?

What role does evangelisation / catechesis have in our life of faith?What questions is this module trying to answer?How do we do faith learning now?How should it be done?

To whom?

When?

Whose job is it?Tools : you will need:A Bible

A Bible commentary

A Catechism of the Catholic Church

A developing sense of how adults learn bestYour experiences of learning.....Think of a really good learning experienceWhat made it good?

~think of a really awful learning experience.What made it so bad?

Think / pair/share then write on the posterSo.......What constitutes good learning?Broad pathways of understanding learning and teachingInformation processingSocialPersonalBehavioural

ExperientialReflective

1. Information processingPeople need to make sense of the world

People naturally categorise / classify

We develop data into concepts

We invent a language to communicate this1a: Learning stylesDifferent versions Honey and Mumford popular

Assumptions? Warranted? Theoretical basis?

Can learning be restricted to a style of learning?

Implications for your teaching: diversify!2. SocialPeople learn naturally from learning communities

Learning develops through interaction with others

Learning increases with group membership

Emphasises group work and group skills2a : Informal learning contextsSituated learningA specific contextThe development of a specific languageLearning means a movement from the periphery to the centre

E.g. An apprenticeship2b: Informal learning contextsCommunities of practice

Communities of peopleLearning within thisBuilding identity within thisDeveloping meaning within this communityLearning and membership and creating meaning entwined3. PersonalBegins with the individualFocuses on self-knowledge and self understandingSeeks the creativeAims to achieve confidence, competence and self-worthAssociated with the work of Carl Rogers3a: Emotional intelligenceDaniel Goleman associated author

Intelligence and competence: confused?

Promotes learning the claim4. BehaviourAssociated with Skinner and Pavlov early 20th CHuman beings can correct / modify behaviour

Feedback from failure allows modification

Rewards and threats can be used to stimulate appropriate behaviourStill very significant in schools 5. Experiential learningBuilds on concrete experienceWhich leads to further observation / reflectionLeads to generalisation and abstractionLeads to testing implicationsA spiral process6. Reflective learningPractitioners reviewing their own practice

A reflective cycle: experience reflection amended plan experience

Important for religious people? Is this a faith journey?Education and faithLearning in faith is affected by ideas in society about how people learn and learn bestWhen behaviourism dominated schooling faith learning was often about rote learningNow we might see faith learning as more experiential and reflectiveKey elementsWords catechesis, evangelisation, kerygma, androgogyTheoretical rooting - Education or socialisation where are the roots?HistoryToolsWhat framework will help you? RCIA

EvangelisationIs usually used of an initial pronouncement of the good newsBut the term new-evangelisation is used recently of those who are Catholic but not evangelisedKerygma the basic formula of Christian faith eg the fishThis would be followed by catechesis

CatechesisA very old term

Resurrected recently particularly in the RC Church

Means faith-sharing within a community

Re-echoing or re-telling

Is concerned with maturating of faithKerygmaA summary statement of faith in words or symbols

Fish Jesus the Christ of God the Son, Saviour

Kerygmatic theology focuses on the essentials of Christianity (Jungmann, p207 in Sourcebook Warren, 1983)Kids v adultsPedagogy teaching children

Androgogy teaching adults

Today adult learning is seen as the priority (see website for E&W Bishops The priority of adult formation

Theoretical rootingFaith learning has been seen both as education and socialisation (nurture in a family or community)

If faith learning is seen as education it can use the language of education (progress, curriculum, rote learning, resources for example)

If it is socialisation, there is no or little vocabulary. Does this matter?(Marthaler, 1983 in Warren vol 2)+HistoryEarly Church Didache (?50-60 AD)Constantine (312)Dark Ages (600-1000)Middle Ages (1000-1450)Reformation / Counter Reformation (1519 1564 +)20th century: educational and ecclesiological changeCatechetical movement (1960s +)2012 secularism; anti-authority; anti-church; anti-Christian; symbolic poverty[Wesite material on this topic]Tools: CatechismsExisted in 8th century AlcuinCommon format of question answerLuther produced a catechismPenny Catechism produced by Charles Borromeo after the Council of Trent 1560+Need for orthodox statement of faith after the ReformationSubsequent danger of cementing in stoneRite of Christian Initiation of AdultsDiscussed through the 60s and then included in Ad Gentes (Vat 11, 1964)

RCIA now the norm for acceptance of adults into our communities

It has become a template for modern catechesis

Key issues: sponsorship; readiness; learning in communityImportant things in RCIAFaith seen as dynamicFaith journey and faith story important ideasStaged initiationCelebrationThe community is seen as both the source and expression of faithChristological and TrinitarianScriptural Anthropocentric

Religious education - schoolingOriginally all schooling was religious19th England: Christianity made a huge contribution to English school until 1988ERA 1988 no confessional RE anymore for state schoolsSupport for religious pluralism now requiredEducation about religion the tolerance agendaFaith schools have their own RE curriculumThe task of the module is:To explore your own experience of faith formation

To find the framework which best describes this

To reflect on this and consider the implications for your parish / school context

To apply these thoughts to your presentationCatechism of the Catholic Churchhttp://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm Love your Catechism!Look at the contents pageThen the different partsWhere are the sections on the creed?And the section which includes the 10 Commandments?And the section on prayer?Where is there material on forgiveness?Check out some references abbreviations given on P. xvSo how will your Catechism be useful to you?Use the index to see what is written about your topicFind the in brief box and read this firstRead the main sectionUse the references to see where this is / has been discussedIn particular, check the Scripture referencesPerhaps look at a Commentary?From this starting point, think about your experience of this issue/area. Any reflections?