New Vision for a New Classroom

As the new academic year begins I thought it was important to open a new line of communication to the OCA community.  We are constantly searching for new and improved ways to fulfill our mission statement “to provide Christ-centered education for our students, equipping them to exercise Christian leadership in our world,” and I want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to understand why we do the things we do.

Education in America is rapidly changing.  Our students are learning in new ways, and our educators must keep pace with technological advances and the generational gaps in our schools created by this technology. The challenge facing many schools is that teachers are not equipped to break free from traditional pedagogy.  Traditional pedagogy has always looked the same; it’s a teacher standing in front of the classroom lecturing with the primary resource being a textbook appropriate to the subject matter.  The traditional learning environment has students sitting in rows facing the front of the class in individual desks and is teacher-centered.  

At OCA we are striving to flip this mindset. For years, education has been focused on teachers. But at OCA we are committed to a steadfast focus on the student. 

Technology has created a very large gap in the usefulness of traditional classrooms.  In the past the teacher was the holder of knowledge that was to be passed on to students. Now, students have the internet.  Google can provide so much of the knowledge that is needed, and the teacher can now play a new role as the sculptor of a student’s educational experience.

Dr. Ken Robinson, an educational researcher and professor, does a wonderful job diagnosing the problems with our current educational model.  Take a look at this video to understand the bigger picture a little bit better. (If you are interested in more of his research you can purchase his newest book, Creative Schools (2015).)

As we strive to problem solve and adjust to the ever-changing landscape of education, while also working to maintain a strong Christian environment, there are a few approaches we have put into place this year to get on a path towards educational reform. One of the approaches we are going to take in some of our classes is a model called Project Based Learning.  Our middle school History and English teachers went through significant training on this model over the summer and are prepared to kick off the school year with a new vision for their classrooms.

Take a look at another short video that explains this model. You will hear commentary by Dr. Peggy Ertmer of Purdue University, and my friend Steven Zipkes from Manor, Texas. Steven also serves on the National Council of Education.

I’m excited about the 2015-2016 school year, and I am excited that OCA is a school that is focused on students and preparing them for the 21st century. As we embark on this new adventure I wanted you to know that we are staying current with teaching strategies and we are not only focused on the essential academic content, but we are focused on the 21st century kingdom skills that your children will need upon graduation.

21st Century Kingdom Skills:

· Faithfulness: Joshua 24:14

· Collaboration: Ephesians 4:2

· Responsibility: Galatians 6:5

· Self Motivation: Hebrews 12:1

· Information, Technology, and Media Literacy: 1 Timothy 4: 11-14

· Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Colossians 2:8