Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Research, Reason, Relate, and Record
These steps to Biblical reasoning really took me some time to wrap my arms around. Be patient with yourself here. Practice is a good word here. The more you work toward your understanding here the sooner you will master them. Ask lots of questions, and share your own wisdom with us in regard to these steps. Randy's grandmother used to always say, "Many hands make light work." I would also say that many minds (focused on Christ) make more learning. :)
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7 comments:
I would say this is the hardest thing for me too to get my head around and really see how this works in practice. I'm getting it more and more like you say with practice. It's really , if I understand it right, that you research, read, dig, then ask the reasoning questions. Think and reason, why did they do that? What made them (the person studied) do that? Worldview. Then discuss and record your findings in an organized manner. Is that right? My biggest trouble is knowing how to choose assignments for my kids and what freedom or help I give them after the copywork from the board. Thanks for any thoughts.
Charlene
You're on the right track. One good reason for walking through the word studies and studying the example study on the word 'heritage' is it's an excellent example of how this all works together. The research is in the dictionary and concordance work--looking up the definitions and verses. The reasoning step is in pondering the definitions and verses to deduce your definition in your own words and defining what principles God is teaching you as you read through and ponder the verses you found. The relation is right here as we discuss what we learned together and in your notebook as you compose your thoughts. The record is the record you keep of your learning in your notebook. I think you can probably already see that your notebook is not something to complete, put on a shelf, and forget. It's something you will be referring to again in the future. Your record of your learning not only places value on what you learned, but it is a written record that you can return to and can be of help to you and others in the future.
In working with your children, remember that we are working toward being the 'living textbook.' One of our goals should be to model characteristics of a godly student. We enter into study with our children. This year my oldest son will be beginning a study in algebra. We will be doing word studies together, and he will be doing some on his own. We will look at terms that are unique to algebra. We will look at cause to effect as we look at algebraic principles and laws that God put into motion and how that helps him to solve problems like time, distance,... The same could be said for a study in science or grammar.
In teaching another set of students zoology in years past, I had trouble locating materials to use that would be appropriate for the group. So I started (before school started)with an indepth word study on zoology. This gave me my syllabus for the year, and the school didn't buy any textbooks. We researched, and then we reasoned, then we wrote down our findings (relating) and shared them, and we preserved a written record.
Hello. I'm behind you guys in the SDS, but I'll be reading these older posts while you all continue.
Michelle said, "The reasoning step is... defining what principles God is teaching you as you read through and ponder the verses you found."
I think this is where I'm having trouble-defining what principles God is teaching me (specifically in this SDS). When I get to the part on the Philosophy of Education chart where I am to write down Biblical Principles and Leading Ideas, I am confused. I begin writing, then I think, "Wait, these aren't Leading Ideas, they are Biblical Principles." Or vice-versa.
Any suggestions for me at this point?
Thank you,
Mrs. R
Hello, Mrs. R. Reasoning is the pondering step. You've gathered all the information in the research stage, and then you look at it prayerfully and ponder through what God is teaching you. In the word study, that would be the part when you write the definition in your own words, making specific application to what God is teaching you about that word in your own life and how He wants you to apply it.
As far as differentiating the principle from the leading idea--you are very normal in your struggle with this. It seems to be the area that a lot of people struggle through as they get this under their belt. A principle is like a foundation; everything sets upon it. It is a starting point. It is the cause. They are all Biblical as most principles seem to have been set into place by God. Here are some: God is love; God is orderly; The Communitive Property of Addition and Multiplication. There are the seven principles expounded upon in the 'Teaching and Learning America's Christian History'. Leading ideas lead the student to the principle through example. When Jesus told a parable, that was a leading idea, leading the disciples to a principle Jesus wanted to teach. There are different varieties of butterflies can be a leading idea for God's Principle of Individuality in science. Leading ideas are examples or parables that lead us to understanding the principle.
I think if you look in the archived articles of the blog, there is more about this. There will also be more to come with this thought in this study. You could also ask some specific questions.
RESEARCH~
I love research. I can spend hours upon hours digging, and defining and digging some more when a new trail reveals itself.
John 5:39, Jesus commands us, "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me."
Matthew Henry's Commentary gave an excellent teaching on this verse. He said (paraphrase) there are Two focuses we are to have regarding Eternal life
1. Heaven our End
2. Christ our Way
(Eternal life = it).
"The Scripture has
The CHART that describes "it".
The CHARTER that conveys "it".
The DIRECTION in the way that
leads to "it".
The FOUNDATION upon which the
hope of "it" is built.
All of our teaching and learning is to accomplish one goal in our lives and the lives of our children; "To Know Him, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent." John 17:3
Our Research should constantly be leading us to the Foundation that Jesus is "the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6.
Research is "diligent inquiry or examination in seeking facts and/or principles; continued search for truth." The quality of our Research will determine the depth we can lead our students in their learning. I have found that every year I revisit the 4 R's, and investigate its vocabulary and apply its principles, I gain new understanding, which plunges me deeper into the PA process.
The past two years I have made the 4 R's the focal point of our work. At first I explained what we were doing at every step. Now we are able to move beyond the basic mechanics of the process and dive into the depths of understanding as we reason through the information.
My greatest revelation in the Research process this year has been in regards to vocabulary, and word studies. If we desire to communicate to others, we must know their language.
Knowing our vocabulary gives us authority over the subject we are studying. If we have command of our language, we will be able to articulate our understanding to those who are still feeling their way in the dark. Within the definitions we discover Biblical Principles. When God's Word is the foundation of our vocabulary, we can be assured of the rectitude of our learning. The compass has to be working, pointing to true north, before we set forth on our journey. Word Studies help chart our course and point us in the right direction. Combine that with the Word of God, which is the wind, the breath of God, the inspiration in our sails. With God directing our course, we will set out on a journey, assured of its success. The CHART is our map describing the topography we will pass through; the CHARTER is God's command to "teach our children." We have been granted the rights and privilege to educate our posterity from THE Sovereign King.
The DIRECTION is based upon our Research and the FOUNDATION of all our learning is Jesus Christ, who supports, commands and encourages us along The Way.
REASONING ~
Researching, we have established, is obtaining informtion based upon data, definition, Scripture and fact. It is from this digging reasoning must commence. A person must mentally sift through the information, organize their thoughts and form conclusions, not based upon emotion or presupposition but from facts and honorable counsel.
My favorite definition was found in the definition of "Ready," which said, "to disentangle." Often times my research is so extensive I have a "tangle" of papers in front of me. I lay them all out on the floor, and then pray, "Holy Spirit, HELP ME! What do you want me to know through all of this?" (He is my honorable and trustworthy Counselor). I must be able to verify each conclusion with Scripture. This is why it is called "Biblical Reasoning." If I cannot find Biblical support for a conclusion, I must revisit the information and discern if it was based upon fact, or fiction. Reasearching primary documents helps us in our reasoning because we can consider what was actually said, versus what someone's opinion was of what was said.
Noah defined reasoning as being "A faculty of mind by which it distinguishes truth from falsehood, and good from evil, enabling the possessor to deduce inferences from facts or propositions." We must wrestle with the information first, before we can lead our children in their reasoning. Reasoning must be taught because it is not an emotional response to hypothetical information. Reasoning is drawing conclusions that are based upon "true and clear principles."
Disentangling the "whole truth and nothing but the truth" is our challenge as Christians today. Teaching our children to reason with a Biblical Worldview is paramount in founding them upon the Rock, so that when the "stream beats vehemently upon [their] house, it [will] not shake it..." Luke 6:48.
Our goal is to lead our children into an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Biblical reasoning will ensure that the "birds of the air will not snatch the word from them."
Arise From Your Sleep
RECORD: The definition of Record - etymology - Spanish: recordar= to awake from sleep.
Arise, O daughter of Zion (Micah 4:13)
Arise, O Mighty Warrior (Judges 6:12)
Arise, O Child of God (Galatians 3:26)
Awaken to the sound of the trumpet blast (1 Cor 15:52)
Awaken to the thunder of the hoof beats as they race toward the battle (Jeremiah 47:3)
Awaken to the hot breath blowing out the nostrils of the might war horse
Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead (Eph 5:14)
Sound the alarm, the time is near, the time is now.
Wake up, dry bones, arise from the dead (Ez 37)
Now it is high time to arise out of sleep (Romans 13:11)
Wake up, you who slumber in your mediocrity (Proverbs 24:33)
Wake up and come to, you who have fallen asleep in the cradle of comfort and indulgence.
Snap to, you who are weak with the wine of this world (Eph 5:18)
How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? (Proverbs 6:9)
Grab your sword, stand strong and fight the lion who seeks to devour you (1 Peter 5:8)
You who sleep in the dust of the earth, awake to everlasting life (Daniel 12:2)
Respond to the call; Gird up your loins (1 Peter 1:13)
Now is the accepted time; Now is the day of salvation. (2 Cor 6:2)
Now it is high time to awake out of sleep:
For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed (Romans 13:11)
The night is far spent, the day is at hand:
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness,
And let us put on the armour of light (Romans 13:12)
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provisions for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof. (Romans 13:14)
To record is our response to the Holy Spirit as He awakens our spirits to the "deep things of God" (1 Cor 2). It is the Holy Spirit who is our Remembrancer (John 14:26), and speaks to us divine mysteries that the angels wished to know, but was only revealed to the children of God (1 Peter 1:12)...we must complete the work of the Spirit in our lives by recording that which He has spoken to us, that we may be "deeply impressed...by the truth on our minds." Noah Webster
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