Computer Labs and Labrador Ducks

Computer Labs and Labrador Ducks

Guest Post by Mr. Mark Kennedy, ACSI Canada

They’re extinct now, Labrador Ducks. And they hold the dubious distinction of being the first North American species on record to disappear from the continent, beating out the passenger pigeon by some 36 years. It wasn’t that they were over hunted. They tasted bad so weren’t worth shooting. It appears that they simply couldn’t adapt to the changing environment around them.

School computer labs may be heading in the same direction because of the changing technological environment in education. For many students, the things we’ve been teaching in those labs are redundant. Students already know them and are sometimes way ahead of us. The adaption that is most appropriate for schools serving a tech savvy generation is integrating technology into every subject. It isn’t just a matter of giving a laptop, or notebook or tablet to every student, although that would be a good start. It’s about training, or in some cases, retraining our teachers to make the most effective use of technology in order to improve student learning and raise the quality of Christian school education.

I don’t think technological change in education is going to disappear any time soon. But if we don’t learn to adapt to it our schools just might. Sort of like the Labrador Duck.

Could We Have Been Nazis? Healing Cultural Blindness

Healing Cultural Blindness: A Christian School Mandate Guest Post by Mark Kennedy, ACSI Canada

“I counsel you to buy gold refined in the fire so you can become rich, and white clothes to wear so you can cover up your shameful nakedness and salve to put on your eyes so you can see.” (Rev. 3:18).

Nobody likes Nazis. Well, at least I didn’t in 1973 when I was a young teacher in a Toronto boys’ school. I’d seen most of the Hollywood war movies and knew for sure that Nazis were all gleefully and unrepentantly evil people. Who could possibly have any sympathy for them?

That’s why I was shocked.

“I was in the Hitler youth,” said our school nurse, a weary sadness clouding her kind eyes, “All the young people were. We just thought it was normal.”

Normal! How could that possibly be normal?’ I thought, but didn’t ask. I was too appalled.

The problem with statements like that is that they can start you thinking and I didn’t like some of my thoughts. What troubled me most were a couple of questions, ‘What would I be like if I had grown up in Nazi Germany?’ and, even more disturbing, ‘Under the same conditions could I have been one of them?

What if I had almost no exposure to North American ideals of freedom and virtue, let alone to the gospel message? In a totalitarian Nazi culture where every public expression was carefully censored and dissent violently suppressed I would have been ‘marinated', in that one worldview. And unless I had secret access to a different perspective, chances are I would have accepted the tenets of Hitler’s Nazism as ‘normal’ too. Like our school nurse I may well have been oblivious to any other ideas, blinded by my culture.

The scriptures are replete with examples of cultural blindness – that condition where people can’t or won’t recognize truth because of their loyalty to national or societal values. A case in point is the church that Jesus rebukes in the prosperous city state of Laodicea.

“You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” Rev 3:16 & 17

The people of Laodicea had become prosperous in legitimate and even admirable ways. They built up a successful industry refining precious metals, they wove textiles of a quality second to none and they produced salve that cured certain types of blindness. Christians there didn’t just enjoy the fruit of the city’s prosperity, they absorbed its secular values. The Laodicean status quo was fine with them. They were blinded by the standards of the materialistic society around them and they weren’t interested in having their blindness healed.

It is no accident that Jesus chose to condemn the very things the Laodiceans cherished most; their wealth, textiles, and eye ointment.

“There are none so blind as those that will not see,” says Mathew Henry in his Commentaries. Our school nurse knew the kind of cultural blindness that is inevitable in a totalitarian society. But the cultural blindness of the Laodicean Christians was worse because they had the God’s illuminating truth in the Old Testament scriptures and apostolic teachings. But they chose not to see.

I wonder how contemporary North American Christianity will appear to students at the end of this 21st century—people who aren’t suffering from our particular strain of cultural blindness. What will they think of our Christian schools? Will they look at us and see ‘God‘s school system’ or will some of our schools appear to be mere defenders of an ideology that is chronically conservative unthinkingly religious, and assertively materialistic? Will they see by our actions (if not by our words) that we venerate the values of the secular business world around us without question, absorbing its priorities, sharing its definition of “the bottom line,” and seeking first the kingdom of gold in the fervent hope that what’s good for General Motors is good for Christian schools?

In this first decade of this millennium we in North American Christian schools still have a wonderful opportunity and privilege. We’re still allowed to teach the two things that can raise our students above contemporary North American values, including the values we may have wrongly venerated in the past. We can teach a Christian worldview and biblical discernment - and we had better teach them well! We had better prepare our students to examine our North American culture as well as our evangelical Christian subculture in the light of the unchanging Scriptures. After all we have a distinct advantage over the church members in Laodicea. For now at least North Americans have free access to the whole counsel of God‘s Word. We can use it to help cure our students of the blindness that so easily afflicts us all—to discern where we have been mirroring and even exalting the false virtues of the broader society just like the Church of Laodicea did. And if our students accept the cure maybe they will build a Christian community that is increasingly defined by scripture.

It won‘t be easy. For us and for the Church of Laodicea, cultural blindness is a serious disability compounded by our stubborn tendency to deny it exists.

Jesus once asked a blind man, “Do you want to be healed”? When it came to cultural blindness, the Church of Laodicea in effect said, “No thanks.” And that is probably why it doesn’t exist today. We had better help our Christian school students respond to Jesus question with a resounding “YES!!”

Do We Talk Too Much? "How to Speak More Strategically"

By Dr. Barrett Mosbacker

As school leaders this is problematic for several reasons:

• It places the focus on us rather than on others or organizational initiatives

• It raise questions about our motivations

• It may discourage input and candor from others

• Sharing more information than needed may create problems or complicate existing ones

• It may cause us to miss critical information because we are so focused on what we want to say , which can lead to misunderstanding and/or bad decisions

For these reasons and more, the Bible gives simple, straightforward advice:

• Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger… (James 1:19)

• When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. (Proverbs: 10:19)

• Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (Proverbs 29:20)

Because I'm convinced that we often talk too much, I found this article by Mr. Bregman to be relevant and insightful.   This is a guest post by Mr. Peter Bregman and is posted with permission.   The article was originally published in Harvard Business Review," click here.

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Peter Bregmanis the CEO of Bregman Partners, Inc., a global management consulting firm which advises CEOs and their leadership teams. He speaks, writes, and consults about how to lead and how to live. He is the author, most recently, of 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, winner of the Gold medal from the Axiom Business Book awards, named the best business book of  the year on NPR, and selected by Publisher’s Weekly and the New York Post as a top 10 business book. He is also the author of Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change and co-author of five other books. Featured on PBS, ABC and CNN, Peter is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, National Public Radio (NPR), Psychology Today, and CNN.  Peter can be reached at www.peterbregman.com.

How to Speak More Strategically

It had been three weeks since my throat started to feel sore, and it wasn't getting better. The pain was most acute when I spoke. So I decided to spend a few days speaking as little as possible. Every time I had the urge to say something, I paused for a moment to question whether it was worth irritating my throat.

This made me acutely aware of when and how I use my voice. Which led me to a surprising discovery: I spend considerable energy working against my own best interests. And if my experience listening to others is any indication, so do you.  In my observations, we speak for three main reasons:

• To help ourselves

• To help others

• To connect with each other

That's not surprising. All three of those objectives are legitimate and worthwhile.

What is surprising though is how frequently we fool ourselves into thinking we're achieving those objectives when, in reality, we're thwarting them. The more I listened, the more I noticed how we undermine our own interests.

Frequently, I had the urge to gossip about someone else. I realized that I did this to help myself (I will feel better if I think I'm better than that person) and to connect with the other gossipers. But clearly that would distance me from the people about whom I was gossiping. In fact, it would probably even distance me from my fellow gossipers too; who could trust someone who talked behind other people's back? My attempt to strengthen relationships was, instead, hurting them.

I also had the urge to share information when I thought it would be helpful to someone. That's a productive reason to speak. But several times I had the urge to say something simply to show that I knew the answer. Or to get attention. Or to increase my power in the group. It became clear to me that my urge to speak in those moments came from my desire to feel special. I wanted people to like me and to think highly of me. But who likes the guy trying to show off?

Sometimes I wanted to help myself by getting the answer to a question, or making sure I was counted in a decision. That's useful. But other times, I just wanted to make sure my voice was heard over the din of the other voices. I caught myself wanting to speak over someone in a meeting. Or arguing a point to get others to agree with me so I'd feel more confident in my own opinion (which I'm hearing a lot this political season). Is that really helping someone else?

In fact, I was amazed at how often I wanted to speak simply to assure myself that I was here. I had a role. I was noticed.

As I sat silently, trying to preserve my voice, I had the opportunity to notice how and when other people spoke as well. And I noticed all the same tendencies.

If I were to reduce our counter-productive speaking to a single motivation, it would be this: We often speak to make ourselves feel better in the short-term.

But life and relationships are long-term. And when we gossip, raise our voices, speak behind other people's backs, offer unsolicited opinions, or make jokes at other people's expense we're isolating ourselves over time.

There was some good news in my experience of talking less: I listened more. And listening, it turned out, was a much more productive way to achieve my speaking objectives than speaking.

When I listened, I helped myself, helped others and built relationships at least as effectively as I did speaking and with much less collateral damage.

I'm obviously not suggesting we stop speaking; we can't achieve our three objectives unless we do. We need ask for things. We need to share information. And there are a number of ways — like offering compliments and rephrasing what we're hearing — we can build relationships through speech.

I am, however, suggesting that we think ahead — long term — when we're about to say something in the moment. And that, before speaking, we ask ourselves one simple question: Is what I'm about to say going to detract from one of the three reasons I speak? If the answer is yes, consider saving your voice.

My throat is better now and I can speak as much as I want. Which left me feeling a little nervous; now that I know how easy it is to be self-defeating, will I keep myself on the productive side of the speaking equation?

Thankfully, the sore throat left me with a gift: the memory of a sore throat.

These past few days, when I get the urge to talk, I find myself doing a little calculation in my head: If I only have so much speaking I can do in a day, is this thing I'm about to say a worthwhile use of my voice?

What's amazing is that most of the time I immediately know.

Do We Need Teachers or Are They Becoming Obsolete?

By Dr. Barrett Mosbacker

This is not a rhetorical question.  Perhaps for the first time in history serious questions are being raised about the long-term need for flesh and blood classroom teachers.  For many this may seem ridiculous but for those on the frontier of technology it is anything but ridiculous.  Consider the following developments.

Computers Approach Human Capacity to Grade Essays

A recent NPR headline* asked: "Can A Computer Grade Essays As Well As A Human? Maybe Even Better, Study Says" According to the article, the answer is a qualified yes:

Computers have been grading multiple-choice tests in schools for years. To the relief of English teachers everywhere, essays have been tougher to gauge. But look out, teachers: A new study finds that software designed to automatically read and grade essays can do as good a job as humans — maybe even better.

The study, conducted at the University of Akron, ran more than 16,000 essays from both middle school and high school tests through automated systems developed by nine companies. The essays, from six different states, had originally been graded by humans.

In a piece in The New York Times, education columnist Michael Winerip described the outcome: "Computer scoring produced "virtually identical levels of accuracy, with the software in some cases proving to be more reliable."

Artificial Intelligence

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Machines that can think like and interact with humans beings is the goal of Artificial Intelligence (AI).  While holding a conversation with a C3PO or R2D2 is unlikely in the near future, the possibility of holding an intelligent conversation with a machine is not as preposterous or as far away as one might think.  Consider just how unrealistic, preposterous, and futuristic today's technology would have seemed just twenty or thirty years ago.  Imagine your grandfather's reaction if you told him that you foresaw a world in which:

• Everyone will be connected by an invisible but all pervasive thing called the Internet.  We will access this Internet through computers (machines that can calculate faster than humans can think, play chess and beat the worlds best Chess Masters, and fly unmanned drones that can kill from miles in the sky), handheld phones called SMART phones (pocket sized computers), and tablet computers that look much like the slates seen on Star Trek with which one can store a digital library larger than the Library of Congress, read magazines and newspapers from around the world (mostly free), listen to music, watch streaming movies, shop online, take colleges courses online, book travel arrangements, access a map of your city or of the world, play games, socialize through something to be called Social Media, look up restaurant reviews, keep up with breaking news through Tweets (140 character ubiquitous updates), and search the Internet for almost anything you need to know.

• Using computers, SMART phones, or tablets, we will connect to the Internet wirelessly from virtually anywhere.

• Print books will slowly be replaced by digital books.

• We will be able to call a digital assistant named Siri and ask her for directions, product suggestions, make an appointment, send an email, send a text message, search the Internet, suggest a restaurant, check the weather, calculate a large equation, or create a reminder for us all by voice and she will often do so with a sense of humor.

• There will be driverless cars and pilotless planes

• We will send a pilotless rover to Mars that will scamper about on the surface of the planet sending back photos for several years.

• We will have voice enabled handheld mobile Global Positioning Systems on phones, tablets, and dedicated GPS devices) that communicate with satellites in space  that will give us turn-by-turn directions to our destination.

What once seemed preposterous, the stuff of science fiction, is now commonplace, illustrating that the uniformed and unimaginative dismiss the capacities and likelihood of AI to their own peril.  Consider this summary of research on the progress and promise of AI:

When will human-level AIs finally arrive? We don’t mean the narrow-AI software that already runs our trading systems, video games, battlebots and fraud detection systems. Those are great as far as they go, but when will we have really intelligent systems like C3PO, R2D2 and even beyond? When will we have Artificial General Intelligences (AGIs) we can talk to? Ones as smart as we are, or smarter?

Well, as Yogi Berra said, “it’s tough to predict, especially about the future.” But what do experts working on human-level AI think? To find out, we surveyed a number of leading specialists at the Artificial General Intelligence conference (AGI-09) in Washington DC in March 2009. These are the experts most involved in working toward the advanced AIs we’re talking about ... The majority of the experts who participated in our study were optimistic about AGI coming fairly quickly, although a few were more pessimistic about the timing. It is worth noting, however, that all the experts in our study, even the most pessimistic ones, gave at least a 10% chance of some AGI milestones being achieved within a few decades ... In broad terms, our results concur with those of the two studies mentioned above. All three studies suggest that significant numbers of interested, informed individuals believe it is likely that AGI at the human level or beyond will occur around the middle of this century, and plausibly even sooner. **

AI and Robot Teachers

Mobile technology and ubiquitous access to the Internet combined with online learning have many suggesting that the days of the traditional classroom teacher are limited.  Although hardly ready to take over the class, meet Saya, the substitute robot teacher.

Japanese School Tests Robot Teacher

Crude yes, but by what standard?  Twenty years ago this would have been amazing.  What will Saya be capable of 20 years from now?  The questions is not what is possible now but what may be possible in the not too distant future?

I am not ready to dismiss AI or robots or some other yet to be imagined technology as capable of teaching if one defines teaching as conveying information, assessing knowledge and measurable skills, and then customizing a new teaching routine to address identified weaknesses.  Such technology is already available in rudimentary form through computer aided instruction (CAI).

Teaching versus Educating

However, the transmission of information and the use of sophisticated algorithms to customize lessons and testing are not the same thing as educating students.  Transmitting knowledge is necessary for a good education but is not sufficient.  Teaching and educating are not necessarily synonymous.  No matter how sophisticated our technology becomes, it is doubtful that it can replace educators.  Here is why; the transfer of information does not:

• Equal nor impart wisdom

• Provide a role model

• Convey passion and a love of a subject

• Discipline

• Build relationships nor teach how to navigate difficult relationships

• Add the emotional element vital to learning

• Question deeply by engaging in Socratic dialog

• Mentor students

• Serve students

• Pray for students

• Love students

Technology can only be conceived as a replacement for traditional classroom teachers if we reduce teaching to the transfer of information, drilling skills, and preparation for test taking.  Sadly, too many teachers have been reduced to this mundane level: such teachers ARE replaceable.

Loving, wise, dedicated, servant-hearted, educators who mentor, pray for, and discipline their students will never be replaced.  They have nothing to fear from technology.  For such educators, technology is their servant, not their masters or replacements.

Sources

*  http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/04/24/151308789/for-automatic-essay-graders-efficiency-trumps-accuracy

** http://hplusmagazine.com/2010/02/05/how-long-till-human-level-ai/

The Heart of our School Service

By Dr. Barrett Mosbacker

"For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed? God is witness.

Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. For you know how, like a father with his children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory." (1 Thess. 2:1ff)

Paul's heart for and ministry to the church is instructive as we strive to serve our students, parents, and each other in a way that pleases Christ.  Here are some simple thoughts and applications on this passage.

Boldness

We must be courageous and bold in declaring truth to students, parents, and to each other. The primary truth is the Gospel.  Never assume that a student or a parent is a believer.  He or she may not be.  As appropriate and with love and wisdom share the Gospel.

In the Midst of Much Conflict

We don't like conflict and we try to avoid it.  However, conflict is unavoidable and is even profitable IF the the conflict arises from being honest versus being a difficult person or responding inappropriately to others.  For example, we need to deal with the conflict that arises when we tell students or parents the truth.  If a student is failing to work hard (being lazy), is being irresponsible, has violated a school policy, is not yet good enough to start on the team, is a bully, etc., we need to say so.  We are to speak the "truth in love," never in a mean spirited or condescending manner, but we must tell the truth.  We don't avoid necessary conflict, we work through it profitability for all concerned.

Pleasing God not Man

We like to be liked.  It is tempting to do that which will make others like us or to avoid doing that which may make some dislike our decisions or us.  The praise of others must not be the motivation for our decisions and actions.  God's praise is to be our goal.  Popularity is as fleeting as your last decision or the latest fad or current values in our culture.  God's standards never change.  We are to desire his smile, not the smile of people.  However, we must also remember that Jesus grew in favor with both God and man.  We don't please God by being obnoxious, difficult, or self-righteous.

Not Self centered-It is Not about Us

Paul sacrificed what he had a right to, willingly gave it up to serve.  Although most of us are compensated well and fairly, most in Christian education could make more in a similar position in the public or corporate sectors.  Our work and ministry could also be easier if we never stretched ourselves, never tried new things, never adopted new methods, never reworked our material, etc.

But our motives are not related to compensation or avoiding extra work or frustration.  Our motive is to serve by being "living sacrifices," by "being "poured out as drink offerings" in service to students, parents, and each other.  This is not easy.  This is not what the world values and preaches.  Our sacrifices are not always known or appreciated by others.  It doesn't matter.  We seek "first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness;" we'll leave the rest to God's wise providence.

Not About our Reputation or Praise

Like Paul, we do not seek "glory" from men.  Whether we are liked and praised (although nice) is irrelevant. What matters is faithful, fruitful service to God as we render service to students, parents, and each other.  Like water on a duck, we must learn to let BOTH the smiles and frowns of others roll off of us.  It is the smile of God, not men, which we seek.

Gentle

I like the title Gentleman, Gentle-man.  In today's culture it is assumed that gentleness is weakness and real men (or modern women) are strong and aggressive.  There is nothing wrong with being strong and aggressive.  In fact, we must be to serve Christ.  Christ was very strong and aggressive (just think of how he responded to the Pharisees!).   But Jesus was also described this way:

Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.  I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.  He will not quarrel or cry aloud, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;  a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;  and in his name the Gentiles will hope. (Matthew 12:18-21)

We are to combine strength with gentleness in our dealing with others.

Sharing of Ourselves

It is easy to share a lesson, a lecture, truth, even the Gospel.  We just talk.

What is more difficult is sharing ourselves.  This requires time, sacrifice, even vulnerability.  We must share both WHAT (true, etc.) as well as WHO (ourselves).  For example, it is one thing to TELL our spouse that we love him or her, it is another thing to give OURSELVES IN OUR ACTIONS to DO loving things.  Likewise, it is one thing to tell students, parents, and each other truth and that we care.  It is another to demonstrate it.

Hard Labor

Those who have never taught or coached have no idea how hard it is!  It is hard work.  It is often under appreciated.  It takes time away from family.  It goes into the evening and weekends.  And, sometimes, no matter how hard we work, how much effort and time we put into coaching, teaching, or leading we get criticized.  Frankly, sometimes we just plain get abused by others.  So did virtually every saint I can think of in the Bible!  It goes with the territory!

Teaching, coaching, and leading in a Christian school is not a 9 to 5 job.  That is okay.  We are stewards of souls--eternal minds and hearts.  What we do counts forever.  It changes lives.  It changes communities.  It matters.  Therefore, it takes hard work and long hours.  No one makes us do this.  This is a calling.  This is a stewardship.  Whether other appreciate our hard work is irrelevant.  What matters is that we are faithful in cultivating our gifts and fulfilling our callings to the maximum of our God-given abilities.

We have not been called to a "nice life."  We have been called to labor.

Holy and Blameless Conduct

We are redeemed sinners.  We are not perfect.  We sin.  We fail.  We fall.

But, the tenor of our lives must be such that our conduct is holy and blameless, above reproach.  We are morally pure, we are honest and full of integrity, we don't gossip, we don't complain, we are full of the Fruit of the Spirit.  We are not self-serving.  We are, by God's grace, an example to others, especially to our students.

Exhorted, Encouraged, Charged

We urge and appeal to our students, parents and each other to do the right thing.  We encourage the discouraged, the tired, those who have stumbled and need a helping hand up.  We commission others--giving them instruction and a mission.

What a hard and glorious calling we have!  May God grant us the grace to fulfill it for his smile and for his kingdom!

Worthy of our Attention!

Guest article by Dr. Mitchell Salerno, Assistant Superintendent (The Master’s Academy)

As we enter 2012, Christian schools face some decisions that could dramatically affect the extent of our mission and impact.  A recent article in USA Today (http://usat.ly/wlEI2N), makes some suggestions worthy of consideration.  In the article, Abrams suggests seven trends that small businesses must consider to remain competitive and relevant.  Not surprisingly, five of the seven directly or indirectly involve technology.  As small businesses, Christian schools would be wise to consider these technological trends, seriously considering how to responsibly respond.

1. The Cloud

Technology is encroaching into every area of business and education.  Christian schools need to consider how the cloud can impact business and education.  Many schools already utilize the cloud for SIS services (i.e. RenWeb); however, most schools do not strategically consider how the cloud can impact student learning and the bottom line.  Has your school considered Google Apps.?  Does your school evaluate software programs, asking essential questions about if the cloud could reduce costs and increase productivity?  Quality Christian schools should begin to engage the cloud and become knowledgeable regarding its potential to enhance the essential functions of the school.

2.  Social Media

Much myth and hyperbole surround social media.  Rarely does one find a moderate opinion regarding social media and its purpose and values.  Zealots leap in with little discrimination or discernment, while others are fearful and avoid all forms of social media.  Worse yet, some Christian condemn social media and those that use it.  In the midst of this contentious environment, Christian schools must navigate carefully.  One thing is clear, social media has a ubiquitous presence and it is not going away any time soon.

How should Christian schools engage social media?  Certainly there are opportunities for the admissions, school communication, alumni relations, and development; however, I would suggest that in 2012 schools must seriously consider how social media can impact student learning and pedagogy.  Immediately, many are polarized by this thought.  That's too dangerous!  What would happen if students had access to all of the perils of the social media?  Really, what would happen?  Our students are engaged in this world everywhere except in our schools.

In my estimation, Christian schools must lead education by innovating methods for incorporating social media.  The modern classroom demands a skillful blend of traditional and digital pedagogy.  How can Twitter engage students and improve learning?  Do Facebook and Google+ have a place in the classroom?  As 1-to-1 technologies emerge, I question whether traditional pedagogical approaches are able to effectively utilize the power of 1-to-1 computing.  At some point, we are going to reach a tipping point where it will be impossible to ignore social media.  I believe that Christian schools should begin to engage social media for education, rather than simply utilizing it for administrative functions.

3.  Mobile

The first two trends are fueling an increase in mobile technology.  In education, these forces are encouraging distance education and computer based learning.  How do these trends impact traditional K-12 education?  Most immediately, mobile technology threatens, at least conceptually, the idea of a brick and mortar school.  While I do not believe we will see the demise of the traditional school in 2012, Christian schools must begin to engage mobile technologies.

Many Christian schools, mine included, have begun to explore 1-to-1 technologies such as the iPad.  Regardless of the device, and there will be many to emerge in the coming months and years, Christian schools must begin to ask questions on how mobile technology should impact classroom learning.  Much like the previous discussion on social media, Christian schools must not only provide mobile technology for administrative functions such as cell phones, iPads, and laptops for administrators, but they must consider how mobile devices can be incorporated into student education.  Perhaps the most challenging force prohibiting the incorporation of mobile learning is school faculty.  Much work needs to be done to encourage innovation and experimentation in the classroom.

The convergence of the cloud, social media, and mobile technologies are an exciting, yet daunting, proposition for Christian schools.  I believe 2012 will be a watershed year for Christian schools and educational technology.  Many schools will discuss technology, several will implement solutions, and a few will become models of innovation.  Regardless, we can no longer ignore the tsunami that has inundated education.

4.  Analytics

Technology provides information and information is power.  Schools can leverage this information in and out of the classroom.  Google Analytics provides data on website usage and access.  Learning management systems provide information on students access and usage.  School information systems provide information for parents, students, and teachers.  As we move into 2012, successful Christian schools will utilize the information available to them to make wise decisions.

5.  Global

"Think outside the box by thinking outside your borders" (Abrams, 2012).  Where are your borders?  This is an essential question for 2012.  We live in a world where the Kingdom can advance in a variety ways.  Therefore, it is essential that we teach our students how to leverage technology for the Kingdom.  I would suggest that Christian schools begin to determine where there borders are and how to expand them.  Personally, I am interested in connecting Christian schools together and assisting in the utilization of technology.  Christian schools have always had a global mission.  In 2012, we have tools to truly have a global impact.

Reference:

Abrams, R. (2012, January 12). Small business strategies: Seven trends you can’t ignore. USA Today. Retrieved from http://usat.ly/wlEI2N

Why Don't Christians 'Get It?': And All Jerusalem With Him

Guest article by Mark Kennedy, ACSI Canada

Do you ever wonder why so many North American Christians ‘don’t get it’ about Christian schooling - why some of the people who should be happiest about Christ’s advent in the realm of education treat Christian schools as unwanted interlopers or even as threats. That kind of spiritual paradox isn’t new. Matthew 2:3 recounts Herod’s reaction to the Messiah’s birth in his kingdom: “He was disturbed”. That’s not a surprise really. History tells us Herod sold out his Jewish heritage for the power, prestige and plunder that complicity with the Roman Empire brought. His lifestyle and privileged position were endangered by “the one who has been born King of the Jews.” But the really troubling statement doesn’t have much to do with Herod. Not only was he disturbed “but all Jerusalem with him.” Now that’s kind of shocking. You’d think the citizens of Jerusalem, the centre of the Jewish religion, would be overjoyed at the news, but they weren’t. In religion or education or any other area of life, the coming of the living Christ is a threat to those who embrace the status quo.

In education:

• He’s a threat to people who assume current secular education is the same as it was in those rosy days of yore when ‘public schools’ meant ‘protestant schools’.
• He’s a threat to those who bought into the myth of a neutral education. A school system that doesn’t permit children to learn about him isn’t neutral. It shuts out  the most important realities about life and learning.
• He’s a threat to people who believe that the primary purpose of life, even for children, is evangelism. Jesus gave us a different priority. He said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength. Evangelism is only one result of obeying that commandment.
• He’s a threat to those who believe that reality is broken into religious truth and secular truth. Fact is there’s only one kind of truth. And either it’s all God’s truth or none of it is.
• He’s a threat to people who dismiss Christian education because they know of a Christian school that operates badly.  I know of a few churches that don’t do a very good job at their ministry. But that doesn’t give me an excuse to spend my Sunday mornings at the Loyal Order of Water Buffalos Lodge. That’s because a Christian school, like a Christian church, is meant to be a place to meet Christ and grow in Him. And believers need to support churches and schools that still do that.
• He’s a threat to people who think that a couple hours of Christian training a week can equip a child against the influences of 30 plus hours of weekly secular education, many more hours of anti faith media and an increasingly complex anti Christian society.
• He’s a threat to people who believe that Christianity is only about a transformed heart. In Romans 12 Paul tells us not to be conformed to the patterns (i.e. way of thinking) of the world but be transformed by the renewal of our minds. E. Stanley Jones expressed it well, “A Christianity that addresses the heart but not the mind will not long hold the heart.” Christian schools help transform minds by teaching a biblical worldview.
• He’s a threat to people who think that teaching about the Creator of all truth and His creation is somehow sheltering students from reality.

The Academy Award winning movie, The Bridge on the River Kwai, tells the Second World War story of British soldiers in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. In order to alleviate the extreme suffering of his men, the senior British officer, Colonel Nicholson, agrees to build a bridge for his Japanese captors. And with its construction conditions for the British captives improve. The bridge becomes a  source of pride especially for Colonel Nicholson. After all he and his men have invested their lives in it. Then one day he is shocked to find a stranger, a British commando, planting explosives in order to blow the bridge up! He is emotionally torn. Should he warn the Japanese about this threat to ‘his’ bridge? In the end he come to his senses and realizes that even though his men built the bridge it belongs to Japan, and above all else he and the commando are on the same side fighting a common enemy.

Christians built the public educational systems in North America and they built them well. But now it is clear that those systems are no longer Christian in any sense. Let’s hope that more believers will come to realize that the educational status quo is fatally flawed, that Jesus’ advent in the realm of education is not a threat and that Christian schools are on their side.

How to Design & Deliver High Impact Presentations: Before & After Examples

By Dr. Barrett Mosbacker

Leaders make presentations. Transformative leaders deliver inspirational, informative, and persuasive presentations.

Good presentations are hard to design and deliver, which is why we have suffered through so many poorly delivered seminars and workshops. Although I like to think of myself as a decent speaker and presenter, the truth is that I’ve given my share of poor keynotes and boring seminars.

Fortunately for those who must listen to me (my staff) and those who will do so voluntarily during conferences, graduate classes, and workshops, I’m improving. My growth in giving higher impact presentations is the result of reading articles and books, the critique of others, and trial and error. I offer the following tips with the hope that you can benefit from my reading and experience.

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PREPARATION

Preparation Time

The amount of time that you spend on your presentation will vary based on the subject and context but in general, a 30-60 minute high impact presentation will require 36-90 hours of preparation. You read that right; a quality one hour presentation = 36-90 hours of preparation.

Presentation authority Nancy Duarte, author of the book Slideology and principal at Duarte Design (clients include Apple, Cisco, and Al Gore among many others), puts it this way; “The amount of time required to develop a presentation is directly proportional to how high the stakes are.” Duarte goes on to provide this guidance:

• 6-20 Hours Research and collect input from the web, colleagues, and the industry

• 1 hour Build an audience-needs map

• 2 hours Generate ideas via sticky notes

• 1 hour Organize the ideas

• 1 hour Have colleagues critique or collaborate around the impact the ideas will have on the audience

• 2 hours Sketch a structure and/or a storyboard

• 20-60 hours Build the slides in a presentation application

• 3 hours Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse (in the shower, on the treadmill, or during your commute)

Total Time: 36-90 hours

Is that accurate? Thirty six to ninety hours for a one hour presentation given all that I have to do? For what it is worth, that has been my experience lately. It takes a long time to prepare a good presentation. I have spent hours over several weeks preparing and designing presentations.

You are a steward not only of your time but of your audience’s time as well. Don’t waste your time or theirs by giving a poorly designed and delivered presentation. Don’t abuse your audience with a mediocre presentation.

I recommend that you schedule time throughout the week for several weeks to prepare your presentation. Your preparation time will be more efficient if you work on it in small, frequent chunks over an extended period of time.

Know your Audience

Your presentation is not about you; it is about your audience and what they need to hear, learn, and/or do. Your presentation is a service to them.

To serve your audience well you need to know them and their perceived as well as real needs. If I am speaking to an outside group I make it a habit to ask my host the following questions:

• How many will be in attendance?

• What is the average age?

• What is the average educational level?

• What will be the gender mix: balanced, mostly women, mostly men?

• If this is a school audience, are most in attendance teachers, administrators, board members? If all three, in what proportion?

• What are the primary areas of interest or concern of this audience regarding this topic? What are some of their likely questions?

Tailor your presentation to your audience. The stories you tell, the examples used, and the graphics employed should match the demographics and needs of your audience. Otherwise your presentation will be largely irrelevant.

Know the Venue

To prepare properly you need to know the venue and to request things that you may need. I typically ask:

• What type of room/auditorium will I be in?

• What type of sound and video equipment will be available?

• Will I be controlling my slides or will you have an AV tech. assisting?

• Will there be a podium mic? May I use a lapel mic.? (I prefer a lapel or head mic so that I am not restricted to standing behind a podium.)

• I am using a Mac/Windows PC, can I load my PowerPoint/Keynote presentation on the local computer or do I need to have my computer on the platform?

SLIDE DESIGN-Less is MORE!

Less is MUCH MORE! This is probably the most important lesson I have learned from my reading and my experience. Keep it simple, clean, and elegant. Remove everything that is not absolutely necessary on your slides and charts.

Less is more-fewer slides, fewer points, less text, and less time.

This is harder than it seems! We want to add information, not eliminate it. When designing your slides keep the following in mind:

• You want to talk to your audience and you want them to listen and watch you. You do not want them reading slides!

• Slides are NOT a teleprompter! Do not design and use slides as an outline of your talk.

• Slides are used to illustrate key points. They should be simple, clear, and uncluttered.

• Eliminate most transition effects--they distract from your presentation.

• Have few to no bullet points.

• You should seldom have more than six to eight words on a slide.

• Use large easy to read font.

• Use consistent font styles and colors.

• Do not use clip art! It is cheesy and unprofessional. Find good photographs or graphics.

You should seldom use template designs for the same reason--they are distracting. Here is an example of a distracting verses a good slide template:

Distracting Template:

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Good, Clean Template:

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Good and Bad Examples

Assuming that a “picture is worth a thousand words,” here are some examples of before and after designs. Many of these are slides that I have produced--both good and bad and a few are provided from other sources as examples. My slides are indicated by the initials BLM.

THE BAD

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BLM (Cheesy clipart, poor color selection, distracting text)

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BLM (Boring with no graphics or illustration, small font, too many bullet points)

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BLM (This one is so bad it is just embarrassing. There is nothing good about this slide. The graphics are terrible. Too many bullet points. Font too small. Poor color selection.)

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BLM (The slide has too much text, which is too small. The illustration is poorly done and the overall impact of the slide is boring and distracting.)

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BLM (The slide has too much text and cheesy clip art.)

THE BETTER

Here is the same topic being covered with a redesigned slide from the one above.

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BLM (This one has no clipart and no text. A high quality photo covering the entire slide is used. The photo speaks for itself. It is much more impactful than the one before with the same point to make.)

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BLM (This title slide is affective because the professional photo reinforces the title, which is very short and to the point. The photo also matches the audience, this presentation was given in Canada in the winter.)

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BLM (One word with a photo matching the key concept.)

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BLM (Transition slide to next topic--simple text on solid background)

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BLM (This is a playful slide using a professional photo but with a font matching the playful mood. This slide was designed to communicate with and encourage elementary teachers thus the colors and playfulness, which are characteristic of elementary programs.)

The following five slides tell a story and reinforce each other.

• Slide 1 acknowledges how many feel when faced with significant change.

• Slide 2 encourages the audience to laugh and relax because we will provide time and resources to ensure their success.

• Slide 3 reassures that we are confident that they will be successful as a team.

• Slide 4 reassures that we are confident of success because….

• Slide 5 communicates that we will deal with big change in small bites.

• Slide 6 illustrates why they will be successful--a slow, deliberate training and implementation cycle.

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BLM Slide 1

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BLM Slide 2

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BLM Slide 3

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BLM Slide 4

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BLM Slide 5

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BLM Slide 6 This slide has animations so that each date appears and disappears in sequence.

A Word About Charts and Numbers

Charts can be very helpful in a presentation but just like your slides they need to be simple with all distracting and unnecessary elements deleted.

Numbers are usually confusing to the audience. Use as few as possible and allow extra time for the audience to do the math. Numbers should never be ultra precise: “Anticipated revenues of $660,101.83” looks silly. Are your numbers that accurate? Just say $660 thousand.

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This is a busy, hard to read and understand chart with too many words and numbers.

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BLM This chart is much better. Easy to understand, clean with no distracting elements, e.g., grid lines, unnecessary numbers, and text.

DELIVERY

Arrive Early and Test Everything!

It is stressful and embarrassing to stand up to deliver a presentation only to discover that something is not working. Worse, it is distracting to your audience and immediately reduces your credibility and impact.

You only have about 1 minute to make a first impression. Don’t make it with you trying to get your computer to work or your slides to show up on the screen.

Plan for Murphy to show up. He always does. Plan for the worst case scenario. What will you do if the computer crashes and burns, the video system goes out, or the sound system does not work? Prepare for the unexpected. When you do, you can go with the flow and not skip a beat.

Have your presentation so well rehearsed that you do not need slides as prompts (more on this later). You should be able to speak spontaneously. If you can’t, you don’t know your subject well enough.

If you must have notes, have a printed copy readily available.

Have electronic backup copies of your slides on a thumb drive (for use on a local computer if yours crashes) and your online for immediate download if needed. I use an iPad for this purpose.

Have copies of your notes and slides available for distribution or access online.

Talk to Your Audience, Do Not Read!

Whatever you do do NOT look at your slides and read from them! Keep your eyes on your audience. Make eye contact with individual audience members.

Remember, your slides are to illustrate key ideas, concepts, trends, and facts. Do not use your PowerPoint or Keynote presentation as a teleprompter.

Presentation Style Tips

Remember, your audience will form a first impression within 60 seconds or less! Make that first minute count!

• Dress appropriately for your audience. It is best to “dress up” rather than “down” if in doubt.

• Tell real life stories that reinforce your topic.

• Turn off your cell phone.

• Jump right in and get to the point.

• Give your rehearsed opening statement; don't improvise at the last moment.

• Use the opening to catch the interest and attention of the audience.

• Briefly state the problem or topic you will be discussing.

• Talk at a natural, moderate rate of speech.

• Project your voice.

• Speak clearly and distinctly.

• Speak with enthusiasm.

• Use appropriate well timed humor but not jokes.

• Pause briefly to give your audience time to digest the information on each new slide.

• Keep your eyes on the audience.

• Use natural gestures.

• Don’t turn your back to the audience.

• Don’t hide behind the lectern. As much as possible don’t use a podium at all but if you must or the host site has it there for other speakers, move in front or to the side.

• Avoid looking at your notes. Only use them as reference points to keep you on track. Talk, don’t read.

Length

• To end on time, you must PRACTICE!

• The audience will love you if you end short of your time. Never go over! Remember, less is MORE.

• As a rule of thumb, plan to use 80% of your allotted time.

Demeanor

Show enthusiasm. Nobody wants to listen to a dull presentation. On the other hand, don’t overdo it. Nobody talks and gestures like a maniac in real life. How would you explain your ideas to a friend?

Recommended Reading

All truth is God’s truth. We can learn from unbelievers because by God’s common grace he reveals truth to believers and unbelievers alike. Although I do not endorse everything in the following books (e.g., some have Buddhist and Zen philosophy embedded in them), nevertheless, some of the principles are true and can help anyone design and deliver better presentations.

• Made to Stick

• Presentation Zen

• Slide:ology

Why Sweating the Small Stuff Makes a Big Difference

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By Dr. Barrett Mosbacker

For years I have been taught not to “sweat the small stuff.” I warmly embraced this notion because it reinforced my natural inclination to focus on big strategic initiatives and to pay less attention to the small details, leaving those to others.

I have changed my mind. I have concluded that small stuff make a big difference.  Small stuff deserve a great deal of our attention!

What Convinced Me

God’s Care for Us and Creation:

If anyone was going to focus on big strategic plans it would be God. As the creator and governor of the physical universe and the affairs of heaven and earth, God certainly is focused on large scale objectives.

Yet, notice the incredible attention to detail exhibited by his rule:

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Mt 10:29–31)

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Consider the remarkable detail in God’s creation. Look at how intricately God designed a flower. While God wrote our names in the Book of Life before he laid the foundations of the world and “made from one man every nation of mankind to live yon all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,” (Ac 17:26), he also designed the intricate details of flowers.

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the‘ field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (Matt. 6:28-29)

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Ugly can be beautiful. The head and eyes of a horse-fly may not be “beautiful” in the classical sense yet the incredible creativity, detail, and symmetry is a beautiful reflection of God’s attention to detail and a nearly incomprehensible marriage of function and form.

Few things are more ethereal and ephemeral than a snow flake-especially in the U.S. South! Yet, even with something so fragile and short-lived, the variety, symmetry and beauty of a snow flake is a testament to God “sweating the small stuff.”

Not only does God’s creation “work,” it is beautiful and awe inspiring—and to the attentive soul—soul ennobling. Who has not been in the mountains, on a prairie, a beach, or a lake--and not been enthralled and enriched by the beauty made possible by God’s attention to the smallest details of his creation?

Steve Jobs:

It may seem odd to include Steve Jobs in a list with God. I do so because as an image bearer of his creator Job’s attention to detail imaged that of his creator—whether he chose to acknowledge it or not.  Jobs was fanatical about every detail of Apple’s products--even the unseen innards:

From his father Jobs had learned that a hallmark of passionate craftsmanship is making sure that even the aspects that will remain hidden are done beautifully. One of the most extreme—and telling—implementations of that philosophy came when he scrutinized the printed circuit board that would hold the chips and other components deep inside the Macintosh.

No consumer would ever see it, but Jobs began critiquing it on aesthetic grounds. “That part’s really pretty,” he said. “But look at the memory chips. That’s ugly. The lines are too close together.” One of the new engineers interrupted and asked why it mattered. “The only thing that’s important is how well it works. Nobody is going to see the PC board.”

Jobs reacted typically. “I want it to be as beautiful as possible, even if it’s inside the box. A great carpenter isn’t going to use lousy wood for the back of a cabinet, even though nobody’s going to see it.”

For Jobs, designing and manufacturing electronics was craftsmanship, not merely an economic activity.  He was fanatical about design and detail, even in product packaging because he learned that people DO judge a book by its cover:

“You should never start a company with the goal of getting rich. Your goal should be making something you believe in and making a company that will last.” Markkula wrote his principles in a one-page paper titled “The Apple Marketing Philosophy” that stressed three points.

• The first was empathy, an intimate connection with the feelings of the customer: “We will truly understand their needs better than any other company.”

• The second was focus: “In order to do a good job of those things that we decide to do, we must eliminate all of the unimportant opportunities.”

• The third and equally important principle, awkwardly named, was impute. It emphasized that people form an opinion about a company or product based on the signals that it conveys. “People DO judge a book by its cover,” he wrote. “We may have the best product, the highest quality, the most useful software etc.; if we present them in a slipshod manner, they will be perceived as slipshod; if we present them in a creative, professional manner, we will impute the desired qualities.

Application to Our Leadership and Schools

Perception is important.  How we “present” our product is important.  We may have wonderful teachers and programs but unless we present them with excellence would-be and current parents may perceive our schools as second-rate.  The good news is that “good packaging” doesn’t have to be expensive, it just needs to reflect attention to detail.

Like the cover on a book or your first impression of someone you meet, perceptions are formed almost immediately.  The first impression that parents get is from a phone call to the school, the website, or a visit to the campus.

Facilities

It is easy to become “blind.”  We are like the proverbial frog in the kettle, we have grown so accustomed to our surroundings that we no longer see what a visitor sees.  Everything looks fine to us.

Take one hour and walk through your buildings with a notebook.  Write down everything that is not perfect.  Note every time you see chipped paint, scuff marks, dirty carpet, smudges on glass doors, paper/trash on the floor or in the parking lot, shrubs needing trimmed, bare patches in the grass, book bags lying around, handwritten student or school messages/signs/posters (I’m not reviewing to student projects-I’m referring to announcements, directions, etc.), messy offices and desks, stuff out of place, pictures ajar in the reception area, etc....  You may be surprised just how disheveled things can become.

Phone Calls

How are your phones answered?  Do people reach an electronic message system with a labyrinth of options or a warm professional receptionist?  I have been lobbied for years to install an automated answering system.  It is “more efficient” is the reason given.  I have refused because such a system, though more “efficient” does not reflect the warm nurturing culture of our school.  Besides, people hate electronic answering systems, don’t you?

I call a lot of schools.  I am often dismayed by the poor phone skills of those who answer the phones.  Too often I am greeted with a sweet but unprofessional receptionist (poor grammar or too casual), or a very professional but “cold” individual.  In contrast, whenever I have called Apple headquarters or Apple support, I am greeted by a cheery, pleasant professional who always proves helpful. I am always left with a good impression.

Try this.  Call your school with new ears.  Use a phone that cannot be identified as you.  Was the impression you received that of a well educated, professional, happy individual or one who was harried and poorly spoken?  If you were calling the school for the first time, what impression did you get within the first 30 seconds?

Website

Was your website custom designed by a professional or was it created using a template and/or by a volunteer?  If the latter, it will look like it and the first impressions, while perhaps not “bad,” will not be superb.  Following my own advice, we are completely redesigning our website (not yet up).

When you review your website, look for the following:

•    Simple design, uncluttered •    Easy to navigate •    Warm and friendly •    Professional (drop the apples, crayons, etc.)

Remember, people will not spend a great deal of time reading material on your website.  The website should be designed to give a positive impression of the school, highlight important information, and provide easy navigation on where to obtain more information.

I recommend that you not put the photographs of your staff on the website’s staff directory unless they are unusually and universally photogenic.  A few well chosen photographs of staff and students on your site is very effective, but a directory with staff photos is not.  Most of us are not particularly photogenic so there is little to be gained by plastering our faces on the school’s website.

Staff Appearance

The way you and your staff dress creates a powerful impression. Although dress should be appropriate for the job, overly casual attire or poorly worn clothing does not create an impression of quality.  Walk around your school; discretely notice how your teachers and staff are dressed.  Are men’s ties tied properly?  Are the collars on men’s shirts crisp or wrinkled?  Are shoes polished?  Do some of your staff look “frumpy?” Designer cloths are not necessary, but being professionally dressed in contemporary styles is.

Your Presentations

Your presentations communicate a lot about you and the school!  Every presentation you make is enhancing or diminishing the “customer’s” (students, current and prospective parents, staff) perception of the school.

Are your presentations professional and warm?  Just as being professionally “cold” is to be avoided, so too is overly folksy. Here are some “small things” to sweat about.

•    Start and end on time.  It is unprofessional and inconsiderate of those who arrived on time to start any meeting late.  Do so also “trains” people to come late, after all, the “meeting will not really start until 10 after...” •    Make sure the venue, including the stage area, is neat and clean. •    Less is more--too much information given for too long is counter-productive.  It is best to keep things simple and short and then to provide backup information.

Review your PowerPoint/Keynote slides.  Over the last several years I have read several books on presentation design.  I have radically changed how I design and use slides. I cringe when I review past presentations!

•    Your content should not be on the slides; slides are only used to illustrate or solicit interest. •    Speak as “spontaneously” as possible.  Know what you have to say well enough that you only occasionally glance at notes.  Steve Jobs famously quipped, “People who know what they’re talking about don’t need PowerPoint.” There is a place for slides, but they are never to be your notes! •    It is important to maintain eye contact with your audience--do not turn to look at slides. •    Less is more on slides--few words, large font, great photos and illustrations.  No clipart! Few if any bullet points. Here is an example of how I have changed my slides and presentations.

Old Style:

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New Style:

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There are many other areas of the school-especially in classrooms-where we need to be “sweating the small stuff.”  While we need to focus on long-term strategic initiatives, we must pull the clippers out to ensure that every “blade of grass” in the school reflects the quality that we assure parents is true of our schools.

“Small” stuff matters to God and it should matter to us.  Remember, Jesus said, “He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.”

God is the master craftsman.  Steve Job insisted on craftsmanship in the products Apple designed.  Do our schools reflect craftsmanship?

Shoulders to Stand On in the Theater of Bullying

A Word from the Publisher:

I am pleased to introduce The Protectors as a new sponsor of the Christian School Blog. More importantly, I can speak from personal experience regarding their effectiveness in training our faculty to create an effective and spiritual response to the problem of bullying. Please feel free to contact me personally for a reference. Dr. Mosbacker, Publisher

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As we digest the sobering conclusion of a recent survey--that bullying is the leading concern among students returning to school--it’s essential that authority in this complex theater understand the real issues that empower this unique form of abuse to harm the mission and integrity of faith-based organizations.

Yet head-smarts have never been enough to create love, light and fairness. Equally if not more important is for administrators, teachers and related faculty to act courageously and quickly against it. Most schools do not lack an anti-bullying policy. What they sometimes lack are the will and courage to enforce it.

Leaders, remind others within your organization that bullying is not about conflict, disagreement, misunderstanding or anger management. It is about something far more insidious and initially difficult to discern: the superior use of power (usually physical, social, or verbal) to deliberately harm another over time.

Bullying is not about two people who “just don’t get along” and “who need to learn how to work out their differences on their own.” It’s about intentional domination of another with the intent to harm, usually through humiliation, isolation and the threat of further abuse. It creates pervasive fear, not just among targets but among the majority of bystanders who quietly worry that they might be next.

Most Christians are familiar with the clarifying truth that perfect love castes out fear (I John 4:18). Yet the inverse is also true: fear casts out love--and learning. Psychology 101 tells us that we don’t learn or grow well when fearful. We just survive, and no faith-based organization charged with educating young minds and stirring tender souls can achieve its mission with this condition in place. Know fear, no meaningful learning and spiritual growth.

Educators, let’s resurrect what seems to be a lost question, “Who started it?” Targets of serial bullying are more sinned against than sinner, and justice is miscarried everyday when this truth is overlooked or explained away through the misapplied proverb, “It takes two to tango.” Sometimes it takes just one.

Authority, be more skeptical than you were last school year when you see what appears to be garden-variety conflict among students. Get in touch with your inner-Columbo, Dexter. Employ your gut. Talk to other teachers and ask a few more penetrating questions among those involved. Also, be more unpredictable in your monitoring of bullying hotspots. Where there is smoke there is likely fire. Put out the fire.

Bullying is abuse that is sometimes evil--not a God-ordained path toward “personal growth.” A recent letter to The Protectors from a mother of a serial target testifies to this truth. Her son is a young adult now, but like approximately 7 out of 10 serial targets, he battles “lots of anger, difficulty with social interaction and relationships, deep-seated resentment, self-hatred, haunted by guilt and shame, and retreats into obsessive behavior when hurting.” He, like the majority of targets, has been more than bit by evil--his soul is poisoned by it. The devil and his minions walk laughing. Pray and behave that such abuse will not take place during your watch.

I recently spoke with a man who helps the poor in Third World countries. When he trains new groups of Americans who will spend the next few weeks building homes and creating other forms of tangible care, he asks them to define a small but potent word: Poverty. Most answer that it is the lack of resources. Surprisingly, “Poverty to the poor,” he reveals, “means lack of hope.”

Targets of ongoing campaigns of humiliating cruelty experience poverty of spirit. When this fundamental need is reduced to a pilot light deep within or, heaven forbid, is blown out, they sometimes turn to dark thoughts of bullycide, suicide due to bullying, or bringing a weapon to school (most school shooters told the Secret Service that they murdered classmates and faculty due to ongoing bullying).

This year, someone within your realm of care will need your help keeping blessed hope alive. And hope is not ushered in upon the wings of worn-out platitudes or a shoulder to cry on. Hope in this theater of deliberate abuse is ushered in upon courageous and justice-building shoulders to stand on.

Be those muscular and protective shoulders this school year and years to come, making your organization a beacon of God’s love, compassion and righteousness.

Paul Coughlin is an author, speaker and Founder & President of The Protectors: Freedom From Bullying--Courageous, Leadership & Character for Life. This faith-based program is used by hundreds of organizations throughout the world, including Christian schools, churches, summer camps and more. www.theprotectors.org.