Tag: education

REVIEW: The Fearless Christian University by John W. Hawthorne

REVIEW: The Fearless Christian University by John W. Hawthorne

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Eerdmans in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

The author lays out a bleak picture for Christian universities, citing the rise of the “nones” (those who claim no religious affiliation or practice) and questions of the value and cost of college among other factors. As someone working at a small Christian university, the only surprises were some of the statistics shared by the author. The realities themselves are quite familiar to me.

The tone of this can come across as antagonistic and perhaps defensive, at least at first. The author has served in a variety of Christian institutions of Higher Education and brings his personal and professional experiences with him – good and bad. But over the course of the book, the author seems less antagonistic and more prophetic, pleading with the powers that be in Christian Higher Ed to change course.

Hawthorne recommends things like:

  • keeping focus on quality education and pedagogy with a Christian identity, remembering students are being prepared to engage the world, not just to get a job
  • improving the partnership between faculty and administration, reshaping the business model away from a “church” or “factory” type to a “laboratory” type (This was my favorite chapter.)
  • targeting potential students more broadly than just white evangelicals
  • reimagining the roles of the Church and the University in relation to one another.

The book includes examples of cultural change regarding LGBTQ+ students, asserting there are many ways for schools to support their queer students without having to declare themselves “affirming” or running up against Church stances on homosexuality.

The shining stars for me in this challenging read are the imagined examples of two “fearless Christian universities” in the closing section. The descriptions were inspiring and both schools felt like places I would love to serve. There are plenty of links in the author’s citations which make this an appealing e-book read.

Overall, I felt this book was prophetic, but sadly like the prophets of the Old Testament who warned of impending exile but were largely ignored. I’m not sure many schools will have the courage to hear and respond. Still, if I had the resources, I would buy this for every member of our Board of Trustees and school administration, not to mention for faculty and staff. This would make for an excellent conversation starter for those who love Christian Higher Ed and are looking for encouragement and potential solutions. Highly recommend.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Blind Spots by Kimberly Nix Berens, PhD

REVIEW: Blind Spots by Kimberly Nix Berens, PhD

Posted on by Jaymie

[I won a free copy of this book in a contest by the publisher.]

Summary

The author’s assertions include:

  • In America, proficiency declines over the course of learning, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress
  • Students are promoted due to age or time spent, or they are introduced to new concepts without mastering the earlier, prerequisite skills. This puts them further and further behind.
  • Some “interventions” are actually detrimental. When students practice those skills over and over, they become habits that interfere with effective learning.
  • Even the kids at the “top” are failing to reach advanced levels in subject areas. Over 75% of college freshmen need remedial classes in reading, writing, and math.
  • What is often a lack of opportunity to master basic skills is instead labeled a “disability” or given a medical diagnosis. Then the child is medicated and programmed accordingly.

The author instead comes to the world of education and learning as a behavioral scientist. She focuses on observation, skills practice, and reinforcement.

Review

The author is highly critical of the American schooling “establishment” which can be off-putting for someone who has worked in education. While I agreed with some of her assertions about unrealistic expectations of kindergarten and first grade students, about behavior modification over medication/diagnosis in some cases, etc., the delivery was a little too antagonistic for me.

One positive to the author’s criticism of every system from teacher training to social promotions is a sense that every student could succeed if only we gave them the right sort of environment and instruction. And I do love that philosophy.

Out of the 190 pages of content, not including appendices, 130 or so are focused on the “problems” of the system. I see the need to establish a strong case for the ways the current system is broken. But I would have enjoyed more emphasis on solutions. The author gives a lot of page space to her own learning program, but not much that the general reader could apply to their situation. I also would have loved more anecdotes and stories of kids and families who saw change and improvement.

The author makes a good case for a shift in instructional methods, but as both a former educator (Teacher/Librarian) and as a parent, this left me feeling pretty powerless. The case is strongly made that the “establishment” will do its thing regardless of research and data. What’s the average parent supposed to do to help their kids? There’s not even enough practical examples here for a parent to adapt to a homeschooling environment. If anything, this could be an interesting discussion starter. But I’m afraid the antagonistic, accusatory tone will keep educational professionals – from teachers to administration to the “establishment – from getting into ways to make a difference for real kids in real need.

Rating: ♥♥½*

*♥♥½ = Mostly solid to solid – some issues, but I was able to finish.