When two people working together can discuss their disagreements, two heads can be better than one," explains Professor Frith. "But, when one person is working with flawed information -- or perhaps is less able at their job -- then this can have a very negative effect on the outcome. Being able to work together successfully requires that we know how competent we are. Joint decisions don't work when a member of the team is incompetent, but doesn't know it.1
Q. Who encouraged you the most to learn biblically? (examples: your school, teacher, parents)
A. I would have to say that my parents are the ones that encouraged my sisters and I the most. From when we were infants, they were constantly teaching us Christian songs & Bible verses, and helping us memorize bible verses. They were the ones that taught us the value of having daily devotions and prayer. My parents made sure that we attended a solid, Bible-believing/preaching church were we could be nurtured in the Word. They themselves upheld the best of testimonies and "practiced what they preached".
Q. As a Christian (student), what advice would you give to other students who are trying to see how to use their education biblically?
A. My encouragement would be to actively seek the Lord's will for their lives. The first step is to ensure that you are walking with the Lord. He will not bless you if you are just selfishly pursuing your own heart's desires. I am living proof of this. I ran from God's will for so long, and it led me on a path of unwise and life-altering choices. Not everyone is called to full-time ministry (i.e. pastor, foreign missionary, evangelist) BUT we are all called to be missionaries in some respect. I do not believe that is wrong or sinful to pursue a secular career. In fact, I would encourage it if that is a particular calling, because we need solid Christians out there in the work-places. This means that the bible classes are just as important to the "preacher boys" as they are to every liberal arts major. My advice is this: learn all you can about WHY you believe what you believe and how to defend the faith. Because once you get out in the real world, "Because my parents and church say so" just will not cut it anymore.
Q. What resources would you suggest to students to look into in helping them understanding things biblically while they are attending secular school
A. My parents have always been the primary source of my Biblical training outside of church. My father graduated from Bible college, so he has been able to explain a lot to me as well. My pastor and teen class Sunday School teacher would be the other primary sources that come to mind. There are messages and lessons that I can still distinctly remember that have helped me when facing various issues.
There are a number of outside sources that I have used as well, both literature and online in origin. Some books that have helped me tremendously are: Changed into His Image by Jim Berg, Wild at Heart by John Eldredge , The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper, The Power of Prayer, Jim Berg's study on Purity, Cross and Crescent by Colin Gilbert Chapman, and several biographies including that of Jim Elliot, Hudson Taylor and Adoniram Judson.
The MacArthur and Ryrie Study Bible notes have been a great help in study and interpretation during devotions, as well as the Life Application Bible and then the study tools and resources offered in the package with the ESV Study Bible.
StudyGodsword.com is my home church's website with a number of bible messages available. Another church here in Wisconsin has great sermons too on fallsbc.org. Biblegateway.com is a great tool for anyone because of the ability to search all of Scripture in a matter of seconds and also has a number of additional resources including commentaries.
Q. How do you use your education for God?
A. God has given me a passion for medicine and I always thought about becoming a medical missionary. I am not sure if this is still the exact path He has for me. I have just switched my major from Biology-Premed to Humanities-Applied Science. After graduation, I am considering staying at MBBC for seminary and getting a Master's in Biblical Studies or Cross-Cultural Studies. Then, Lord-willing, I would be able to go to Physician's Assistant school and get another Master's that would enable me to practice medicine. In addition to academics, I have been able to be a part of various campus ministries as well as heavy involvement in a local church.
In discovering what produces effective learning as Christians we need to realize the responsibilities of the teacher and the student. Both are responsible in the learning process, but how much responsibility we should assign to each also needs defining.
To help give a better understanding on this I interviewed one of my teachers, Mr. Handyside, at my college.
Q. How would you instill godly principles and Christian values to students whose parents do not teach or encourage those values at home?
A. He said that he would do his best to model those values himself by his actions and words. He would emphasize the student's need to learn to pray and use his/her Bible. Lastly, he would apply Christian values and principles to the everyday lives of his students when the opportunity presented itself.
Q. What would you agree a teacher's responsibility to his/her students would be? What would be the student's responsibility to his/her teacher?
A. "Both the student and the teacher have responsibilities in the student's learning. The teacher however, must take the position that student learning is primarily their responsibility. A teacher can not use any student difficulties as an excuse not to do their best and try all means to engage the student in learning."
Q. How would you teach high school (or college) students to use God's Word to "filter" information they learn from the secular world and make their secular learning apply to their lives?
A. He would teach his students to "make connections in [their] thinking from secular text to Biblical text." (Thus making parallels between the two). He would also advice his students to "memorize scripture and mediate upon God's Word."
Q. What would you advise a Christian student in a secular or public school who is being taught things that directly contradict God's Word?
A. I would advice him/her to be in prayer about the issue. Find out and know what God's word says about it. Romans 3:4a "...let God be true, but every man a liar." God's Word is truth.
In conclusion, teachers should do their best to encourage their students to be as Christ minded as possible (Romans 15:5 "be of the same mind one with another according to Christ Jesus"), but we, as students, should also do our best to live for God in our attempt to learn.
Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
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Image up top found at: http://eslarticle.com/pub/articles/teaching/how-to-reach-all-of-your-students-during-your-first-year-730.htm (11/30/2010) 
Here's something I found on Vimeo.
Christian Education from IES Church on Vimeo.
Maybe you agree or disagree? What have you found? I appreciate your feedback.
This is a short video summing up my other posts while also giving a face to the name.
http://vimeo.com/16838184
Christian Learning - what is it? from Caleb Dillman on Vimeo.
Listen to this before watching my "Prezi' Presentation
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This blog is for those who wish to follow the Christian perspective along the life-long road of learning.
No matter how much we learn there is always more to learn. Although it is important what we learn it is even more important to know how translate it into something useful: its application.
How many times have you heard of a student when asked about what he learned in school (regardless of the topic or subject) respond with " oh...not much."
This is something we need to challenge. Many students are discouraged about what major to pick in college because they didn't learn how to apply their education in high school. If a student doesn't learn how to apply it in every day (life) situations his/her learning will most likely become stagnant.
There has been a big emphasis on "how" to learn, but where high schools hit short of the mark is answering the question "How do I use this?" or "Why should I?" Cary Schmidt rightly said: "What good is education if you don’t know how to use it and apply it?" (Cary Schmidt Discover Your Destiny (2008, 2nd Ed.) pp. 111-112 )
So when you look back with what you have learned in life what good will it have done you? Will it have aided in advertising Christ alone or will have wasted your time and other people's time concerned with things that have no eternal value?
My photo gallery illustrating
the various sources of information
from which we rely on for our learning.
Perspectives
One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, 'How was the trip?'
'It was great, Dad.'
'Did you see how poor people live?' the father asked.
'Oh yeah,' said the son.
'So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?', asked the father
The son answered:
'I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them. '
The boys father was speechless.
Then his son added, 'Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.'
Isn't perspective a wonderful thing?
