HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE NEW GENERATION EDUCATOR

Ivan Dumace Chihale

Ivan won the "Instructor of the Year Award" with United Graduate College and Seminary International. Ivan lives is Mozumbaque and is a graduate of United Graduate College and Seminary International. Ivan wrote the following article on being a New Generation Educator.
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The society in which we live is profoundly permeated by the knowledge and abilities elaborated through the formal schooling processes. And the school, whilst being a modern institution, is therefore co-responsible for the shaping of individuals, acting together with other universal institutions such as the family and religion (church), in this task of conveying education to people. Education is at the heart of human progress. The very best educational systems have as their own “purpose of education which is to prepare people to be successful, productive, and engaged members of society, and in so doing, shape sustainable societies, enhance economies, and improve lives.”(Cisco)

Education has been fundamental for development in any society, and the teacher ought to be a promoter and mediator of the learning process. In Mozambique and elsewhere, in order for this task to be successfully undertaken, it is important that the curriculum be designed with relevant and practical subjects. Curriculum should enable and stimulate a practical learning process in order to produce thinkers who aim to produce knowledge and followers. “Today, education is undergoing change at an unprecedented rate. Today’s students need new skills, taught in new ways. Teachers need to develop new material and deliver it differently.”(Libane) Which means learning in new ways: solving real problems, using multiple disciplines, etc. Countries that fail to invest in education and their students (or invest in the wrong areas) will be left behind. Being an effective new generation educator, one has to believe, receive, and have the Holy Spirit as the dependable helper. The Holy Spirit teaches, inspires, guides, and gives wisdom. Being an effective new generation educator also means:

Becoming more a researcher than transmitter: “A true teacher is the one who, amongst other aspects, knows how to, listen, to observe, to reflect and to prospect always.”(Labaneo) As once was said, “Each classroom is a research project.”(Pitzl) In so being, becoming an effective new generation educator means also that, the educator has to know how to equate the subjects and activities, analyze mistakes, make suitable questions, formulate hypothesis, systematize contents, output information and evaluate the learning process. The educator today is not only the one who educates, but one who also learns continually, in a horizontal, human and reciprocal educator-learner relationship. No one is born a master, but masters are made. “A professional is not who knows everything, but he who masters one knowledge.”(Rivers)

Human nature Comprehension: Everyone who deals with human nature has to know something about what he deals with; and in knowing the human nature it is important to state that the most important element in order to become an effective educator is to know what the educator is, in himself. All will agree that an example is worth more than merely words, and Jesus gave us the example on this. That is why is said of Him, “He was the greatest educator in the history. He transformed the dry ground of human personality in a garden of dreams.”(Cury) John 2:25 says, “And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”(Bible) “Jesus, having this comprehension of the human nature, could unmask the abilities of His learners, as well as their needs, attitudes, and motives, and taught them in the light of what they knew.”(Price)

Willingness to serve and believe in the transforming power of teaching (Price): This also goes together with preparing the individual to deal the uncertainty, with the complexity in decision making, and being responsible for that decision: To be an effective educator in our world today, it means to prepare the society to live together in a changing world, where things and people move quickly, knowledge is renewed daily, and distances shorten rapidly. The Master was not teaching the truth only, but He was teaching people, and the Scriptures and other materials were just the means to get this goal achieved. Even the Bible highlights that, those are not an end, but they, as it states in 2 Tim 3:16,17 “Are profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”(Bible)  

Be more reflexive than “a memorizer: This means have the ability to face the unforeseen, know how to live and be sociable, being able to create, criticize, question and learn in a significant way, also considering diverse points of view for problem solving. “Add value to each individual’s ideas”(Pitzl)

Conclusion: “Today's economic and social realities require changes to the ways education is delivered, and today's educators must be able to use technology to facilitate learning and help students excel in the global community.”(Cisco) The main goal of an effective educator is not only to convey knowledge, because these are available and easily accessible by the learners; the objective now is to develop competencies and abilities, and produce thinkers. The major challenges for today’s educators are to teach students how to become learners, develop competencies and prepare them for a world in constant transformation. “Truth in the tomb helps no one; truth in the womb gives birth.”(Rivers)  As professional educators and instructors we must produce professional results and know that we are called to challenge and encourage each single individual to give birth to the truth and gifts hidden inside each man. As it is said in 2 Tim 2:2, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”(Bible)

REFERENCES
BIBLE, King James Version
CURY, Augusto, O MESTRE INESQUECÍVEL. São Paulo: Academia de Inteligência, 2003.220p.
http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le21/downloads/689/educause.pdf
LIBANEO, José Carlos. DIDACTICS, Cortez Publisher, 1994
PITZL, Professor Michal P.
PRICE, J.M., JESUS THE TEACHER, 3rd edition, Juerp, 1980
RIVERS, Professor Clyde

Testimony of Daniel Migosi - Kenyan Pastor and Life Coach

Daniel Migosi

This man is a Masters graduate of United Graduate College and Seminary International and also holds a Master Life Coach Certification with our International Coaching Schools (UACCMI). He is a man of God that loves helping people. It is truly a blessing when you are able to help people around the globe. You just never know where your seeds will end up when you sow in God's garden. I submitted and inquiry regarding his desire to do his doctorate work with UGCS International and how things are going for him and this is what he wrote.

Prof. Donella,
"Next year I will do all I can to complete the course. I also miss your lessons and mentorship. But all is not in vain in that you are still affecting very many people through me in Kenya. You are a jewel that cannot be forgotten. Every coaching I do is bended with my prestigious MCL knowledge and its is doing wonders. Thank you and God bless you."


If you are interested in acquiring a Biblical Education or Christian Life Coaching Education, contact my office at ugcs.dpitzl@yahoo.com or uaccmi.coaching@yahoo.com.


Blessings, Prof. Donella

United Graduate College and Seminary Student - Article 3 on Leadership

Gilbert Quarcoopome

Gilbert brings this third of four articles on Leadership. He is a graduate student of United Graduate College and Seminary International. He has his Bachelor of Christian Leadership and is looking to begin his Masters program soon. Gilbert lives in Ghana Africa and does his studies online from his home with UGCS International.

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This brings me to next point which implies that Christian leadership is more of servant leadership as stated in Mark 10:42-45

1. Servant Leadership is not Self-Centered - Matthew 20:20-28

The servant leader is not preoccupied with what they gain from leadership. They are not interested in status - they are happy to see others promoted ahead of them. Neither are they concerned with comfort - they willingly undergo hardship and suffering.

2. Servant Leadership is Others-Centered - John 13:3-16

The servant leader willingly humbles oneself in order to meet the needs of others. They are not too important or dignified to undertake even the lowest of tasks and they do so with no thought of personal gain.

3. Servant Leadership is God Honoring - Philippians 3:3-11

The servant leader follows the example of Jesus and gladly relinquishes status and power for the benefit of others. They do not hang on to leadership because they know it is not a privilege to be contested, but an honor to be conferred.

Servant leadership is best defined by Jesus Himself: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt 20:26-28). In the Christian realm, all leadership should be servant leadership.

A common misconception among those who want to exercise a leadership role over others is that it comes with glory, power, and positions of honor. In fact, such a mistaken belief was the occasion for Jesus’ words in the above passage. James and John had just asked Jesus to place them at His side when He assumed His throne in the kingdom to come. As a result, the other disciples became indignant at the arrogance of their request (Mark 10:41). And as an object lesson, Jesus modeled the true servant style of leadership. He, the Lord incarnate, bent down and washed their feet, teaching them the true measure of leading by first serving others (John 13:12-17).

The word “servant” in Matt 20:27 means, “slave.” Not every servant was a slave, but every slave was a servant. It is a sad commentary in the church today that we have many celebrities, but very few servants. There are many who want to “exercise authority” (Matt 20:25), but few want to take the towel and basin and wash feet. Paul reminds us that our attitude is to be like that of Christ’s in that we consider others better than ourselves and do nothing out of vanity or selfishness. Rather we look out for the interests of others (Phil 2:3-4). In this sense, then, every Christian is a servant.

The fourth and final part of this article will be posted soon.