You’re a principal, and you’re excited that teachers have helped their students connect 2 things: course content and Biblical principles. Now you want teachers to help their students connect 3 things: course content, Biblical principles, and creation-fall-redemption-restoration. Good.
 
Question: What are you going to do?
 
Here’s how Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ) took action: In Bible 9, students studied creation-fall-redemption for 4 days and then completed an assessment in which they applied creation-fall-redemption-restoration to a topic of their choice. (Students used a set of creation-fall-redemption-restoration questions to guide their application.) The Bible teachers were excited about the student learning results, some of which were shared with the high school principal.
 
Meanwhile, other teachers were talking about wanting to learn more about creation-fall-redemption-restoration. And some high school teachers were saying it would be helpful to know what exactly students were learning about creation-fall-redemption-restoration.
 
In response to teachers, the K-12 principals asked the Bible teachers to present to K-12 teachers a compressed version of the Bible 9 unit and the student learning results. The Bible teachers gave their presentation and then had teachers gather in groups to discuss how they could help their students connect what they study and creation-fall-redemption-restoration.
 
Here’s what CAJ teachers said when asked, “How did this presentation help?”

• Elementary: It helped me to better understand the big picture in terms of what we want students to learn.
• Middle school: I’m starting to think about math before the fall. I’m having thoughts I’ve never had before.
• High school: It really got me thinking about how I can do Biblical perspective throughout my class. In my health class, I can see how I can tie in creation-fall-redemption-restoration.

Want to know what was covered in Bible 9? Keep reading!
The Bible 9 teachers knew their students were studying a novel in English class. So, they asked the students about the themes in the novel. Then they asked the students what the themes of the Bible were, finally asking, “If you had to summarize the Bible in 1 sentence, what would you say?” Bible teachers followed up on this with instruction on each part of creation-fall-redemption-restoration, using the following questions as an outline:
 
Creation

1. How does God relate to everything that exists?
2. Out of what did God create everything that exists?
3. How does creation continue to relate to God now that it has been created?
4. For what purpose did God create everything that exists?
5. How does God want the different parts of creation to relate to each other?

Fall

1. How did the fall begin?
2. How does the fallen world compare to the originally created world?
3. What is the core of sin?
4. How does sin relate to us?
5. What are the effects of the fall?

Redemption

1. What is the situation that we need to be rescued/redeemed from?
2. What’s the solution to that situation?
3. How does God join us in our situation?
4. How does God defeat the force that’s holding us hostage?
5. How do we benefit from God’s victory?
6. How does God’s rescue of us matter for the rest of creation?

Restoration

1. What is God’s goal in restoring fallen creation?
2. How does God restore fallen creation?
3. How does the Holy Spirit make restoration happen?
4. What is the Church’s role in restoration?
5. What are the signs of restoration beginning?
6. When will restoration be complete?

*Here’s a tutorial designed to help you help your students connect 3 things: course content, Biblical principles, and creation-fall-redemption-restoration.

As a result of getting a Christ-centered education, we want our students to love God with their minds. So, we want our students to develop a Christ-centered worldview. One way to do to this is by having our students experience a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum:

• Guaranteed: All teachers at a given Christian school teach specified Bible content in each subject they teach.
• Viable: All teachers have sufficient instructional time to teach the specified Bible content.
• Biblical perspective: The specified Bible content is formatted as Biblical principles. Each Biblical principle is supported by at least 3 Bible passages.
• Curriculum: The specified Bible content is documented in the curriculum.

To move forward on developing a Biblical perspective curriculum, you’ve reflected on 5 key questions:

1. Regarding developing a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what are the opportunities/problems?
2. What’s your stakeholders’ perspective of a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum?
3. Where are you/your school in terms of having a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum?
4. Regarding developing a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what’s your/your school’s level of motivation?
5. To develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what do you/your school need to keep doing? start doing? stop doing?
6. Next question: How would you/your school develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum?

 
Here are responses from Christian educators like you:
 
Teacher: Here are some thoughts on how I would develop a guaranteed, viable, Biblical perspective curriculum.
 
Step 1: Make sure all the teachers know how to accurately Biblically integrate. This may include teacher inservices to help teachers develop Biblical thinking regarding the subject areas. Sometimes Christian teachers do not have very developed Biblical perspectives on their subject areas. Workshops may include worldview training (perhaps a book study on James Sire's The Universe Next Door) as well as training on how to develop integrated unit and lesson plans. This should also include developing a list of key Biblical principles that should be covered somewhere within the school year, or going through a previously developed list of key Biblical principles.
 
Step 2: Have teachers develop curriculum guides with Biblical integration points that include identified Biblical principles for each unit.
 
Step 3: Have teachers make sure the assessments also assess for Biblical principle understanding.
 
Step 4: Develop a scope and sequence of Biblical integration principles to make sure that key principles are not left out or over instructed. Make adjustments in the curriculum guides where needed.
 
This is no short process, and I would imagine it would need to be structured into some kind of long-term planning. I think a key component in this is allowing sufficient time during working hours to develop this. That could include after school meetings, scheduled teacher work days, etc. The administration will really have to be on board and be passionate about this getting done. I imagine that once teachers get going, they will really enjoy teaching from a Biblical perspective. Developing a guaranteed, viable, Biblical perspective curriculum will really help teachers and students to see things the way God does. The ultimate goal being that people will live as man was designed to live, giving glory to God.
 

Curriculum coordinator: Here is what I see as a series of action steps that need to take place for us to establish a viable and replicable Biblical perspective curriculum:

1. Adopt the creation-fall-redemption-restoration motif as the framework for the Biblical perspective standards and benchmarks.
2. Develop departmental standards for implementing the creation-fall-redemption-restoration framework.
3. Use the department standards to develop Biblical perspective grade-level benchmarks.
4. Develop and implement assessments to determine student performance on Biblical perspective standards and benchmarks.
5. Analyze assessment data and use the findings to set goals for improving student performance on Biblical perspective standards.
6. By department (or other grouping that would make sense given the data), determine instructional strategies that would improve student learning on the Biblical perspective standards. Implement instructional strategies as a department.
7. Measure results over time, and make needed adjustments on a routine basis throughout the school year (at least the end of each semester).
8. Review curriculum on a 5-year plan for making major revisions to the curriculum and/or assessments used to measure the Biblical perspective standards.

Teacher: Our school has a culminating assessment for seniors where they research a global issue, articulate a Christian response to it, and engage in a project that addresses that issue. This is a great expression of what we hope our school's education has equipped kids to know, be, and do. 
 
To take this assessment to the next level, we need to make sure our curriculum in grades 9-11 systematically prepares students for this senior assessment. 
 
In terms of a Biblical perspective curriculum, we would need to develop and teach a scope and sequence of Biblical principles in all subjects in grades 9-11. To do this, teachers would need to:

• List issues addressed by senior assessments in the last couple of years and identify the Biblical principles that address those issues. (Students should not have to be originating these principles; they should have been taught them in a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum.) 
• Look at this list of Biblical principles, seeing which principles naturally fit in their courses or subject areas, and incorporate them into their courses.
• Teach these principles, give assessments, and use assessment results to further develop a scope and sequence.

In short, we would focus on our senior assessment in order to develop our "starter" Biblical perspective curriculum. Then, we would expand it.


Close the Gap Now: Developing a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum is an aggressive, yet achievable, goal. Just as there are different ways to do curriculum, there are different ways to develop a Biblical perspective curriculum. In other words, there’s no 1 right way to do it.
 
Here are 10 possible action steps:

1. Cast the vision for students developing a Christ-centered worldview through experiencing a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum.
2. Set a schoolwide SMART goal regarding students connecting Biblical principles to what they study. For example: By June 2013, 90% of students will score at or above standard on connecting Biblical principles to what they study, scores being taken from classroom assessments.
3. Listen to stakeholders about what they think about developing a Biblical perspective curriculum. Then, address their concerns.
4. Make using the curriculum to help students develop a Christ-centered worldview an operational priority.
5. Define what having a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum means for your school. For example, if your school uses standards and benchmarks, it means that all subjects would have Biblical perspective standards and benchmarks and that teachers would assess the Biblical perspective standards and benchmarks.
6. Do a needs analysis, for example, determine where your school is in terms of having a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum. Determine what you need to keep doing, start doing, and stop doing. Determine the training your teachers need. (Reviewing Biblical perspective teacher training standards might be useful.) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being really motivated), rate your school’s level of motivation. If it is below an 8, take steps to raise it to an 8.
7. Collaboratively develop a schoolwide action plan regarding a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum.
8. Have teachers start small. For example, have teachers adding 1 Biblical principle to a unit map, designing an assessment for how well students can connect what they study and that Biblical principle, and teaching a lesson to prepare students for that assessment.
9. Over time, have teachers add Biblical principles to more units and subjects/classes. Then, use a framework (like creation-fall-redemption-restoration) to analyze all Biblical principles. This will help you find gaps, make revisions, and eventually develop a scope and sequence.
10. Ensure that all Biblical perspective standards and benchmarks are taught and assessed.

 
Again, there’s no 1 right way to do this. The point is to develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum and get students experiencing it—the point is not to write a plan for developing such a curriculum.


*This blog entry addresses Biblical perspective teacher training standard #4: To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers develop a curriculum that targets students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.

Christian schools can take fuller advantage of a key opportunity—to help students connect what they study and what the Bible teaches. One way to move forward on this is to develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum:

• Guaranteed: All teachers at a given Christian school teach specified Bible content in each subject they teach.
• Viable: All teachers have sufficient instructional time to teach the specified Bible content.
• Biblical perspective: The specified Bible content is formatted as Biblical principles. Each Biblical principle is supported by at least 3 Bible passages.
• Curriculum: The specified Bible content is documented in the curriculum.

Question: Regarding a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what are the opportunities/problems?
 
Here are responses from Christian school educators like you:
 
Opportunities:

1. Teacher: If we had a documented scope and sequence of the Biblical principles we want our students to learn, our students would more likely have a Christian perspective of each subject. We could be more certain that we are carrying out our mission in terms of helping students develop a Christ-centered worldview. It would make it easier for new staff to get a feel for Biblical integration.
2. Curriculum coordinator: Having standards/benchmarks connected to enduring understandings would help us define our learning targets. We would be clear on what we want our students to know. We would be more clear in terms of direction.
3. Consultant: It would bring an expected and consistent content and reference point across the entire curriculum, independent of teacher experience and preferences. It would create a smoother flow across the content and prevent popular or well-known topic and emphasis from being over taught or repeated while not excluding other, lesser known Biblical issues or references. A well documented integrative reference point could assist novice faculty or those with limited Bible knowledge in the integrative process while ensuring their connection with the school’s overall integrative goals.
4. Teacher: Having a documented Biblical perspective curriculum would help teachers get a better handle on what students have already been taught and what they need to teach their students. All students would systematically be taught Biblical principles during class. Students would experientially understand that the Bible has something to say about all areas of life.
5. Principal: It would help new teachers who are not familiar with Christian worldview thinking. We could use our documented Biblical perspective curriculum to help them see how we apply the Bible across the curriculum. Administrators could use the documented curriculum as a platform for talking with teachers about how they’re helping students develop a Christian worldview. And having a documented Biblical perspective curriculum would result in kids making more connections between what they study and the Bible.

 See also teacher testimonials
 
Problems:

1. Teacher: Our existing curriculum documents are not sufficiently developed. In order to develop a Biblical perspective scope and sequence of our curriculum, we need to more fully develop our scope and sequence of our curriculum. We need to be really clear about what we teach, about what students are supposed to have a Biblical perspective of.
2. Curriculum coordinator: We have insufficient shared understanding for moving forward on this. We need to tap into the passion of teachers so that they will be fully committed to this.
3. Consultant: Basic lack of Bible knowledge will hinder some from contributing to the development process. The natural tendency of teachers to focus only on their grade or discipline will hinder their ability to move into a “big picture” view of the curriculum encompassing an entire department, school unit, or the entire school program for integrative development. And general unawareness of curriculum development, design, and formulation in most teachers will slow the process as they learn the verbiage, see the vision, and get an attainable goal in mind for the potential outcome.
4. Teacher: Developing a Biblical perspective curriculum can take a long time. Teachers are already busy, so a good process and a good set of tools will need to be developed. And there’s staff turnover—new staff will have to be brought up to speed on developing a Biblical perspective curriculum.
5. Principal: Teachers feel that instructional time is already tight—so if we ask them to implement a Biblical perspective curriculum, they’ll want to know how to fit it in. This concern would need to be talked through, for example, during a meeting. It’d be helpful to remind teachers that Christian schools are about more than just covering secular academic standards.
6. Teacher: Teachers don’t have sufficient experience with connecting content/skills and Biblical principles. Teachers didn’t receive this kind of education—it’s difficult to teach what you weren’t taught. Teachers need to experience Biblical perspective lessons and need to see Biblical perspective curriculum documents.
7. Consultant: An unwillingness to be a team player; unwillingness to commit to one view or Biblical perspective; forwarding personal preferences or agenda in the document rather than a balanced, evangelical position.
8. Teacher: Is increasing student understanding and use of a Biblical perspective of course content a real priority? I’m not asked to grade my students on this. It’s not part of ITBS, PSAT, SAT, or AP tests. It’s not on college applications. If I my students don’t master a certain skill, parents are concerned—no parent has ever talked to me about how well their child understands a Biblical perspective of my course content. When my students don’t master certain content or skills, I hear about it from the teacher above me—I don’t think I teach a Biblical perspective of my subject, and no teacher above has talked to me about this.

See also roadblocks
 
The point: To develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, we need to focus on the opportunities and solve the problems. And as a next step, we need to consider how stakeholders view a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum.
 
Question: What’s your stakeholders’ perspective of a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum?

*This blog entry addresses Biblical perspective teacher training standard #4: To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers develop a curriculum that targets students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.

Want to use your curriculum to help students develop a Christ-centered worldview? Reflecting on the following 7 questions can help:

1. What’s the goal?
2. Regarding developing a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what are the opportunities/problems?
3. What’s your stakeholders’ perspective of a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum?
4. Where are you/your school in terms of having a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum?
5. Regarding developing a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what’s your/your school’s level of motivation?
6. To develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum, what do you/your school need to keep doing? start doing? stop doing?
7. How would you/your school develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum?

Reflect with others on these questions. Then, develop a guaranteed, viable Biblical perspective curriculum—and get your students to experience it!

Target Biblical perspective. Today.

*These 7 questions address Biblical perspective teacher training standard #4: To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers develop a curriculum that targets students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.

What do you want your students to understand?
You strive equip your students to love God and impact the world for Him. Good.
 
Question: What do you want your students to understand about God and His creation through what they study? What do you want them to understand as they study…?

1. Art
2. Bible
3. Computer
4. English
5. Languages
6. Math
7. Music
8. Physical education
9. Science
10. Social studies
11. Vocational arts

Participants in an August 18 workshop held at Christian Academy in Japan considered this question. Here are some of their answers:

• Art/Home Ec: We are made in the image of God and can create.
• English: Language is a gift to glorify God, understand ourselves, and serve others through reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking
• Languages: Language is a gift of God.
• Math: The universe reflects the orderliness of God.
• Science: People are responsible to be caretakers of this world.
• Social studies: We should serve and honor God.

Take action: Identify 1 subject you teach. Then list 3 or more answers to the following question: What do you want your students to understand about God and His creation? Finally, design a lesson in which you help your students understand the answers your listed.
 
Target Biblical perspective. Today.

The standards are done! Many thanks to the Christian educators (living in Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, the US, and South Africa) who collaborated to develop 7 teacher training standards. These standards target helping teachers help their K-12 students understand and then apply a Biblical perspective to what they study.

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1. In response to Christ’s love and as the foundation for ministry, teachers have a growing relationship with Him.
2. Out of a desire to love God and be transformed by the renewing of their minds, teachers articulate and apply a Christ-centered worldview.
3. To love God and impact the world for Him, teachers apply a Christ-centered worldview to education.
4. To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers develop a curriculum that targets students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.
5. To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers design and implement unit plans that result in students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.
6. To help students love God and impact the world for Him, teachers design and implement lesson plans that result in students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills, and ultimately to their lives.
7. To increase student application of a Biblical perspective to course content/skills and to life, teachers collaborate with other teachers.

At Christian schools, we train teachers to help their students apply a Biblical perspective to course content. Our task is to provide teachers with challenging, coherent, relevant training. Not an easy task. Why? Because there's no curriculum. More specifically, there isn't a set of curriculum/training standards for teachers.

The result? Well, it's the same as when we teach students using a curriculum that is not standards-based (or one that does not have department objectives)—the content is not sufficiently challenging, coherent, and relevant. Consequently, students don't learn as much as they could.

The opportunity? To develop a set of teacher training standards for helping students apply a Biblical perspective to what they study.

Below is a draft of standards developed by Christian educators living in Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, the US, and South Africa.

Input welcome!

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1. Teachers have a growing, transforming relationship with Christ.
2. Teachers articulate a Christ-centered worldview in terms of:
3. Within the field of education, teachers:
4. To help students love God with their minds and impact the world for Him:
5. Teachers implement lesson plans that help students understand and apply a Biblical perspective.

6. To promote student understanding of a Christ-centered worldview and its application to course content: