Nov. 27-29, over 800 Christian educators attended the ACSI International Christian Educator Conference in Hong Kong. Conference plenary speakers included Gary Chapman,  Bruce Lockerbie, Bridget Mary Aitchison, David Sun, and Phil Callaway.

Conference participants attended over 150 workshops, including 2 Close the Gap Now workshops:

• Ask Good Questions
• Assessment Helps Your Students Learn

The conference was held at International Christian School.

At today's Biblical perspective workshop, teachers at Christian Academy in Japan discussed key questions, including:

• How does assessment help students learn?
• What makes a good assessment good?
• What makes a good Biblical perspective lesson good?

Teachers then developed Biblical perspective assessments and lessons.

During two 90-minute workshops held today at Christian Academy in Japan, teachers identified Biblical principles and Biblical perspective questions. Teachers will use these principles and questions to design Biblical perspective lessons and assessments. Michael Essenburg of Close the Gap Now led the training.

On August 18, 39 faculty members from Christian Academy in Japan and Kyoto International University Academy continued their efforts to connect Christian education philosophy, course content, and their students by participating in a Close the Gap Now workshop.

Michael Essenburg, workshop presenter, focused the participants on the following questions:

• What kind of people do you want your students to be?
• What do you want your students to understand?
• What Biblical principles do you want your students grounded in?
• What’s your vision?
• What’s the target? Is it worth it?

Said one participant, "When I saw the workshop questions ahead of time, I wondered how I would think through all of them. But as we went through the day, I found myself answering each question freely and authentically from my heart. I'm to excited start the year—because I have a vision of who I want my students to become in Christ."

During April and May 2008, teachers at Christian Academy in Japan are focusing on how Christian education involves worldview education. Each week, the teachers read a section from Marck Eckel’s The Whole Truth and then discuss it on Tuesday afternoons. The discussions are facilitated by Michael Essenburg of Close the Gap Now.

During their discussions, teachers respond to the following:

1. Regarding providing worldview education, what helps/hinders you?
   
2. What helps your students understand that everyone has a worldview?
   
3. What key questions do you want your students to consider? Why?
   
4. A person’s worldview is connected to how s/he answers 1 or more of your key questions. How can you help your students understand this?
   
5. How does your Christian worldview affect your educational practice?
   
6. How can you increasingly target students understanding and then applying a Biblical perspective to course content and skills?

On August 7, the teachers of International Christian School (Hong Kong) continued their efforts to help their students understand and apply a Biblical perspective by focusing on the 4 Biblical perspective fundamentals:

1. Targeting Biblical perspective
   
2. Asking Biblical perspective questions
   
3. Assessing understanding and application of a Biblical perspective
   
4. Meeting student learning needs

During this Close the Gap Now workshop, participants:

• Considered questions: What’s exciting about helping students apply a Biblical perspective? Why does God ask questions? How does assessment affect student learning?
  
• Identified Biblical perspective questions they will ask students.
  
• Developed assessments using the 4 characteristics of an effective Biblical perspective assessment.
  
• Developed a plan to meet 1 student learning need regarding understanding and using a Biblical perspective.

July 24-28, Christian educators attended CSI’s Annual Leadership Convention In Harbor Springs, MI, USA. Conference keynote speakers included Cornelius Plantinga, Lauren F. Winner, and Walt Mueller.

Conference participants attended a variety of sessions, including a workshop by Close the Gap Now entitled, “Close the Gap: Action Steps to More Closely Match Schoolwide Goals and Results.”

On Feb. 8, 25 Mountainview International staff completed a Close the Gap Now workshop, focusing on increasing student understanding and application of a Biblical perspective by using questions, using assessment, and meeting student needs.

During the workshops, participants considered questions:

• Why does God ask questions?
  
• What makes a good question good?
  
• How can you use your Biblical perspective questions effectively?
  
• How can assessment increase your students’ understanding and application of a Biblical perspective?
  
• How can you meet your students’ learning needs?
  
• How will you use what you have learned?

As a result of the workshop, participants commented:

• “I need to change the focus of my teaching from simply facts-based to more critical thinking and Biblical perspective teaching.”
  
• “I realize I need to understand how God sees my subject and approach it from that view.”
  
• “An insight I had is that Biblical integration can be both relevant and intentional.”

Jan. 3-5, Christian educators attended the ACSI International Christian Educator Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Conference keynote speakers included Joseph Kim, Dave Wilcox, and Donald Lichi.

Conference participants attended a variety of workshops, including 4 Close the Gap Now workshops:

• What Do You Want Your Students to Understand, Be Able to Do, and Value?
  
• How Well Are Your Students Achieving Your Student Learning Outcomes?
  
• Use Assessment to Measure and Increase Student Understanding and Application of a Biblical Perspective
  
• Meet Student Learning Needs to Increase Student Application of a Biblical Perspective

The conference closed with a banquet held at Pan American Christian Academy.

ov. 8-10, Christian educators attended ACSI’s International Christian Educator Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Speakers included Bruce Hekman, Isabel Searson, Harlan Lyso, Tom Penland, Dave Wilcox, and Michael Essenburg (of Close the Gap Now).

Following workshops on community and school improvement, conference participants attended 2 Close the Gap Now workshops that focused on biblical perspective:

• Use Assessment to Measure and Increase Student Understanding and Application of a Biblical Perspective
  
• Meet Student Learning Needs to Increase Student Application of a Biblical Perspective

The conference closed with a visit to the International Community School of Bangkok.

August 23-24 and Sept. 18, Christian Academy in Japan learned the 6 characteristics of a good Biblical perspective question. They then used their learning to develop 1 or more questions they could ask their students. Finally, Close the Gap Now challenged the teachers to find ways to get tier students to respond to their question(s).

On August 22, staff of Christian Achievement Academy (Yokosuka, Japan) focused on using questions to help students increase their understanding and application of a Biblical perspective.

During the workshop, participants:

• Considered questions: What happens at a Christ-centered school? Why use questions? What makes a good question good? How can you use questions?
  
• Identified biblical perspective questions they will ask students.
  
• Identified answers to their biblical perspective questions.
  
• Committed to action plans.