A Committed Group Of Trustees With Heartfelt Commitment
Together, the Trustees have many years of experience in the Christian Education movement in New Zealand, Australia and further a field. The challenge to be able to support Christian Education across the globe using on-line technology has long been a keen interest of all the Trustees.Some Trustees have carried this vision for many years, however the timing of divine guidance, financial provision, highly committed people, technological developments and increasing levels of computer literacy amongst the Christian Education community, have all contributed to make this initiative a reality.
Our First Strategy – an Online Resource Library
From our experience, the first strategy we believe will significantly contribute to Christian Education is an on-line Resource Library of quality educational resources that all Christian Educators could access. Between them, our Trustees' have years of experience in initiating, developing and maintaining Christian Schools and there is continual and significant ongoing demand by Christian Teachers for quality resource materials that may be used or adapted for use in the classroom.In the past these resources have typically been shared by existing Christian Schools and Christian Teachers to those Schools who are just starting our or who are in need.
In contrast, secular education has access to a mass of published materials and text books. Most Christian Teachers, however, typically find themselves investing considerable quality time in authoring and developing their learning resources within a biblical worldview.
As most Christian Schools are typically small, private, quality environments, it therefore makes sense that all Christian Teachers would benefit from access to resources that are already well written by other Teachers who are willing to share. In this way, Christian Education can economically and efficiently address its own need “to write its textbooks”.
However, for the library to succeed to serve Christian Education worldwide, much will depend on Teachers and Schools remaining committed to share their quality resources with others, just as they have always done in the past when personally directly approached by other Christian teachers in need.
In the past these resources have typically been shared by existing Christian Schools and Christian Teachers to those Schools who are just starting out or who are in need.
Our Second Strategy – On-Line Seminars For Debate and Professional Development Of Christian Teachers in Service
The question of how to teach “Christianly” as a professional educator, and within a “Christian Worldview” have been well debated within Christian Education circles. Questions of this nature, as well as other significant issues affecting Christian Education pedagogy, such as the role of the bible in the curriculum, need to be encouraged through ongoing debate.The Trust believes in the biblical principle that “iron sharpens iron”, and thus debate is to be encouraged with sound biblical thinkers in the field for the benefit of all educators and learners in Christian Education.
To this end, the Trust is persuing a strategy of on-line seminars, where teachers internationally can participate with renowned lecturers without having to physically travel to any geographical location.
