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| Bulletin 5 | October 21, 2020
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Blessed To Be a BlessingSing the StoryExplore, Discover, Delight
World ChangersUnwrap the StoryRooted in God
“¡Tocando el Mundo! (Touching the World)
The above is a sampling of the hundreds of TfT Storylines inviting, nurturing, and empowering teachers and students to root both learners and learning in God’s story.
Engaging the language and rhythms of these Storylines is reshaping me. Not long ago, I realized that I had fallen trap to labeling the here and now in the story of COVID-19. Reflecting on actual, vibrant classroom Storylines from across our network of schools reminded me of the true Story and the role that I am to play within this Story. This perspective is reframing and reclaiming the here and now. I am grateful to all of you for this formative experience.
If you also find that the pandemic is claiming the identity of these days, I encourage you to dwell within the Storyline uniting you and your students. Please continue to share your Storyline taglines and practices with me (darryl.deboer@cace.org) and with each other. They are formational.
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Teaching for Transformation Graduate Course
In response to the need to onboard new-to-Teaching-for-Transformation teachers in existing TfT schools, Dordt University offers a yearlong, online, graduate-level course that immerses new teachers in the TfT framework. Taught by TfT school designer and Dordt University education professor Pat Kornelis, this course is designed to introduce the core practices in the first semester then deepen the implementation of those practices in the second semester. Whereas this year’s 25 participants from TfT network schools acknowledge that it is challenging to engage in TfT work amid all the other new challenges of teaching, their overwhelming response has been incredibly positive. Here are some reflections from these participants along with some images of their work. We will offer this graduate course again next year. If your school is interested in enrolling new teachers in this course, please contact Darryl for more information.
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Throughlines: A Resource for Teachers and Parents
This resource produced by the Prairie Center of Christian Education features the Idolatry Discerning Throughline. Whereas these materials were originally designed for the purpose of supporting parents during remote learning, they serve as an excellent resource for teachers during face-to-face learning as well.
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Learning Targets: Assessment for Learning
Most of us are on an ongoing journey to better maximize learning targets—both short-term (curricular focused) and long-term (60-year formational) targets. Crafting targets is one essential skill (a necessary first step), but using learning targets to shape assessment for learning is an entirely different skill. We are excited to share this sketchnote that identifies assessment for learning strategies that amplify the potential of well-crafted learning targets.
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Elementary Teaching for Transformation: Sioux Falls Christian
At Sioux Falls Christian, the Storyline for Mrs. Haan’s first-grade class is LOVE (Listen, Observe, Value, Encourage) Through each activity and unit, first graders learn more about how they can listen to, observe, value, and encourage others. Mrs. Haan and the students had the opportunity to love others by performing at an outdoor gathering for residents at the Good Samaritan Society. Check out Mrs. Haan’s aspirations for this FLEx, her students’ reflections, and a couple photos. Even the local media came by to capture and share the story.
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Secondary Teaching for Transformation: South Christian
The October issue of South Christian School’s monthly publication South Scenes highlights a learning story from the graphic design class. Students were invited by teachers Mrs. VanHaitsma and Mrs. Koetje to create a “real work, real need, real people” FLEx in which they were both the designers and the intended audience for their work. As the article shares, the finished product demonstrates precision, talent and care—as school work tends to do when students are empowered to produce work that makes a difference.
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