In this week’s reading, Rivkin (2014) wrote about the spiritual development of young children and the ties to nature and time spent in nature. She outlines leading researchers and their theories of the development of a higher consciousness and awareness as a broad definition of spiritual development. In my opinion, it was challenging to understand what was exactly meant as spiritual development and as I read, I realized it was not what I was thinking. This topic reminds me greatly of mindfulness which is growing in popularity in our school district. The practices of being in nature and becoming part of nature are extremely powerful and serve as a great reminder that we are not just getting kids outside because it is healthier, we are doing it because being part of the environment is good for their souls and their growth as children. …show more content…
As a science teacher that is charged with teaching controversial topics such as evolution, genetically modified foods, and human impacts on ecosystems, my heart rate increases when religion is brought up within my own classroom walls. As I read the chapter, it was interesting to see that the focus on spiritual development has immediate ties into the positive habits of mind I want for my own young child and the adolescents in my own classroom. I can imagine if some of Baumgartner’s and Buchanan’s (2010) elements of spirituality--a sense of belonging, a respect for self and others, and an awareness and appreciation of the unknown--were of greater focus at all ages (both in school settings and family settings), the impacts of a stronger, more spiritual generation would be huge (as cited in Rivkin 2014, p.
Schultz also stressed the importance of a biblical worldview in the teacher. As the leader in each classroom the students will adapt their teacher’s beliefs, values and finally actions. If they are taught by a teacher who holds a dualistic view of dividing the sacred and the secular, or a postmodern or modern worldview, it will adversely affect the ability of that child to develop Christ centered wisdom based upon the Word of God. Schultz, in referring to the education of children, stated “anything that hinders their moral and spiritual development is the epitome of child abuse.” (2006, p. 163). As such, our curriculum, teaching methods, and moral example, must all reflect a biblical worldview that will evangelize and discipline each student to know and love Jesus Christ.
Brandt, Anthony. "Do Kids Need Religion." The Presence of others: Voices and Images that Call for Response. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin’s 2000. 191-198.
Fowler, James W. Stages of Faith: the Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning. Harper: San Francisco, 1995.
Spiritual modeling has also influenced adolescents’ religious and spiritual development. Teachers, both in education and the Church, have the opportunity to enhance attributes such as wisdom, good character, and generosity by modeling spirituality (Lerner, 109). Spiritual models are designed to be examples of the positive purpose of goal setting and pursuing. They should seek to demonstrate making positive con...
The following three articles examine the different effects secularization has had on society. Firstly, Swezey & Ross (2012) discuss what potential implications secularization may have on faculties’ perception of religious institutions who appear to be abandoning its religious mission to bolster academic creditability. On a similar note, Stallones (2011) discusses the implications that secularization has on the development of progressive educators. The takeaway of this article is that progressive educators need to be reminded that education should be student-centered. Stallone states: “[T]his value arose from a conviction each child has dignity, which in turn has its roots in the theological concept [. . .] that people have intrinsic value because they bear the image of God. [. . .] that the school is a community derives from the ecclesiological idea that the Church is actually an expression of the Body of Christ” (p.
In this paper two topic from the Psychology and Spirituality course will be discussed in regards to spirituality and their influence on my personal life. I will examine how I have grown and what I have learned from the week on Spring Lake ranch and how I wish to continue moving forward in my attempt to be spiritual and build a closer relationship to God.
Allen, Diogenes and Springsted, Eric O. Spirit, Nature and Community. State University of New York Press. Albany, New York. 1994.
... of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child” (Emerson, pg. 510).Such imagery allows the man to understand that nature is more than a collection of integrated objects. Moreover, to appreciate nature, a man has to free his mind from society’s distractions and to see nature through the eyes of a child. Children are inexperienced and will not reminisce past events while observing nature. Seeing this world through a child’s eyes gives the world more meaning and value.
Barbour, Ian G. Religion in an Age of Science. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1990. Print. (BL 240.2 .B368 1990)
Wong, A. (2010). Break Free: Children’s emotional and physical well-being in the green outdoors. Mychild, December Edition, pp. 50-53.
Stueck, M., & Gloeckner, N. (2005). Yoga for children in the mirror of science: Working spectrum and practice field of the training of relaxation with elements of yoga for children. Early Child Development and Care, 175(4), 371-377. doi:10.1080/0300443042000230537
My journey towards God and a greater sense of spirituality has been enhanced by this course. While I did not have the strong religious backgrounds that some of my classmates enjoyed, I understand we all have different experiences and exposure to certain things in life. While I was privileged to hear my classmates as they shared their personal stories, I felt bad for some of them. Even with a religious background, individual(s) are still fallible to the evils of the world. As a result of this experience, I understand we need to do more than just pray. We need to change our lifestyles and our way of thinking. Our lives need to be balanced with God being foremost and the rest falling into the appropriate order. At the same time, we need to be appreciative and thankful for all that is bestowed upon us. Every person and everything we are exposed to should be considered a gift. We should not take anything for granted. A...
Stenmark, Mickael. How to Relate Science and Religion. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004.
Religion is a major influence in our lives. Although religion covers every aspect of our lives, I am going to discuss the influence of religion in two areas. Religion among young adults and Religion and sexual issues. These topics are large, so I will only scratch the surface by discussing only a few issues within these two main topic areas. Religion is gaining popularity among young adults and college students, increasingly more students are attending a church and many different colleges are becoming involved in religious activities. Students at Wake Forest University are looking into dorms that will diversify the student body to educate students about other religions (4). Other schools have programs where people with similar interests can live in the same dorm. Some examples are the University of California, Berkeley and Davis Campuses, University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, University of Missouri at Columbia, and Columbia University in New York (2). These colleges allow students with similar religious views to live together. And it’s not just a few students, there are enough students to fill at least a wing of a dorm, if not a whole dorm (2). On Monday February 22nd, students and faculty members at Clemson University in South Carolina gathered to hear what Dr. Eugene C. Scott, from the National Center for Science Education, had to say about "Adam and Eve, and creationism versus evolution and a quivering mass of protoplasm." (1). She stated that "Evolution in its simplest form refers to a change over time, or decent with modification. Evolution is a scientific explanation based on observable facts." And that "Creationism simply put, means that God created." (1). Dr. Scott was trying to relay the message that religion and science don’t have to be opposites. Like the idea that God created evolution (1). The Students at Clemson received the message well. Despite the fact that Clemson sits in the middle of a geographic area nicknamed "The Bible Belt" known for its strong religious beliefs. In the Pop music industry, which is popular with young adults, religious groups are beginning to gain popularity. Greg Graffin, the co-founder of one of punk-rock’s most venerable bands, believes " when you’re 18, some kids want more then just bland pop culture , they want something with a little more substance." (3) And that substance can be pop music with religion tied into it. Violence among young adults is also becoming a greater problem.
Astin et al. (2011) conducted a study measuring undergraduate students’ spiritual and religious development. The study highlighted higher education’s emphasis on students’ outer development with courses, grades, honors, and social organizations in pursuit of a degree. Consequently, students’ inner development had been overlooked. Inner development was described as values, beliefs, morality, spirituality, emotional balance, and self-knowledge. Over the last four decades, students’ life goals of being financially successfully had increased over establishing a meaningful, purposeful philosophy of life. The authors defined spiritual development as making meaning and purpose in life, values and beliefs of difficult situations, intuition, inspiration, creativity, and a sense of connectedness with others and society. Students’ perceived religion and spirituality as two distinct concepts. The authors studied three spiritual measures, four spiritual characteristic measures, and five religious measures. The initial sampling in 2004 involved 209 four-year institutions with 98,593 full time freshmen participating in the survey with a 40% completion rate. A revised survey was administered in 2007 with 136 four-year higher education institutions, 14,527 juniors, originally freshman participating in the 2004 survey (Astin et al, 2011). The 2007 survey received a 40% rate of return. The purpose of the study was to identify the lack of inner student development in an effort to create a more holistic educational environment for students, increasing interest in future research in spiritual development in education. This study demonstrates spiritual leadership is crossing over into higher education.