The new school year

As my fourth fall outside the classroom -- following more than sixty years heading for the classroom each September -- I expect to make a small step towards teaching again, only this time with eighth graders, in a theology class with Fr. Carl. This will be a great challenge, and no homecoming. This is a different demographic and a different subject from the ones I knew for those sixty years. Yet it seems like an interesting challenge to find a market for my ideas in a theology class of 19 Wisconsin eighth graders.

Here are some thoughts about how I might go about this, after examining and -- in some cases -- rejecting some or a lot of my college approach and material. I have evolved to three themes: poverty, prosocial behavior and positive reinforcement, starting with the wisdom of the four levels of prosocial leadership, namely:

1. Give a man a fish.

2. Teach a man to fish.

3. Teach a village to raise fish.

4. Teach those who teach the village to raise fish.

This is the true meaning of service, i.e., progressing from charitable sharing of limited wealth to the creation of wealth. A sharing economy and ethos is valuable in the short run yet not sustainable; a creating economy and ethos is sustainable -- and valuable. My mother put it succinctly: Leave the world a better place than you found it.

At the very start, I have to explain my way of teaching: Ask rather than tell. Find out what you know (some ion it which is false). Reinforce volunteering your thoughts. Minimize or eliminate judging or grading what you believe as you start the class. Use videos to leverage technology and expertise. Teach in short blocks. Use hands-on 'exercises,' i.e., team decisions, surveys. Require sounders to think; don't require them to think that there is always or even usually a right answer.

Philosophy

What is our purpose? Why are we here? What should we do? What is God calling us to do? How do we best serve others? What is our responsibility to our fellow humans? Is avoiding evil/sin enough, or must we do good?

Poverty

Census data in 1988 showed three things that American adults can do to not live in poverty.

• finish high school

• work for one year, even at minimum wage

• get and stay married.

  • Is it different today?

  • role of marriage, family

Have students write their ideas, definitions, understandings of these words: poor, wealthy/rich, not poor.

Understanding the world we live in, the problems we face, the opportunities we have

• Global population: Box by box 1960-2050 (TED 9:58)

• See New insights on poverty (2007, 18:44).

• See An escape from poverty (2009; 7:17).

• Watch how the rest of the world lives, organized by income. (TED 2017; 11:32)

• Check out Dollar Street (pictures)

• Check out How not to be ignorant about the world. (TED, 2014; 18:56)

• See The magic washing machine (TED 2010; 8:59).

• See The best stats you've ever seen (TED 2006; 18:59)

Poverty cure (Acton Institute)

• Overview videos (less than 3:00 each)

  • Bishop: No more aid

  • Christian worldview on poverty

  • Spiritual and social aspects of business.

  • Overcoming poverty in America

• DVD

  • Charity that hurts (25:25)

  • The entrepreneurial calling (26:46)

  • Justice for the poor (26:58)

  • Circles of exchange (28:16)

  • The power of the gospel (21:26)

  • Churches, communities and culture (23:40)

What you can do about poverty and making the world a better place for those in most need

• Start by counting your blessings, having an attitude of gratitude

• Understand what poverty means, esp. extreme/absolute versus relative

  • Social justice: Wealth creation versus distributionThe hundred penny economy

  • Enterprise: The new heroes: Kickstarter

  • Universal destination conundrum

Prosocial behavior

• The four levels of prosocial behavior/leadership. Review what they are; explain the progression and value of progression.

• Catholic social teaching

  • Three types of social justice: Opportunity, process, outcomes

    • Equality versus equity

• Getting economic and social justice wrong

• Prosocial behavior scoring exercise

Prosocial.docx

Download DOCX • 22KB

Positive reinforcement

• Define, contrast with punishment, "negative reinforcement."

  • Reinforce good behavior

  • Correct bad behavior.

• Use in modeling and leadership.

  • Gospels

    • workers in the vineyard

    • parables of the talents

    • wealth and the camel through the eye of the needle

    • render unto Ceasar

    • paying temple tax with coin found in fish

    • slaves, servants and social reforms