Elizabeth Beech

Transforming Elephants Elizabeth Beech

Students, at all levels of education, do not arrive in our classrooms as 'blank slates' on which knowledge might be written. They arrive with a considerable quantity of prior knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, values, and assumptions, many of which will require some level of transformation. Their assumptions will include basic information regarding reality and how it works, why we are here or what is our purpose, what is wrong with the world, and how it might be fixed. All education is transforming: it changes concepts, understandings, and beliefs . . . even the beliefs we may not realize that we have. This book has been written to help Christian educators use biblical foundations to navigate the transformation processes that are available to us through the set and hidden curriculums. Biblical examples of teaching and learning are referenced and also foundational ideas of a theory of knowledge. Our desire is to inspire, encourage, and energise teachers as we gain a deeper understanding of the powerful potential of what it might mean for us to be Christian educators working for Kingdom purposes.