WISCO PRESENTS: The Order of the Owl [cite: 1]

A Lifeskills Development Approach & Curriculum for the Christian School in a Post-Modern Society [cite: 1]

Strategic Intent & Framework

To expose teachers to the Hebrew Wisdom Model of education that culminates in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord of the church, as the only coherent, comprehensive and consistent basis for Christian Education and the teaching of the disciplines. [cite: 1]

Elements of a Faith Framework [cite: 1]

  • Christian education must effectively integrate church, home and school. [cite: 1]
  • Christian education must be church-based at its foundation. [cite: 1]
  • Christian education must be wisdom-driven throughout its framework. [cite: 1]

Addressing Educational Fragmentation [cite: 1]

  • Learning styles & Developmental processes. [cite: 1]
  • Ordered learning vs. fragmented disciplines. [cite: 1]
  • Unified Theological education across all life stages (Child, Young Adult, Middle Adult, Older Adult). [cite: 1]

Contour Shifts in South African Education [cite: 1]

Waning Contours [cite: 1] Emerging Contours [cite: 1]
Formal, institutional structures [cite: 1]Church-based, flexible structures [cite: 1]
Degree system of evaluation [cite: 1]Portfolio system of evaluation [cite: 1]
Governmental systems [cite: 1]Tripartite alliances-CHS [cite: 1]
Dominance of in-the-benches training [cite: 1]Dominance of in-the-trenches apprenticeships [cite: 1]
Learning only for young / Formal libraries [cite: 1]Learning is lifelong / Lifelong learning resource centres [cite: 1]

The Wisdom-Driven Worldview

There is a tradition that pre-dates our own Western tradition called the Hebrew Wisdom tradition. This tradition provided people with an integrative understanding of all of life. This wisdom – skilful living – will not only integrate all the areas of your life but will challenge you to become a lifelong learner. [cite: 1]

Proverbs: The Integrative Core [cite: 1]

  • Serves as an integrative core for the wisdom literature. [cite: 1]
  • Explains skilful living as a process of lifelong learning. [cite: 1]
  • Shows a strong connection with creation, the law and prophets. [cite: 1]

Pursuing Wisdom [cite: 1]

  • Assimilate: Do I understand it? [cite: 1]
  • Translate: Do I use what I learn? [cite: 1]
  • Investigate: What do I need to go after? [cite: 1]
  • Pursue mentors! [cite: 1]

The Unskilled vs. The Skilled [cite: 1]

  • The Fool: Naïve, Stupid, Obstinate, Imperceptive, Senseless, Scoffer. [cite: 1]
  • The Wise: The skilled liver. [cite: 1]
  • The Wiser: The more skilled liver. [cite: 1]

The Four Worldview Lenses [cite: 1]

Lens [cite: 1] Focus [cite: 1] Reconciliation [cite: 1]
#1 Individual [cite: 1]Worship [cite: 1]Know God - know God's plan [cite: 1]
#2 Individual [cite: 1]Fellowship [cite: 1]Reconciled to God [cite: 1]
#3 Family, Church [cite: 1]Relationship [cite: 1]Reconciled to self and saints [cite: 1]
#4 Global Community [cite: 1]Stewardship [cite: 1]Reconciled to nature [cite: 1]

Adler's Organization of Western Knowledge

1. Propaideia [cite: 1]

Ten knowledge areas in Western culture around which Encyclopedia Brittanica is arranged: [cite: 1]

  • Part One: Matter and Energy [cite: 1]
  • Part Two: The Earth [cite: 1]
  • Part Three: Life on Earth [cite: 1]
  • Part Four: Human Life [cite: 1]
  • Part Five: Human Society [cite: 1]
  • Part Six: Art [cite: 1]
  • Part Seven: Technology [cite: 1]
  • Part Eight: Religion [cite: 1]
  • Part Nine: The History of Mankind [cite: 1]
  • Part Ten: The Branches of Knowledge (Logic, Math, Science, History/Humanities, Philosophy) [cite: 1]

2. Syntopicon [cite: 1]

102 ideas with 3,000 topics keyed to the Great Books of the Western world. Categorized by reality: [cite: 1]

  • Theology & Religion: Angel, Eternity, God, Immortality, Prophecy, Sin [cite: 1]
  • Metaphysics: Being, Cause, Change, Form, God, Infinity, Matter, Truth... [cite: 1]
  • Math/Physics: Cause, Chance, Change, Element, Space, Time, World... [cite: 1]
  • Logic: Definition, Dialectic, Hypothesis, Induction, Judgment... [cite: 1]
  • Political Theory: Citizen, Constitution, Democracy, Justice, Law, Liberty... [cite: 1]
  • Ethics: Courage, Duty, Good and Evil, Happiness, Prudence, Wisdom... [cite: 1]
  • Psychology/Biology: Animal, Desire, Emotion, Habit, Mind, Sense, Evolution... [cite: 1]

Integrating the Disciplines

A Model for Integration: Identify the discipline's intention, relate it to created reality (e.g., biotics-biology), view it through biblical reality (God's attributes, intention, and sin's distortion), apply redemptive principles, foster wisdom characteristics/competencies, and contrast with humanism. [cite: 1]

Language Arts [cite: 1]

  • God's Picture: A personal being who communicates; reveals precision, beauty, and history in His Word. [cite: 1]
  • Principles: Communication expresses the heart; assesses all communication via His Word. [cite: 1]
  • Competencies: Develops oral, written, accuracy skills; genre logic; bible-shaped interpretive judgment. [cite: 1]
  • Conflicts: Rejects unrestrained expression; relies on biblical ethics for persuasion. [cite: 1]

History [cite: 1]

  • God's Picture: Order and justice revealed in systems of governance and history. [cite: 1]
  • Principles: Linear unfolding of God's promise plan; faith grounded in factual events; Christ's incarnation is paramount. [cite: 1]
  • Competencies: Interpret cultural formation with Christian values; appreciate providential heritage. [cite: 1]
  • Conflicts: Rejects sociological law and relativism as the basis for cultural direction. [cite: 1]

Science [cite: 1]

  • God's Picture: Creator and sustainer; creation brings praise; constant change pointing to renewal. [cite: 1]
  • Principles: Scientific method is valid but bounded; committed to honesty; science cannot answer moral/origin questions. [cite: 1]
  • Competencies: Defends against distortions; provides opportunities to bear testimony; scientific investigation skills. [cite: 1]
  • Conflicts: Rejects unbounded science, subjective referencing, and pantheistic/materialistic environmentalism. [cite: 1]

Mathematics [cite: 1]

  • God's Picture: Mathematical structure is intrinsic to God's works; reveals truthfulness, order, consistency. [cite: 1]
  • Principles: Emphasizes quantitative and spatial reality; helps man establish stewardship. [cite: 1]
  • Competencies: Mental clarity, thinking like God, logic, accuracy of procedure. [cite: 1]
  • Conflicts: Rejects autonomous creation of math, neutrality, and subjective non-existence of math concepts. [cite: 1]

Geography [cite: 1]

  • God's Picture: Ordained nations/languages; established exact borders; sovereign over cultures. [cite: 1]
  • Principles: Man depends on harmonious relationship with earth; called to carry out cultural mandate without exploitation. [cite: 1]
  • Competencies: Identify borders; understand state formation and God's sovereign placement of individuals. [cite: 1]
  • Conflicts: Rejects that national locations and cultures are accidental. [cite: 1]

Biology [cite: 1]

  • God's Picture: Author of all things; expressed Himself in human and physical nature. [cite: 1]
  • Principles: Love God using minds; love creation by caring for it; love others by respecting life. [cite: 1]
  • Competencies: Conceiving problems, performing experiments, making observations, refining hypotheses. [cite: 1]
  • Conflicts: Conflicts arise only from misunderstanding science or misinterpreting Scripture. [cite: 1]

The Character Skills of Wisdom (from Proverbs)

The curriculum emphasizes 28 specific character traits extracted from Proverbs to build the wisdom worldview. [cite: 1]

Skill [cite: 1] Definition / Biblical Basis [cite: 1]
Attentive [cite: 1]Inclining one’s ear to understand (Prov 4:1) [cite: 1]
Confident [cite: 1]Trusting God as one’s security (Prov 14:26) [cite: 1]
Content [cite: 1]Adjusting to circumstances; satisfaction in the Lord (Prov 19:23) [cite: 1]
Creative [cite: 1]Addressing a need from God’s point of view (Prov 31:20) [cite: 1]
Concern [cite: 1]Expressing attitude toward the needy reflecting God (Prov 29:7) [cite: 1]
Controlled [cite: 1]Portraying a patient spirit in life’s circumstance (Prov 14:29) [cite: 1]
Committed [cite: 1]Rolling all one’s plans on the Lord (Prov 16:3) [cite: 1]
Discreet [cite: 1]Thinking that issues in actions that protect (Prov 2:11) [cite: 1]
Diligent [cite: 1]Designing crisp plans; focusing on execution (Prov 21:5) [cite: 1]
Deferent [cite: 1]Put off desires and aspirations so as to serve others (Prov 13:12) [cite: 1]
Discerning [cite: 1]Gaining mental acumen (Prov 1:2) [cite: 1]
Dependable [cite: 1]Being truthful in one’s responses (Prov 14:5) [cite: 1]
Disciplined [cite: 1]Being committed to what must be done (Prov 10:5) [cite: 1]
Equitable [cite: 1]Expressing an even straightness in life (Prov 2:9) [cite: 1]
Faithful [cite: 1]Displaying a trustworthiness in all circumstances (Prov 20:6) [cite: 1]
Fair [cite: 1]Exercising justice against the guilty without partiality (Prov 24:23) [cite: 1]
Generous [cite: 1]Giving freely and not holding back (Prov 21:25-26) [cite: 1]
Gentle [cite: 1]Expressing a soft and tender way of relating (Prov 15:1) [cite: 1]
Honest [cite: 1]Getting ahead by doing things the right way (Prov 16:8) [cite: 1]
Humble [cite: 1]Rejecting an arrogant spirit for God-dependence (Prov 29:23) [cite: 1]
Joyful [cite: 1]Portraying inner strength under difficult circumstances (Prov 15:13) [cite: 1]
Kind [cite: 1]Investing generously in God’s agenda (Prov 19:17) [cite: 1]
Merciful [cite: 1]Showing pity to those less fortunate (Prov 14:31) [cite: 1]
Patient [cite: 1]Willing to have God act in His place at His pace (Prov 20:22) [cite: 1]
Prudent [cite: 1]Discerning knowledge with heart and ears (Prov 18:15) [cite: 1]
Pleasant [cite: 1]Seeing wise advice as a delight (Prov 22:17-18) [cite: 1]
Pure [cite: 1]Radiating a moral and ethical cleanness (Prov 22:11) [cite: 1]
Teachable [cite: 1]Being open to instruction (Prov 10:8) [cite: 1]

The Lifeskills Development Portfolio

Three Parts of the Portfolio [cite: 1]

  1. Loose leaf folios [cite: 1]
  2. A presentation piece [cite: 1]
  3. A lifeskills portfolio journal [cite: 1]

Developing the Art of Living [cite: 1]

Oriented across four wisdom skills contexts: [cite: 1]

  • Individual: Cultivating an orientation to lifelong learning [cite: 1]
  • Familial: Cultivating a well ordered family [cite: 1]
  • Community: Cultivating responsible living within society and nation [cite: 1]
  • Global: Being disciplined in work, and money management [cite: 1]

The Lifelong Learning Resource Centre [cite: 1]

  • Parent-child portfolio system [cite: 1]
  • A core knowledge system arranged around a wisdom framework (worship, relationship, fellowship, stewardship) [cite: 1]
  • Recommended English reading resources (Adler) [cite: 1]
  • Technology system of accessing resources (Britannica) [cite: 1]
  • Tripartite alliance between church, home and school [cite: 1]
  • Hardcopy of a wisdom-based curriculum [cite: 1]