14 December 2009 / For Thine is the kingdom

This week we return to the curriculum of koinonia, and conclude our time together. Our focus situation for this week is a little bit longer than most, because it's the documentary film A Time for Burning. This is an extraordinary film which earned an Academy Award nomination in 1986. It tells the story of a very difficult time in the history of the US. Although it focuses on two Lutheran churches in Nebraska, I think it's relevant to many other denominational settings. I hope that when you watch it, you consider doing so with other people, thus sharing the experience.

This week, when your group uses the cluster questions to engage the situation, I want you to do something a bit different. I'd like you to imagine yourself as the educational leader at the churches in question, and think about what you would do next. In other words, take the situation in the film and use the various cluster questions to investigate it. What can you learn about the situation using these questions? And then, what would you do next, if you were in one of those churches? This is a chance to practice your diagnostic skills, and your prescriptive skills, to think together about what educational leadership might look like in a concrete situation.

My video "look back and look forward":

Individual assignment

Read the CIQ summary from last week.

By Friday, comment on one of the group summaries (in a way that is more than simply a "verbal bouquet").

After our final discussion ends, please fill out the end of course evaluation form. Please note: this is our last week of class, so if you have any questions about your Feautor review and contribution, or about the portfolio assignment -- NOW is the time to make sure you've asked them!

Cluster question assignments

Group one : Ritual

Group two : History

Group three : Learning

Group four : Assessment

Group five : Bible

Your small group summary is due on Wednesday, posted to the course blog.