adult learning in a world leaning into God’s mission

association of professors of missionsaint paul, minnesota19 june 2014www.slideshare.net/maryhess1/

a few caveats…

• speaking from my very specific, particular experience as a Roman Catholic laywoman teaching at an ELCA Lutheran seminary in the upper midwest

• hope to catalyze good questions and ignite your imagination

• an evening of adult learning, rather than one of “information transfer”

what does adult learning look like when we speak of faith?

this?

what about this?

or this?

three shifts

• (1) widespread epistemological challenges

• (2) specific issues in transformative learning

• (3) the rise of “maker” culture

(1) epistemological challenges to…

• how we understand authority

• what we mean by authenticity

• who has agency

epistemological authority, authenticity, agency

epistemological authority, authenticity, agency

epistemological authority, authenticity, agency

(2) transformative learning

• learning proceeds through an ongoing spiral of “confirmation,” “contradiction,” and “continuity”

• “spreadable media” is implicated in all three of these dynamics

• if we don’t understand this cycle, we find ourselves stuck in places where fundamentalism or relativism are evoked, rather than deep adult learning

transformative learning confirmation, contradiction, continuity

transformative learning confirmation, contradiction, continuity

(3) the rise of maker culture

• participatory, active forms of culture-creation

• easily shared — “spreadable”

• in theological terms, “create, share, believe”

“value and meaning get created as grassroots communities tap into creative products as resources for their own conversations and spread them to others who share their interests”

Spreadable Media, Henry Jenkins (2013)

maker culture create, share, believe

believe

createshare

where are we in the midst of this, if we are sharing God’s story?

spreadable media are

• resonant

• address meaningful issues

• evoke relationship

• are easily shared

maker culture create, share, believe

maker culture create, share, believe

maker culture create, share, believe

making disciples is about making learners, and learning involves risking current understanding

adult developmental learning challenges

how do we support such development? such learning?

how will you walk with your students into this future?

citations follow

*buddha was not… https://www.facebook.com/doasone/photos/a.10150430168800435.415618.386398785434/10152353733350435/?type=1&theater *maya angelou quote: https://www.facebook.com/corybooker/photos/a.115558592227.120345.36872302227/10152567919807228/?type=1&theater *privilege: https://www.facebook.com/dailykos/photos/a.416444264254.190398.43179984254/10152307167949255/?type=1&theater

*enduring understanding: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/files/2011/08/enduringunderstanding.png *creative classrooms: http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2014-nmc-horizon-report-he-EN.pdf *web2.0: http://taitcoles.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/cu_390_web.jpg

*family tree of religions: http://firespeaks.blogspot.com/2012/08/humble-your-denomination.html *teacher with Somali youth: http://www.washingtonpost.com/somali-muslims-in-the-united-states/2011/07/06/gIQAPmKJ6H_photo.html *church/state street sign: http://www.examiner.com/x-6572-NY-Obama-Administration-Examiner~y2009m11d22-Church-bars-Kennedy-as-war-between-church-and-state-escalates-over-health-bill

!

*image of the Trinity: http://rapgenius.com/Action-bronson-the-come-up-lyrics#note-1452273 *create/share/believe image: http://www.storyingfaith.org/process *theory U image for theological formation from the FTE: http://www.iaumc.org/console/files/oFiles_Library_XZXLCZ/Vocation_CARE_Guide-reduced_NWGVJUZN.pdf

videos: *information revolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4CV05HyAbM *social media revolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJepzjUhDfg *ode to earth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6qi393Z7L8 *Jefferson Bethke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY *Fr. Pontifex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru_tC4fv6FE *iPad commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiyIcz7wUH0 *alchemy project: https://vimeo.com/77818196 *woman at the well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q49BbfgJbto *finding hope in the holy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ4nF07IC7U

more info: mhess@luthersem.edu slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/maryhess1/