CACE Launches New Project: Teaching for Transformation

Tim Van SoelenCACE News, Innovation3 Comments

The Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE) is excited to announce that it entered into an agreement with the Prairie Centre for Christian Education (PCCE) to become the exclusive distributor of Teaching for Transformation in the United States. Teaching for Transformation (TfT) is a curricular framework developed by educators from the Prairie Center for Christian Educators (PCCE). One of those educators and former Director of Learning at PCCE, Doug Monsma, describes TfT as “a biblical framework for the development of authentic and integral Christian learning experiences that are grounded in a transformational worldview with a focus on seeing and living God’s story.”

Used by over 70 schools across Canada, the U.S., Africa, and Central America, TfT’s tagline is “See the Story, Live the Story.” Identifying and developing a Storyline is one of three Core Practices that schools adopt as they begin their journey in TfT. The second core practice is to identify biblical Throughlines that weave through the Bible and through the curriculum as schools engage in the process of the formation of a peculiar people, those who “desire the kingdom of God and thus undertake their life’s expression of that desire.” (James K. A. Smith, Desiring the Kingdom). The third core practice is what TfT refers to as a FLEx activity, a formative learning experience where students are given the opportunity to do real work that addresses a real need for real people. Monsma describes this as “meaningful work that creates a sense of purpose in their lives and draws them more powerfully to God’s story.”

CACE, an outreach arm of the Dordt University Education Department and the Sid & Carol Verdoorn Foundation, has been working with PCCE on two TfT implementation projects at Sioux Center Christian School and Unity Christian High School. Wayne Dykstra, head of school at Unity Christian High School, identifies TfT as “the most powerful professional development for faculty that he has seen in his 26 years in Christian education.”

CACE Director and Teacher Preparation Program professor Dr. Tim Van Soelen notes that “TfT builds on the foundational work of Christian educators such as Dr. John Van Dyk, Harro Van Brummelen, Dr. Nicholas Wolterstorff, Robert Koole and many others who have shaped the journey of Christian Education. TfT continues this journey, integrating research-based best practices from organizations such as Expeditionary Learning and learning theorists such as Danielson, Marzano, Wiggins and McTighe to provide a biblical framework and classroom practices for teachers and schools who desire to continually improve the craft of Christian teaching.”

For additional information about Teaching for Transformation or the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education, please contact Dr. Van Soelen at tim.vansoelen@cace.org or 712.722.3620.

Author

  • Tim Van Soelen

    Dr. Tim Van Soelen serves as the Director of CACE. Tim is also a professor of education at Dordt University. He has served as a principal, assistant principal, and middle school math and computer teacher at schools in South Dakota and California. Tim has his undergraduate degree from Dordt and advanced degrees from Azusa Pacific University and the University of South Dakota.

3 Comments on “CACE Launches New Project: Teaching for Transformation”

  1. As CACE works to support Christian Ed., it is exciting to hear that Teaching for Transformation will be able to be an influence in more schools. Utilizing the tools shared via Teaching for Transformation (TfT) has been inspirational to my teaching and has renewed my understanding of what teaching Christianly is about. I have improved my instruction while developing lessons and units that better point students toward their place in God’s story. Because of the positive impact it has had in my classroom and school, I look forward to seeing how God will work in the distribution of TfT and am excited for teachers to have access to the ideas found in the Teaching for Transformation program.

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