reflection on my trip to Israel

Due to the logistical consideration, this trip was done from North to South of Israel and not based on Chronological sequence.
Day 1
From Singapore to Tel Aviv
Places visited - Caesarea Maritima + Megiddo + Nazareth Biblical Village + Mt Precipice + Nazareth town
It was in interesting experience to step upon the soil of the “Holy land”.
The place helped to explain the scripture because of the references to the actual or traditional sites.
We were not supposed to visit Megiddo. But was glad that the rain helped us to take shelter there. I had always wondered how Megiddo looked like since this would be the place for the final battle.
The Biblical village was very well done up to help us appreciate the times of Jesus. The bonus was to meet my uncle and auntie with Rev Lorna here as well.
Was saddened to see the place of our faith being replaced by others.
Nazareth had been occupied by the muslim for a long time now.

Day 2
Journey to Mt of Beatitudes, Mt Beatitudes, Capernaum, Near St Peter’s Primacy,
Crossing Sea Galilee
Mt of Beatitudes was very crowded. Many came to read scriptures, worship and visit this historic place. Wondered if their acts were worship or ritual. Such a fine line.
Capernaum was a good education site to show us how close the people stayed with one another. It further reinforced the experience at the biblical village. Jesus was a next door neighbour to the people in this place. While a happening town during Jesus’ time, this place is no bigger than 2 football field.
Crossing the Galilee sea was a very nice experience. Beside, soaking in all the memories we read about what Jesus did, I was treated to an experience of casting net too. I managed to catch 1 fish! Haah. Guide told us that it was great because most could not due to the engine of the boat. Jo encouraged me that because I was teachable, God would bless me with fruits or fish! What a blessing to have jo with me to speak such wise words to me! Felt that was indeed His encouragement.

Day 3
Before Jordon; St Peter’s Primacy and Cliff, Jordon River, Journey to Jerusalem
Instead of Tabgha, we went to St Peter’s Primacy. As I stared into the sea of Galilee, I heard someone singing the song with words of Jn21. Then I heard a preacher preaching behind me about the passage. When I walked to the status, I saw “Feed My Sheep”. It was likened to Jesus telling me 3 times that if I loved Him I should feed His sheep. I felt so moved within.
Yes Lord. I am determined to grow in loving You through serving Your people!
It was not a chance event that only Primacy’s was open at that hour. It was God’s place for me at His time.
Drove past the Cliff whereby traditionally believed to be the place whereby the swine rushed down when they were possessed by the demonic spirits.
Another bonus visit.
Reached Jordon river. Decided to go down the river for personal experience. But as I went through the experience, I suddenly was awakened to the fact that I shared Jesus’ experience in Jordon river too. It was definitely not a baptism experience for me. But I believe it was God’s provision for me to rededicate and reaffirm my baptismal commitment made 22yrs ago when I was 21. After Primacy (recommissioning) to Jordon (rededicating) I felt so blessed in this trip.
AS we entered Jerusalem, i was feeling excited. Finally, we were reaching the final place of the Jesus’ earthly ministry. When I saw the dome, I was feeling very mixed and yet hopeful. Mixed because it was occupied by the muslim, hopeful because God promised a new Jerusalem.

Day 4
Bethlehem, Shepherd’s field, Holy Sepulchre, Via Dolorosa, Upper Room
Saw the words – Fear builds walls and Friendship builds bridges on the Palestine area.
Appreciated the drawings as it was the way then to communicate the story of Jesus. Yet mindful of the possible idolatry practices involved.
When through most of the 14 stations. Could not feel much because of the deep religious practices.
But was sad that it had turned out to be such. Another place was Mt Zion – the Holy Mountain of God. It had become living quarters of muslim and others. Nothing really spiritual except the traditional sites for the Upper room and David’s burial site.

Day 5
Church of St Peter in Gallicantu, Dominus Flevit, Triumphant entrance, Garden of Gethsemane, Church of all nations
The place with the greatest impact for us was when we were at the dungeon reading Ps 84. Caught a glimpse of Jesus’ pain of isolation and disappointment.
Spent considerable time there pondering on the cross…I missed You Lord.

Day 6
Garden Tomb, Damascus Gates, Western wall, Southern Wall
God provided SUN on this place (rain for Gesthsemane) and for us an ordained minister to serve us Lord’s supper – Rev Lorna.
It was great to meet my uncle and auntie and Rev Lorna there. She was so kind to administer the elements to us.
We spent some time reflecting on the significance of the place. But finally I felt the greatest point of this place was to show that He was not here anymore!
At the southern wall, appreciated the other guide who told his group about the significant of the place ie Peter preached to 3000 and baptised them there. And the reference to Mt of Olive during Jesus’ ministry. Again God provided.

Day 7
Free and easy
Saw Zechariah’s tomb and the dial with all the places marked. Jerusalem was truly a place for bible study and understanding.
Home

Overall
Thankful to God for the trip, for the chance to share my life, for His provision throughout.
Personally felt recommissioned, rededicated and renewed to start His ministry.
Also during the last few days, the call to cancel the family trip was made because of H1N1. Was sad and worried about losing the money involved. God assured me with His reminder that He had provided. True enough, Korea Air refunded us in FULL.
Praise God for He is truly our Provider!

Schooling for the service of Love - reading 3

Educator B.V. Hill has suggested “teaching as reconciliation” as a way to approach the question of teaching Christianly.
- child in relation to society
- education of thinking and feeling
- educational decision making
The key issue standing in the way of reconciliation in schooling is the dominant value that is given to autonomous human mastery in contemporary schooling. Unless we address this issue anything else we do will be no more than a token gesture.

The secular values of mastery
The knowledge that is most valued in schooling is the knowledge that facilitate this autonomous mastery.
Knowledge as power for mastery is the priority value in schooling because mastery is the priority value in life.
They are admired because they symbolise that most important of human values in this world, the power of human mastery.
The idea of mastery in the value system of the modern secular world is an idolatrous distortion of the biblical calling to rule and subdue the earth. The biblical calling is a calling to a rule over creation in the service of love. The chief end of human life is loving God with all we are and have and our neighbour as ourselves.
In the biblical calling power is a trust to be exercised on behalf of another. This means that the power is used rightly only as it is used to advance the interests of love as revealed by the God who is love.

In the biblical calling all exercise of power is valued only as it serves the ends of love.
The idolatrous secular idea of mastery all too often prevents us from living out the words of Jesus;
- we overlook the simple fact that “mastery” is the equivalent of “lordship”.
- The dominance of the idea of mastery as an educational and life goal stands in the way of reconciliation because it represents life as a contest, a battle, to be won.
- I may have the most sincere desire for reconciliation but if the manner of my living is governed by a motivating principle that generates alienation (mastery/lordship) it will remain a frustrated desire.
- Abandoning mastery as a (ultimate) life value will transform the whole of our educational practice.
- We will want to assess how effectively these concepts and skills have been integrated in a wisdom that shows understanding and appreciation leading to responsible action.
- By rejecting mastery as a life value we refuse to recognise the power that comes with knowledge as having value in itself, but only as equipment for the service of love.
- The practice of competition has been distorted by the idolatrous idea of mastery.
(competition in itself may be neutral)
- The healthy ingredient in competition is the kind of rivalry in which the achievements of one spur others on to similar or even greater achievement.
- The secular ideal of mastery perverts this good thing by changing the direction of rivalry from the attainment of a common goal to the outdoing of the other person.
- A healthy rivalry is not directed towards winning against others who become losers, or also-rans, but towards achieving a common goal together.

Serving God in love
To be human is to shape and control our world.
The goal of human life we understand to be the service of God in love; Matt 20:28, 22:37-38.
Every attempt to exercise mastery that is divorced from this loving service is inevitably distorting in its effects.
What the school can do, and what it is uniquely fitted to do, is provide the knowledge base that will enable is students to develop a fullness of service in love. This will provide its students with invaluable preparation for life, regardless of the spiritual direction they take. It will bear its richest fruit in those students who go on to live their lives in a personal commitment to God by faith in Jesus Christ.
To achieve so; we need to recognise the 3 major goal for schooling;
Learning for understanding
Learning for appreciation
Learning for responsible action

Learning for understanding
One of the great failure of modern secular schooling is its failure to give serious attention to the questions of meaning that are given implicit answers in the ordering systems taught to students.
- meanings are taught as part of the hidden curriculum with the result that students adopt these meaning without critical testing.
Humans may find it important to find a higher meaning for life but this is an issue that is beyond the scope of science.
- the assumption of a science free of religious questions is itself a religious assumption.
- We must do this in a way that makes it plain that these are not questions external to science but are fundamental to an understanding of the nature of science itself.
- Christian schooling that aims for learning with understanding will not allow the questions of meaning that are implicit in every area of learning to remain part of a hidden curriculum or implicit, untested assumption.
Education for understanding also affects the choice of what to include in the school curriculum and what priority to give to what is included. We will surely not only include areas of learning but give them high priority if they enhance students’ understanding even if they contribute nothing to their ability to control the world.

Learning for appreciation
Much of the riches of creation that God has given to us to enjoy is passed by or despised as valueless, or of little value, because it does not advance the cause of human mastery.
We value it, not because of what we can do with it, but because of the riches of God’s gift to us.
We know we cannot serve God in the fullness of love if we fail to appreciate and enjoy in thankfulness the riches of his gifts to us – to lead our students to know this world with appreciation of its diverse riches so that they will be equipped to enjoy this world to the full in thankfulness to God (Ps 145,147,148, Act 14:14-17, 1Tim 4:25,6:17).
Students need to be led by teacher who directs attention to the wealth that is to be found in the experienced world.
The development of this breadth of appreciation is not be regarded as an extra – it is not a program of personal enrichment added to basic knowledge.

Learning for responsible action
We want students to develop a knowledge base that enables them to exercise a dominion over the world that controls their environment for good.
However the goal of acquiring this knowledge is responsible action, not autonomous mastery.
It is only by doing so that learning for mastery can be what it ought to be, learning for responsible action in the service of love.

What have I learnt over these few days?
As I pause and thank God for the life He has blessed me with, I am caught with the awareness of how times have flown by…I am now 43yrs old.

I joked that every birthday is another notch downwards to the end of the burning candle. We are closer to our ends….Jo reminded me that it was also closer to our new beginning in heaven.

What a difference in perspective!

Interestingly, I am also reminded that I should be heaven-focused - longing for heavenly home more than earthly habitat by Edmund.

Today, I went to CHC for their celebrity outreach service. I was blessed by the many changed lives among all the artistes and celebrities.

Yet within me, I asked if I had past my prime, my best years, my best contribution. Jokingly I reminded myself I could not sing nor dance like them. And it was within second, God reminded me that I had offered to the painful world, not through singing nor dancing, but through His enabling in my life. He “rewinded” the video of my life and showed me the times He used me to bless His people, teach His flock, challenge His leaders.

My place is not on the stage of this world! Nor politics! Nor business!

My place is in the house of God. I am and have been called to be His pastor, His shepherd, His servant.

Yes, I can lay down the approval of man, the applauds of the audience, the affirmation of the world. I can lay down the limelight, the media, the flashy world. Because my soul longs for the courts of the Lord…..I miss the time of godly contemplation, the time of repentance at the altar, the time of worship, the time of being with God…..for such is what I am made for.

God, I miss you Lord. I miss Your Intimacy, Your closeness, Your healing presence, Your convicting works, Your amazing grace…Lord I miss You.

Forgive me for choosing the broken cistern of the world instead of the beautiful fountain of life. Forgive me for giving in to worldly pleasure rather than heavenly joy.
Forgive me for giving up…..

Thank you Lord for not giving up…
Thank you Lord for still loving me…
Thank you Lord for grace still amazing…

By Your Grace, I will arise…..

Reading 3 : Stuart Fowler - schooling for the service of love

Educator B.V. Hill has suggested “teaching as reconciliation” as a way to approach the question of teaching Christianly.
- child in relation to society
- education of thinking and feeling
- educational decision making
The key issue standing in the way of reconciliation in schooling is the dominant value that is given to autonomous human mastery in contemporary schooling. Unless we address this issue anything else we do will be no more than a token gesture.

The secular values of mastery
The knowledge that is most valued in schooling is the knowledge that facilitate this autonomous mastery.
Knowledge as power for mastery is the priority value in schooling because mastery is the priority value in life.
They are admired because they symbolise that most important of human values in this world, the power of human mastery.
The idea of mastery in the value system of the modern secular world is an idolatrous distortion of the biblical calling to rule and subdue the earth. The biblical calling is a calling to a rule over creation in the service of love. The chief end of human life is loving God with all we are and have and our neighbour as ourselves.
In the biblical calling power is a trust to be exercised on behalf of another. This means that the power is used rightly only as it is used to advance the interests of love as revealed by the God who is love.
In the biblical calling all exercise of power is valued only as it serves the ends of love.
The idolatrous secular idea of mastery all too often prevents us from living out the words of Jesus;
we overlook the simple fact that “mastery” is the equivalent of “lordship”.
The dominance of the idea of mastery as an educational and life goal stands in the way of reconciliation because it represents life as a contest, a battle, to be won.
I may have the most sincere desire for reconciliation but if the manner of my living is governed by a motivating principle that generates alienation (mastery/lordship) it will remain a frustrated desire.
Abandoning mastery as a (ultimate) life value will transform the whole of our educational practice.
We will want to assess how effectively these concepts and skills have been integrated in a wisdom that shows understanding and appreciation leading to responsible action.
By rejecting mastery as a life value we refuse to recognise the power that comes with knowledge as having value in itself, but only as equipment for the service of love.
The practice of competition has been distorted by the idolatrous idea of mastery.
(competition in itself may be neutral)
The healthy ingredient in competition is the kind of rivalry in which the achievements of one spur others on to similar or even greater achievement.
The secular ideal of mastery perverts this good thing by changing the direction of rivalry from the attainment of a common goal to the outdoing of the other person.
A healthy rivalry is not directed towards winning against others who become losers, or also-rans, but towards achieving a common goal together.

Serving God in love
To be human is to shape and control our world.
The goal of human life we understand to be the service of God in love; Matt 20:28, 22:37-38.
Every attempt to exercise mastery that is divorced from this loving service is inevitably distorting in its effects.
What the school can do, and what it is uniquely fitted to do, is provide the knowledge base that will enable is students to develop a fullness of service in love. This will provide its students with invaluable preparation for life, regardless of the spiritual direction they take. It will bear its richest fruit in those students who go on to live their lives in a personal commitment to God by faith in Jesus Christ.
To achieve so; we need to recognise the 3 major goal for schooling;
Learning for understanding
Learning for appreciation
Learning for responsible action

A letter i can resonate with...

I am attaching a letter from a concerned Christian to the Archbishop of Anglican. I think the thoughts expressed are very important for us to contemplate. The question is not to act immediately but rather to know how then shall we live in the light of the situation. Hope you find your heart resonate just as it has for me.

Dear Most Revd. Dr John Chew,
I woke up this morning with a headache and bulging goldfish eyes. Not surprising because this alwayshappens when I cry a lot.Last night, after spending more than 10 hours witnessing the battle that went on in AWARE yesterday, I tooka cab home. I was finally alone, away from the maddening crowds in Suntec City. In solitude, I cried and tearscontinued to flow even after I got home at 1 am.

First, I cried for Josie Lau and her team. Whether I agree with the way they took over theleadership of AWARE, they were nevertheless my sisters-in-Christ. It was heart-wrenching to see how theywere attacked. They fought with their hands “tied” and with little support. The church was not behind themalthough it was the very set of beliefs the church taught them that they stood up for. In the meantime, the othercamp had a lot of support from various factions of the society including certain international lobby groups.

At the EGM, Josie Lau and her team tried to show Christian love to a crowd who hated them. They werejeered and booed. No one gave them a chance to speak, throwing allegations at their faith and attacking theircompetence. Josie and her team tried to be gracious but they were not appreciated. And when they raised theirvoices for some law and order, they were criticized for being rude and unchristian. It was a lose-lose situationfor Josie and her team. They had to live out a testimony of what it means to be a Christian and they were notallowed to use the same battle tactics as the opposing team who did not come to listen to reasons nor facts.

For the first time in my life, I witnessed a “massacre” of Christians. Also for the first time, I felt it was a crimeto be a Christian. I suddenly understood how Jesus felt when he was on His way to Calvary.


Second, I cried for all Christians and for the Church in Singapore. I disagree with many church leaders' stand that Christians should not get involved in a secular organisation like AWARE.

Aren't the organisations we work for, the schools we attend secular? We cannot hold leadership just becauseour faith and beliefs belong to that of Christ? And if my Christian beliefs form the very core of who I am, whyare you asking me not to exercise them in the world I live in? How relevant then is my faith if I am asked tokeep them within the four walls of the church? And we wonder why our young people abandon the faith oncethey leave school. We haven’t figured out?

If Christians are not allowed to be involved in AWARE, who can? And since most organisations are secular,should we stay out from all of them? If not, then which secular organisations can Christians be involved inand which ones should we stay out from?

Being a Christian and holding leadership position in a secular organisation like AWARE does not mean that itwill be turned into a Christian advocacy group. Josie and her team said many times that they intended for AWARE to be fully represented but nobody wanted to listen. Why? Because the other group wants thefreedom to do anything and everything they desire, in the name of inclusiveness. They know that many oftheir beliefs and lifestyles run contrary to the teachings of Christianity. They are afraid.

Do you know what it means now that AWARE's leadership has gone to the liberalists, the secularists? Theynow have to be pro-choice. They owe it to certain activist groups for supporting them. Being pro-choicemeans they are for pre-marital sex, abortion, divorce, same-sex marriage just to name a few. Yesterday, amandate was given to them to advocate their set of beliefs.

A recognised legal body that claims to represent all women, they can go into schools, homes, institutions andeverywhere in Singapore to propagate their beliefs. In a democratic society, it means that they have the legalstatus to "infiltrate" especially now that everyone is aware that they have been "democratically" voted.2Although I am certain that the government will keep an eye on this group, it means Christians can no longerhide under the umbrella of a conservative government who is under a lot of pressure to open up. We are nowleft to fend for ourselves. A male nominated member of parliament was at the EGM yesterday. Although itwas quoted that he was there as a legal adviser to the old guards, why did he bother to get involved?

Arising from this saga, what do you think is the message to all Christians? It is to "stay away from all secularorganisations and keep your faith to yourself. Christians have no business propagating their faith". From now on, just saying that you are a Christian will immediately bring to mind the AWARE saga and just like how wesaw the liberalists toppled Josie and her team, we will be told to shut up because we are Christians and wehave no part in controversial decisions in any secular organisations we work for.

It just makes living out your faith and evangelising for Christ, a key command from God, even harder fromnow on. And unless Christians speak up and make a stand, we will be drowned and stepped all over.

As much as I understand most Churches’ position for not wanting to get involved in the AWARE saga for fearthat it would taint the reputation of Christianity or that it would tread into the realm of political controversy, Iwish our spiritual leaders have stood up in unity and spoke against some of the activities, for example, the sexuality programme used by the old guards to teach our children in the schools. By steering clear completely,it is indirectly saying that we are fine even with what they were propagating.

In my humble opinion, we have lost more battle grounds in yesterday’s saga. Perhaps we would have lostanyway but could we have lost less? We could even show our young what it means to live for Christ in afallen world through some practical actions. But did we?

Third, I cried for Singapore. The government has just allowed a powerful group to set Singapore'sagenda and this group will make their voices heard in the next election and perhaps even overturn some of our conservative laws.

To our politicians, I seek clarification on the definition of religion and secularism and how do both of theseco-exist in multi-religious Singapore. Can you actually separate one’s religious values from its expression inthe public sphere in matters that concern an individual?

How does one define religion anyway? They have relentlessly said that religion is very sensitive and canpotentially divide our nation. But can a set of beliefs, regardless of where they are derived, fervently held andwhich governs one’s life be a religion? I think so. Yesterday, I saw many people who embrace liberalismturning up in force at Suntec City in support of their beliefs. They were so united and single-minded in whatthey were fighting for. To me, some of them even seemed to be fighting for their right to live. To me, that wasreligion.

In that case, the AWARE’s saga was a fight between two religions. And in all battles, one won and one lost.We lost.

Every country in the world has to be governed by some philosophy and beliefs. Politicians subscribe to certainthinking and values and laws are formulated or amended on those values. Some sorts of beliefs have to takeprecedent over others. Going forward, what is Singapore’s? Secular? Define it.

Singapore wants to be pluralistic and accommodate everyone from all walks of life and from all over theworld in our tiny island. And they want us to live happily together. But can it? Let us not forget thatgeographically, Singapore is very small. Unlike the United States or even Malaysia where I can choose to livein Texas if I don’t like the openness in California or Kelantan instead of Kuala Lumpur if I like to raise myfamily in a more conservative state respectively, I cannot do that in Singapore. And since I like my space,would I be given a choice to reject the society’s dominant values that others determine for me and for which Imay choose not to embrace?3

Finally, I cried for our children. We all try to raise our children to become God-fearing men andwomen who can be salt and light of this world. Some of us even quit our full-time jobs to stay home so thatwe can teach our children God’s ways. To protect our children in today’s internet age, we fight off the newmedia which try to influence our children. Yesterday, I tried to fight off sexuality teachings that ran contraryto God’s words. And tomorrow, I will be fighting off gamblers, drug couriers, prostitutes and gangs. Honestly,I don’t know what kind of environment or the degree of influence and temptations our children would befaced with when they grow up and when they start raising their own children. How can we make it easier forthem to live out their faith? Or are we just making it tougher?

As Christians participating in God’s agenda and battle, what are we lacking? Practical tools. Our churcheshave done a good job teaching us the biblical truth and the word of God. Most of our children have thisknowledge in their heads. However, equipping them with knowledge alone is insufficient. We need todemonstrate to our children how to apply God’s truths, how to stand up for them and if need be, fight for thesetruths.

In short, we need to show them what it means to stand up and be counted for God in a secular world, i.e. to bein this world but not of it. We had an opportunity yesterday but we missed it.

In conclusion, I would like to state some facts that won’t be carried in our mainstream media. I wouldalso like to put forth some questions for all Christians to ponder. First and foremost, who decided to usereligion and set it as an agenda in the AWARE saga?

Constitutionally, Josie and her team were above board. They were elected during the AGM a month ago totake over the leadership. Like any organisation with a constitution, it was based on votes and they won onvotes. Neither was the takeover sneaky. Those of us who have worked in secular organisations, and AWAREis a secular organisation, know that takeovers are never friendly. When was religion ever an issue in anysecular organisational takeover?

Our mainstream media, though they tried to be objective, was unfortunately not. From the start, they alreadyknew which side they wanted to support. Why was the coverage on the event so skewed towards the winningparty? Why carry so much of the winning party’s voice and why interview so many of their supporters? I didnot see them going around just as excitedly in seeking the opinions of Josie’s supporters yesterday.

When Dr Thio was asked by MOE to validate and substantiate her statements on Tuesday, my PR team foughtagainst time to issue a statement to the press only to be told that they don’t intend to carry her side of the story.

When Josie and her team wanted to send the media their vision and philosophy that they have crafted forAWARE, the media told them that they are not interested.

Why run the churches’ stories two days and eventhe eve of the EGM?

Are we aware that the AWARE story was the number one world story in twitters? The other camp was madeup of generally young people who are savvy with social media and they leveraged on those tools. Ninety-ninepercent of those on twitters were dead against Josie and her team.

Are we also aware that they have set up hate websites to hit out at Christians and all on Josie’s team? We allknow that Josie received death threats. Do we also know that everyone on that team had letters or calls writtento their employers asking their employers to justify their presence in the organisations? Why is it that no onespoke up about such tactics?

Further, how aware are we that the other group’s supporters comprised mainly of relatively young people?These are going to be our children’s leaders or counterparts. Josie’s camp was made up of middle aged menand women who did not dress, behave or even speak the same “language” as our young today.

What happenedto our young Christian people? Shouldn’t they be interested in what is happening?

And what about the facts regarding the sexuality programme? Are they true? For those who are unsure andwould like to know what’s been propagated, I have a copy and would be happy to lend it to you for yourpersonal reading. It contains the selected controversial pages and we can all judge for ourselves if we wantthis material taught to our children.

For me, this AWARE saga was a chance to practise and learn to stand up for Christ. Regardless of whichangle you choose to see this event, it was obvious that our faith was attacked. I am very thankful for thisopportunity and to be reminded that we are living in the last days. Come to think of it, I played a very smallrole in this whole episode. I liken myself to the soldier guarding the armoury while my comrades went out tofight. The sad thing was my armoury was filled with pistols while my foes were using machine guns. It wasvery painful to have to witness my comrades’ getting injured and knowing that there is nothing I can do aboutit. But one thing I know – God is still in charge and He is sovereign. He will bring to pass what He revealed inRevelations.

But it also means that Christians have to be ready to stand up and fight for our faith. Otherwise we would be useless in God’s army because He cannot use us. To be ready and useful, we must start to learn what it meansto be steadfast and to live out our faith. Speaking up in defence of our beliefs is a start.

In-His-Love, XXX

Summary of MI and teaching strategies by Thomas A.

Reading 8 – Thomas Armstrong, 1994, Multiple intelligences in the classroom (pp 65-85)
MI and Teaching Strategies


“If the only tool you have is hammer, everything around you looks like a nail.” – Anonymous


MI theory suggests that one set of teaching strategies will work best for all students at all times.


Teaching strategies for Linguistic Intelligence
- Storytelling
Weave essential concepts, ideas and instructional goals into a story that you tell directly to students.
- Brainstorming
Give special acknowledgement to all students for their original thoughts.
- Tape recording
Collector of information in interview and reporter of information in talking books
- Journal writing
Can be kept entirely private between teachers and students…
Draws heavily upon intrapersonal intelligence insofar as students work individually and use the journal to reflect upon their lives.
- Publishing
Educator must send the message that writing is a powerful tool for communicating ideas and influencing people.
When children see that others care enough about their writing to duplicate it, discuss it, and even argue about it, they become linguistically empowered and are motivated to continue developing their writing craft.


Teaching strategies for Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
- Calculations and quantifications
Even at non-Math subject
- Classifications and categorizations
Logical mind can be stimulated anytime information is put into some kind of rational framework
- Socratic Questioning
Instead of talking at students, the teacher participates in dialogues with them, aiming to uncover the rightness and wrongness of their belief
- Heuristics
The field of heuristics refers to a loose collection of strategies, rules of thumb, guidelines, and suggestions for logical problem solving
- Science Thinking
Students can study influence of science on history and present day situations.
Science provides another point of view that can enrich student’s perspective.
Teaching strategies for Spatial Intelligence
- Visualisation
- Colour Cues
- Picture Metaphors
A metaphor is using one idea to refer to another and a picture metaphor expresses an idea in a visual image.
- Idea Sketching
Involve asking students to draw key point, main idea, central theme, or core concept being taught. Neatness and realism should be DE-emphasised in favour of a succession of quick sketches that help articulate an idea eg Pictionary
Do not evaluate the drawing themselves; instead, seek to “draw out” students’ understanding from the sketches.
- Graphic Symbols


Teaching strategies for Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
- Body Answers
- Classroom Theater
Can be one minute improvisation of a reading passage or a one-hour play that sums up students’ understanding of a broad learning theme.
Try warm up exercises for older students who maybe reluctant to engage in dramatic activities.
- Kinesthetic Concepts
Translate information from linguistic or logical symbol systems into purely bodily-kinesthetic expression
- Hands-on Thinking
Manipulating objects or by making things with their hands.
- Body Maps
Using human body as pedagogical tool.


Teaching strategies for Musical Intelligence
- Rhythms, songs, raps and chants

Inviting students to create songs, raps, or chants that summarise, synthesize, or apply meaning from subjects they are studying moves students to an even higher level of learning.
- Discographies
Supplement your bibliographies for the curriculum with lists of recorded musical selections – tapes, compact discs, and records, - that illustrate, embody, or amplify the content you want to convey.
- Supermemory Music
Students could more easily commit information, to memory if they listened to the teacher’s instruction against musical background. Baroque and classical musical selections in 4/4 time were found to be particularly effective.
- Music Concepts
Musical tones can be used as a creative tool for expressing concepts, patterns, or schemas in many subjects.
- Mood Music
Locate recorded music that creates an appropriate mood or emotional atmosphere for a particular lesson or unit.


Teaching strategies for Interpersonal Intelligence
- Peer sharing
- People Sculptures
The beauty of this approach is in having people represent things that were formerly represented only in books, overheads, or lectures. People sculptures raise learning out of its remote theoretical context and put it into an immediately accessible social setting.
- Cooperative Groups
- Simulations
Involves a group of people coming together to create an “as-if” environment.


Teaching strategies for Intrapersonal Intelligence
- One minute reflection period
Frequent “time out” for introspection or deep thinking. One min reflection periods offer students time to digest the information presented or to connect it to happenings in their own lives. They also provide a refreshing change of pace that helps students stay alert and ready for the next activity.
- Personal connection
Making connection between what is being taught and the lives of their students ie “what does all this have to do with my life?”
- Choice time
Give students choices is as much a fundamental principle of good teaching; building opportunities for students to make decisions about their learning experiences.
- Feeling-toned moments
To feed that emotional brain, educators need to teach with feeling. Educators are responsible for creating moments in teaching where students laugh, feel angry, express strong opinion, get excited about a topic, or feel a wide range of other emotions.
Educator can model, make it safe and provide experiences that evoke feeling-toned reactions.
- Goal setting session
Necessary skills for leading a successful life.

Reflection on AWARE saga as a Singaporean

I have mixed feeling about the whole AWARE saga. I risked being labeled and misunderstood to pen my reflection. But i will do so because i love Singapore.

As a Singaporean, i am saddened by the display of mob behavior at the SUNTEC EGM. Granted there were pent-up emotion and feeling for "justice" to be served. But the scene of booing and shouting is definitely not the society i am proud of.I am neither for any groups in particular. i think both groups can definitely learn from the whole experience.

Another thought i have is concerning RESPECT. i dont agree that RESPECT needs to be earned. RESPECT is a basic atitude we should have in dealing with ALL of humanity. We RESPECT not because someone has done something worthwhile for us to RESPECT. Because going by this arguement, many people would not need to be respected ie beggar, HIV patients, etc. Whoever started the saying, "Respect needs to be earned", could have misused the word. I would think "Recognition needs to be earned" because recognition is given to people who earned it but not RESPECT. We RESPECT others simply because we are HUMAN. RESPECTING others need not the reflection of the other person's worth or standing.

Thus, in conclusion, we all have lost. We have lost our RESPECT for our fellow country-women, we have lost our sense of civil-mindness, we have lost our ways.....Ironically for the purpose of finding the Singapore society.