I was reflecting today on the joy it is to engage in our St. Stephen’s University philosophy of education – Three Voice Learning. Our classes went beyond study, deep into formation, transformation and renewal. Dr. Peter Fitch, our Dean of Ministry, elucidated the idea to me a few weeks ago:
Three-Voice Learning depends on:
1. The Voice Of The Text (the historic or current writer/author)
Today, reflections from Ignatius, Therese of Avila, Francis Of Assissi, and Paul graced our Spiritual Formation class. The authors speak to us, and we engage them.
2. The Voice Of The Person (the teacher and participant)
Our classes are roundtable, conversational and engaging. Truth is unearthed from the dialogue of contrasting perspectives, and the riches that rise to the surface continue to astound me.
3. The Voice Of The Holy Spirit (the God we invite to guide us into truth)
I cannot express how often the room has felt as though it should go silent, or ecstatic, as the Holy Spirit elevates a beautiful idea, or a transforming vision of God, the world or ourselves, before our eyes. Many times in our classes, we must simply stop and be silent, or pray, or sing.
What a privilege to both teach, and learn, in this format. I don’t think I can ever go back to my Penn State classes of 500 watching a lecturer on a screen in an overflow room.
I am spoiled for the conversation that is Three-Voice Learning.
6 Comments
Well Dan… i believe you just described the feeling i get in many of your classes!
I think that when learning from a lecturer talking at you… you have to be taught the same thing over and over again until it sinks in and even then there is no personal link to the subject or to the historical character that you are investigating.
However i have come to realise that in a smaller setting, with some written wisdom and inviting the Holy Spirit in to the class… then you have an open heart and mind to others and to views that you may never have been open to before…. Also it feels like i only have to learn things once because you connect with it!
This Three-Voice Learning is a great description i must say! Talk soon…. Dan
Cool, Dan. It’s been fun participating in this process with you involved. It taps into the wisdom that is in the student/participant, and when voiced, it changes the class. As the teacher, it’s such a joy to ride the waves, then bring it back to the main point, then ride the waves, etc.
Yeah, i think that the only danger is getting of topic at times… i think it’s nice to get into the flow of sharing our lives as well as learning from others lives. So it’s rather perfect that we have someone to direct our conversations back to the main point… hehe i think that our group could probably talk for hours without knowing it!
Yes; it’s unique thought when “off topic” yields such profound moments and results. I would have liked to get “off topic” more often in university, and did with one of my favorite professors, Doug Jacobsen at Messiah College in Pennsylvania.
Incoming Links
Leave a Reply