Designing the Grade 12 Christian Life Education Curriculum of Xavier School Nuvali Through the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm and the Life-Faith-Life Framework

Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts major in Theological Studies

Department

Theology

First Advisor

Fr. Eric Marcelo Genilo, SJ, STD

Abstract

This project began with essentially three questions that the modules presented tried to answer. How can Xavier School Nuvali design a G12 CLE curriculum that is reflective of the school’s vision of persons fully alive endowed with a passion for justice and the skills for development and faithful to the school motto: Luceat Lux! Let your light shine!? This project attempted to give an answer by defining Xavier’s Approaches to Teaching the 6 C’s (its core values) which basically roots Xavier School’s education to The Characteristics of Jesuit Education, the foundational document that had articulated the identity and mission of Jesuit schools and to the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, a practical approach to teaching itself. The first stage of every module/unit planning is always dedicated to defining the goals of the said module in relation to how such goals help concretize the vision and mission of the school. All of these define how Xavier will proceed in its teaching and assessing. Given the dangers facing our students in the digital age and a greater consciousness of the sensus fidei, what guidelines/principles can we draw up for an effective holistic formation in the faith in Xavier School Nuvali as a Jesuit school? This project is anchored on the centrality of Christ in any faith formation and its ultimate goal is to bring students ever closer to Christ and ever committed to following Him especially in the work of justice for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalized. The project made use the Ignatian pedagogy that is concretely manifested in both the frameworks of the pastoral circle and the Life-Faith-Life approach. The educational framework Understanding by Design (UbD) and the methods of Visible Thinking are also used to answer the question such that the modules of this project are all designed according to and infused with the central and common principles of all of these frameworks and approaches. How do we design modules that will teach and form Xaverians into the school’s hoped-for graduate who is compassionate, competent, religious, loving, and committed to doing justice? How do we achieve the goal of the Xaverian as a thinking and a serving believer? The modules try to answer v this by presenting to our students a worldview and a vision of the human person as good, created in the image of God, with inviolable dignity and called to be a steward of God’s creation – a person who is (or must be) Christ-like. The Ignatian pedagogy used by the modules presents lessons out of the personal context and experience of the students, with stress on uncovering and exploring the patterns of relationships, questions, insights, problems, solutions and implications to what it means to them as individuals and as human persons. The hope is for students to come to a point where through all of these experiences, he or she can and will form or reform his or her attitudes and behavior, his or her thoughts and actions towards other people and the world. Because the modules of this project went beyond mere coverage of content and tried to create every possible opportunity for meaning making using visible thinking strategies, they will take longer to implement and require much more energy and commitment and might be a source of insecurity in terms of accomplishing academic requirements. But, the seeds of holistic faith formation are more deeply planted when well planned, well executed, given proper time, not hurried, and seen as more than just an academic subject to be accomplished. When teaching is done and seen this particular way, the students get more attuned to the prodding of the Holy Spirit and to the message of Christ for them, making even the teacher feel and sense such divine presence in and out of the classroom.

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