Running head: LEARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

Learning is Contagious
Mark Livengood
Liberty University
07/04/2014

Abstract

Many people have had an influence on education. Some of the most influential people
include Plato, Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Maria Montessori, and Johann
Pestalozzi. The impact of each of these philosopher educators must be interpreted by the teacher
to determine best practices and the role of the teacher in the modern day classroom. This article
reflects the views of the author and contends that the most important role a teacher has is to make
learnin contagious regardless of the content area.

LEARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

2
Introduction

Throughout history education has played an important role in molding and sculpting the views of
both individuals and societies. Leaders of some nations have purposefully limited the amount of
education accessible to citizens in order to prevent or quell uprisings (Smith, p. 351). Leaders of other
nations have strived to ensure that all citizens receive as much education as possible in order to pursue
technological advancements or philosophical superiority. In the hands of the wrong men, education can be
a catalyst for fascism, genocide, and war. In the hands of the right men, education can be a powerful
catalyst for change, freedom, and an opportunity to know and adore God as creator, savior, redeemer, and
friend. Learning that leads to understanding who God is and his purpose for the learners life is
contagious and transmittable from learner to teacher and teacher to learner.
Worldview & Philosophy of Life
Many different philosophies have developed and unfolded around the topic of education. Each
different philosophy seeks to create a lens through which to view the world. Each lens embraces the
values of idealism, realism, scholasticism, or neo-scholasticism. Ones understanding of the purpose of
education cannot be separated from ones worldview.
Idealism
Christianity is often accused of being an offshoot of Platonism. Certain scholars have analyzed
the writings of Paul the Apostle and concluded that he, and therefore all of his followers are neoPlatonists guising the platonic worldview with religious Judaic language. Paul writes of a spiritual
warfare (Ephesians 6:1-11) and describes invisible events taking place in what is perceived as a parallel
spiritual universe. Some Christian denominations appear to have at least in part embraced the idea of a
dual universe in which warfare in another realm effects daily life in this realm.
Although Christianity is not an offshoot of Platonic thought there is a notable resemblance
between idealism and the morality taught in scripture. For Plato, ethical decisions were not based on the
needs of man and his interpretation of experience. Ethical decisions were based on the idea that there is
good and there is evil in the world. Christianity also recognizes the existence of good and evil but

LEARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

quantifies them differently. Good is anything that reflects the character of God. Evil is anything that does
not. This distinction between idealism and Christianity is important because at the heart of Christian
philosophy is a belief in ones ability to know God.
Realism
Where the idealist is inclined to assign meaning to events, a realist is inclined to focus on the
observable event itself. No meaning is assigned to an event unless it is observed. Aristotle, a realist
philosopher, proposed that only that which can be seen and observed is truly knowable. This view was not
well received by early church fathers who acknowledge that, faith is the substance of things hoped for
and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
Neo-scholasticism
Aristotles worldview was not adequately acknowledged or embraced by the church until Thomas
Aquinas began using Aristotelian logic to defend Christianity against the ontological arguments espoused
by Muslim philosophers around the time of the crusades. Realists embrace the idea that one acquires
knowledge by observing the natural world and making logical conclusions. Thomas Aquinas, a catholic
monk and apologist, contended that one could learn about God through observing the natural world.
Aquinas has been criticized by Christian scholars such as Francis Schafer. Schafer argues that
Thomas Aquinas supports salvation through natural revelation (Dunn, 2013). Although Aquinas rightfully
argues that one can learn enough about God to know that He exists through natural revelation, he also
contends that one needs special revelation (the scriptures) to know God well enough to be saved.
Thomas Aquinas salvaged the reputation of the church by returning to the principle of acquiring
knowledge through the observable. He recognized that special revelation through scripture was Gods
way of providing observable communication between the creation and the creator in written form.
Students who observe the world through the lens of scripture have an opportunity to know God
and interpret the world as He truly intended. Scripture is Gods special message to his people that may
find life and purpose through Christ. The crucifixion did not take place in a heavenly realm, it took place

LEARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

here on earth for humankind to witness so that we may know the awesome love of God in Christ. There is
no more valuable knowledge than the knowledge of Christ as savior and redeemer of the human heart.
Philosophy of Schools & Learning
Luther
Martin Luther correctly acknowledges that the purpose of school is two-fold: It prepares the
citizen to be a productive member of society and therefore glorify God through work and it prepares the
citizen to encounter Christ in scripture and be transformed by the word of God through the work of the
Holy Spirit thereby glorifying God. Luther provides the church with a motivation to be interested in the
education of believers and unbelievers alike. He recognizes that not all men are created to be scholars, yet
all men are created to glorify God through their contribution to society and the redeeming work of Christ
in their lives.
Pestalozzi
Johann Pestalozzi correctly contended that children learn best in a healthy environment free of the
fear of ridicule (Gutek, p. 237, 1995). Acquiring knowledge of any kind leaves the learner vulnerable as
any information that reveals part of who God is bears naked the human soul. Although Pestalozzi himself
did not connect learning with knowledge of the Christian God, he did make practical contributions to the
way learning takes place. Learning should move from the simple to the complex. Learners should have a
safe learning environment and learning that takes place naturally is exciting!
Montessori
Maria Montessori believed that children did not need extrinsic motivation to learn. She did not
believe rewards or punishments were necessary motivators. Montessori believed there was an intrinsic
motivation in the act of learning. Although she adopts an underdeveloped understanding of child
behavior-that all children love order and prefer work to play-Montessori challenges educators to make
learning contagious because of the immediate and long term benefits of discovering truth.
Educational Practice

LEARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

Contributions from educators like Luther, Pestalozzi, and Montessori still effect educational
practices for the modern day teacher. Each educator taught in a unique setting and drew unique
conclusions about what is most important in the education of a child. Each educators views must be
examined in light of scripture to determine the practices that should implemented in todays classroom.
Scripture teaches both the importance of being able to work with ones hands (1 Thessalonians
4:11) and the importance of exercising the mind scholastically (1 Peter 3:15). The modern teacher must
encourage attainment of both practical and theoretical knowledge. This can be done by making the
content taught relevant to the learners everyday life or by asking critical thinking questions that require
the learner to consider new perspectives.
Christ contended that children are precious and must be protected from evils such as impure
motives, false teachings, and peer pressure (Matthew 18:6). The teacher must create a classroom
environment that minimizes the amount of peer pressure, is based on the motive bring each student to
saving knowledge of Christ (Ephesians 4:15), and teaches the student how to rationally analyze
instruction to determine if what is being said is true (Acts 17:11).
Scaffolding and spiraling information for students is necessary to help them make connections
from near to far and simple to complex. Creating lesson plans and aligning curriculum so that
students are able to maximize learning is an essential part of successful teaching. Learning takes place
when students are reminded of just enough prior knowledge to discover knew content on their own.
Above all, the teacher must find ways to make learning contagious. Students need to learn for the
sake of attaining knowledge that will help them better understand who God is and what He is doing in
their lives. Students should not be trained like Pavlovs dog to learn for the sake of getting an extrinsic
reward. Knowing God and witnessing the awesomeness of His creation is motivation enough. The
teachers greatest challenge and highest calling is to model a love of knowledge and a craving to know
personally through scripture and his handiwork through observable facts.
Teacher-Learner Relationships

LEARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

The teacher partially fulfills the roles of prophet, priest, and king in the learners life. Ultimately,
Christ fulfills the role completely. But the teacher can reflect the role of prophet by pointing students to
gods word. No matter what content area is being taught, the teacher can remind students that God is
creator of everything observed in nature and therefore everything in nature points to God (Romans 1:20).
The teacher reflects the role of priest by pointing to forgiveness and grace. In the classroom, this is only
possible when the teacher earns the respect of the students. The teacher must be able to sympathize with
the students weaknesses (Hebrews 4:12-16). The teacher reflects the role of king by providing classroom
management in such a way that it extends freedom for students to learn and explore truth. The teacher
must remember that Christ is not a domineering kin. He is not a kin who wears His authority on his
sleeve. He is a servant king-laying down his life for His people. Teachers mst reflect a servants heart to
reflect the character of our Servant King (Philippians 2:5-11).
The learners primary role is to seek to know Christ with all of his heart, mind, and soul. This
often requires the learner to trust the teacher to impart genuine information in an unbiased manner. The
learner must seek knowledge without fear of the transformation new knowledge might bring. The learner
must check knew information against scripture to see if it is true (Acts 17:11).
Diversity
The level of diversity present in schools today requires teachers to know how to help students
find common ground even though they come from different cultures, languages, or economic
backgrounds. The teacher must model for students ways to appreciate differences in culture without
embracing secular practices. The teacher can use diversity as a way to appreciate the uniqueness of all of
Gods creation (1 Corinthians 12:27).

Conclusion

LEARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

Children are our future. This is not a mere clich. It is the sole purpose for which
parents procreate. It is the essence of American culture which emphasizes the role of parents in
the preparation of children for education, vocation, marriage, and family. It is the conviction of
any good teacher. It is the lifeblood of our society.
Learning is a key part of our everyday life. Everyone learns. Everyone gets an education.
The drug dealer on the street is educated in the school of street smarts. He thrives on the ability
to convince others that he offers a worthwhile trade. He is a business man of sorts with a thirst
for teaching others how to experience an altered sense of reality. The police officer is educated in
an academy focused on how to survive in the world of the drug dealer while keeping the peace
for the rest of society.
The role of the teacher is to motivate students to learn that which is profitable for both the
student and society at large. Everyone learns, but the teacher can help determine what is learned.
The teacher can move a student to develop an interest in that which is positive or discourage a
student into believing that they are only good for the destruction of society.
A good teacher infects students with the life-long love of learning seen in such men as
Benjamin Franklyn, Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, or Bill Gates. It is the goal of the teacher
to make learning both contagious and profitable to the student and to society. A good teacher not
only teaches others how to love learning, but he himself is also a lover of learning.
While mathematics is an important field of teaching which cannot be overemphasized,
the math teachers primary role is to teach the math student how to develop the character
necessary for learning both inside and outside the classroom. Character traits include
organization, self-discipline, confronting difficult situations with confidence, and perseverance.

LEARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

Aside from character, the math teacher will help the student develop critical thinking skills
through problem solving and team work. The math teacher will help the student see patterns and
order in different areas of life and leave the student prepared to engage society with a favorable
outcome. Children are our future and teachers are our hope for a better tomorrow!

LEARNING IS CONTAGIOUS

9
References

(2011). Humanist manifesto iii. The Humanist, 71(4), 39. Retrieved July 4, 2014, from ProQuest
Central; ProQuest Social Sciences Premium Collection.
Dunn, S. (2013, May 08). Where Francis Schaeffer Got Aquinas Wrong. Retrieved June 03, 2014, from
http://philosophicaugustine.wordpress.com/2013/05/08/francis-schaeffer-and-thomas-aquinassecular-autonomy/
Gutek, G. L. (1995). A history of the Western educational experience. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland
Press.
Jackson, C. D. (2013). Educational reforms of Wittenberg and their faithfulness to Martin Luther's
thought. Christian Education Journal, 10(1), 3rd ser., 71-87. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
Smith, D. (1940). The effect of Hitler's dictatorship upon education in Germany (G. T. Renner & R. B.
Nixon, Eds.). The Social Studies, Volume 21(8), 351-355. Retrieved June 30, 2014.