February 9, 2013
VIDEOS THAT MAKE ME SMILE
If you have read our previous article you know that BYUI is the Church university in which innovative learning methods have been developed and implemented. This began when Elder Bednar was the President there and continues today. It would seem that the new church-wide program of active learning that has been given to 12-18 year old youth this year is part of the same movement in the Church. Don’t we want to incorporate these principles into the teaching in our homes?
BYUI’s teaching method is called the “Learning Model.” The off-campus, Institute-managed college program is called “Pathway.” There are also interactive on-line courses. Following is one of many short videos on the Learning Model. It doesn’t give any details, but it shows the spirit of the program and how it affects the students. There are many more like it on the BYUI website.
VIdeo #1: BYU-Idaho: The Learning Model 1:55
I recently came across some video snippets from a roundtable discussion entitled “A Look Into the Future.” I was ecstatic! The moderator of the panel is University President Kim Clark. The lady sitting next to him is Betty and I love her! The man to his left looks a lot like President Eyring, for a good reason. His name is Henry, and he co-authored the book The Innovative University: Changing the DNA of Higher Education from the Inside Out with Clayton Christensen, about whom I have written before.
Here are two video clipss from the roundtable:
Video #2: BYU-Idaho: Online Learning 11:45
When I heard Brother Eyring’s comment “they come up through the high schools,” I thought, “Not all of them! We can send them students who haven’t sat in rows of desks.” It seemed we were one step closer to connecting with the Lord’s program. I couldn’t stop smiling! Maybe we can even encourage our teens to upgrade their use of social media toward, as President Clark put it, “talking about important things in inspired ways.” Certainly we can incorporate “teach each other” methods into our homeschool programs.
In the next video from the roundtable you’ll see why I love Betty.
Video #3: BYU-Idaho: Pathway Program 5:46
Retention? Can you see a stronger church emerging? Do you feel, as I do, that if our youth really catch the vision of active learning through the Holy Ghost, they not be willing to tolerate acted-upon classrooms. Will BYUI be ready with alternatives? Please hurry, Betty! She left me ginning from ear to ear, and I’m still smiling.
And finally, lest anyone fear there is too much Harvard in this work, here is a clip from a press conference a few years ago.
Video #4: Henry B. Eyring: “Forget Harvard and Stanford. We’re in another kind of thing here.” 5:25
How inspired are our leaders! How exciting is the Lord’s work in our day! I may never stop smiling!
Every Home A School 
Thank you Joyce for putting these all together. I was looking into Pathway on my own last week and was so impressed by how the church is using its resources to further education. It’s so exciting and inspiring. I also had a quiet feeling that this may grow to include high school or even elementary age possibilities for families in the future.
I love knowing that you also saw the potential — and I hope hundreds of others do too. If they (BYUI) build it, we will come! Or if we build it (the hungry students), surely they will invite us to feast at their table!