Cedarville Magazine Fall 2016

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Program
Highlights
§ § Biblical worldview , experienced faculty,
and practical approach
§ § Focused on enhancing classroom
effectiveness, professional leadership,
and Kingdom influence
§ § Convenient eight-week,
all-online classes
§ § Program completion flexibility for part-
time students
§ § Supportive advising team committed to
your academic success
§ § Affordable tuition with scholarships for
alumni and Christian school teachers
“My entire philosophy of education was
crafted by the men and women who
led me through the education program
at Cedarville, both as an undergraduate
and in the .”
Ryan Churchward ’07, . ’16
Learn more and apply:
Master of Education
the School of Education. “And we do it with
biblical integration that makes it for God’s
impact and His glory.”
The . was Cedarville’s first graduate
program, introduced in spring 2000 under
the direction of StephenGruber ’74, Professor
of Education. Cedarville has awarded
degrees since 2002, sending qualified, Christ-
honoring educators across the country and
around the globe.
According to Ruth Sylvester, Assistant
Dean of the School of Education andDirector
of the ., Cedarville’s . program
trains Christian educators for service in
all classroom environments — public,
Christian, and international. “We equip our
students to teach through the lens of God’s
Word, in tandem with skills and pedagogy to
increase their professional effectiveness,” said
Sylvester. “We want to reach the diverse needs
within the classroom and potentially change
our nation’s schools.”
GOD GLORIFIED
It is this philosophy that helped form
Churchward as an educator. “Living out your
faith is important for all Christians living in
the real world,” he explained. “But it’s even
more important when you’re working with
impressionable young people.
“My entire philosophy of education was
crafted by the men and women who led me
through the education program at Cedarville,
both as an undergraduate and in the ,”
he shared. “I may not be allowed to outwardly
share my Christian faith, but I am able to
model how that looks through my actions,
words, and motives.”
That’s exactly what Eddie Baumann,
Senior Professor of Education, who teaches
philosophy of education courses for both
undergraduate and graduate students at
Cedarville, hopes for each of Cedarville’s
graduates. “I want our students to
understand that you don’t have to leave your
faith in the parking lot before you enter the
school doors,” he explained. “We may not
be able to teach the Bible in a public school
setting, but we can certainly teach biblical
concepts.” Baumann cites stewardship as
an example. For a Christian, the idea of
stewardship — using your time, talent, and
resources for God’s glory — is rooted in
Scripture, but public school students can still
be taught that they can use their time and
talents wisely and for the good of others.
“We challenge our students to ask
themselves, ‘How does my faith inform what
I do in an environment that is sometimes
hostile to Christians?’” he stated, “and then
guide them to integrate Christian principles
as they develop lessons, structure curriculum,
and teach character traits.”
“Educators have an ideal platform to be
change agents in our culture and share our
faith, though primarily in a covert manner
within a secular context,” Sylvester explained.
LIVES CHANGED
It’s a lesson Churchward learned
well. “One of my strong suits is a service-
driven desire to love others,” he explained.
“Cedarville helped build that in me in a way
that I can bring to the classroom and beyond.
I attempt to bring that service mindset into
my classroom every day.”
Churchward sees his educator role as
more of a “facilitator of learning” rather than
simply imparting knowledge. He thrives
on those moments when he sees a student
discover a love for the subject matter or
when a student who previously struggled
discovers a desire to learn. “I feel it is my duty
to empower my students to explore, discover,
and learn for themselves,” he said. “I look for
those ‘a-ha’ moments every day.”
“I’m not in it for the money or the glory
or the fame,” Churchward concluded. Rather,
through modeling Christlike servanthood
and love, he wants to help “create a better
tomorrow by crafting students today who
are motivated and respectful and who, above
all, hold in high esteem the values of respect,
care, and service to others.” As they engage
these character qualities, he hopes they will
be turned toward Christ as the source of
that change.
That kind of transformative thinking
makes high-tech learning a high calling.
Michele (Cummings) Solomon ’91 is the Copy
Editor for Cedarville University Marketing.
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