Respond to: A Question of “Faith”
“In terms of how we might define faith in a manner appropriate for twenty-first-century public education, the scope and depth of the concept must be precise enough to be useful, but also open enough to invite diverse perspectives.”
The word “Faith” could easily direct us to think of religion. And to be honest, I used to hold the notion that the meaning and the concept derived from “Faith” should be acquired through religious study. Even occasionally I use “Faith” in daily life, what I infer is to trust or to believe in someone or something. Here, “Faith” is considered in a macroscopic way. Only a part or maybe a tiny part of it is related to religion. Mostly, “Faith” represents an ideal status of one’s spiritual development, such as the sense of belonging, who you are, and understanding one’s place in the world. Which are particularly crucial for adolescents due to their critical developmental characteristics and needs.
I am fascinated by the idea that having adolescents to acquire “Faith” must be regarded as the ultimate objective of teaching and learning. It is very true that education should be served to help learners develop and grow into responsible citizens. Through acquiring “Faith” could surely help adolescents develop into spiritually healthy adults with clear notion of who they want to be, who they are, and how should they react to deal with complex issues arose from daily life. As educators, I believe “Faith” is the most valuable tool we want to pass to every learner.