“99 More Questions You Might Want to Ask Your Students” by Michael Essenburg was published in May edition of Christian Education National’s The Christian Teachers Journal.

“Ask questions about creation-fall-redemption-restoration,” a video by Michael Essenburg, was published in a blog entry in CSI's Nurturing Faith entitled “Timeless truth conveyed through a new tool.” Dan Beerens, author of the blog entry, writes, "I share this post with you for two purposes – for the content that can help us better discuss a Biblical perspective with students and a new piece of technology that pretty easily be used by you or others at your school. You may be more familiar with the content my friend Michael Essenburg is talking about than the web tool he has used to produce it. The tool is Screencast."

“Use Assessment to Help Students Develop a Christ-Centered Worldview” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in ACSI’s Christian School Education.

In the article, Michael writes, “Help your students further develop a Christ-centered worldview. Use assessment to help your students understand the importance of relating their academic work to scriptural principles and help them become proficient in making those connections. Develop biblical-perspective assessments that SCORE. Then, teach to your assessments, have your students take them, and use your assessment data to modify instruction.”

Three videos by Michael Essenburg were published in a blog entry in CSI's Nurturing Faith entitled “Connecting what is most important.” Dan Beerens, author of the blog entry, writes, “Helping students to see how all things in this world cohere through Christ is one of the most important tasks of a Christian teacher. In these three short and helpful videos...Michael Essenburg...suggests three practical strategies that all Christian teachers can use.”

“Lead by Asking Questions” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in ACSI's World Report. In the article, Michael encourages the reader to use questions to provoke others to reflect and provides the reader with a self-assessment.

“Give your students a Biblical perspective assessment that SCOREs,” a free tutorial, has been posted. This tutorial involves you designing an assessment that:

• Is Student-friendly
• Requires students to Connect content/skills, Biblical principle(s), and life.
• Gives Opportunities for student choice,
• Is Rigorous.
• Is Even worthy of being taught to.

"Assessment Helps Students More Deeply Connect Their Studies, Their Lives, and a Biblical Perspective" by Kim and Michael Essenburg was recently published in ACSI's World Report. In the article, Kim (an English 10 teacher) responds to 5 questions Michael asks about a Biblical perspective assessment:

1. What are excited about?
2. What were your students studying?
3. What was the essay prompt?
4. How did you prepare your students for the essay?
5. What did you learn?

Self-assessments help Christian leaders determine next steps. Close the Gap Now had made its self-assessments more accessible by adding a self-assessment category in 8 different blogs:

1. Empower Others
2. Focus on Mission
3. Work Smart
4. Pursue Excellence
5. Target Biblical Perspective
6. Use Questions
7. Use Assessment
8. Meet Student Learning Needs

Christian Schools International’s new Bible curriculum, Walking with God and His People, includes student learning outcomes collaboratively developed in December 2007 by Dan Beerens (CSI) and Michael Essenburg (Close the Gap Now).

To develop the learning outcomes, Beerens and Essenburg:

• Built on a document formulated by the Eastern Ottawa (MI) Christian schools.
• Reviewed other Christian schooling documents.
• Cross-checked the learning outcomes with the CSI’s head, heart, and hands outcomes.

“What 3 student learning needs will you meet?” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Nurturing Faith. In the article, Michael lists 10 learning needs the reader can address and interviews a high school teacher who is working to meet 3 of her students’ learning needs.

“Student reflections on Biblical perspective” by Kim Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Nurturing Faith. In the article, Kim shares student responses to a unit test question: “What else did you learn in this unit that you did not have a chance to show on the test?”

Protocols (sets of questions) help Christian leaders to empower others. Close the Gap Now had made its protocols more accessible by adding a protocol category in 6 different blogs:

• Empower Others
• Work Smart
• Target Biblical Perspective
• Use Questions
• Use Assessment
• Meet Learning Needs

“What Energizes You?” by Kim Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Christian School Teacher. The article recommends that teachers ask an open-ended question on tests (“‘What is something significant you learned this unit that you have not yet had an opportunity to show on this test?’”) and that teachers celebrate the answers by sharing them with students and colleagues.

“Show your students what using Biblical perspective looks like” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Nurturing Faith. In the article, Michael interviews an English teacher who describes 2 strategies she uses to show her students what using a Biblical perspective looks like:

• Having students read and discuss an article that evaluates the subject from a Biblical perspective.
• Showing students sample essays in which students apply a Biblical perspective.

“10 Ways to Increase Biblical Perspective” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Christian School Teacher. The article provides practical tips, including teaching vocabulary, asking open-ended questions, and using engaging instructional strategies.

"Help Your Students Make Connections Between What They Study and What the Bible Teaches" by Michael Essenburg was recently published in ACSI's World Report. The article describes a process teachers can use to identify the relevant Biblical principles they want students to connect to course content and skills.

"Use Assessment" by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Christian School Teacher.

Writes editor Dan Beerens, "Michael Essenburg suggests that good assessment methods help students to improve their ability to apply a Biblical perspective."

“When You Ask a Question, What Do You Want Your Students to Learn?” by Michael Essenburg was published in CSI's Christian School Teacher.

“Is it important for your students to apply a Biblical perspective to course content?” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Nurturing Faith. The article asks the reader 6 questions about students applying a Biblical perspective.

“What Question Do You Want to Ask Your Students?" by Michael Essenburg was published in CSI's Christian School Teacher.

Close the Gap Now, in collaboration with staff of Christian Academy in Japan, has developed a tool that teachers can use to reflect how they are helping students understanding and apply a Biblical perspective. The tool focuses on a unit plan and includes key questions:

• What are you excited about?
  
• How did you prepare your students for the assessment?
  
• What modifications will you make to your unit?

To see teacher reflections, please download:

• English 10, Kim Essenburg
  
• Social Studies 6, Anda Foxwell

Close the Gap Now and Transforming Teachers announce the completion of Biblical perspective teacher training standards. These standards target helping teachers help their K-12 students understand and then apply a Biblical perspective to what they study. Contributors to the standards include Christian educators living in Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, the US, and South Africa.

Says Michael Essenburg of Close the Gap Now, "At Christian schools, we train teachers to help their students apply a Biblical perspective to course content. These standards, which will serve as the basis of a teacher training program, will help us provide teachers with challenging, coherent, relevant training."

Download: Biblical Perspective Teacher Training Standards

“Got a story to share?” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Nurturing Faith. The article encourages the reader to celebrate God’s blessings by sharing a story.

 “10 Questions to Ask Students” by Michael Essenburg was published in published in CSI's Christian School Teacher.

“Measuring student application of a Biblical perspective” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Nurturing Faith. In the article, Michael describes how measuring student application of a Biblical perspective positively impacts students, parents, staff, alumni, and the board.

 “Ask Questions” by Michael Essenburg was published in published in CSI's Christian School Teacher.

“Use Assessment to Increase Student Use of a Biblical Perspective of Course Content"  by Michael Essenburg was published in ACSI's World Report.

“What questions should you ask your students?” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Nurturing Faith. The article encourages the reader to ask students 4 questions: What do you mean by ___? How do you know? How does the Bible help? How can you respond?

“Measure Mission Achievement” by Michael Essenburg was published in ACSI's World Report.

“What happens at a Christ-centered school?” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Nurturing Faith. In the article Michael says, “At a Christ-centered school, students learn different content for a different purpose from different people in a different environment.

December 17-18, Dan Beerens (Christian Schools International, CSI) and Michael Essenburg (Close the Gap Now) collaborated to develop a draft of K-12 standards for CSI’s Bible curriculum. To develop the draft, Beerens and Essenburg:

• Built on a document formulated by the Eastern Ottawa (MI) Christian schools.
  
• Reviewed other Christian schooling documents.
  
• Cross-checked the draft of the standards with the head, heart, and hands outcomes that CSI is using for its Bible revision project.

Currently, CSI’s Curriculum Advisory Council and Christian Academy in Japan's K-12 Bible teachers are giving feedback on the draft of the standards.

A self-assessment by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Nurturing Faith. The self-assessment is designed to help the reader determine how well students understand and use a Biblical perspective of course content.

“Why use essential questions?” by Michael Essenburg was recently published in CSI's Nurturing Faith. The article states that using essential questions in doable strategy that helps students apply a Biblical perspective.