High school and college all-nighters were a constant in most of our educational upbringing. It feels just like yesterday. The agonizing thoughts surrounding an upcoming paper in that subject you were shaky in, or even worse, that dreaded midterm or final exam. Those memorable, miserable thoughts of reading, rereading, cramming, comprehending, anticipating, sweating, and then at times just sitting with a frustrated hand on the forehead looking for that supernatural move of God. I knew what I was hoping for…I was waiting for God to extract and export all the words, phrases, pertinent information and answers I needed, miraculously move in a suddenly and immediately kind of way, and then instantaneously impart and download all things pertaining to the assignment or the exam from the book to my mind! Ok…Don’t leave me hanging or was I the only one with these celestial cerebrum experiences?<\/p>\n
As I reflect upon past experiences, I look back and say there was a lot of wasteful energy expended trying to tackle and simultaneously comprehend every book I read. The most unfortunate finding in all of this was the revelation of how to approach understanding came far later in my educational journey. <\/span>I must admit I was in my feelings as I came to the section of troublesome knowledge when unpacking the definition of \u201cinert knowledge\u201d. <\/em>My issue is how much stuff is truly stored in my mind’s attic that rarely gets dusted off except when duty calls.<\/p>\n The introduction of threshold concepts is truly a powerful tool for learning. To understand ideas or concepts within a particular field of study that, once understood, creates a transformative shift in a learner’s perception and understanding. \u00a0Looking through the lens of seeing these concepts acting as gateways can be pivotal, taking one from a surface-level way of understanding to a deeper and more advanced path toward comprehension. The utilization of these thresholds could often lead to a profound and pivotal change in the way an individual thinks about and engages with particular subjects.<\/p>\n I find threshold concepts at play in my own life through my ministry context. My calling leads me to intersect with people of different races, faiths, creeds, and cultures. I have used these concepts to enhance my cultural sensitivity as I have grown immensely in the area of recognizing, realizing, and respecting cultural norms, differing values, and traditions, which may be a huge departure from my original train of thought. \u201cIn gaining access to a new way of seeing an individual has access to being a part of the community.\u201d[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/em> As a senior pastor, I am often called upon and encouraged to practice empathy in many areas. Threshold concepts for me are the gateway to cultural competence and sensitivity that I know I have shrugged off in times past with either misinformation or my own personal bias.<\/p>\n I am reminded of my time at a global leader\u2019s workshop summit in Kenya. The topic of the speaker\u2019s presentation was Death to Self. As I recall how he emphatically shared this presentation, all eyes were on him as he riveted the audience with his premise based on broadening our perspective. Threshold concepts do such a thing, it broadens our horizons. As suggested, this is not a fail-proof method but rather a broader alternative to traditional thinking and understanding.<\/p>\n I think about the role of teachers in this process of broadening our perspectives. Meyer and Land suggest that \u201cteachers must be able to identify these concepts in their subject\u201d…[2]<\/strong><\/a><\/em> As students are truly the beneficiaries of embracing these concepts, teachers are even more valuable. One knock often railed against teachers in our contemporary society is their inability to engage and employ new methodology thus leaving students with a traditional train of thought or approach. This one-dimensional approach has hampered both students and teachers in improving potential outcomes. Teachers must be adept in assisting learners with threshold concepts.<\/p>\n On a personal note, one experience comes to mind as I ponder upon my son\u2019s high school homework experience with as I attempted to assist him with a math problem. His methodology of solving a problem and showing his work greatly differed from how I was instructed. As I looked at him, not only did I learn something new, but I also employed and incorporated the new math concept into my daily practice. It was a threshold concept that was introduced which impacted both he and I. The strength and significance of threshold concepts lie in their transformative nature. These concepts are an aggressive challenge to both our lived and historical beliefs, causing one to reframe one’s way of thinking and understanding. The question is, are we willing to go there?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n