Looking for Answers about Ravi Zacharias International Ministries ASK Curriculum?

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A CRISIS OF CRITICAL THOUGHT
We are facing a very real crisis of critical thought among today's youth. Our secular culture increasingly favors a growing multiculturalism that affirms a uniform tolerance of all worldviews while simultaneously opposing a firm commitment to any one belief. Many young people believe that all religions are basically the same. Consequently, many young men and women cannot articulate their own faith.Seeking to challenge these realities, the ASK curriculum aims to empower students with the critical tools necessary for understanding their own faith and for investigating and evaluating differing worldviews.

CLASS DISCUSSIONS - CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT TO ASK QUESTIONS
ASK was intentionally designed to be interactive. That means the group leader must introduce the session topic in class, help inspire conversations based on the questions provided, and use different multimedia tools (DVD videos, SMS polling, PowerPoint and Keynote presentations, online web forums) to create a dynamic learning atmosphere.

Why do we place so much emphasis on interaction? Why not just play a DVD for 45 minutes? In the book Soul Searching, Christian Smith's observations gleaned from the National Study for Youth and Religion (NSYR) show:

• Religious educators need to work hard on articulation
• Youth are comfortable talking about God but not Jesus
• Teens need to practice talking about their faith
• Articulation fosters reality

The group leader is to help carry and focus the class conversations around the session topic. We want to help develop the student's ability to think critically. We do not expect a group leader to have all of the answers. Actually, we expect a facilitator to learn with the class and model how to gracefully find answers when don't know.

THE ASK CURRICULUM
Unlike DVD curriculum where the video dominates classroom time and requires only fill-in-the-blank answers, ASK requires a group leader to inspire and encourage students to verbalize their beliefs.