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Unlocking Your Tools: BJU Press Resources

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Do you ever feel like you’re not using a tool to its full capacity? Maybe you have an electronic device—like a smart phone, food processor, or cordless drill—and you know there’s so much you can do with it . . . if you only knew how.

I experienced a similar feeling with a new tool recently. A few weeks ago, I was excited to use my new cordless drill that I had received for Christmas. I charged it up and set to work screwing in some slats on a bunk bed for my son. To my dismay, the screws would go into the wood about halfway down, and then the drill would start making a clicking noise and refuse to screw them in any farther. After a few tries, I gave up and figured that I would just have to return my drill and look for another one to replace it.

The next day at church I asked a carpenter friend of mine if he could think of what might be wrong with my drill. After a few questions, he said, “You know about the clutch, right?” Slightly embarrassed at my lack of expertise, I asked him what that did. “It controls how much force is applied to turning the drill bit.” My drill suddenly became much more useful once I knew about the additional settings to help me do my work more effectively.

Just like my carpenter friend helped me with my cordless drill, I’d like to unlock some tools for you that can enhance your use of BJU Press products. These features are available on the BJU Press website. Maybe you already use them, but if not, please read on to learn more about where to find these resources and how you can best use them.

bju press resources for your homeschool

Where can I find BJU Press resources?

  1. Go to bjupress.com/resources.

or

  1. Go to bjupress.com.
  2. Select More at the top of the page.
  3. Select Textbook Resources under the Resources section.

Once you’re on the Textbook Resources page, you can view resources by selecting the grade or subject you teach and then selecting the textbook.

What resources are available?

Most textbook resource pages have links to the following items:

  • Information and Pricing
  • Lesson Plan Overview
  • General Teaching Resources
  • Weblinks
  • Corrections (if applicable)

You may find two of these links especially helpful. The Lesson Plan Overview allows you to efficiently plan your teaching schedule. This document can be downloaded for easy reference.

Another great treasure trove of resources are the Weblinks. (Not all textbook resources include weblinks.) Many of the textbooks have multiple links related to topics covered in the course. For example, the Explorations in Literature resource page has links to a biography of Anne Sullivan, detailed information about the Wright brothers’ first flight, and many other links that expand on the themes and characters from the literature selections. Also, many of the weblinks for the Science textbooks expand on scientific concepts (like weather) or discuss those concepts from a historical perspective. If you are looking for more materials for your students to read or research, or just want to find a way to connect something they are learning about to real life, the Weblinks pages are a great place to look.

What other BJU Press resources have you found helpful in your teaching?

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Andrew enjoys helping others use technology in a way that glorifies God. He and his wife help with the children’s ministries at their church. Along with their three sons, they like to read together about other people’s adventures and then go out and have their own.

What Is Academic Rigor?

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Have you heard the words academic rigor before? You probably have if you’re familiar with our products. But do you know what that phrase means to us here at BJU Press? We took that question and some others to Brad Batdorf, supervisor of secondary authors in the product development department of BJU Press. His answers will help you better understand why academic rigor is one of our core values.

1. How does BJU Press define academic rigor?

Academic rigor is the educational experience that engages students in the appropriate content, helping them to develop the ability to analyze, critically evaluate, and ultimately create new ideas or products.

2. What makes academic rigor important to BJU Press?

It’s vitally important to what we do here since we have an established reputation for this type of instruction and it is what attracts many customers to our products. It is also critical because it provides the ideal vehicle for strong Bible integration.

3. What are some examples of how academic rigor is supported in BJU Press materials?

  • Our authors thoroughly research effective educational practices, scope and sequence, and appropriate academic standards.
  • The student materials contain descriptive text and questions that promote deep learning.
  • Photos, illustrations, maps, charts, and other images are intended to promote deeper understanding of the content.
  • The printed and digital assessments target student performance at all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.
  • The teacher’s editions contain clear learning objectives to help teachers promote this type of learning. They also contain answers to the questions (even suggested answers for those of a subjective nature), suggestions for discussions, additional research ideas, demonstrations, group projects, use of manipulatives, and more.

4. How would you describe an academically rigorous learning environment?

While I wouldn’t call it strictly student-centered or student-directed, I think students would be actively engaged with challenging content through teacher-guided discussions, group learning, and in some cases, projects. Hands-on learning, creative problem-solving, and other research-based teaching strategies would be employed to connect with students and inspire real learning. Students would be doing more than reading and memorizing material. They would often be relating it to other content and applying it to real-world issues. And, they would be comprehending the content, whether it’s science, history, or a reading selection, in the light of the principles of Scripture.

5. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers about BJU Press’s educational philosophy or view on academic rigor?

Our approach is one that embraces academic rigor supported by effective Bible integration. We care deeply and have a great sense of responsibility toward this end.

 

 

How do you apply academic rigor to your teaching?