Course Summary:

Since Scripture’s command to love God includes loving God with our minds, Christians are concerned not only with the development of our moral character, but also our intellectual character – the habits of our thinking.  And since schools are places that promote thinking, the character of that thinking should be of high importance to Christian educators.  This course aims to equip Christian teachers with an understanding of intellectual character and some way to develop intellectual character in their students through their classrooms and schools.

This course explores the why, what and how of developing intellectual character, based on the book “Virtuous Minds: Intellectual Character Development” by Philip Dow. Video presentations, forum discussions, linked articles and practical application activities will enable course participants to interact with each other as they process what they are reading in the book.

Course Title: "Intellectual Character Development"

Course Format: online course at: https://acsieu.org/moodle

Course Language: English

Length of Course: 4 weeks (3-4 hours/week)

Register here

This course is available to anyone interested in understanding the why, what and how of developing intellectual character. You do not need to be a member of ACSI or even be currently teaching. We require a minimum of 10 participants to begin the course. Please contact us for more details or questions. 

Participation requirements and costs:

• Time frame and requirements: 3-4 hours per week for 4 weeks (for fluent English speakers) which equals 12 class hours of instruction (2 Continuing Education Units)
• Course fee: This depends on your ACSI membership status and region. Please see the price chart. Remember that ACSI member schools in Europe receive 2 complimentary 4-week courses each year.
• The course cost does not include the course text ("Virtuous Minds" by Philip Dow).
• If you have never taken an online class before or are new to Christian education, we recommend that you first complete our pilot course, The Mission of the Christian School.

Course Objectives: Participants will…

1. Understand the nature and significance of intellectual character.
2. Collaborate with Christian teachers from other schools.
3. Develop a plan for promoting intellectual character development in their school or classroom.