In classical circles, we speak often about the importance of the liberal arts, over and against mere career-readiness skills, but we do not always elaborate. The reality is that career-readiness skills–skills like analyzing data, applying information technology, preparing for an interview, and completing tasks efficiently–are immensely helpful. The problem is not their usefulness, but their limitations. Career-readiness skills fail to lead students outside the realm of function and into the world of value and meaning. What our world needs today more than anything is not faster internet or a new task-management system, but better stories injected with purpose. Telling better
Continue readingThe Value of Objective Value: C. S. Lewis on Renewing Education
No matter what age you or your children are, I highly recommend The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis for summer reading. They are lighthearted yet full of depth. I am reading aloud The Silver Chair, the fourth book in the seven-book series. For those who know the general contours of the series, this book sees Eustace Scrubb return to Narnia accompanied by his classmate Jill Pole. It is a rescue mission, attempting to free Prince Rilian from the clutches of the Emerald Witch. I am reading it aloud with my son this summer. I was struck on this
Continue readingApprenticeship in the Arts, Part 1: Traditions and Divisions
The previous two articles have paved the way both for our discussion of Aristotle’s intellectual virtue of techne, artistry or craftsmanship, as well as the intellectual virtue of phronesis, practical wisdom or prudence. In a strict sense, the analogy between artistry and morality is aside from our central argument, which consists in working out the implications of each of Aristotle’s five intellectual virtues as educational goals for school, curriculum, classroom, and pedagogy. The moral virtues are therefore outside the purview of our main purpose, even if they are organically connected to phronesis or practical wisdom. In addition, the moral virtues’
Continue readingCultivating the Discipline of Study
Our world is restless, this much is clear. As I have observed in previous blogs, the speed of the modern world is only accelerating as new technologies allow people to access whatever they seek at unprecedented rates. Surfing the web, in particular, has never been easier, and with it, the vulnerability to succumb to the siren’s song of amusement. Amusement is a passive state of entertainment. At its core, it is a form of distraction. People seek amusement when they are bored, when they seek to delay or avoid more difficult tasks, or when they have simply grown habituated to
Continue reading2021 Summer Conference Edition
Welcome Summer Conference Attendees to Educational Renaissance It’s time once again for the summer conferences. Whether you attended in person or remotely, many of you will have discovered Educational Renaissance for the first time during either the ACCS Repairing the Ruins conference last week or the Society for Classical Learning conference this week. We welcome you summer conference attendees to explore the resources available here at Educational Renaissance. You can learn more about our past and future projects below. You may have navigated to our site to download Jason’s eBook on implementing Charlotte Mason’s practice of narration, Patrick’s eBook on implementing Charlotte Mason’s practice
Continue readingPracticing in the Dark or the Day: Well-worn Paths or Bushwalking, Artistry and Moral Virtue Continued
In my last article we explored the analogy between Aristotle’s intellectual virtue of artistry or craftsmanship (Greek: techne) and moral virtue, taking our cue from the Nicomachean Ethics book II. Along the way we discovered the foundation for these two types of excellence in habit development or the neural networks of the brain. Excellence, according to Aristotle, comes by the type of practice or exercise that works along the lines of nature. The modern Copernican revolution of neurobiology confirms this thesis by revealing the role of myelin, a white fatty substance that is wrapped around neural circuits that fire together.
Continue readingAfter the Black Death . . . What?
It was a little over a year ago that I wrote “The Black Death and an Educational Renaissance” about how the Black Death serves as an analogue to the Coronavirus. In that article I argued that the Black Death initiated a series of societal changes that eventually led to the Renaissance. I particularly noted how education took on a more prominent role broadly in society. Despite a general decline in population, universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Paris saw an increase in enrollment. In light of potential parallels between the transformative effects of the Black Death and Coronavirus, I put
Continue readingInsights on Education from the Life of John Adams
This past month I have been reading David McCullough’s biography on John Adams. Adams, as you may recall, was a key leader amongst the colonies throughout their concerted effort to gain independence from British rule. He experienced first hand the benefits of life in the British Empire as well as the eventual challenges. Adams would play a key role in the earliest meetings of the Continental Congress, debating loyalists, those desiring to stay loyal to King George III. Later on, John Adams would participate in the early governmental efforts of the colonies, serving as the first Vice-President and second President
Continue readingMoral Virtue and the Intellectual Virtue of Artistry or Craftsmanship
It might seem strange after the paradigm delineated above to focus our attention back on intellectual virtues alone, just after arguing for the holistic Christian purpose of education: the cultivation of moral, intellectual and spiritual virtues. But it is impossible to do everything in a single series or book. The cultivation of moral virtues requires a book of its own, at the very least, and the same can be said of spiritual virtues. And there have in fact been many authors that have treated these subjects admirably, even if they have not always traced their practical implications for teaching methods,
Continue reading6 Tips for Teaching Classically
This past fall, I announced the launch of my free eBook “The Craft of Teaching: ‘Teach Like a Champion’ for Classical Educators.” I am now excited to share that this summer I will be presenting a workshop on the same topic at the Society for Classical Learning‘s Annual Conference (you can access the full schedule here). I look forward to gathering with fellow classical educators across the country to mentor and inspire one another as we seek to follow in the footsteps of the great philosophers of education. In this short blog, I want to share six tips for teachers
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