The title says it all…
Tag Archives: classical education
Writing Workshop Handout
Writing is about thinking well – and that helps build virtue.
Mythology and Fantasy Workshop Handout
Mythology and fantasy are much more about truth than we often like to think.
The Nutcracker and The King of Kings
We seek things that are “true…lovely…worthy of praise” wherever they are because they reflect our true, lovely, and praiseworthy Lord who calls us to “think about these things”.
By the Students: What Everyone Should Know about Ancient, Medieval, and U.S. History and Literature (First Semester)
Every modern American should understand the Stargazer analogy from Plato’s Republic because it shows that things that may look useless and like a waste of time can be important.
Leonidas, Lenin, and Larry walk into a pub…
I am a Spartan. I am a free man. The Persians wanted to destroy Sparta and to take away freedom from all of the Greeks. They wanted to destroy what we are. They wanted to take away a large part of our very existence. To take Sparta from Leonidas and to take freedom from Leonidas leaves you with someone who is not fully Leonidas. To be fully myself, I must be a Spartan and a free man—not a Persian slave.
Why Beautify?
We should incorporate beauty because it teaches us about its creator.
Lessons from the Dancing Horses
The Spanish Riding School exists because, for thousands of years, people have recognized the exquisite beauty of horse and rider in motion. The tradition continues because those who practice it love it, and their love leads them to train the next generation.
Optional Summer Reading
Below are optional recommended readings for each of the 2019-2020 courses:
Five Frequently Asked Questions
The robust humanities education provided by Scriptorium prepares well-rounded students who will be able to enrich their own lives—regardless of discipline—because of their familiarity with great ideas, great literature, and great art.
Classical Education and Christian Worldview
Both classical education and a Christian worldview are based on the search for truth.
Homeschool Expo Workshop Handout
Free handout!
Is Eloquence the Goal?
God does not need us to be articulate before He can use us to change someone’s heart.
“This Story Shall the Good Man Teach His Son”: How Most Modern Education Fails Students and How I Respond
Limiting students’ encounter with World War I, or with any instance of suffering, to Owen’s poem and its philosophy that our view of suffering should be determined by its visible effects, gives students a false and soul-embittering view of human life.
What is classical education?
While most modern education focuses on quick solutions, practical or financially beneficial outcomes, moral relativity, and a denial of the existence and importance of the metaphysical, classical education does the opposite because it represents a wholly different view of the purpose, content, and method of good education.
Missing in Action: Why Classical Educators Must Teach Military History
We as classical educators must teach military history to see in sharper relief the causes for which we should act and the causes for which we should be prepared to die.
Why Students Cannot Be Allowed to Learn to Write Essays
Yes, you read that title correctly.
Compassion, Tolerance, and the Destruction of the Liberal Arts
Classical educators also need to arm themselves with a moral, compassionate case for the liberal arts – particularly as one of the primary arguments against the liberal arts is that they often discuss subjects which could (and in some cases should) grieve students.
Six Unconventional Questions for Choosing a College
It’s college-picking time of year again. Here are six unconventional things to consider before you embark on a journey to the ivory towers. Do you really need to go to college? You probably won’t hear this question much, because colleges all want you to pick them, because governments want to loan you money so theyContinue reading “Six Unconventional Questions for Choosing a College”
Executing Tradition: Cultural Death and the Manipulation of the Young
Increasingly, there are calls for educators to reject “adultism” in teaching their students. “Adultism” is essentially the idea that adults (parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, pastors, government leaders, etc.) have too much authority over children and young people. This must be done, anti-adultists (who are all adults themselves) say, because children lose self-esteem when theyContinue reading “Executing Tradition: Cultural Death and the Manipulation of the Young”
The President’s Speech: Reagan on History Education
Today is the 28th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan’s farewell address, January 11, 1989. His comments on history education are spot on, and worth quoting at length. Read the rest here. Finally, there is a great tradition of warnings in Presidential farewells, and I’ve got one that’s been on my mind for some time. ButContinue reading “The President’s Speech: Reagan on History Education”
On the Necessity of Defining Terms
The start of the new year is a great time to look at the foundations of writing, and speaking: definitions. In the first week of Western Civilization and Great Books after the Christmas break, we studied Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Near the end of the play, Phoebe – a shepherdess – asks Sylvius –Continue reading “On the Necessity of Defining Terms”
Greatness, Not Perfection: Food for Thought on the Study of History
As I was listening to the radio the other day, one commentator noted that few people bother to make the distinction between “greatness” and “perfection.” Greatness is moral excellence; perfection is moral perfection. We should want to be great, and we know that some individuals are great; we should also hope for perfection, although weContinue reading “Greatness, Not Perfection: Food for Thought on the Study of History”
Why the Iliad?
In an age when we see armed conflict, attacks, and suffering on nearly every screen – and even in those archaic print newspapers – why should teachers bother to have their students closely study an ancient book on war? Why not stick with the homecoming of Odysseus? It’s a valid question, and one that oughtContinue reading “Why the Iliad?”
ACTA: American Students Don’t Know American History or Government
In a study released this month, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni reveals that college graduates have low levels of knowledge about American history and government. For example, roughly 50% of college graduates could not explain the term lengths of Congressmen, roughly 70% could not “identify James Madison as the Father of the Constitution,”Continue reading “ACTA: American Students Don’t Know American History or Government”
For True Equality, Ban Bedtime Stories
Otherwise Entitled: The Importance of Reading To and With Your Children (of Any Age!) This story, from an Australian news source, notes that students benefit most in their education if they have loving parents who read to them. However, according to Adam Swift, these loving parents who read to their children give those children “an unfair advantage”Continue reading “For True Equality, Ban Bedtime Stories”
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