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The Poetry of Science and Theology
Here is a brief article I wrote for the Colson Center…recasting an insight from C.S. Lewis. Both science and theology have poetic elements.
Just for Fun: The Comedy of Errors Audio
When my children were younger I introduced them to Shakespeare by reading them several of the prose renditions (of Shakespeare’s plays) by Charles and Mary Lamb from their collection Tales from Shakespeare, first published in 1807. They very much enjoyed the stories, which are literary achievements in their own right, and were better prepared for the study of Shakespeare himself in their later education. Here is an audio recording of The Comedy of Errors by Charles and Mary Lamb. Gather your young ones around and see if they don’t enjoy it as mine did.
John 1 Audio in Latin
Just for fun…here is one of the most profound chapters from the New Testament in Latin….
Interview With Ashton Murphy, Named as a Top-Performing Latin Student by the National Junior Classical League
Ashton, a rising junior, was designated a top-performing Latin student by the National Junior Classical League this August (2010). Ashton is a student at Grace Academy, a classical school in Georgetown, Texas. Her Latin teacher is Karen Moore, who also joins this interview. Ashton tells us how she came to love Latin and the many ways it has enriched her life. This interview will be an inspiration to aspiring Latin students as well as to parents and teachers.
The Lighter Side of Education
Not all that classical educators do is grave, somber and serious. What we do is important, but that should not make us self-important. In fact in my book, one mark of a good teacher is that she laughs a lot. And why not? The classroom is a funny place.
Making Ideas Stick: How Chip and Dan Heath Rediscovered Aristotle Without Even Knowing It
Every summer I read a few business books. The really good ones are actually filled with insight that not only help me as a publisher and consultant, but also illuminate other areas of the human enterprise. This summer I have found another business book of universal value—Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, by brothers Chip and Dan Heath. Chip is a Stanford business professor and Dan is a consultant and entrepreneur. The book sets out to explore what makes idea memorable and transferable—or what makes them sticky. They proceed inductively, looking at scores of sticky ideas and seeking to discover what traits are common to them all.
Peter Baur on How to Grow and Develop a Classical School
Peter Baur has spent his professional career helping schools grow and develop and has spent nearly 10 years helping advance Westminster Academy of Memphis, TN. Peter talks of how crucial it is to create a clear mission then clearly communicate it through every staff person, every event, every opportunity. New classical schools will benefit greatly from Peter’s experience and wisdom.
Latin Teacher Karen Moore on the Great Benefits of Latin
Recently we interviewed Karen Moore, veteran Latin teacher and author from Grace Classical Academy of Georgetown, Texas. In this interview, Karen cogently describes the benefits of studying Latin and offers a variety of insights and advice to new Latin teachers and to those curious about the value of studying Latin. Karen is a unique blend of Texas and Rome–and is articulate as she is passionate.
Marketing a Classical School: An Interview with David Goodwin
David Goodwin has been the headmaster at the Ambrose School for six years. Before that he served as a marketing executive with Hewlett Packard for almost fifteen years (while serving on the Ambrose school board). Because of his extensive marketing experience, David is one of those rare school heads who brings a keen sense of what it takes to grow and market a classical school as an organization. You might think that if he brings business acumen to a school’s operation that he must be an academic lightweight–but you would be wrong. David is an avid reader and learner, and passionate about getting a classical education himself.
Stanley Fish on Classical Education
You might not expect the controversial English literary theorist Stanley Fish to endorse a return to classical education, but that is exactly what he has done in a recent New York Times editorial, entitled “A Classical Education: Back to The Future” (June 7, 2010). Stanley Fish is known for his subjectivist or communal theory of literary interpretation–he suggests that the interpretation of texts is dependent on our subjective experience in a particular community that gives us a particular way of reading a text. Fish, therefore, has been critical of “universals” or absolute, objective notions of truth, fairness and reasonableness.
Colson Center for Christian Worldview
Those of you interested in thinking through the construction and implementation of a Christian worldview will be interested in the goings-on at Chuck Colson's Center for Christian Worldview. I have joined an diverse group of writers at this site who contribute various...
Marco Polo and Classical Education: How the Seven Liberal Arts Almost Came to China
Perhaps you have played the game “Marco Polo” in the swimming pool as a kid. This pool game is an aquatic version of tag, except the person who is “it” must keep his eyes closed as he thrashes around the pool seeking to make someone else “it.” And there is another twist: he who is “it” may call out “Marco” to which all other players are obliged to respond “Polo.” Swim quickly towards a “Polo” and you might just tag a friend–but keep your eyes closed.
The Trivial Trivium… or The Trivium at The Crossroads
For a while now I have been amused at the contrast between the two words “trivium” and “trivial.” Now I am an ardent advocate of the renewal of “Trivium-Based Education” and consider such a renewal greatly needed and far from trivial. So in what sense could the trivium be trivial? How could one of these words be so serious and the other so…well, trivial?
Thomas More’s Utopian Education
Thomas More’s Utopia (first published in 1516) has been calling out to me from my bookshelf for a few years now, and I finally heeded the call, took it off the shelf and read it. We keep hearing of Utopian visions of culture and society, and I have been itching to go to the sources the word and the concept. More’s book was also a nice complement to the Huxley’s Brave New World and Orwell’s 1984. So I read it last week.
Breaking News–Headventureland.com
You heard it here first...On Monday Classical Academic Press will officially launch a substantial new website called Headventureland where students can creatively practice their Latin, Spanish, Greek and other subjects by means of vocabulary games (FlashDash), videos...
New Classical School Opens Outside Chicago
A superb new classical school is opening in Naperville, Illinois--Covenant Classical School. I think that I can safely call it superb because of the quality of people involved. The school's website is the best I have seen for a start-up school. Link:...
Has Classical Education Been Discredited?
Objection: Classical Education was Discredited and Dismissed by the Educational Establishment Nearly 100 Years Ago
Indeed this is largely, if not completely true. And we must admit that American classical educators in the late 1800s and early 1900s had become calcified, provincial and ornery in the face of the rising criticisms coming from the emerging discipline of psychology. While we disagree with many of the assessments of these early 20th century critics, we admit that classical educators at that time made several wrong turns and that some of the criticism was just.
Is Studying Latin a Waste of Time in the 21st Century?
Objection: Studying classical subjects like Latin are waste of time in this cultural moment.
The amount of important information we should know and that would be valuable to know has expanded enormously in the last 100 years. Science and technology have advanced remarkably giving us tremendous tools to improve our lives and work. Many jobs require significant technological skill and specialized training. How will Latin help?
Must Have Book on
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Classical Education!
The Liberal Arts Tradition
Introduction to
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Latin for Children
Greek Alphabet Code Cracker
