The Latin-Centered Curriculum - Tolle, lege!

I need some help with an article about death.

Kathrine — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:28:54 -0400

What I would like to do is write an article about the consequences of purging all mention of death in children's school curriculum and reading material. If children are not made to face their own mortality or the mortality of others, and if all their reading material is about how to save their allowance to buy a new puppy dog etc., what will happen to them? I need to do some more research before I put pen to paper though.

Jacques Maritain

Jeff Vehige — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:33:36 -0400

The best book I've read about education is Jacques Maritain's EDUCATION AT THE CROSSROADS. Maritain was a Catholic philosopher, perhaps the best of the 20th century, and his primary thesis in EDUCATION is that the goal of true education is spiritual, intellectual, and moral freedom, and that this goal is achieved only through a liberal education.

In terms of homeschooling, it's helped me see that the ultimate goal of what I'm doing isn't give my kids a classical education for the sake of giving them a classical education, or a Latin-centered education for the sake of giving them a Latin-centered education, but, rather, that this approach is the best means to the ultimate end of helping my kids achieve full and authentic maturity of mind, soul, spirit, and body. For me, this was a truly liberating idea because it helped me place all the educational theories I've read about into a proper context.

NeoClassical Curriculum?

Kelli Castro — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 22:51:27 -0500

I read in the LCC the warning against being pushed through so many books in NeoClassical curricula.

Which curricula are these, exactly?

I have printed out the "good books" list from the Great Books Academy. My daughter is supposed to be going on their high-school "Great Books" list soon. There are 19 books on the list for the Freshman year.

Is this what you're talking about? I am planning to do Cornerstone Curriculum's Starting Points and World Views of the Western World, if you are familiar with it. They use many of these same books but I believe they use snippets of them to prove a point rather than a full study of entire books. Because of that, I planned to have her read the books in their entirety as well. You know...in her spare time!!

An article I found on MSN

KLS — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 14:38:36 -0500

Here is the link to an article MSN is running today about a liberal arts education. Thought that some here might find it interesting.

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Departments/elearning/?article=liberalarts&GT1=8847

Poll: Would you be interested in...

Drew Campbell — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 09:26:16 -0500

a group discussion of Climbing Parnassus?

I'm thinking of a chapter every month - they are very long chapters! - starting in January. Any takers? And are there other classical education titles you'd be interested in reading together?

-Drew

Inspiring Quotes

Drew Campbell — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 19:56:20 -0400

From Machiavelli:

In the evening, I return to my house, and go into my study. At the door I take off the clothes I have worn all day, mud spotted and dirty, and put on regal and courtly garments. Thus appropriately clothed, I enter into the ancient courts of ancient men, where, being lovingly received, I feed on that food which alone is mine, and which I was born for; I am not ashamed to speak with them and to ask the reasons for their actions, and they courteously answer me. For four hours I feel no boredom and forget every worry; I do not fear poverty, and death does not terrify me. I give myself completely over to the ancients.

Not sure this is the right forum....how about sharing your schedules for LCC?

Yevrah — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 20:25:08 -0400

I've worked for 6 weeks or so since reading LCC, arranged and re-arranged my schedule and have acquired all my materials. I *think* I've got a working plan now. :o) We started on Monday. I thought it might be interesting to read how others use Drew's recommendations to fit their own family's lifestyle. I'll go first (obviously!)

I'll be schooling 3 this year (this will be our 10th year to homeschool, our 4th using mostly neo-classical materials, and our first incorporating Latin).

Faith and (Homeschooling) Practice

Drew Campbell — Tue, 04 Jul 2006 11:14:39 -0400

There have been some discussions recently on the LatinClassicalEd list about how our particular faith perspectives influence our curriculum choices - particularly history and Christian Studies. I wanted to make space here for those discussions to continue.

If you're an adult convert, are you more inclined to expose your children to multiple perspectives, or do you want to ground them solely in your faith's historical perspective?

Christian thinkers with a classical education

jennifer — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 07:33:10 -0400

Hi,

After reading some of the discussion on the WTM board about pagan vs. Christian education, I thought of weighing in to say that many of our greatest Christian thinkers had an education far more like LCC than the neo-classical model. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, so can you all help me think of others to add to this list of classically educated Christian theologians?

Here's a beginning; please add to it (or correct me if I'm wrong):