The Everlasting Education

This is Episode 24 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In episode 24 of the Everlasting Education Podcast, Scott and Joffre discuss the Socratic dialogue in the classroom. Just like all good conversation, Socratic dialogue is an art—a skill that can be improved with practice. But Socratic dialogue, unlike casual conversation, has a particular aim—to discover the truth or meaning of something to the end that we might live wisely and flourish as human beings. Using elenchus, an investigative means of inquiry that is meant to discover fallacies in one's argument or worldview—like peeling layers of an onion—teachers act as midwives, and help students give birth to truth.  Learn more at http://kepler.education

This is Episode 23 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In episode 23 of the Everlasting Education Podcast, Scott and Joffre discuss the art of conversation in the classroom. Since conversation is an art, it is a skill that can be improved upon; and in this episode, our hosts unpack the ways in which students can develop the craft of conversation and successfully participate in Socratic dialogues in an online classroom.    Learn more at http://kepler.education

This is Episode 22 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In episode 22 of the Everlasting Education Podcast, Scott and Joffre take slightly different approach to St. Augustine's call to Christians to be "wise and eloquent" by introducing a new series on the noble art and science of rhetoric using instead, the mythological gods, Odin and Mercury, as models of language formation and influence. For example, the names of the days and months in the calendar are formed by each culture's view of the mythological gods' powers rather than their station in the pantheon. Learn more at http://kepler.education

This is Episode 21 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott and Joffre talk about the importance of books and how we all can become classically educated by developing a habit of acquiring, carrying, and reading books. In a technological world filled with pixels, a love for reading books must be developed intentionally through wonder, curiosity, and the planned neglect of activities of lesser value. Learn more at http://kepler.education

This is Episode 20 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. Too often we get the question, "What is this thing called Classical Christian Education?" and because of the way the question is initially formulated, we find it difficult to explain what we mean.   In this episode of The Everlasting Education Podcast, Scott and Joffre explain how to talk about Classical Christian Education and explain what it means to others who are unfamiliar with the history and concept.    Learn more at http://kepler.education

This is Episode 19 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott and Joffre discuss the manner in which education, though immeasurable, is observable. On the one hand, attempting to measure education can lead to conflating "good grades" with "true education." On the other hand, failing to measure education in any capacity can lead to a false sense of educational achievement (i.e., to flourish as a human being). By recognizing the characteristics of an educated person, one can observe whether or not—or to what degree—a student is being educated.  Learn more at http://kepler.education

This is Episode 18 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott and Joffre read and discuss the virtues of speaking up, speaking out, and speaking well. While we all have seemingly legitimate reasons for sitting back, Christian young people—especially young men—should practice taking the opportunity to speak when it's appropriate. This is a fundamental aspect of a human education, however uncomfortable it may seem to do so. St. Augustine duly noted that Christians need to be both wise and eloquent amidst a world without sound reason or properly ordered loves.

This is Episode 17 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott and Joffre read and discuss Abraham Kuyper's treatise, Sheep Among the Wolves. Abraham Kuyper was a leader in the movement for education reform in the Netherlands during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A prolific intellectual, Kuyper also founded a political party (the Anti-Revolutionary Party), a denomination, and a university. Additionally, he led the movement to reform elementary schools, served as prime minister of the Netherlands from 1901-1905, and was a prolific writer. In addition to confessional studies, historical works, journalistic works, and political treatise, he also wrote more than 1300 devotional and theological treatises in his lifetime.  Sheep Among the Wolves is an example of Kuyper's views on Christian parents' responsibility to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and not send them to schools where the values of the home are not represented. It is true that Jesus sent his disciples into the world as sheep among the wolves—but not until they had been raised to maturity. As Kuyper so eloquently asserts, parents who send their sheep among the wolves before they are actually ready are not only unwise but also demonstrate their own immaturity in Christ.

This is Episode 16 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. Summertime is a well-deserved break for teachers and students; but that doesn't mean education stops—only formal education. It's okay to take a break, but instead of spending all of our free time merely amusing ourselves, summer is a great time to pursue those opportunities and interests the responsibilities of formal education doesn't allow for. In this episode of the Everlasting Education Podcast, Scott and Joffre discuss the benefits of informal education and share some ideas for spending our leisure time productively and enjoyably.

This is Episode 15 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait discuss chapter 8 of Hicks Norms and Nobility, "The Promise of Christian Paideia." Hicks states, "The creative tension between pagan humanism and Christianity animates normative education and promises to lift the student to a level of understanding above reason in an experience of faith. Faith satisfies man's craving for a transcendent justification of the Ideal Type, at the same time as it makes possible on a universal scale the self-transcendence that the ancient philosophers sought only be esoteric means." In other words, Christianity does something for education that classical paideia could not do. Christianity is the answer to transcendence (i.e., both apprehending and approximating one's life in accordance with Truth, Goodness, Beauty) that so many of the philosophers sought but could not achieve through human reason. Instead, "the answer was  provided in the person of Christ: the spirit of eros incarnate, the expressor of the divine will, and the truly divine object that self-transcending requires." David V. Hicks's, Norms and Nobility was first published in 1981 when it won the American Library Association's Outstanding Book Award. Since that time, it has gone on to become one of the most influential books in the Classical Education movement. Hicks's "purpose in writing the book is to offer a personal interpretation of classical education—its ends, as well as some of its means—and to respond to the objections of those who might approve of the goals of such an education, but who believe that it cannot meet the needs of an industrial democracy ro that it is not feasible as a model for mass education."

This is Episode 14 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait discuss the importance of bringing an "aristocratic" education to a "democratic" people. "Classical scholars," says Hicks, "recognize that material efficiency may make life possible, but it does not make society civilized or life worth living, nor is it alone capable of preserving the democratic ideals." We need to recognize that Dewey was wrong and that we should not allow democracy's tendency to race to the bottom influence education. Instead, we need to make normative learning (liberal arts learning) a universal goal. David V. Hicks's, Norms and Nobility was first published in 1981 when it won the American Library Association's Outstanding Book Award. Since that time, it has gone on to become one of the most influential books in the Classical Education movement. Hicks's "purpose in writing the book is to offer a personal interpretation of classical education—its ends, as well as some of its means—and to respond to the objections of those who might approve of the goals of such an education, but who believe that it cannot meet the needs of an industrial democracy ro that it is not feasible as a model for mass education."

This is Episode 13 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait discuss the importance of dialectical learning and how that is different than dialectical materialism. In Chapter Six, Hicks asserts that "all knowledge of first and final causes in which man defines himself and his purposes begins with doma, not with doubt, and feed on itself dialectically. Man's knowledge is without value to him unless he reaches it dialectically—unless it animates his body, indwells his mind, and possesses his soul. True dialectical education points man upward while its opposites brings man down to his least common denominator, his utility. David V. Hicks's, Norms and Nobility was first published in 1981 when it won the American Library Association's Outstanding Book Award. Since that time, it has gone on to become one of the most influential books in the Classical Education movement. Hicks's "purpose in writing the book is to offer a personal interpretation of classical education—its ends, as well as some of its means—and to respond to the objections of those who might approve of the goals of such an education, but who believe that it cannot meet the needs of an industrial democracy ro that it is not feasible as a model for mass education."

This is Episode 12 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In Chapter Five, Hicks treats the modern shift in mathematics and the sciences from its program of seeking to "save the appearances" to mere material analysis; that is, from man seeking his highest level-of-being (the normative) to serving his lowest level-of-being (the analytical). In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait unpack the chapter by explaining what the phrase "save the appearances" means—(hint: from the Greek: σῴζειν τὰ φαινόμενα [sozein ta phainomena], which means "to propose explanations that enable us to account for what appears before us")—why it was important for humanity, and how the shift in focus from the theoretical to the concrete "fixes a gulf between the arts and the sciences" in modern education.    David V. Hicks's, Norms and Nobility was first published in 1981 when it won the American Library Association's Outstanding Book Award. Since that time, it has gone on to become one of the most influential books in the Classical Education movement. Hicks's "purpose in writing the book is to offer a personal interpretation of classical education—its ends, as well as some of its means—and to respond to the objections of those who might approve of the goals of such an education, but who believe that it cannot meet the needs of an industrial democracy ro that it is not feasible as a model for mass education."

This is Episode 11 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In Chapter Four, Hicks “Tyrannizing Image,” which is to speak of the Ideal image of human perfection. In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait unpack the chapter and discuss one of the more subtle but efficacious distinctions between modern and classical education—the educator's goal for the student. The aim of modern education is the Real: the student's efficient existence. The aim of the classical educator, on the other hand, is the Ideal, the difficult-to-define standard of excellence by which a man apriorically judges himself and others; it's an intuited standard which has manifested itself in every age, from the Homeric hero to Chaucer's “parfait, gentil knight.” It is a standard, that while not achievable, reveals the gap between what a man is and what he ought to be. David V. Hicks's, Norms and Nobility was first published in 1981 when it won the American Library Association's Outstanding Book Award. Since that time, it has gone on to become one of the most influential books in the Classical Education movement. Hicks's "purpose in writing the book is to offer a personal interpretation of classical education—its ends, as well as some of its means—and to respond to the objections of those who might approve of the goals of such an education, but who believe that it cannot meet the needs of an industrial democracy ro that it is not feasible as a model for mass education."  

This is Episode 10 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production, and part two of a two-part episode in which Joffre Swait and Scott Postma read and discuss C. S. Lewis's sermon, "Learning in War-Time." C. S. Lewis, himself a veteran of World War One, delivered the sermon at St. Mary the Virgin Church, Oxford, on Sunday, October 22, 1939. In his sermon, Lewis defends traditional humanistic learning even when there was little chance of finishing the task since WW2 was looming. Lewis suggests, "The larger issue is not learning in war-time, but learning at any time, especially when our eternal destiny is at stake." It's a powerful sermon, and Scott and Joffre's comments make it relevant for us today at a time when a modern European nation (Russia) has, for the first time since WW2, invaded another independent European nation (Ukraine).   Listen to Episode 9, Part 1 of "Learning in War-Time". Read C. S. Lewis's Sermon, "Learning in War-Time".  

This is Episode 9 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. This is part one of a two-part episode in which Joffre Swait and Scott Postma read and discuss C. S. Lewis's sermon, "Learning in War-Time." C. S. Lewis, himself a veteran of World War One, delivered the sermon at St. Mary the Virgin Church, Oxford, on Sunday, October 22, 1939. In his sermon, Lewis defends traditional humanistic learning even when there was little chance of finishing the task since WW2 was looming. Lewis suggests, "The larger issue is not learning in war-time, but learning at any time, especially when our eternal destiny is at stake." It's a powerful sermon, and Scott and Joffre's comments make it relevant for us today at a time when a modern European nation (Russia) has, for the first time since WW2, invaded another independent European nation (Ukraine).   Read C. S. Lewis's Sermon, "Learning in War-Time".  

This is Episode 8 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait unpack some of the salient points in chapter three of David V. Hicks, Norms and Nobility. Hicks argues that "the activity of learning takes place in a no-man's land between what the student can accomplish and what he may not be able to accomplish." Contrary to the modern child psychologist's aims, the classical educator emphasizes mastering an inherited body of knowledge rather than on "developing a happy, well-adjusted child." David V. Hicks's, Norms and Nobility was first published in 1981 when it won the American Library Association's Outstanding Book Award. Since that time, it has gone on to become one of the most influential books in the Classical Education movement. Hicks's "purpose in writing the book is to offer a personal interpretation of classical education—its ends, as well as some of its means—and to respond to the objections of those who might approve of the goals of such an education, but who believe that it cannot meet the needs of an industrial democracy ro that it is not feasible as a model for mass education."   Learn more about Kepler's approach to marking time as a Classical Christian Education platform serving homeschool families at Kepler Education.

This is Episode 7 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait set aside Norms and Nobility to talk calendars and liturgy. As most are aware, a calendar is a way of marking time by reference to important events in our lives. What many may not immediately recognize, however, is the way in which a calendar is liturgical. Calendars shape our common thinking about the way we should live and learn and worship together by marking time according to those most important events, particularly surrounding the life of Christ. Learn more about Kepler's approach to marking time as a Classical Christian Education platform serving homeschool families at Kepler Education.

This is Episode 6 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait unpack Chapter Two of Norms and Nobility and discuss the tensions in language as it pertains to the classical educator. Modern education want to strip language of its mythos and focus merely on its logos. But, argues Hicks, this will not do. The Classical Christian educator knows better and must hold the mythos and logos in tension as they each play a vital role in a person's knowledge of reality. David V. Hicks's, Norms and Nobility was first published in 1981 when it won the American Library Association's Outstanding Book Award. Since that time, it has gone on to become one of the most influential books in the Classical Education movement. Hicks's "purpose in writing the book is to offer a personal interpretation of classical education—its ends, as well as some of its means—and to respond to the objections of those who might approve of the goals of such an education, but who believe that it cannot meet the needs of an industrial democracy ro that it is not feasible as a model for mass education."  

This is Episode 5 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait unpack Chapter One and discuss some of the misconceptions of modern education, discuss the importance of Inquiry, Aesthetics, and Ethics as parts of the dialectical core of a classical Christian education.  David V. Hicks's, Norms and Nobility was first published in 1981 when it won the American Library Association's Outstanding Book Award. Since that time, it has gone on to become one of the most influential books in the Classical Education movement. Hicks's "purpose in writing the book is to offer a personal interpretation of classical education—its ends, as well as some of its means—and to respond to the objections of those who might approve of the goals of such an education, but who believe that it cannot meet the needs of an industrial democracy ro that it is not feasible as a model for mass education."  

This is Episode 4 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. David V. Hicks's, Norms and Nobility was first published in 1981 when it won the American Library Association's Outstanding Book Award. Since that time, it has gone on to become one of the most influential books in the Classical Education movement. Hicks's "purpose in writing the book is to offer a personal interpretation of classical education—its ends, as well as some of its means—and to respond to the objections of those who might approve of the goals of such an education, but who believe that it cannot meet the needs of an industrial democracy ro that it is not feasible as a model for mass education." In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait unpack the prologue and engage some of the basic premises of Hick's philosophy, namely that modern education is descriptive in nature, whereas classical education is prescriptive in nature. Modern education treats education from the philosophical standpoint of what is while classical education strives for a standard of what ought to be.

This is Episode 3 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production. In this delightful and enlightening episode, Joffre Swait shares some of his Thanksgiving poetry and together he and Scott Postma unpack some of the more salient themes. This is an episode that would have made Horace proud, an episode we know you're going to enjoy. Listeners can find these poems and many more in Joffre's book, Well Met: Poems of Companionship. Happy Thanksgiving!

This is Episode 2 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production.   In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait unpack the introduction to Jack Schneider's book, The Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door. Join them as they listen in, react to, and discuss Schneider's assault on parents who challenge the validity of the public school system. In Schneider's worldview, the public school system is good and right by default and it is the parents and conservative legislators who challenge the public school system who are the ravening wolves at the schoolhouse door.  

This is Episode 1 of The Everlasting Education Podcast, a Kepler Education Production.   In this episode, Scott Postma and Joffre Swait unpack Philip Hamburger's Wall Street Journal article, Is the Public School System Constitutional? In this article, Burger asserts that "The public school system...burdens [parents] not simply with poor teaching and discipline, but with political bias, hostility toward religion, and now even sexual and racial indoctrination. Schools often seek openly to shape the very identity of children" and then asks, "What can parents do about it?" Listen in to hear Scott and Joffre's answer to Burger's timely question.