Registration Is Now Open For The 2023 Gibbs Classical Online Conference
On June 23 and 24, I will deliver eight new lectures at the 2023 Gibbs Classical Online Conference. Registration is now open for the conference. You can read descriptions of the lectures and register to attend here.
Excerpt: From The Forthcoming “A Short Introduction To Classical Christian Education”
“If you are new to classical Christian education, greetings. Welcome. If you do a little digging into classical Christian education, you will find that the classical Christian schools in this country have a good deal in common, but that there are differences between them, as well. Some of the ways they differ are insignificant, but as classical Christian education continues to grow, some of the differences between schools are becoming significant—significant enough that two schools both claiming to be “classical Christian schools” might not really be doing the same thing. The aim of this pamphlet is to get everyone on the same page.”
-from the forthcoming “A Short Introduction To Classical Christian Education”
The Mystery Of Worship
“There is nothing new under the sun.”
“Sing a new song to the Lord.”
Discuss.
On Finding Missionally-Aligned Families
If a certain classical school was not skilled at discerning which prospective families were missionally-aligned and which families weren’t, who would be the first to know?
a. The administration
b. The admissions office
c. The faculty
d. The parents of missionally-aligned families
e. The children of missionally-aligned families
f. Someone else
What Does ChatGPT Mean For English Class?
“Writing teachers cannot assign the volume of writing homework necessary to turn bad writers into good ones. At worst, ChatGPT is going to get a few liars and scoundrels out of writing two or three papers a year, but writing those papers wasn’t going to do them much good anyway.
However, if teachers begin using ChatGPT, even good students will suffer, and it ought to be admitted that the average school is far more apt to police the use of ChatGPT among students than teachers. How so? Well, there are probably teachers in every school in the country who bust students for copying and pasting Wikipedia articles into their research papers, but who do not themselves credit the regular use of Wikipedia articles for their lectures (or sermons). Who can say how many literature classes are now nothing more than Spark Notes articles talking to themselves? In other words, ChatGPT creates banal work, but most student work is already banal. However, if teachers come to use ChatGPT, it will mean the further normalization of banality all around.”
-my latest for CiRCE
January Vibes Only
For a cold gray day or cold gray evening. Sort of jazz, sort of ambient, occasionally beautiful, completely German. Put it on and forget about it, or put it on and sort of enjoy it. Worth the sixty seconds it takes to preview.
Starting A Classical School? Here’s Five Things You Have To Get Right The First Time
“Every year, classical Christian schools open by the dozen. Many start with fewer than forty students, but it is not unusual to see a classical school go from forty students to one hundred in less than a decade, and that decade goes fast. Despite how common such growth is, many schools are not founded on practices and ideals which will serve the student body well once it triples or quadruples in size. Granted, there are certain issues a school can figure out as it goes. The student handbook doesn’t have to be perfect on day one. However, there are certain issues which a new school ought to have sorted out once and for all before they even open their doors.”
-from my latest for CiRCE
Cells. Interlinked.
There are Twitter accounts of mid-level Christian intellectuals I check in on occasionally so I remember what it looks like to be a functional intellectual who isn’t a slave to followers and fame.
There are Twitter accounts of mid-level Christian intellectuals I check in on occasionally so I remember what it looks like to be a non-functional intellectual who is trying to amass followers and fame.
Wisdom Literature for Beginners Starts This Friday
Registration is still open for Wisdom Literature for Beginners, the Spring class I am offering through Gibbs Classical. The reading schedule is very light and the lectures will be dense and focused. Here is our schedule:
January 13: The Consolation of Philosophy (Book 1)
January 20: Ecclesiastes, Chapter 1
January 27: Consolation (Book 1), Ecclesiastes 2
February 3: Consolation (Book 1)
February 10: Ecclesiastes 3
February 17: Consolation (Book 1), Ecclesiastes 4
February 24: Consolation (Book 2), Ecclesiastes 5
March 3: Consolation (Book 2), Ecclesiastes 6
March 10: Consolation (Book 2), Ecclesiastes 7
March 17: Consolation (Book 3), Ecclesiastes 8
March 24: Consolation (Book 3), Ecclesiastes 9
March 31: Consolation (Book 3), Ecclesiastes 10
April 7: Consolation (Book 4), Ecclesiastes 11
April 14: Consolation (Book 4), Ecclesiastes 12
April 21: Consolation (Book 4 and 5)
April 28: Consolation (Book 5)
The class is available on the Student Level and the Auditor Level. You can read more about the class or register here.
