Perhaps one of the questions that we encounter the most as a school is, “How do you use technology in the classroom?” It’s a fair question. In some schools, tablets are distributed to all students, assessments tests are completed online, students hand in all assignments digitally, and smart-boards don every classroom. Does all of this add up to better education?
The French philosopher, Jacques Ellul, says that we now live in a “Technological Society” devoted to technique. In his own words, “In our technological society, technique is the totality of methods rationally arrived at and having absolute efficiency (for a given stage of development) in every field of human activity.” What this means is that when it comes to judging the good or bad of anything, we evaluated it in terms of efficiency. Whatever is more efficiency is, ipso facto, better. And when it comes to digital advances for educational tools, they have, no doubt, made teaching more efficient. But have they made learning better? In this post, I’d like to explore 3 pros and 3 cons to using technology in education.
Does your child love to compete against others? Would they rather be involved in music or robotics or art? If they fall into any of these categories, it’s still important to encourage them to participate in sports.
God has given us all different abilities. Many times, it’s just a matter of trying different things to see what they can do. The old saying, “you never know until you try” holds true in athletics. Let your child try different sports so they can discover what abilities God has given them. Maybe they succeed, maybe they fail but at least they know they tried. Playing on a team, even if you are just trying it out, teaches so many life lessons. Here are three benefits of letting your child try a sport.
It is a parent' s delight to see their child grow and develop. Your child’s first step, first word and reading for the first time are milestones every parent loves to witness. Most children naturally learn to walk and talk but learning to read must be taught. Reading is foundational to all future learning. What then are the best methods for teaching this critical skill?
As the long, lazy days of summer begin to wane, I find myself hankering for a good children’s story: a fable, a myth, or any other fiction that I can lose myself in before I have to get back to the business of planning for the school year. While I am usually inclined to turn to my old favorites- Little House on the Prairie, Caddie Woodlawn, Phantastes- this summer, I am craving something entirely new. But where should I turn for recommendations?
The English word “spoil” is derived from the Latin word spoliare and comes down to English via the Old French word espillier.
Today, we typically apply the word “spoil” to two categories: food and children. What is interesting is that each one “spoils” in opposite ways: food by neglect, children by indulgence. When we ignore and “under-care” for food, it spoils. When we “over-care” for children, they spoil.
Christian and Classical Education 101 I often catch myself describing Kevin Clark and Ravi Jain’s book, The Liberal Arts Tradition, as “Christian and Classical Education 2.0” and everyone knows what I mean — an indication of just how much sway the world of tech and software holds over us.
“A worldview is a commitment, a fundamental orientation of the heart, that can be expressed as a story or in a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic constitution of reality, and that provides the foundations on which we live and more and have our being.” (James Sire, The Universe Next Door)
Welcome. You’re reading my first attempt at blogging. Like most things in life, I’ve arrived at this party considerably later than most. I’ve read blogs — some good, some bad — for almost twenty years without penning a single entry myself. “Why now?” you ask. Good question.
When it comes to attending a private school, perhaps the most frequently asked question I receive is, “How much does it cost?” In this blog post, I would like to suggest 5 ways to help make a private school education attainable for your family.
How can we as parents lead our children to fruitful, faith-filled lives? Even as our students are being taught in classical, Christian methods and materials in school, we can support and enhance that learning by what we do at home.