Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Some great quotes from "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver VanDeMille:

"The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next." Abraham Lincoln

Chapter 1, The State of Education Today

"All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education." Sir Walter Scott

Education:
What is it?
What should it accomplish?
What methods should be used to achieve it?

The only person who can fix education is the student (must determine to educate themselves and follow through). Teaching, not education, should be our focus because great teaching inspires students to educate themselves.

Education occurs when students get excited about learning and follow through; students do this when they experience great teachers. Two types of great teachers: Mentors who interact face to face, inspiring, showing personality and giving attention; and Classics, such as books, art, music, and media that have a foundation of godly character and morality.

We do not want to tell them what to think, we want to teach our students HOW to think.

Now, for my thoughts: Socialization is not the primary objective of public education, but is often defended as such. I can't even count how many times someone has asked me, "What about socialization?" My standard reply is, "I'm not raising a socialist."

In homeschooling, we have chosen what has proven to be an effective method of educating our children. My agenda for education does not specifically include the political or social agendas of civil rights, environmentalism or job readiness. My agenda, indeed my honor, is to raise a godly, responsible adult who can think and act based on a foundation of godly principles.

For this I strive daily!

"...people cannot be educated unless they choose to seek education, and they seek it when they are inspired by great teachers, past and present." p. 21, DeMille

"Education boils down to two things: the student putting in the work to educate himself, and the teacher getting students attention long enough and deeply enough to get him started and help him keep going."

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