Aug 1, 2024
Mary, Model of Teachers by the Reverend Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D. at What We Need Now. At first glance, it is somewhat counter-intuitive to think of the Blessed Virgin as a model for teachers rather than as a model of discipleship. But, of course, a disciple by one’s very nature is intended to become a teacher. After all, didn’t Our Lord Himself say: “A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one when he is fully taught will be like his teacher” (Lk 6:40)? Read
New Catechesis Curriculum from Augustine Institute and Ignatius by Gene M. Van Son at Catholic Stand. With a number of catechesis programs available today, a logical question is ‘why chose Word of Life?’ According to Erik Hesla, Director of Curriculum at the Augustine Institute and lead writer for Word of Life’s junior high curriculum, the answer is “Jesus.” “Word of Life is the best choice because of its focus on the heart of our faith: Jesus Christ. Our curriculum equips catechists and teachers to bring students into a life-giving encounter with Jesus, the Word of life. Read
Coaching: Why Seminar Leaders Don’t & Why They Should by Andrew J. Zwerneman at Cana Academy. Great seminar leaders ask their students questions that lead everyone into the text. The best questions cultivate searches and discoveries that lead to intellectual and experiential pay dirt. Without coaching, however, the achievement of mastering a great text may well elude young discussants. Coaching cultivates excellent listening and speaking habits, without which students do not search and discover as productively as they should. They are far less likely to achieve the knowledge and experience that are the main reasons we read classic literature. Together, questions that lead the students into the text and coaching that fosters the habits proper to participating in a seminar serve to maintain lively, rigorous, and productive discussions. Read
Boys Aren’t Reading As Much As Girls, And It’s A Major Problem by Auguste Meyrat at The Federalist. Besides the rise in leftist politics in the classroom and the learning loss caused by the Covid lockdowns, one major issue K-12 teachers have observed in recent years is the widening learning gap between boys and girls. Girls earn higher grades than boys and do better on standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, all of which results in them significantly outnumbering boys in college enrollment. Already, this educational disparity between the sexes is leading to a crisis in marriage and family formation, to say nothing of political polarization, since most men and women struggle to find intellectual equals who can understand and complement them. Read
Senate Advances Bills to Protect Privacy and Safety of Children Online by Tyler Arnold at Catholic News Agency. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to advance extensive regulations that its supporters say will protect the safety and privacy of children on the internet…the government would impose a “duty of care” on social media platforms. This means the companies could be held legally liable if they are negligent in their efforts to prevent children from accessing harmful material. Read
Franciscan University Launches Video Series to Address ‘Woke’ Culture by Kate Quiñones at Catholic News Agency. Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, has launched a video series that plans to examine “culture, science, politics, the arts, and current issues” through “the lens of reason and faith.” Hosted by the school’s president, Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, “In Focus: Confronting the Woke World” takes inspiration from “Awake, Not Woke: A Christian Response to the Cult of Progressive Ideology,” a 2021 book by Catholic author Noelle Mering. Read
New Catholic Trade School Aims for Debt-Free Alternative to College by Laura Loker at The Pillar. In Springfield, Illinois, a new Catholic trade school aims to recover the dignity of skilled labor while also forming students intellectually and spiritually — and without saddling them with student debt. Students of San Damiano College for the Trades will receive technical instruction and on-the-job training in their trade of choice, a liberal arts associate degree and spiritual formation, Kent Lasnoski, the school’s founding president, told The Pillar. Read
Throwback Thursday
Teaching Dante in Catholic Schools by Joseph Pearce at National Catholic Register on May 28, 2018. Lovers of the Great Books argue interminably about which is the greatest? Among philosophers, the argument might focus on the relative merits of the works of Plato and Aristotle, or of Augustine and Aquinas. Among lovers of literature, some will argue that Homer’s epics are the greatest, others, possibly, though perhaps less convincingly, that Virgil deserves the laurel. And then there are those who will insist that Shakespeare is as good as it gets. And yet, for Catholics, we can hardly leave Dante out of the discussion. From a purely Catholic literary perspective he must surely stand supreme. He is to Catholic literature what Thomas Aquinas is to Catholic philosophy. If Thomas is rightly called the Angelic Doctor, might Dante not deserve to be called the Angelic Poet? Read