Nov 14, 2024
What the Boom in Kids’ Smartwatches Reveals About Modern Parenting by Emily Tate Sullivan at EdSurge. A decade ago, only a few tech companies made smartwatches for kids. Today, the market is bloated with players, new and veteran, vying for kids’ and parents’ loyalty—and advertising smartwatches to children as young as 5. “They are becoming increasingly popular,” says Kris Perry, executive director of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development. “They are becoming a child’s first device.” Read
Parents Without Authority by Mark Bauerlein at First Things. Leonard Sax joins Mark Bauerlein on an ongoing interview series to discuss his new book, The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups. Listen
Rethinking the Secular Age for Classical Academies by Andrew J. Zwerneman at Cana Academy. We hear everywhere that our age is the “Secular Age”. One might assume that secularism primarily means the loss of faith and that secularists are therefore faith’s cultural enemies. John Senior, for one, appears to think that secularism has more to do with the loss of reason. If he is right, there are consequences for how classical academies should build their learning culture. Read
100 Great Catholic Poems — Sally Read by Dr. Tod Worn at Word on Fire. Catholicism is the inspiration for soaring architecture, exquisite artwork, and sublime music. But what about poetry? And where should one begin? Eminent poet and Catholic convert Sally Read tells us that, “Poetry is the sister of prayer.” Join me and Sally Read as we discuss the extraordinary works of Catholic verse over two millennia in 100 Great Catholic Poems. Listen
St. Thomas’s Prayer Before Study by Michael Pakaluk at The Catholic Thing. Right from the start, St. Thomas’s words express humility. Although the prayer keeps in mind that study is meant to lead to fruitfulness and therefore speech that helps others find the truth, God is addressed as “ineffable,” which means beyond our capacity to express in words. The highest realities, the most interesting and precious truths, must ultimately remain mysterious for any creature. Read
10 Wonderful Audiobooks to Enjoy as a Family by Cecilia Pigg at Aleteia. Whether your motivation for audiobooks is a way to stay entertained on car trips, or a hope for cozy screen-free evenings, or just a way during a long rainy weekend afternoon to keep everyone together, attentive, and quiet -- here are some books that have kept the attention of both small kids and adults. These are all good stories that can spark great topics for discussion. Read
Classical Catholic Grammar School Launches in Harlem by Kate Quiñones at Catholic News Agency. A group of religious sisters has launched the only classical Catholic elementary school in New York City’s Harlem, designed to meet the needs of the city’s low-income families. Saint John Paul the Great Academy serves its students through its scholarship program while offering high-quality classical Catholic education. The school is managed by an order of religious sisters focused on evangelization: the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará, known as the “Servidoras.” Read
Britain to Get Its First Catholic Medical School in 2026 by Madalaine Elhabbalat at Catholic News Agency. St. Mary’s University in Twickenham, London, has announced plans to open Britain’s first Catholic medical school in September 2026. “We are proud to be London’s Catholic university and to launch the first school of medicine at a Catholic university in the U.K.,” a spokesperson for the university said in a statement provided to CNA…“Our Catholic mission is integral to our values, and we will ensure that our students can flourish with the best possible support, as befits a Catholic university,” the spokesperson said. Read
A ‘Second Spring’ of Catholic Education by Patrick Reilly at The Cardinal Newman Society. The renewal of Catholic education is perhaps the best news in the Church today. Once-stagnant schools and colleges are being reformed and renewed. New, vibrantly faithful schools and colleges are opening. Faithful Catholic homeschooling and hybrid options are booming. And Catholic families around the country are once again embracing Catholic formation. And how is all of this coming about? Like a “second spring,” by the clear hand of God. Read
Throwback Thursday
Don't Give In: Write! by Andrew J. Zwerneman at Cana Academy on February 14, 2023. Under the pressure of AI-generated writing, there is some significant worry, even within the normally stalwart classical education movement, that perhaps teachers ought to forgo or significantly downplay the role of writing. The white flag indicates a kind of hopelessness in the face of plagiarism’s seemingly unstoppable encroachment on the integrity of writing. Here is what I say to that: Don’t give in! Western culture is a culture of letters. The West is our students’ inheritance. Rob them of writing, and one robs them of one of their most precious cultural gems. It also robs us of men and women who can preserve our culture for generations to come. Read |