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cathochick
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| Posted: June 06 2008 at 9:21am | IP Logged
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Drew Campbell linked to this blog post recently on the Thomas Jefferson Education and how it seems to be primarily a Latter Day Saints thing. Thought I'd pass it along as I've seen some interest here in this book.
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Jessica
Mom to Dom 9, and Joe 5.
The Dominican Bungalow
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Willa
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I saw it on his blog, too. Very interesting; thanks for linking to it.
As with all homeschool methods, of course, you can take what seems to apply to one's own homeschool. Most of the stated concerns on the blog seemed to have to do with (1) De Mille's academic credentials (2) the academic rigor and credentialing of the George Wythe school (3) and the poor academic results in the TJ charter school. Those are interesting for LDS members but not so much for the regular homeschooler, probably.
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Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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lapazfarm
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Excellent article. Thanks for posting it. I remember reading similar information about DeMille and his questionable university when TJE first came out and for that reason I dismissed TJE and have ever since.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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teachingmyown
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The book TJEd is a fantastic read, full of excellent points and ideas, regardless of who wrote it and what his credentials are. Like Willa said, it is another example of taking what is good and useful and discarding the rest. I actually found nothing to discard. I bought it at the urging of Andrew Pudewa (Institute for Excellence in Writing).
There is no pushing of a Mormon agenda in the book or the Companion book. I also have several of the articles that they have published and they are very useful to me.
It did not seem from the article that she had read the books. I don't know anything about the woman who wrote the piece, so I won't try to comment on her agenda. Overall, it just didn't seem to take a very open-minded approach, and really seemed more anti-Mormon than a critique of an educational philosophy.
For what it is worth, the Louis L'More book she referenced, The Lonesome Gods, is one of the best books I have ever read! Surprising, but true.
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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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Willa
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Taking it above the TJE specifics for a minute, I think it is helpful for people to read how high ideals can blend with a more relaxed approach. I know that some people get the impression that it is either/or. That you either have to keep noses to the grindstone for hours a day, in order to achieve excellence, or that you have to just "give up" and let things go any which way.
So I guess I'm trying to say that it has helped some perfectionist types to see how things like Mom's self-education, sharing classics (however defined) and focusing on mentoring rather than assigning can be of aid to an excellent education.
Personally, I did not like the TJE book much. I have friends who loved it, so obviously there are a range of tastes. I did not see anything "wrong" with it -- in a lot of ways it's similar to what I try to do in our home. It certainly isn't Mormon-specific, and I don't think that reading the book and using the method would in any way lead to a Mormon world-view (possibly if you went to all the seminars it would be different, and certainly if you went to the college)
However, I didn't think the approach was similar in anything but name to how Jefferson himself was educated; I'm not even a huge fan of Jefferson and wouldn't necessarily want my kids educated in a Jeffersonian tradition, though I acknowledge he was a great man; and my idea of "leader" is different from De Mille's. I like the Ignatian aspiration to be a "Catholic influence in whatever sphere of life you are called to by God." That is my idea of "leadership". So those parts of the book left me under-whelmed -- his goals are not the same as mine.
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Willa
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cathochick
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According to Drew Campbell's blog the author of the article is LDS herself.
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Jessica
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The Dominican Bungalow
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Leonie
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I'd like to read TJE - I think the ideas that I've heard that are expressed in the book would fit well with my unchooling and LCC and CM approach. I tend to take the good from wherever and adapt and apply to suit my own family. I think that this what we homeschoolers are good at and this gleaning and adapting is really the huge advantage of homechooling....
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teachingmyown
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I think that explains a lot. If she thinks that DeMille is seen to represent LDS homeschoolers, than she perhaps feels the need to refute that.
Leonie, I think the book really is advocating sort of a classical unschooling approach. I think you would like it.
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Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
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Chari
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Leonie, I think you would like the book, too. I am one of Willa's friends who loved the book. She read my copy, I think.......or was that Robynn.....anyway.....
Our home sometimes resembles yours....homeschooling wise.....mostly because that is our natural bent. TJE matches a lot of what we do here.....before we had ever heard of TJE
I heard Andrew Pudewa talk about this, too, at NACHE once......and was the reason I bought the book......he sold out at the conference.......had to mail order it.
If you want.......maybe I could mail you my copy, if you need me to.......and then just mail it back when you are done. It is a small read.
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Chari...Take Up & Read
Dh Marty 27yrs...3 lovely maidens: Anne 24, Sarah 20 & Maddelyn 17 and 3 chivalrous sons: Matthew 22, Garrett 16 & Malachy 11
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havejoy_farm
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I've read the book and I loved it, loved it, loved it. Now I "inspire not require" and the kids have responded very positively to that. Now our home school is a happy place.
Mandy
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4Real Forums : Philosophy of Education
Topic: Thomas Jefferson Ed: Potential Concerns
