Conversations: Andrew Kern, Author and Proponent of Classical Education
Jul 5, 2024
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Join John Anderson in a conversation with Andrew Kern, an advocate for classical education. They discuss the transformative power of classical education, challenges posed by technology, and the rise of homeschooling. Kern emphasizes the integration of Christian values with classical education principles to create coherent and harmonious learning environments.
Classical education promotes wisdom and virtue through Logos, Humanism, Piety, and Coherence.
Younger generations seek deeper meaning beyond traditional education.
Embracing transcendent values and humility is crucial for addressing the crisis of meaning in education.
Deep dives
The Evolution of Education over a Century and Post-COVID Concerns
Over the last hundred years, the podcast discusses the battle between traditional, relativistic, and philosophical approaches in American education, leading to a progressive and relativistic dominance. This shift has caused fragmentation and crisis, highlighted now more post-COVID. The pandemic serves as a trigger point to reevaluate the current educational model.
Changing Perspectives on Education and Future Workforce
The episode explores generational shifts in attitudes toward education and work. Younger generations, like Generation Z, are recognizing a disconnect between knowledge and wisdom. They seek deeper meaning beyond traditional education but are hesitant about existing ideologies, leaning towards rejecting glib Christianity and nihilism.
The Role of Classical Education and Its Spread in America
Classical education, with its pillars of Logos, Humanism, Piety, and Coherence, is highlighted. Logos emphasizes the cultivation of wisdom and virtue through truth. Humanism delves into refining raw human abilities into virtues. Piety emphasizes reverence for past, future, and present, while Coherence ensures a consistent approach in education.
Embracing Transcendence and Overcoming Anxiety
The importance of embracing transcendent values, humility, and reverence in education is emphasized. Overcoming anxiety by focusing on receiving the peace of God and understanding the impact of suffering, with a call to humility and grace, plays a crucial role in addressing the crisis of meaning and instilling deeper values in students.
Challenges in Educational Philosophy
The podcast discusses the challenges arising from the combination of diverse educational philosophies in schools, leading to incoherence and potential harm to students and teachers. The speaker emphasizes the importance of achieving coherence in educational practices to address issues such as mental health crises among students and teachers, burnout, and lack of disciplinary structures.
Classical and Christian Education Impact
The episode highlights the rise of classical and Christian education in America, showcasing its positive impact on students' academic performance, civic engagement, communication skills, and overall personal development. Through examples and research findings, the podcast reveals that embracing a classical education approach results in students excelling academically and socially, fostering better citizenship and communication abilities.
In this interview, John is joined by classical education advocate Andrew Kern. They explore the transformative potential of classical education, highlighting its respect for humility, heritage, and the importance it places on cultivating wisdom and virtue.Kern addresses the challenges posed by modern technology, and the increasing trend of homeschooling, promoting the integration of Christian values with classical education principles to create coherent and harmonious learning environments.
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