The Well-Trained Mind podcast

Join Susan Wise Bauer, an expert on learning misconceptions, and Susanna Jarrett, a dynamic speaker on brain function myths, as they tackle pervasive educational fallacies. They debunk the left-brain vs. right-brain myth, arguing for a more nuanced view of learning. The duo critiques the validity of learning styles and IQ tests, emphasizing that no single approach fits all learners. With wit and insight, they encourage a multimodal teaching strategy to embrace diverse talents and re-evaluate outdated educational beliefs.

Gretchen Ronnevik, an experienced educator in classical writing and formal rhetoric, shares fascinating insights on teaching controversial topics. She emphasizes the importance of representing opposing views accurately to foster constructive dialogue. The discussion navigates the complexities of neutral political education, the necessity of exploring diverse economic theories, and challenges in teaching sensitive science topics like evolution. Ronnevik advocates for creating safe spaces for open dialogue, encouraging students to engage with differing perspectives while forming their own beliefs.

Here is a link to the standarized test that Susan recommended for students coming into classical education or homeschooling “late”: California Achievement Test (CAT) (00:00) - Intro (00:55) - Reaction to WTM not being "classical enough"? (06:21) - How to teach several ages at once? (14:48) - Logistics of simultaneous at-home and in-school education (21:02) - How to keep the energy up after graduating kids? (28:16) - Confronting the decline of vocabulary (33:28) - How to transition from Kindergarten to 1st grade? (41:57) - How do handwriting and typing compare as learning tools? (46:12) - When should a "gifted" child start focusing more on special interests? (59:35) - Starting WTM "late"? (01:05:10) - Adding AP classes to rhetoric? (01:09:47) - Clarification from the burnout conversation (01:12:15) - Wrapping up

Courtney Ostaff discusses science curricula for homeschooling, exploring Elemental Science, Real Science Odyssey, Nancy Larson Science, Blossom and Root, and more. The conversation covers the goals of science education, engaging young children with fun approaches, and the differences between Christian, secular, and neutral curricula. The review includes a discussion on balancing curriculum aesthetics and pedagogy quality, challenges with usability and printing costs, and the benefits of online education through the Well-Trained Mind Academy.

What About Socialization? Via Well-Trained MindVIDEO: Should I Join a Homeschool Co-Op? Recommended Book: The Artist's Way by Julia CameronSusan's Book: Rethinking School  (00:00) - Intro (01:44) - How to prepare for the Outside Gaze (03:27) - Peer pressure when homeschooling (13:06) - What is your "Why"? (22:57) - Homeschooling groups and co-ops (33:10) - What about socialization? (48:09) - Stay true to yourself (49:35) - Outro

Check out Kate Snow's Website: https://kateshomeschoolmath.com/!You can purchase Kate's curricula, Math with Confidence and Facts that Stick on our website, welltrainedmind.com.  (00:00) - Check out 4th Grade Math with Confidence! (00:25) - Intro with Kate Snow (02:28) - Kate's background (06:30) - The problems with math curriculum (12:23) - Ripping apart Saxon (15:34) - Conceptual math vs procedural (20:06) - Break (20:55) - Math You See & manipulatives (30:44) - Math with Confidence (34:30) - Recommendations for teaching varying levels of math interest (44:44) - Outro | Visit kateshomeschoolmath.com

Summary: In this episode, Susan Wise Bauer and Susanna Jarrett discuss how a classical education prepares students for university education and what adjustments may need to be made to ensure your student is a competitive applicant.Show Notes: Recommendations for transcript creators A Sample High School TranscriptAssigning High School Credit Hours by Susan Wise BauerTests We Discuss: SAT website ACT website CLT exam AP examsCLEP examsTimestamps:(00:00) - Intro (01:31) - Starting off with a piece of advice (04:39) - Preparing for college at the rhetoric stage (10:57) - Seven tips (and a bonus!) for making the transition to college (11:28) - Tip #1: Identify a range of potential colleges (12:49) - Tip #2: Get credits on a transcript (29:18) - Tip #3: Practice receiving instruction from multiple sources (33:53) - Tip #4: Decide whether to take standardized tests (40:48) - Tip #5: Look into achievement based testing (46:54) - Tip #6: Get used to using a checklist and planner (50:37) - Tip #7: Start collecting letters of recommendation (52:53) - BONUS!: How to align classical courses to a high school transcript (58:33) - Outro

ANNOUNCEMENT: We will record a Q&A episode at the end of this season. If you have questions for Susan or Susanna, send them to podcast@welltrainedmind.com. (00:00) - Intro (01:25) - Defining "burnout" (06:02) - Burnout is normal (15:19) - When to ask for help (18:43) - Susan's story of burnout (21:34) - Break (22:19) - Dealing with burnout (31:50) - What to do next (48:34) - Outro

Clarification on online class types: Live = Students attend video call classes at a set time. During class they can interact with their instructor and peers. They may complete additional coursework on their own, but must submit it by a particular deadline. Asynch = Students watch video instruction on their own. There are no set meeting times. They may or may not have deadlines for coursework. Delayed (unique to WTM Academy) = Students can watch lectures on their own time (within 24hrs of the live class), but must complete all other coursework on the same timeline as live students. Here is a video about how delayed classes work at the WTM Academy. Things to Look For When Choosing an Online School: Is there an administration?Is the school accredited? TuitionHow much do you want to be involved? Delivery method/Time onlineSocialization opportunitiesViewpoint Diversity and/or Worldview Website design Nationally Recognized Accrediting bodies MSA(Also check out the agencies they cooperate with)WASC Cognia  (00:00) - Intro with Julia Collier (02:39) - What are the benefits of online school? (12:50) - Types of online programs (27:23) - Break (28:16) - Types of online programs (34:32) - What a diploma does and whether or not it's important (36:52) - What are *you* looking for in an online school? (43:13) - Green flags, red flags, and things to look for in an online school (01:02:28) - Wrapping up (01:03:22) - Outro

German: Goethe Institute Spanish: Instituto CervantesFrench:  Alliance Francaise Well-Trained Mind AcademyBeth Gibbons – singing Penderecki/Gorecki Symphony #3ANNOUNCEMENT: We will record a Q&A episode at the end of this season. If you have questions for Susan or Susanna, send them to podcast@welltrainedmind.com. (00:00) - Intro with Elizabeth Weber-Edwards (01:59) - A brief introduction to learned languages (08:15) - How do you learn languages? (14:06) - Some principles for choosing a way to teach a language (21:52) - Which language should you pick? (30:41) - Break (31:34) - How language learning fits into classical education (41:23) - What to look for in a quality online language class (54:51) - It's never too late to learn a language!