solum doctrina ~ Simply Learning

Simply Learning -- As a reader your probably wondering...why is this guy putting his titles in both English and Latin? What's up with his weird sign off at the end of each post?

The simple answer: Wanted to deepen my understanding/appreciation of the English language so I'm learning Latin and practice, practice, with more practice with a good dose of exposure is the only way to improve.  If one were to Google the question: 'Why Learn Latin?', you would get back a litany of answers.

Do better on your SAT! Latin is the KEY to success! Critical for a standard classical education! The list could go on and on...

Learning has become transactional. I learn and now I get something in return. Maybe a higher grade, a better paying job, or personal satisfaction. All these are not wrong or bad to desire, but if they are our only desire from our learning we may be missing the point.

Learning should be transformational.

Curae,
Agimus tibi Dominus

est res oeconomica ad educationem ~ Economics of an Education

Economics of an Education -- Recent education policy talk has been dominated by the fact that our economic prosperity is at risk if our schools do not improve.

Comparative data, though not perfect, derived from large scale assessments provides a quantifiable measure to compare schools, states, and nations.

It is easy to be consumed by the quantifiable and the measurable. These are the buzz words of our day. Yet, what happens if the knowledge and skills they test are irrelevant to student success today?

What happens if the skills that are most necessary in students for this century...the next and for the next...are timeless skills such as: critical thinking, empathy, communication, resilience, and social-emotional skills.

How do we measure these in our education system?    

Curae,
Agimus tibi Dominus

cognita industria ~ Purposeful Learning

Purposeful Learning -- When was the last time you approached learning with a specific purpose?

Maybe, it was learning a new language before you traveled abroad.

Possibly, it was learning the players on the roster of your favorite baseball team. (Guilty!)

Potentially, it was learning the basics of a new hobby.

The possibilities of learning are nearly endless, but again I ask when was the last time you approached learning with a specific purpose?

When did you approach learning with a sense of tenacity and passion that no person, no obstacle, and no power could stop you from achieving?

When was the last time you couldn't stop yourself until you mastered it or felt the continual tug to return and push yourself to learn the topic deeper?

With a new year quickly approaching, we must challenge ourselves to find a purpose that we can dedicate our learning energies towards.  

What will you learn with purpose this season?

Curae,
Agimus tibi Dominus

ego discite ~ I Learn

I Learn -- I learn best in concert with others and their thoughts.

I learn best in community. I learn best when given time to think. I learn best in an open environment.

I learn as a listener, but must find ways to apply it to my life.

I learn as a visual being, but must be able to tangibly work with the information.

If there are certain ways I learn best, would that not be the same for others?

Today requires less focus on technical knowledge and a discovering of how we learn to process and grow in this age of information. How do we do this?  

Curae,
Agimus tibi Dominus

magna disputandum ~ The Great Debate

The Great Debate -- Do we teach for the person? Do we teach for a future job? Do we teach for a STEM focus?

What is worthy of teaching and for others to learn has been one of the deepest and greatest debates in educational philosophy.

There are no simple answers and it seems the responses from history says it depends on the times we live. That is not an appropriate answer...

What if we were able to identify timeless skills that are necessary for personal success no matter the age we live and focus our early energies on those in equal to the content (that rapidly changes) that is currently taught to students?

Our world is not slowing down. So, how do we equip the next generation for the cognitive and emotional dexterity to not only succeed, but thrive?

Curae,
Agimus tibi Dominus

doctrina timere ~ Fearless Teaching

Fearless Teaching -- The times we live in call upon us to be fearless in our teaching.

What does fearless teaching look like?

A teacher who sees a trouble student as a troubled student, burdened by circumstances they did not choose like divorce, abuse, or neglect.

A teacher who chooses to grow community rather than an us vs. them dynamic.

A teacher who sees greatness in each of their students.

A teacher who sees learning as a life-long endeavor...a gift they see as worth passing on to the next generation.

A teacher who realizes they are not the teacher.

Curae,
Agimus tibi Dominus

quid discimus? ~ Why do we learn?

Why do we learn? -- Who told us to learn? Why does it come so naturally...actually, immediately once we are born?

It is innate, hard-wired, unstoppable.

Then why do we struggle to facilitate it daily in the classroom?

Why does learning...which occurs so naturally in our lives daily...suddenly become a chore and a burden?

What have we forgotten, when did it become lost? The answer may lie in: 'why do we learn?'

Curae,
Agimus tibi Dominus

pro doctrina ~ a principio

This is a quick introduction to the blog pro doctrina, translated in latin as 'for learning'. This blog will not have many long posts, but hopefully posts that will create deeper thought and reflection towards the timeless endeavor of learning and teaching. For future reference any words that are italicized are Latin, blog post titles will always be in Latin, with an english translation to follow.

Curae,
Agimus tibi Dominus