What's the objective?
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"We are indeed at a great deal of pains to load the memories
of youth; but very little is done to exercise their judgments or inventions."
It's almost inconceivable that the debate on this subject is still going on 250 years later. True enough, one can teach an infant to read. And it's justifiably impressive when anyone--young or old--can recite the Bible from memory.
But it goes without saying that committing the Bible to memory does not make one a saint, and reading extremely early does not make one a scholar, a leader or even a happier person. However laudable these achievements, they are hollow when they are without context, and can even serve as a substitute for pursuing a great education, or a great life.
Only as we make these skills and goals the servants of a higher purpose and the means to accomplishing a personal mission do they truly have meaning.
Only as we take steps to cultivate the wisdom and creativity of each individual (as Turnbull implied we should) do they begin to discover their true genius; and then, the knowledge they acquire is no longer mere information--it is the power to understand, to innovate and to serve.
The question perhaps should not be what to teach, but when, how, and why. As we let go of the magnetic pull toward the Conveyor Belt, the urge to load the memories of our youth no longer makes sense, and the passion to inspire them to greatness begins to animate our efforts--and theirs.
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Featured Resource
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Of all the things you'll spend $10 on each month, This Week in History is not only a great value, but a time saver and a worry eliminator. This Week in History:
- Relieves fear, stress and burnout
- Energizes your kidschool
- Fills in the gaps
- Cultivates cultural literacy
- Facilitates state or provincial compliance
- Correlates resources for co-ops, classrooms and family learning
- Harnesses the power of technology in a classical leadership education
- Harmonizes with Unschooling, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Trivium/Quadrivium, IEW, eclectic, etc.
- Delivers new ideas and areas of learning to you and your child
- Instigates discussions and projects that expand wisdom and understanding
- Connects the subject areas-from music to math, from geography to world religions, from hobbies to science projects, etc.
- Motivates you and your students to greater excellence
- Delivers Face to Face with Greatness
- Empowers you to mentor your students in the classics
- Enlivens the 7 Keys of Great Teaching
- Activates Phases of Learning
...so you can "Inspire, not Require"
Check these out and you'll see what I mean:
[Click on a date to view a sample of This Week in History]
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What is TJEd? |
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Every person has inner genius. Thomas Jefferson Education consists of
helping each student discover, develop and polish his or her genius.
This is the essence and very definition of great education.
There are really only three kinds of education, and they are best
understood from the student's perspective. Students get a good education
for one of three reasons:
Read More >>
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