I've read two of the three volumes on this education program. I have to admit my skepticism was raised somewhat when I first heard of this program. However, the more I study the more the ideas expressed in this volume seem natural or even obvious.
Education requires Classics and Mentors to create leaders.
Conveyor belt, professional education, leadership education.
Core phase, Love of Learning phase, Scholar Phase, Depth phase, Mission Phase, Impact Phase
Classics, not textbooks
Mentors, not professors
Inspire, not require
Structure time, not content
Quality, not conformity
Simplicity, not complexity
You, not them
Leadership Education outlined each of the phases in greater detail. Some examples were given of how to impliment the seven keys and five environments. The second book included a sizeable digression on the ideal structure of universities, which I thought was largely unnecessary. One of the most interesting sections was about the adult phases (mission and impact) and why we should bother educating for leadership at all. The answer, according to the Demills, is to improve the world your grandchildren will inherit. They go as far as to say that the meaning of life is to explore each of the 13 roles of impact phase.
One book left to go!
Monday, 8 October 2012
The Birth of A New Physics
Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton.
I've been enjoying my reading on the history of science very much in the past month. I like to connect the ideas which I've studied previously with the people who created them. These people are much more impressive when their context is applied to them. There is something about Tycho Brahe which endears him to me (though he wasn't discussed much in this work). Kepler was supersticious -- he practiced astrology and his model of the universe was dearer to him than his three famous laws. Galileo seemed to me to be the most scienfic of all his peers, Newton seemed the most mathematical. Aristotle's model was so complete that it took nearly twenty five hundred years to completely overthrow his ideas.
Kepler's Laws-
The path of the planets about the sun is elliptical in shape, with the center of the sun being located at one focus. (The Law of Ellipses)
An imaginary line drawn from the center of the sun to the center of the planet will sweep out equal areas in equal intervals of time. (The Law of Equal Areas)
The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the sun. (The Law of Harmonies)
Newton's Laws-
Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an extermal force is applied to it. (The Law of Inertia)
The acceleration of a body is parallel and directly proportional to the net force acting on the body, is in the direction of the net force, and is inversely proportional to the mass of the body, (F = ma)
When a first body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force on the first body. This means that F1 and F2 are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
I've been enjoying my reading on the history of science very much in the past month. I like to connect the ideas which I've studied previously with the people who created them. These people are much more impressive when their context is applied to them. There is something about Tycho Brahe which endears him to me (though he wasn't discussed much in this work). Kepler was supersticious -- he practiced astrology and his model of the universe was dearer to him than his three famous laws. Galileo seemed to me to be the most scienfic of all his peers, Newton seemed the most mathematical. Aristotle's model was so complete that it took nearly twenty five hundred years to completely overthrow his ideas.
Kepler's Laws-
The path of the planets about the sun is elliptical in shape, with the center of the sun being located at one focus. (The Law of Ellipses)
An imaginary line drawn from the center of the sun to the center of the planet will sweep out equal areas in equal intervals of time. (The Law of Equal Areas)
The ratio of the squares of the periods of any two planets is equal to the ratio of the cubes of their average distances from the sun. (The Law of Harmonies)
Newton's Laws-
Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an extermal force is applied to it. (The Law of Inertia)
The acceleration of a body is parallel and directly proportional to the net force acting on the body, is in the direction of the net force, and is inversely proportional to the mass of the body, (F = ma)
When a first body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force on the first body. This means that F1 and F2 are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction.
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Little Britches
A good contrast with Little Women. Ralph is devilish and brave. Very obvious right and wrongs through the book. An entertaining story. Such a sad ending- why so much death in the last few chapters? Maybe to prepare children for the death of loved things as they grow. His father's death confirms his transformation from boy to man. I loved the characters in this story, especially Two Dog. A great book for a boy.
Friday, 10 August 2012
The Odyssey
Odysseus is cunning and strong. He is also sometimes foolish and proud. His son isn't developed much but there is a sense that he will replace his father in every sense. Penelope is also clever, she tests Odysseus by pretending to have moved the bed that he built from a living tree. So many of the images from this story have become western architypes. Odysseus' homecoming was my favorite part.
Saturday, 28 July 2012
The Iliad
Achilles has a nasty temper. Hector is foolish to risk so much for his own glory. Agamemnon seems greedy but noble. The morales are not disguised in many symbols or allegories- they are presented often in dialogue between characters. How violent this story is! How wondrous strange this old world seems. Next: The Odyssey of Homer
Monday, 23 July 2012
Little Women
It's been a long time since I read a book which touched me as deeply as Little Women did. The sweetness of the story was such a wonderful contrast with the bitterness of the social commentary. I fet very much like I was a friend of the girls while reading their coming of age stories.
The basic theme of the book was about a young woman's place in the world. Alcott does this three (debatably four) ways with her girls. True love, hard work and domestic life are discussed in detail. The strength required of girls to become women is shown through only through Jo. I don't agree with that because not only tomboys possess that strength. Meg fails to separate completely with Marmee after her marriage and can't manage her children without Marmee's advice. Beth is too weak physically to even enter womanhood (her life was entirely domestic, Alcott means to say that the woman doesn't belong only to the home). Amy's adult life isn't discussed much since her match is made so late. Joe is the only woman to find a partner to be her equal and to remain independent after marriage. She is Alcott's reflection of herself.
The most surprising part of the novel is the total lack of an antagonist. There's no evil. Not even a fight scene. But isn't that the best part? It's realistic. The villian is vanity and the fight is within each of the girls. Who can't relate? The goal is to be a wonderful woman. Each of them tries in their way to be good.
This is a book I'd like my daughters to read. More than likely, I'll read it again too. There's certainly a reason it's remained a girl's classic for all these years.
The basic theme of the book was about a young woman's place in the world. Alcott does this three (debatably four) ways with her girls. True love, hard work and domestic life are discussed in detail. The strength required of girls to become women is shown through only through Jo. I don't agree with that because not only tomboys possess that strength. Meg fails to separate completely with Marmee after her marriage and can't manage her children without Marmee's advice. Beth is too weak physically to even enter womanhood (her life was entirely domestic, Alcott means to say that the woman doesn't belong only to the home). Amy's adult life isn't discussed much since her match is made so late. Joe is the only woman to find a partner to be her equal and to remain independent after marriage. She is Alcott's reflection of herself.
The most surprising part of the novel is the total lack of an antagonist. There's no evil. Not even a fight scene. But isn't that the best part? It's realistic. The villian is vanity and the fight is within each of the girls. Who can't relate? The goal is to be a wonderful woman. Each of them tries in their way to be good.
This is a book I'd like my daughters to read. More than likely, I'll read it again too. There's certainly a reason it's remained a girl's classic for all these years.
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Bird on a Wire - Leonard Cohen
"Like a bird on the wire
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Like a worm on a hook
Like a knight from some old fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
If I, if I have been unkind
I hope that you can just let it go by
If I, if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you"
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