As EconTalk listeners know, host Russ Roberts just lately relocated to Jerusalem, taking over the position of president of Shalem School. We’ve heard plenty of Russ’s ideas on what an excellent training would possibly appear to be, and we’ve been having fun with watching him put it into apply. On this episode, he welcomes a buddy with a similar-and now radical- path. Pano Kanelos, a Shakespeare scholar who served as president of St John’s School and is now the president-in-waiting of a college-to-be (UATX) in Austin, Texas.
The 2 talk about what makes each Shalem and St John’s distinctive, with specific emphasis on the research of the “Nice Books.” They ruminate on what occurs to an individual who goes by such an expertise, in addition to how we’d replicate such a singular expertise for different learners- and towards what finish. Now we’d like to listen to each what you took from this episode, in addition to how you are studying to train “the important muscle that’s important to a flourishing life.”
1- Roberts says a great training teaches one study: suppose, learn, write, and pay attention. Kanelos goes even additional, suggesting we should pay attention not solely to 1 one other, however to the texts themselves. What does this imply? (Trace: it contains no shouting and no operating…)
2- What’s the correct objective of a liberal arts training? To what extent do you suppose the demand for liberal arts graduates will enhance moderately than lower; why? Is the age of the school main coming to a detailed, as Kanelos asserts? Once more, why?
3- So right here’s a query you’ve heard right here earlier than: Why ought to we spend time studying such previous books? To what extent do you agree that a big a part of the worth of this apply is as a result of it’s arduous? How can studying such texts transport you to a Inexperienced World, and what would possibly that allow you to do?
4- The dialog turns towards the tip to the state of training at the moment, which Roberts characterizes as being each in decline and below assault. What do you suppose are the main issues with (increased) training at the moment? Are these issues exogenous (as Roberts believes) or endogenous (as Kanelos argues)? Clarify.
5- Roberts asks Kanelos to explain what UATX can be like, and he describes his job thusly, “How do you convey collectively the thinkers and the doers? How do you create in younger folks, considerate folks of motion?” How is considering although this query serving to Kanelos and his colleagues design an training establishment? What’s their establishment for (as he cautions in opposition to constructing one thing in opposition to one thing else)? How believable do you suppose this mannequin is- are you as optimistic about demand for UATX as Russ? What elements of UATX sound most radical to you? Most interesting?
Bonus: Kanelos recounts a stunning expertise discussing Shakespeare’s Macbeth together with his center faculty son, targeted largely on a single phrase within the textual content. Have you ever skilled any comparable deep, gradual studying experiences with a traditional textual content? In that case, we need to hear about it! Share your story right here, or ship your ideas to [email protected].
