John Burger writes today about the growing “classical education” movement that has been gaining popularity as several universities have begun to adopt older methods and curricula. He interviewed Edward Mulholland, assistant professor in the Department of Modern Foreign and Classical languages at Benedictine College in Atchison where they have begun training teachers to provide a classical elementary education:
Classical education, Mulholland said, “is a lot more about bringing out information from the student rather than putting it in. It makes the student a better and more eager student because it makes him aware of his capabilities. The teacher doesn’t have to worry about entertaining.”
Teachers have to compete with cell phones and the internet for students’ attention to such a degree that they often seem more like entertainers than educators. Do we need to find a different way to teach the next generation? What do you think?
