Many people understand that education is in desperate need of reform, but few recognize how radical the reform must be. What is needed is not a bigger education budget, a stronger teacher's union, smaller class sizes, or more rigorous testing procedures. But neither is the solution simply a return to Classical Education. What is needed is a basic, pedagogical revolution—a revolution in the science of education—a revolution in the selection of content taught to students, and the method by which that content is presented. VanDamme Academy is the leader of that revolution. Pedagogically Correct is our newsletter. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/ 2007 VanDamme Schools, Inc. Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EDT Last time, I explained that in order for a teacher to properly motivate his students, he must really know the purpose of teaching his subject, and that purpose must set the standard for selection of the subject's content. Let me now add that the content s http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=25 Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST In this and the next newsletter, I will outline the principles that define a proper approach to motivation. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=24 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST In Part 2 of this letter, I described the approach to motivation taken by advocates of classical or traditional education. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=23 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST On Wednesday, February 20, during convenient evening hours, the entire North American continent will be treated to a total lunar eclipse. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=22 Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST Last time, I described the "all day recess" approach of Waldorf-type schools to the issue of motivation, which have children engaging in wood carving, finger-knitting, and movement games rather than learning to read or write because they find th http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=20 Fri, 08 Feb 2008 07:25:51 EST To say that a person is motivated is to say that he has some drive or desire that incites action. For the purposes of a rational discussion of education, that drive or desire must incite the ambition to learn. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=19 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 04:20:14 EST We at VanDamme Academy love hearing stories about things the students do or say at home that reflect their VanDamme Academy education. I recently asked parents to share some stories from home. Here are a few highlights. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=18 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:38:51 EDT In a letter called "Yesterday's Highlights," I periodically describe my observations of classes to the VanDamme Academy parents. I have decided to share these highlights with readers of this newsletter as well. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=17 Wed, 26 Sep 2007 06:09:58 EDT I have often been told that, when asked what was special about their VanDamme Academy education, graduates say, "We always understood why we were learning what we were learning." http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=16 Wed, 30 May 2007 19:23:46 EDT At VanDamme Academy, we use field trips as opportunities for students to have experiences that enhance their education-experiences that directly relate to their schooling but are not available to them within the walls of the classroom. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=15 Wed, 23 May 2007 13:34:47 EDT At VanDamme Academy, writing is not crammed in with vocabulary, spelling, and literature under the heading of "English." Writing is its own course, and students have a daily opportunity to learn crucial writing skills. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=14 Wed, 02 May 2007 14:06:07 EDT Many educators stress the importance of field trips—opportunities to get students out of their desks and away from their books, and to give them direct, vivid, sensory experience with the world around them. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=13 Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:00:00 EDT When visited by prospective clients, I usually have the span of a half-hour appointment to learn about the family and their reasons for seeking a new educational environment, to explain the basic history and structure of VanDamme Academy, and to describe http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=12 Sun, 04 Feb 2007 00:00:00 EST I knew that a rigorous course in English grammar must include the art of diagramming sentences, but it was no easy task to find a good diagramming textbook in an age when grammar itself is unfashionable. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=10 Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:00:00 EST How we produce students with such maturity and enthusiasm for learning is something I hope will be made clear over the life of this newsletter. But for now, I can at least indicate the answer. http://www.pedagogicallycorrect.com/index.php?p=9