Developing Classical Thinkers

Founder of Thales Academy and Thales College Bob Luddy discusses Adrian Bejan's book "Freedom and Evolution". Bejan is a J. A. Jones Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Duke University, a notable author, and a leading scientist in the field of thermodynamics. In his work, Freedom & Evolution, Dr. Bejan explores the relationship between freedom and evolution through the lens of physics and thermodynamics and notably grounds freedom in the observable, natural world.

Bob's Book Review is a periodic webinar led by Bob Luddy, the founder of Thales Academy, Thales College, and CaptiveAire. Learn more about upcoming webinars and all Thales Press events at https://www.thalesacademy.org/resources/thales-press

Humanities teachers have great books, and science teachers have groundbreaking experiments. In this episode, physics teacher Beth Lewis talks with Winston Brady about how science and STEM teachers can help teachers recreate some of the experiments described in Galileo's "Two New Sciences," including Galileo's "Leaning Tower of Pisa" experiment and calculating the acceleration due to gravity.

Check out the Thales Press reader here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S39rEFRHlVgV1ET_sQB_lZ2uD5ak7e3q/view?usp=share_link

Want to Readers with selections from Galileo's Two New Sciences and detailed instructions on how to set up the experiments will be made available digitally to workshop participants.

In this special Zoom session from the Fall Classical Summit, Dr. Anika Prather discusses her new book, "The Black Intellectual Tradition: Reading Freedom in Classical Literature," co-written with Dr. Angel Parham. "The Black Intellectual Tradition" details the powerful legacy of classical education among Black intellectuals and teachers in America.

Check out the book at Classical Academic Press: https://classicalacademicpress.com/products/the-black-intellectual-tradition?_pos=1&_sid=b9987d8c6&_ss=r

About Dr. Prather: Dr. Anika T. Prather earned her B.A. from Howard University in elementary education. She also has earned several graduate degrees in education from New York University and Howard University. She has a Masters in liberal arts from St. John’s College (Annapolis) and a PhD in English, Theatre and Literacy Education from the University of Maryland (College Park). Her research focus is on building literacy with African American students through engagement in the books of the Canon and self-published her book "Living in the Constellation of the Canon: The Lived Experiences of African American Students Reading Great Books Literature." She has served as a teacher, supervisor for student teachers, director of education and Head of School. Currently she is a sought after speaker on the topic of the relevancy of classical studies to the Black community. She teaches in the English dept at Howard University, serves as Director High Quality Curriculum and Instruction at Johns Hopkins University, and is the founder of The Living Water School, located in Southern Maryland.

According to Pew Research, in a comparison of 72 nations, the US fell from 6th place in math performance in 1997 to 38th place in 2017. Yet, by 2017 the US government was spending $12,800 per student. In 2019, the average Math SAT score across the nation came in at 528 out of a total 800. In the same year, classical schools saw an average score of 611 with similar results in reading, writing, and the sciences. For centuries, the kind of education we call classical has produced superior educational outcomes often with far fewer resources.

So what is it about classical education that makes such a difference for students and parents? In short, classical education succeeds with tried and true methods of teaching and learning, many of which have been used for centuries or more, and all of which are rooted in what we know about human nature and how and why children learn. In this keynote address, Dr. Jonathan Yonan will examine the values and virtues that make classical education the best possible educational option for students and families.

This lecture was delivered live at the Fall Classical Summit, a regional classical conference held at Thales Academy Apex Junior High-High School on October 7, 2022.

In this session, Matt Ogle will offer a sample lesson plan and resources and explain the pedagogical means by which the sciences, taught Classically, can help students cultivate both academic rigor and intellectual curiosity about the world in which we live.

Matt Ogle received a B.S in Marine biology from Swansea University in Wales and a Masters of Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. He taught at the Great Hearts Academy in Phoenix, Arizona for four years, and he currently serves as the Head of Classical Education at Thales Academy.

This lecture was delivered live at the Fall Classical Summit, a regional classical conference held at Thales Academy Apex Junior High-High School on October 7, 2022.

The Creature from Jeykll Island is the United States Federal Reserve, created in a planning session amongst the United States’ top financial representatives on Jekyll Island, Georgia. The title comes from G. Edward Griffin's "The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve" and a similarly-themed Tuttle Twins book, "The Creature from Jekyll Island."

In this session, Brian Balfour will examine a history of the U.S. Federal Reserve, its directives in maintaining employment and cofntrolling inflation, and the unintended and often very negative consequences of monetary policy and the role of central banks.

Brian Balfour is Senior Vice President of Research for the John Locke Foundation, where he oversees the organization’s research and analysis on a variety of issues. He previously worked for the Civitas Institute for 13 years, and has a master’s degree in economics from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.

This lecture was delivered live at the Fall Classical Summit, a regional classical conference held at Thales Academy Apex Junior High-High School on October 7, 2022.

Epistemology is the area of philosophy that studies and evaluates how we come to form our beliefs and know things about the world. Historically, epistemology was studied as a private enterprise but today, particularly with social media, the task of gaining knowledge is a thoroughly social enterprise.

In this lecture, Dr. Forrest examined four epistemic principles that correct false and destructive messages from our culture about how we gain knowledge and brainstorm ways to integrate these principles into the classroom. These principles, if grasped by middle and high schoolers, will go a long way in helping them navigate through an often confusing and hostile world, while confidently forming beliefs that align with the true, the good, and the beautiful.

Peter Forrest, Ph.D., received his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oxford in 2015, after having previously received a B.Phil. in philosophy from Oxford in 2011, a M.A. in philosophical theology from Yale University Divinity School in 2009, and a B.A. in English from Yale University in 2005. Dr. Forrest’s primary area of research has been in the philosophy of mind and cognitive science, and he has spent the past five years teaching undergraduates in the philosophy department at Auburn University. He is married and is father to two young children, and in his spare time he enjoys coaching his son’s soccer team. He serves as the Dean of Humanities for Thales College.

This lecture was delivered live at the Fall Classical Summit, a regional classical conference held at Thales Academy Apex Junior High-High School on October 7, 2022.

In this episode, host Winston Brady interviews homeschool educator Holly Lee on her experience teaching in a wide variety of educational models from traditional public schools to homeschool programs such as Classical Conversations and Charlotte Mason.

Holly Lee is a homeschooling mother of three and operates My Little Brick Schoolhouse, a blog offering homeschooling support and academic resources. A native of Charlotte, NC, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an educator who served four years in Durham and Wake County’s public schools, and now a homeschool enthusiast and educator, Holly lives in Wilson, North Carolina with her husband and three rambunctious redheads.

This reposted episode focuses on Thales of Miletus, the namesake and spiritual founder of Thales Academy. In the episode, Dr. Jon Stewart examines the life and impact of Thales of Miletus, one of the Seven Sages of Greece for whom Thales Academy is named.

More information can be found out about Dr. Stewart at https://www.jonstewart.dk/

On today's episode, we're reposting an early episode of Developing Classical Thinkers: "The Podcast of the Cave."

In this very first episode of Developing Classical Thinkers, released in November of 2018, Josh Herring, Brooke Frisch, Winston Brady Stacey Egger, and Mary Dodson discuss Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" from Book VII of Plato's "Republic."