Developing Classical Thinkers

Will Begley, Latin and Senior Seminar instructor at Thales Academy Rolesville, speaks about the value of learning and loving Latin.

Dr. Begley received a B.A. in Classics from Davidson College, an M.A. in Latin and a Ph.D. in Classical and Medieval Latin from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Begley teaches Latin and Senior Seminar at Thales Academy.

This webinar was streamed on October 21, 2021. Learn more about Thales Press and register for upcoming events and webinars at https://www.thalesacademy.org/resources/thales-press

Just as Hewlett-Packard, Apple, and CaptiveAire Systems started in a garage, so the Luddy Institute of Technology started in a converted storage closet at the Thales Apex campus.

Today, the Luddy Institute of Technology (or "LIT" for short) is one of the most popular electives at Thales. The Luddy Institute of Technology (LIT) is an optional elective sequence of pre-engineering and STEM coursework for the upper grades.

In this episode, host Winston Brady speaks with one of the original “architects” of the LIT program, Kent Misegades, about the early days of the LIT program, the relationship between engineering and Classical education, and how Classically-trained engineers focus on beautiful things to make the world a more beautiful place.

The LIT curriculum covers a wide range of engineering-related content, beginning with the fundamentals and culminating in an independent engineering project for students to demonstrate their skills and creativity. Past projects have included restoring old cars and motorcycles and building items like a two-stroke engine, a footbridge for a local park, and an automated pancake pouring machine.

To find out more about the LIT Program, check out our website at https://www.thalesacademy.org/academics/Luddy-Institute-of-Technology-LIT

Kent worked closely with Bob Luddy to help design the LIT program, poured decades of his engineering experience into its curriculum, and even taught the first group of LIT students. Today, Kent owns AeroSouth, a business focused on products for light aircraft and sailboats as well as writing publications and curriculum on the topics of aeronautics and education.

Find out more about AeroSouth here: https://aerosouth.net/

And be sure to check out their engineering curriculum for great ideas and fun projects here: https://aerosouth.net/shop-and-engineering

What’s a dystopia, and why have dystopian novels become so popular in recent years?

The word “dystopian” in “dystopian novels” comes from two Greek words: “topos,” meaning “place” and “dys,” meaning “bad.” Thus, a dystopian novel is a novel set in a bad place--specifically, a bad future where a large, oppressive, and omnicompetent state controls all aspects of human life and stamps out all instances of human freedom.

The word "dystopia" was coined as a response to the word "utopia,” a place so “good” it cannot exist. In both cases, the word refers to a fictional world that's designed to reflect on the real world by emphasizing the differences and the similarities between our world and that of the novel.

Oddly enough, there has been a lot of interest in reading dystopian literature in prior years at Thales Academy. In this episode, Winston Brady, Josh Herring, Will Begley, Jessie Gillooly, and Sydney Harper discuss dystopian literature and how these works fit into the literature curriculum at Thales Academy.

Great examples of dystopian literature include Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” George Orwell’s “1984,” Walter M. Miller Jr.’s “A Canticle for Leibowitz,” and Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451.”

The works referenced on today’s episode include:

George Orwell’s “1984”: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/nineteen-eighty-four_george-orwell/247716/?resultid=2183b4b4-d411-4767-992f-92481c254c08#edition=2400521&idiq=4326807

Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/brave-new-world_aldous-huxley_david-rogers/245736/?resultid=662b919e-f38b-4405-b0c5-28cdef45d290#edition=4283982&idiq=444123

Walter M. Miller Jr.’s “A Canticle for Leibowitz”: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/a-canticle-for-leibowitz-by-walter-m-miller-jr/252725/?resultid=010cc772-bf1e-4c6c-a22e-bb132fdc0493#edition=2226066&idiq=3464580

Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451”: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/fahrenheit-451_ray-bradbury/248594/?resultid=cb723a21-f16f-477d-84b0-2a3e180c75c2#edition=6426608&idiq=3872736

Bill Griffin, Vice President of Manufacturing at CaptiveAire Systems, discusses engineering and the ways in which Thales Academy helps prepare students for that career.

Mr. Griffin currently oversees CaptiveAire manufacturing, engineering, and R&D and is based in Lancaster, PA.

This webinar is also available to view on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxmk13EjAZc

This webinar was streamed on September 23, 2021. Learn more about Thales Press and register for upcoming events and webinars at https://www.thalesacademy.org/resources/thales-press

Next Webinar: Loving and Learning Latin on October 21 at 4 pm with Will Begley of Thales Rolesville!

What is school choice? What are the arguments for and against expanded school choice options? How might these school choice initiatives benefit parents when it comes to choosing the best school for their children, the best fit for their students’ unique gifts and abilities?

On today's episode of Developing Classical Thinkers, Winston Brady speaks with Bob Luebke, Senior Fellow at the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation, a think tank in Raleigh, NC. Dr. Luebke has been involved in improving education and expanding educational opportunities. Prior to joining the John Locke Foundation, he wrote about education policy and served as the Director of Policy with the Civitas Institute.

Find out more about Dr. Luebke and the John Locke Foundation here: https://www.johnlocke.org/about-john-locke/

Dr. Grattan Brown speaks on issues related to bioethics and the need to understand the value and dignity of human life, an idea uniquely grounded in a Classical education.

Dr. Brown currently serves as the Academic Dean at Thales College and previously taught bioethics and related fields at Belmont Abbey College.

Join us on September 23 at 4:00 pm as we hear from Bill Griffin, Vice President of Manufacturing at CaptiveAire Systems, about engineering and the ways in which Thales Academy helps prepare students for that career.

Register here: https://bit.ly/2WTu9sa

It's been a long time since we last published an episode, but the crew at DCT have been working on some exciting projects, chief amongst them: Thales Press, an in-house publishing firm to create and publish educational materials that enlighten minds and empower students to focus on what is good, true, and beautiful.

Check out more here: https://www.thalesacademy.org/resources/thales-press

Thales Press Webinar Series, a series of webinars on topics related to Classical education.

Check out a webinar that interests you here: https://www.thalesacademy.org/resources/thales-press

On this episode, Winston Brady interviews Ashley Dundas, Administrator of Thales Academy Glen Allen, located outside of Richmond, Virginia.

Ashley Dundas received a B.A. in Elementary Education from Saint Augustine's University and a M.Ed. from Meredith College. Mrs. Dundas brings thirteen years of teaching experience from a variety of schools and learning environments. Mrs. Dundas is thrilled to bring Thales Academy to Glen Allen and looks forward to building a vibrant and thriving Thales community in Virginia.

Find out more about our Thales Glen Allen campus here: https://www.thalesacademy.org/contact/glen-allen-campus

In this episode, Winston Brady interviews John D. Mays, the Director of Science Curriculum at Classical Academic Press. A Classical education is uniquely suited to teach the sciences, and Mays explains his unique approach to teaching science in a Classical school focusing on the ideas of "wonder," "integration," and "mastery."

Find more information about CAP's science curriculum here: https://classicalacademicpress.com/collections/novare-science

John D. Mays' "From Wonder to Mastery" is also available from Classical Academic Press here: https://classicalacademicpress.com/products/from-wonder-to-mastery?_pos=1&_sid=6f9aac4be&_ss=r

John D. Mays received a BS in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University, an MEd in secondary education from the University of Houston, and an MLA in liberal arts from St. Edward’s University. He also has completed 36 hours of graduate study in the field of physics. John worked as an engineer and engineering manager for 14 years and has taught physics, physical science, and math in a variety of settings. At Regents School of Austin, he served as the Math-Science Department chair for 9 years and established the Regents Laser Optics Lab, a college-grade optics laboratory incorporating state-of-the-art lasers, optical components, electronics, and test equipment. John is the author of Novare’s chemistry, physics, and physical science textbooks, as well as many other resources. He has 3 adult children and lives with his wife in San Antonio, Texas.

The school year has begun at Thales Academy! To celebrate the start of the 2021-2022 academic year, Winston Brady, Josh Herring, Jessie Gillooly, Josh Akers, and Houston Clark got together to share some advice for students to make the most of the upcoming school year.

Good luck Thales students! Have a great first week at school!