Dr. Rioux explains Early Modern Philosophy ...
To learn all the details: High School Philosophy: Early Modern Philosophers
To register: http://tinyurl.com/hscathphilosophy
Friday, August 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Catholic Homeschooling and High School Economics
Mr. Campbell takes a minute to tell you about his upcoming high school economics course:
For more information about the course: Economics as if People Matter
For more information about the course: Economics as if People Matter
Friday, August 12, 2011
FAQ: Arthurian Literature with Writing (7th to 9th Grade)
We received a recent email regarding the writing component of the English: The Heroic in Arthurian Literature course (click on course title for more information).Q: I am interested in the junior high literature/writing course for my 13-year-old son, but I'm wondering how much of the course is focused on essay writing instruction and how much is focused on literature study with the expectation that the students will already know how to write essays. My son needs more help writing essays. He's not done very much and I don't want to sign him up for a course that is going to frustrate him by expecting him to be more proficient in essay writing than he is. Thank you for your help!
A: Miss Brock will work with any level a student is currently at when entering in the class. The classes will be lecture based and she will give very specific instructions for their responses. The goal is for the students to learn how to develop a thesis and find evidence to support that thesis in order to become more confident in their opinions on a particular topic. Miss Brock will give them opportunity to take a stand on a topic for each essay assigned and so it will hopefully become an exercise of rhetoric and learning to build an argument. Efforts toward development of a thesis and support will be rewarded. We know that students of this age are learning how to write and so Miss Brock will not expect them to come in knowing how to write a full fledged essay of great awe and wonder. However, we believe that the training wheels need to be put on at middle school to early high school age to develop their ideas through writing with support.
If you have questions about this or any course, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
FAQ: Philosphy
While this class is not for the faint-hearted, it's not something only intellectual Amazons can handle. Among the many things Dr. Rious does very well, making the moderns understandable is right up there. I find it hard to wrap my brain around some of the ideas and principles the moderns hold, especially because I am such a concrete thinker. However, the moderns have such a huge impact on the world we live in today that it is imperative we better understand them. Especially, where and why they went so wrong. This way we can avoid making similar mistakes and help others to recognize error when they encounter it.
From Dr. Rioux on why this course is designed for 11th and 12th grade:
I intentionally placed the level of instruction for this course at the junior and senior high-school level. In my experience, students who have studied some ancient and medieval philosophy react to the moderns in a similar way: they cannot believe someone would actually hold these things!
For example, George Berkeley denies the existence of the material world, and René Descartes' standard for human knowledge appears impossibly rigorous. There is often a feeling of being "at sea" and, in many cases, of deciding that these authors, with their outlandish views, need not be taken seriously, which would be a great mistake for students preparing to begin college life, where they will encounter the profound influences these thinkers have had firsthand.
That's why students need to be more intellectually mature when approaching them. In addition, the readings I have set out are longer and more difficult than in any other course I've taught through Homeschool Connections: we'll be reading about 200 pages of fairly difficult material over the course of twelve classes. (Note also that the course schedule on the Homeschool Connections site has been changed slightly: we'll be spending two courses on Descartes, one on Spinoza, two on Leibniz, two each on Locke, Berkeley, and Hume, and one on Kant.)
Jean W. Rioux, Ph.D.
Professor and Philosophy Department Chair
Benedictine College
1020 North Second Street
Atchison, KS 66002
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Free e-Books for AP English
The following e-books for our AP English course can be found free. Click on the title to download. Advanced Placement Literature & Composition with Laurie Gill, M.Ed. Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson The Last Man by Mary Shelley Hamlet by William Shakespeare Othello by William Shakespeare Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Dracula by Brom Stoker Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Emma by Jane Austin The Count of Monte Christo by Alexander Dumont A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
|
Friday, August 5, 2011
Writing for Middle and High School
Enrollment in the upcoming fall course Writing for High School is full and therefore registration is closed. If you would like to be put on a waiting list for the course, please email homeschoolconnections@gmail.com and put Writing for High School Waiting List in the subject bar.We are considering adding another writing course if the demand supports it and we get enough students on the waiting list.
Also, we currently offer two other writing courses that still have plenty of seats available for now.
English: The Heroic in Arthurian Literature is a 7th to 9th grade course that teaches writing skills through literature. We offered a similar course last year based on Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn that was quite excellent. To register: http://tinyurl.com/arthurwriting
Writing for College is for 11th to 12th grade and will be offered in the spring. We have offered this course in the past so it is also available as part of the Subscription Service (recorded courses).
Please email or leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Discounts Extended!
Homeschool Connections has decided to extend a special offer to homeschool families. We are keeping the Early Enrollment Discount in affect for the following three courses. This is a savings of up to $90 if you enroll in all three!!!This is an indefinite extension of the discount, so register soon so you don't miss out.
Middle School Literature and Writing
English: The Heroic in Arthurian Literature with Dayspring Brock, MA
High School Philosophy
Introduction to Early Modern Philosophy with Jean Rioux, Ph.D.
High School Government
Advanced American Government with Ed Rivet, MPA
Please click on the course titles for more information or to register. And don't hesitate to leave a comment if you have any questions.