The Little Mermaid and Parental Authority

Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 classic, The Little Mermaid, tells the story of a young and beautiful (but melancholy) mermaid princess who longs for the love of a human prince. Only there is a problem, no matter how attractive a mermaid’s top half might be, humans consider fish tails “quite ugly,” the mermaid’s grandmother explains, making it unlikely any human prince would ever reciprocate the mermaid’s love. Ignoring grandma’s warning and “forsaking…kindred and home,” the little mermaid through the help of the sea witch becomes human but tragically fails to win the prince’s love. Having lost her beautiful voice, her loving family and home, and the prince she adores, the little mermaid turns to sea foam.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid diverges from Andersen’s in a number of telling ways. Read the rest here.

Post-Election College Paper Grading Rubric

This is fantastic. It would be a helpful exercise to walk through this rubric with a high school class and discuss it as an example of what not to do. My favorite line: A "winner" paper's organization "Displays absolute rhetorical flexibility and is unshackled by internal consistency."

On the staggering growth of classical Christian education

A helpful article explaining the growth of classical Christian education. 

Classical Schools: Authorities on Education

Nicholas Kardaras, author of Glow Kids: How Screen Addiction is Hijacking Our Kids – and How to Break the Trance, warns of the problems associated with too much screen time. In a recent Time article, Kardaras notes how screen technologies have spawned a “seismic shift” in education. The underlying assumption in this shift is that technology always benefits schooling. “This,” says Kardaras, “is a lie.” As Karadaras claims, “[t]ech in the classroom not only leads to worse educational outcomes for kids…it can also clinically hurt them.”
 
As many of you know, the latest Mindhenge video takes up the technology and education topic. Like the other Mindhenge videos, this latest video addresses a topic I find myself having to regularly discuss in my role as headmaster. Classical Christian schools take a unique position on technology and education, setting them apart within the educational landscape.
 
My goal with these videos is to help classical schools become known as purveyors of education in their communities; professionals who offer a distinct approach to education - an approach that has stood the test of time. I believe these videos can help communities view their local classical school as an authority on education.
 
Next month, I plan to share why I believe your school’s use of these videos is an effective recruiting and educational tool.