cajun.classical Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 The Veritas Teacher Training complete set (2001-2007) is on sale right now at Wordmp3.com It's marked down from $300 to $49. I was looking for mp3s about teaching Omnibus when I discovered the set on sale. Buying the whole series on sale is actually cheaper than purchasing just the Omnibus set. Hope this helps someone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 would the Omnibus lectures be part of the courses? I went to a VP Teacher's Training Course several years ago in PA and really enjoyed it! I would love to listen to the Omnibus sessions. Thanks for the info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajun.classical Posted February 17, 2008 Author Share Posted February 17, 2008 I haven't got it in hand yet, but it certainly looks to me like all the omnibus lectures are in the set. I think the set covers every Teacher Training session they have done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 that I think I should order it, too! It would really be great to hear in-depth how they do Omnibus! Thanks so much for posting this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Hi Angelina, I was thinking of purchasing last year's CIRCE conference tapes. The VP set is a better deal though. Do you know enough about either set to tell me what difference there is between the two conference sets? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajun.classical Posted February 17, 2008 Author Share Posted February 17, 2008 Hi Beth, I recognize you from Classed, don't I? Anyway, you are in luck. I have attended a VP Teacher Training and I have lots of Circe cds. I'm getting ready for church right now and will write out a full comparison later. And maybe Jami can chime in here too. She has both sets also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Yes, I'm on classed too. I'm looking forward to your comparison. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajun.classical Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 Okay, here's my best shot. I sure hope Jami responds to this too. She's heard more VP lectures than I have. Circe and Veritas have pretty different ideas about Classical Education. Of course, there are many similarities, but in a nutshell, Veritas follows the Ages and Stages view of the Trivium, where Circe sees the Trivium as subjects/skills to be mastered and not stages. I assume you already know something about Circe if you are thinking about getting their tapes. If not, I'll try to expand later. For supplying a vision and philosophy of education and a Big Picture, I much prefer Circe. Their lectures will primarily be more abstract and theoretical. There are some practical topics, but they are the minority. But Circe will get you thinking outside of the box and will help to provide a focus and a reminder of what we are trying to accomplish. They are really trying to think through what it means to be educated, and I like the direction they are going. Veritas ,on the other hand, will primarily be Nuts and Bolts type lectures. There will be some theoretical sessions, but those will be the minority. Some of the lectures will be completely at odds with the Circe vision, particularly the Grammar Stage talks; very heavy emphasis on memorization, as opposed to Socratic Dialogue. I would personally avoid all the Grammar STage history and Bible and grammar sessions. There will be some use to the talks about Latin or phonics; but it's probably not likely that the VP sessions on Latin will be as useful as the Circe sessions on Latin by Cheryl Lowe. However, the Logic Stage and Rhetoric Stage VP sessions will probably--and this is the reason I purchased them--be quite useful and much more similar to Circe; reading great literature and discussing it, for example. They really are two very different animals and so which one to get really depends on what you are looking for. I love the Circe cds and only purchased the Veritas ones because I'm planning to use Omnibus--albeit tweaked Circe-style--and I wanted to hear what tips/suggestions VP gives for scheduling and teaching these courses. That said, it's probably worth mentioning that as much as I love Circe, this last batch of lectures (2007 Conference) were not quite as good as other years. Okay, that's a start. If all I've done is manage to confuse you, I'll try again. And if you like I can post a chart that Jami got from a Circe-inspired school that outlines the main differences between the Neo-Classical and Traditional CLassical models. Hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jami Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Hi Beth, Angelina nudged me over here to chime in on your question. :) I do indeed have VP and Circe lectures galore. I would say that by and large, the VP lectures are more nuts and bolts on HOW to use Veritas materials. The ones focused on the Grammar stage are fairly classroom-centric in their advice. Which would be fantastic for those teachers teaching in schools using VP products, but is somewhat less practical, and can even be burdensome for those of us at home. Even the talks given about homeschooling are a heavier "school at home" model and *I* think need to be taken with a grain of salt. But some of the talks are more inspirational (Leland Ryken's from the 2007 conference are excellent!). I do like Ty Fischer's lectures on the Great Books, history and Omnibus. Emily Fischer's on being a great teacher is a favorite too, though again, there's a classroom emphasis. It's really hit and miss for me, but at 49$, I'm okay with that. Now Circe, Circe I rarely get a miss. ;) I will say that I tend to look for talks which inspire me, give me big ideas to work from, help shape my vision more than really practical, how-to talks. So Circe usually fits the bill there. Though they do have some more practical lectures. I wish Circe would go to MP3 downloads for their lectures so they can offer them cheaper than 6$ a CD. If you want recommendations on what to buy some of my favorites from this past summer and previous years are Andrew Kern's talks on the general theme from each year (Justice, Beauty, Order, Knowledge, Contemplation), Ken Myers (the one from this past summer is fabulous!), James Daniels (the first person I really heard say "whoa, I do not think Sayers meant what you think she meant.", James Taylor on Poetic Knowledge and Good books before Great books, Martin Cothran and Cheryl Lowe have helpful experiences to share from how Highlands operates. I will say that though I have a handful of CDs I like from this past year (Contemplation), Knowledge and Beauty are the two years that I tend to go back to again and again. Hope that helps and doesn't break your budget! ;) Since you're in TX Beth are you planning on going to Houston for Circe this year? Jami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajun.classical Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 Jami, Thanks. As always, insightful and thorough. And I second the Ken Myers recommendation. That's a can't miss! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jami Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 We should start a branch of the Mutual Admiration Society. :) Good thoughts, I hope you enjoy the Omnibus lectures, I really enjoyed a couple of Ty Fischer's from this past year on the flow of history. Jami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Angelina and Jami--Thank you both for such a great comparison and explanation between VP & CIRCE. DH and I were going to go to the conference, but registration fee for two...whoa! I thought about going on my own, but I would be spending part of our anniversary money (the reason we thought of going together in the first place) and I don't feel right doing that even though DH doesn't mind. We are really into get out of debt mode, and I have very conflicting priorities right now. So, long story short, we aren't going as of right now... Take care, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I forgot to mention that I would really like to see the chart on the main differences between the Neo-Classical and Traditional Classical models. As I've learned and grown over the past 5 years, I'm guessing our homeschool is somewhere between the two models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I have the CIRCE conference set on Beauty. I was thinking of getting another set, so I'll put Knowledge on my wishlist. Ken Myers has 3 titles from the 2007 conference. Which one are you recommending? "Ken Myers: Pillar II: The Principles of Classical Education" "Ken Myers: Communications Technologies" "Ken Myers: "The natural habit of tuth [sic]" --Joseph Pieper" Or did you mean all of them? Thanks to you both for your help. I'm planning on doing Omnibus I next year, so I think I will get the VP cds. You really can't beat $49, can you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajun.classical Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 I have the CIRCE conference set on Beauty. I was thinking of getting another set, so I'll put Knowledge on my wishlist. Ken Myers has 3 titles from the 2007 conference. Which one are you recommending? "Ken Myers: Pillar II: The Principles of Classical Education" "Ken Myers: Communications Technologies" "Ken Myers: "The natural habit of tuth [sic]" --Joseph Pieper" Or did you mean all of them? Thanks to you both for your help. I'm planning on doing Omnibus I next year, so I think I will get the VP cds. You really can't beat $49, can you? Hi Beth, I was thinking in particular of the "Communications Technologies as Engines of Unrest." This was a profound talk that came at just the right time for me; I was really struggling with restlessness. Now I try to be aware of and moderate those technologies that can cause unrest. And yes, I think $49 is a real bargain. Certainly worth it even if I only listen to the Omnibus lectures; although I suspect there will be other gems in the bunch as well. I'll be starting Omnibus in a year and a half. I look forward to hearing about your experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in MO Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I got a notice from the Circe conference, and it's somewhere in TX. Just a thought! Of course, if a trip involved hotels/motels, etc., then it may be unreasonably expensive. The topic looked interesting, too---something about rediscovering the laughter in classical Christian education. (Can you tell I don't have the flyer in front of me?) :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Yes, the conference is a Contemplation of Humor this year. It's in Houston, which does require a considerable drive from where I am. Registration for one is $275 not including most meals and hotel. Regstration for both of us is $470. All of the expenses combined, the conference would run about $800-$1,000. If I just went, it would still be about 1/2 of that. I can buy an awful lot of cds for that price. My only regret is that I wouldn't be able to see some of the great on-line friends that I have "met" over the years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moira in MA Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I'm planning on doing Omnibus I next year, so I think I will get the VP cds. You really can't beat $49, can you? Actually, I think you can beat $49. The summer before I started Omnibus, I downloaded about 5 of the MP3 lectures that covered Omnibus from the VP teacher training conference. I got all that I needed from those. Total cost ~$15. Just my (Cheap) 2 cents ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in Central TX Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Good point, but it's too late. That's okay though because I listen to lectures like these when I take my 2-mile everyday, well almost everyday. This series should keep me busy for a long time, and it's still cheaper than a gym membership. In addition, I might glean some good information about the how-to's of a logic class since I haven't started formal logic instruction yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 would the Omnibus lectures be part of the courses? I went to a VP Teacher's Training Course several years ago in PA and really enjoyed it! I would love to listen to the Omnibus sessions. Thanks for the info! Not everything from the "Omnibus Resources" set is included, as that also has talks from the ACCS conferences. I have the Veritas Teacher Training set, and it does contain several sessions on teaching Omnibus, though: 2006: Omnibus, the Basics Narnia in Omnibus Odyssey and Pagan Literature Omnibus Confessions 2005: Omnibus - Aeneid Omnibus in Odyssey Omninbus - Theban Trilogy Omnibus And 2001 - 2004 each have one or two talks on Omnibus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cajun.classical Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 Not everything from the "Omnibus Resources" set is included, as that also has talks from the ACCS conferences. Angela, Do you know the titles for the ACCS lectures? I'll just download those separately ($2 a piece) if they are helpful. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 I'm sorry, I don't, as I have just the VP Conferences 01-06 CD. You might be able to email them for a list of what is on the Omnibus set? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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