Historical Physical Science Course

[Flux]

I found this and thought I would share it in case anyone was interested/could afford it. It is way beyond what I can afford... $900-$1200 depending on whether you get CD's or DVD's. Don't let the price keep you from clicking the link though, I found it an interesting read. The course is offered from a private school in California. I believe the founder doesn't believe whole-heartedly in Classical Education, but she seems to approach many things that way.

 

I only happened upon this accidentally. I'm not really looking for things like this yet since my oldest is only 5. There must be some other, similar, cheaper things out there...

 

Fundamentals of Physical Science:

A Historical, Inductive Approach

[Nicole M]

Interesting that they are offering this product! The name sounded familiar, Lisa VanDamme, and I remembered a scathing article about classical education, and thought it might be by her. Indeed:

 

http://www.theobjectivestandard.com/issues/2007-summer/false-promise-classical-education.asp

 

There was a long thread here about this article when it came out, on the general board, I think. Her philosophy can be summed up here:

 

As I argued in my essay “The Hierarchy of Knowledge,†the basis of this educational reform is Ayn Rand’s revolutionary understanding of the relationship between concepts and reality, including the crucial principle of conceptual hierarchy.

 

 

With Rand’s understanding of concepts, education becomes a process of building conceptual knowledge that begins in perception and proceeds to higher and higher levels of abstraction. The student possessing such an education has the profoundly practical power to gain true, firsthand knowledge of reality, allowing him to make good judgments in every realm of his life, from the most mundane to the most significant.

 

 

I don't buy her philosophy, and I find her arrogant and condescending, but who knows? The science course might be good. It's always interesting to know what's out there. Thanks for sharing that link.

[Flux]

I don't buy her philosophy, and I find her arrogant and condescending, but who knows?

:iagree:

 

I am glad you posted about the article! I was trying to find arguments against Classical education and this was the best one I found (and this essay led me to try to figure out who this person was etcetera, which is how I came across the course). I actually put this essay up on my blog as an essay I like, but not because I agree with it. I appreciated that much time and effort had been put into a lengthy essay, with the purpose of exposing the "false promise" and yet, I feel she failed in that goal. I also liked that she couldn't whole-heartedly put down The Well Trained Mind. I suspect that The Well Trained Mind actually figures prominently in her past, as something she ascribed to, before deciding to move on to wherever she has. And yes, interesting that she offers this product, which may be good.

 

If anyone wants to read an article from a different perspective, here is a favorite of mine.

The Benefits of a Classical Education

By Tim O'Reilly

[Corraleno]

I found this and thought I would share it in case anyone was interested/could afford it. It is way beyond what I can afford... $900-$1200 depending on whether you get CD's or DVD's. Don't let the price keep you from clicking the link though, I found it an interesting read. The course is offered from a private school in California. I believe the founder doesn't believe whole-heartedly in Classical Education, but she seems to approach many things that way.

 

I only happened upon this accidentally. I'm not really looking for things like this yet since my oldest is only 5. There must be some other, similar, cheaper things out there...

 

Fundamentals of Physical Science:

A Historical, Inductive Approach

For $1200 I'd expect better than this:

Because “Fundamentals of Physical Science†was taped in a real-live classroom—not a professional studio—the quality of the video and audio is not professional grade

By comparision, for $740 you could buy all of these Teaching Company courses:

All 3 History of Science courses (covering antiquity to the 20th century, 108 lectures)

Joy of Science (covering the major discoveries, developments, and concepts in all sciences, not just physical sciences, 60 lectures)

Great Scientific Ideas that Changed the World (36 lectures)

Chemistry (36 lectures)

Physics in Your Life (36 lectures)

 

That's 138 hours of instruction — 18 hours more than VanDamme's course for $460 less — and all of the TC courses are professionally produced in a studio. For the extra $460 you could add the big courses on Biology, Geology, and Astronomy, plus one more, and have a much more complete science education for the same money — and the TC courses have a very high resale value. I think the idea of teaching science in terms of the history & development of the concepts is great (and in fact that's what I'm doing, to a large extent), but I can't imagine anyone plunking down $1200 for 120 hours of amateur video of one guy standing in a classroom!

 

Jackie

[1Togo]

The course might be good, but I would like to know if all these homeschooling marketeers took the same sell-yourself-and-your-product workshop. They present their sales pitch in this way: building excitement with a FREE preview...buy now...building with warnings that some dire thing will happen to you and yours if you don't use their product...buy now...building with promises that this course, etc. is the best ever...buy now...building with testimonials... They must assume that we throw reason to the wind and buy their product because of a catchy format. Bring out your logic books and let your children have at it.

[Nicole M]

For $1200 I'd expect better than this:

 

By comparision, for $740 you could buy all of these Teaching Company courses:

All 3 History of Science courses (covering antiquity to the 20th century, 108 lectures)

Joy of Science (covering the major discoveries, developments, and concepts in all sciences, not just physical sciences, 60 lectures)

Great Scientific Ideas that Changed the World (36 lectures)

Chemistry (36 lectures)

Physics in Your Life (36 lectures)

 

That's 138 hours of instruction — 18 hours more than VanDamme's course for $460 less — and all of the TC courses are professionally produced in a studio. For the extra $460 you could add the big courses on Biology, Geology, and Astronomy, plus one more, and have a much more complete science education for the same money — and the TC courses have a very high resale value. I think the idea of teaching science in terms of the history & development of the concepts is great (and in fact that's what I'm doing, to a large extent), but I can't imagine anyone plunking down $1200 for 120 hours of amateur video of one guy standing in a classroom!

 

Jackie

 

:D

 

I suspect VanDamme has a certain... following, folks who are willing to plunk that money down. ;) (Is that mean?)

 

Having graduated one child, but only completing science by the skin of our teeth, outsourcing most of it, and hating pretty much all of it, with #2 child, I'm trying to find a "door" to get a grip on the whole science thang. Taking an historical approach is really working for us (okay, me). I'm especially loving the essays in Seeing Further (edited by Bill Bryson, but not out in the US yet) and a few natural history writers. Haven't explored too many science lectures, but I do love the Teaching Company courses, and will be adding those in as time goes by.

[Flux]

The course might be good, but I would like to know if all these homeschooling marketeers took the same sell-yourself-and-your-product workshop. They present their sales pitch in this way: building excitement with a FREE preview...buy now...building with warnings that some dire thing will happen to you and yours if you don't use their product...buy now...building with promises that this course, etc. is the best ever...buy now...building with testimonials...

:lol::hurray:

[1Togo]

Yep, the science thang is difficult. Perhaps the historical approach is the "window." Have you posted about your historical approach? Btw, if you fold science into history, how do you handle labs?

Edited September 24, 2010 by 1Togo

[Flux]

I think the idea of teaching science in terms of the history & development of the concepts is great (and in fact that's what I'm doing, to a large extent)

 

Do you mind expounding? Are you putting it together yourself? Or using the Teaching Company courses you mentioned?

 

I went to school in the C-O-U-N-T-R-Y and I swear to you, girls were funneled into home-ec after 10th grade. I saw boys walking around with physics/upper math and the like, and I always wondered how they got those books. This is so incredibly stupid, but at the time I thought maybe their parents had arranged for private tutoring. I remember a rant from our Life Science teacher (the football coach) bemoaning the fact that he had to teach certain things when the majority of us were going to be sheep farmers anyway. I hope as I educate myself with my kids and frequent the forums, I'll get some kind of an idea of where to run with it!

 

I should have figured putting that link up would cause some upset. I probably should have just asked if anyone knew of any good historical science courses instead of thinking I might have found something that might interest someone more seasoned here, especially something so expensive. Sorry guys! I quite often shove my foot in my mouth!

 

Disclaimer: Not saying you can't get an education in the country...but not from my school!

[Nicole M]

Do you mind expounding? Are you putting it together yourself? Or using the Teaching Company courses you mentioned?

 

I went to school in the C-O-U-N-T-R-Y and I swear to you, girls were funneled into home-ec after 10th grade. I saw boys walking around with physics/upper math and the like, and I always wondered how they got those books. This is so incredibly stupid, but at the time I thought maybe their parents had arranged for private tutoring. I remember a rant from our Life Science teacher (the football coach) bemoaning the fact that he had to teach certain things when the majority of us were going to be sheep farmers anyway. I hope as I educate myself with my kids and frequent the forums, I'll get some kind of an idea of where to run with it!

 

I should have figured putting that link up would cause some upset. I probably should have just asked if anyone knew of any good historical science courses instead of thinking I might have found something that might interest someone more seasoned here, especially something so expensive. Sorry guys! I quite often shove my foot in my mouth!

 

Disclaimer: Not saying you can't get an education in the country...but not from my school!

 

Hey, now. No need to apologize about that link. We're glad you're here on the boards, and it's an interesting topic!

 

I am in a hurry, but wanted to say that I'm sorry you had that experience. Also, I would love to hear more about what other folks are doing in this regard. Finally, the answer to the question above about labs is partly that I'm not sure yet, but this year we're doing natural history / life science, where our labs involve observing animals and plants but not cutting them up (the animals anyway). Nan in Mass (I think) has written about this. We're using the MODG syllabus, which I purchased from Adoremus someone or other.

[Corraleno]

Do you mind expounding? Are you putting it together yourself? Or using the Teaching Company courses you mentioned?

Yes, I'm putting it together myself, and yes I have a ton of TC courses, including the ones I listed. I'm coming at this from the opposite perspective of some — i.e. my son is primarily interested in science, so I'm approaching history from the perspective of science (history of science, history of technology, history of ideas), rather than trying to make science relevant to a history-lover. I think it works equally well either way, though!

 

We're doing ancients now for history, so DS12 is researching and writing reports on famous Greek scientists/mathematicians and Greco-Roman technology (particularly technology related to warfare and weaponry). I have the Oxford series on Technology in World History, Hakim's Story of Science, and numerous other books on the history of science and inventions, history of warfare, etc. We've watched documentaries like Engineering an Empire, Infinite Secrets: The Genius of Archimedes, The Story of 1 (history of mathematics), and various TC lectures. We're going to build a Greek ballista and do some physics experiments. For biology, DS has been reading excerpts from Pliny's Natural History as well as The First Fossil Hunters, which covers paleontology in ancient cultures. (We're doing full science courses in addition to this — the things I've listed above are being counted as history, not science.)

 

I should have figured putting that link up would cause some upset. I probably should have just asked if anyone knew of any good historical science courses instead of thinking I might have found something that might interest someone more seasoned here, especially something so expensive. Sorry guys! I quite often shove my foot in my mouth!

Oh, please don't think that anyone is upset, or that you shouldn't have posted! Anything that leads to an interesting discussion, especially of educational resources, is a good thing. :001_smile:

 

Jackie

[1Togo]

Yes, don't apologize for the link. I think it sparked good discussion; i.e. marketing and historical science. We have struggled with science for years in our house. Always too something -- easy, predictable, work (for me), hard to schedule. I feel that I have a handle on other subjects, but would love to find something that would fire dd's curiosity. I, too, went to school in the country and got funneled into the home ec track. I am proud of the high-rising meringue I can turn out on a lemon pie and the neat scallops that I can sew on the hem of bell sleeves, but I do wish I had received a better education in science and math. The only saving grace of that school was Latin. Who would think that a Latin lover would leave a small town and come back home to teach it?

Edited September 25, 2010 by 1Togo

[Nicole M]

Just thought of something else to throw out there: biographies & autobiographies. My son really enjoyed Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks when he was taking Chemistry (he sat in on a university course, where it was required reading). Here's a link:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-Tungsten-Memories-Chemical-Boyhood/dp/0375704043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285364484&sr=8-1-spell

 

I loved Galileo's Daughter, and my boys listened to an abridged audio version last year. Anything by Dava Sobel is good.

 

This new biography of Beatrix Potter is supposed to be good:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Beatrix-Potter-Nature-Linda-Lear/dp/0312377967/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285364588&sr=1-1

 

When I was looking for it in our library, I found a book called WildThings:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Things-Childrens-Ecocriticism-Landscapes/dp/0814330282/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285364666&sr=1-1

 

I've only read a few essays, but it is an interesting way to explore ideas about nature as expressed in childrens' literature.

 

The book I mentioned above is just splendid, and together with Galileo's Daughter, really helped me to understand the shift from medieval thinking to enlightenment thinking in a deeper way:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Further-Story-Science-Society/dp/0007302568/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285364802&sr=1-2

 

I have to run to a meeting, but hope others will weigh in.

[1Togo]

Jackie and Nicole,

 

Occasionally, I read posts that give me vision. Yours did just that.

 

Thank you.