Bang!Zoom! Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 I'm only halfway through, and I mentally feel like I'm in a revival or something. I'm literally pumping my fist in the air and saying **ell Yah! This is so excellent. If you are hungry, eat here. http://circeinstitute.com/2012/03/podcast-3112-dr-james-taylor/ It’s been a while since we posted a podcast, but hopefully weeks just make the heart grow fonder. In this edition, I spoke with Dr. James Taylor about teaching literature, especially Sophocles, Shakespeare, Genesis, and some of the great poets (with a special reference to Robert Frost). We also discussed his schedule of online classes. Happy listening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 He has a talk called something like "Good to Great: Teaching Literature" that really changed the way I homeschool. If you like him, see if you can find that one, too. It was from one of their old conferences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 (edited) I need to go back once I'm recovered and study his works available. This is so weird..it's like being in a layover in an airport, striking up a deep conversation with a stranger that lingers with you for a lifetime, know what I mean? http://www.amazon.com/Poetic-Knowledge-Education-James-Taylor/dp/0791435865 edit: finished with first listening, I'll probably repeat this pod cast several times. Warning: Crappy first draft of notes from the talk offered below, just a flow of consciousness on notepad.. college town - atmosphere, relected in the high school, interest was in literature Mortimer Adler, real mover, Robert Hutchins - influence along with Paradise Lost being a GB, slowly with a guide/teacher..assimilate contrary ideas, energizing from the jarring effect of opposite ideas..recongizintion of errors, can't first recognize them if you don't know the standard... students today, John Senior, always taught at the high school level..they teach selections of GB - students become engaged in ancient texts, making comparisions from ancient to contemporary...what would Plato say about government then compared to now.. The Good Books...Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Hawthorne..these are all books everybody read- and most folks had 8th grade education...1925, Charge of the LIght Brigrade..Wordsworth, Uncle Tom's Cabin- that led to literary culuture. Returning to the Good Books, was the best preparation to read the Great Books. Difference between "Good Books" to "Great Books". Favorite works to teach? Teaching/Reading with Students. No television until 12/13 years old. Reading to/Instruction difference - engagement. It's action/adventure opposed to a documentary. It happens in the moment. It's conversation with a purpose. The excellence of text that is dealt with, it becomes guided and loyal... There is artistic truth & theme within these texts. It has significance. He prefers no notes, interferes w/listening & interaction. "The Poetic Way of Preparation" Lose yourself in the material. Even informational material. Marginational. Mark up the book. If you can think in metaphor, you can mediate, be absorbed, where are the analogies for students? We learn through comparisons. Making connections. It's trusting the truth and the beauty of the text to hold you up. Take the back roads. That's the model to have in mind. Become ancedotal, reminesce...tell stories. This cannot be done with a lesson plan and paraphanalia. How do you determine whether or not you are successful? Collegial, engaging ways, dealing with material....some subjects require repetition and transfer to grading, records...make it easy, just evaluate and go on. There is a temptation in institutional teaching to grade, benchmark. Adult education is needed - community education. Parents get left out. Spending time with parents would be the best way to start a school. Loss of "freshness" in thought - adults who function in personal possibility in literature can rediscover their youth, isn't that what this is all about? Life experience matters when discussing literature, there is a gem here. The personal knowledge of heartache...Frost..."Stopping by the Woods" The same material given to the young produces imaginative reflections, truth. Rant about Homer/Odsessy versions..abridged/illustrated/translations that are making it "easier" way..FAGEL translation which is very nice, he recommends this. Exploring the theme of home coming & adventure, the two parts - without one you cannot have the other, and how they apply to real life. He allows time to converse rather than completion of text....he finds that audiences today (regardless of denomination) say enjoy what Gensis has to say...spend time on translations and placement of time (Latin & theology) - this is part of the process. This is not scholary work, it is thinking work with words, the poetics and style of the Genesis. The formation of Hebrew poetry enhances the text, it is intrinsically part of the meaning, may be new ideas for some. Leisurely reading with as much relection on what it really means to be made in the image & likeness of God. The icon: "We all are." Discussions of the fall...not avoidable, not a focal point, but it is there. St. Augustian thought of commentary of old/new testament...how are psalms commentary on Genesis? Major British and poets..anthology, the Major British Poets...title...2nd book, Major American Poets. 3 meetings on "Wind in the Willows" - to usher in Spring. (seasonally). he allows creativity and additional trails discovered while reading... Epidieus the King, Antigione - both tragedies are study for the play's section.."the moral philosphers of the stage" - very sad, but with much to teach us. Mature Greek tragedians - psychology..human understanding..are astounding. They had a natural wisdom that is unsurpassed...about stating the human condition. Tragic heros say profound things..."in sorrow we learn to be wise." The wisdom of Athens crosses cultures/religions...there are differences, but this is not a fault. In repeating this material, you can discover truths in which you had overlooked on the first reading, new thoughts spring to mind..mentions reading Taming of the Shrew at least once a year. These works touch on truths, shooting of an arrow, archs up, tragetory touches truth itself or can be revealed in beauty as well.... When the author makes contact with that, it becomes eternal. Poets themes, war, love and death - 3 major categories...these things bring out eternal truths about the human person. Education is not information. These readings can lead to mystical interpreation of literature...poetry is not religious revealation, but it does cultivate the senses for revealation. Make sure there is some laughter in all your teachings. Memoria Press as a source is mentioned. You simply are not going to find this kind of enthusiam for this material and for your children...skill sets...all of that is something... that motivation that type of teacher - easy. Circe is a source for this, it has given him encouraging to him. Course descriptions/bio's, details: losttoolsofwriting.com to visit for more information. Edited March 2, 2012 by one*mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love2read Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I really enjoyed Poetic Knowledge when it first came out. Thanks for the link, I've missed him :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Angela-- I went looking for the other J. Taylor talk and came up with these possibilities: Is Knowledge Power? by Dr. James Taylor The Degrees of Knowing by Dr. James Taylor Knowledge From Literature by Dr. James Taylor Set My Students Free by James Taylor How Free People Read by James Taylor While I am sure they are all good, are any of these ringing a bell? I couldn't find the title you mentioned. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 You know, duh..I never even realized they had pay per audio there. Man, I am in BIG trouble now. Do they take American Express? lol....I love Circe talks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Angela--I went looking for the other J. Taylor talk and came up with these possibilities: Is Knowledge Power? by Dr. James Taylor The Degrees of Knowing by Dr. James Taylor Knowledge From Literature by Dr. James Taylor Set My Students Free by James Taylor How Free People Read by James Taylor While I am sure they are all good, are any of these ringing a bell? I couldn't find the title you mentioned. Thanks! Oh, no! I can't find it on their site anymore. It was from a conference before 2006, I guess. I wonder if Knowledge from Literature is similar? I know the title was "Good to Great" and then something else. One of his points was that there are life experiences and other works that build the skills to truly understand the Great Books. I'll see if I can find my notes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 You know, duh..I never even realized they had pay per audio there. Man, I am in BIG trouble now. Do they take American Express? lol....I love Circe talks. If you have any money left, head to Wordmp3.com. Of course, they have a subscription service, too, which can save you a bundle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 Are the pay audios any different in quality than the general site? This one by Dr. Taylor is very clear, excellent...but some of the earliest audio recordings/conferences can be difficult to hear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 If you have any money left, head to Wordmp3.com. Of course, they have a subscription service, too, which can save you a bundle. Okay. Now you've gone and done it. I'm going to bed and cry. :lol: There goes my life basically. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryTime Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Thanks for sharing. I just got my hands on Poetic Knowledge today. Hopefully, this will motivate me to dive in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
love2read Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Did you find podcasts that you can pay to listen to online? I could only find CDs to purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 I'm on a audio cast from the word mp3 site now..almost done with one by tom garfield titled the trivium defined and applied. He is freaking hysterical funny, I'm laughing until it hurts. There is a lot of free downloads there. At one point he walks to what I'm assuming is a chart and I couldn't understand it- and this is a conference style recording. Darling hears me laughing in the dark in bed...keeps checking to ask if I'm okay, :lol: I haven't even looked to see if Circe has only Cd audio yet, the wordmp3 site is so immense...really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvonne Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Maybe you could order the cd here? Haven't tried it myself, yet. Good to Great, Teaching literature from grammar to rhetoric, by Dr. James Taylor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Maybe you could order the cd here? Haven't tried it myself, yet. Good to Great, Teaching literature from grammar to rhetoric, by Dr. James Taylor Wow, that is their old, old site. That's it, though. You could see if you could still get a CD from that conference. Further down the page, the Andrew Kern talks on logic were amazing, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Are the pay audios any different in quality than the general site? This one by Dr. Taylor is very clear, excellent...but some of the earliest audio recordings/conferences can be difficult to hear. It really depends. IF they are from an older conference, they are usually hit or miss. I have had soem that I had to turn up all the way, shut myself in a quiet room, and strain to hear. Still worth it, though. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Kern Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Hi Angela, et al I'm going to ask David to find that Good to Great talk and upload it as a podcast. I really appreciate the kind comments you all have been making about the CiRCE conference presentations. I have been thinking a lot lately about how it is the home school mom who alone is showing that necessary combination of brains, inquiry, and love for the student that is working the long awaited revolution in American education. How I do thank you for that devotion!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 :::faint::: :svengo: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne J Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Andrew-- Thank you for your work. CiRCE has been a huge source of knowledge, ideas, and pants kickings--all things a homeschool mom needs desperately. I look forward to hearing Dr. Taylor's talk! Folks like those at CiRCE, and here at the boards can keep me running the race when it gets tough. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I can't get podcasts to stream. What am I doing wrong? Does it not work on the computer? :confused1: I really want to listen to the literature one!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 What device are you using RR? I know if I'm on Kindle or my phone, I have to download. Only on my laptop can I stream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 What device are you using RR? I know if I'm on Kindle or my phone, I have to download. Only on my laptop can I stream. On a desktop. It doesn't work :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 Have you tried to download it? Watch your download box carefully and the destination. It might just be that you need an upgrade on your player or something simple like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Have you tried to download it? Watch your download box carefully and the destination. It might just be that you need an upgrade on your player or something simple like that. It works on my iPad! This is going to be a long night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladydusk Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 He has a talk called something like "Good to Great: Teaching Literature" that really changed the way I homeschool. If you like him, see if you can find that one, too. It was from one of their old conferences. They just added it to the Audio Library as a free listen! Woo-hoo! Ready to press play! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 They just added it to the Audio Library as a free listen! Woo-hoo! Ready to press play! :hurray: Thanks for pointing it out and thank you Circe for posting it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang!Zoom! Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share Posted March 8, 2012 :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In2why Posted March 26, 2012 Share Posted March 26, 2012 I'm only halfway through, and I mentally feel like I'm in a revival or something. I'm literally pumping my fist in the air and saying **ell Yah! This is so excellent. If you are hungry, eat here. http://circeinstitute.com/2012/03/podcast-3112-dr-james-taylor/ It’s been a while since we posted a podcast, but hopefully weeks just make the heart grow fonder. In this edition, I spoke with Dr. James Taylor about teaching literature, especially Sophocles, Shakespeare, Genesis, and some of the great poets (with a special reference to Robert Frost). We also discussed his schedule of online classes. Happy listening! :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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