Posted in The Principle Approach: Self-Directed Study

Dear PA’ers,

            I look forward to going through the Self-Directed Study with you.  I’m very excited about what God is doing and will do in your studies. 

            I have listed our first assignment below and some details of the content.  I have also shared some ideas that always brings me comfort as I renew my mind with PA.  It confirms in my heart that PA is something that the Lord will lead me in.  I’m finding that if I’m experiencing frustration, I simply need to back up and say, “What am I to do, Lord?”

            I really appreciated how “A Master Teacher’s Testimony” reassured me that the joy of The Principle Approach is in providing us with liberty to govern our pace; liberty of the subject content that we teach; and the liberty of our individual enrichment that we weave into our course of study. 

Karen

 

Week 1—Assignment 

• Self-Directed Study Book
  • Introduction & Preface (see schedule for page #’s)
    • A Master Teacher’s Testimony
    • A Self-Directed Seminar in the Principle Approach
• Teaching & Learning—No Assignment
• Supplemental Resources:  SDS Tapes/CD’s
• Assignments:
  • Prepare Notebook
  • Download/Copy “Educational Philosophy Chart” aka “Chart”  (Download Here)

SDS Tapes/CD’s 

These tapes were prepared by Elizabeth Youmans, Editor of The Noah Plan and an International Consultant for PA, as well as Carole Adams, Founder of StoneBridge School and Assistant Editor to F.A.C.E. publications.  StoneBridge School was started in Chesapeake, Virginia, in order to demonstrate The Principle Approach and to develop curriculum.

The tapes/CD’s cover:

·        Introducing The Noah Plan

·        Building Christian Character

·        Teaching Reflective Learning

·        Designing the Whole Curriculum

These are some of the ideas I have found comforting about The Principle Approach.

1. The grade level guidelines found in the various Guidebooks put out by F.A.C.E. are suggestions, not law.  The Principle Approach represents freedom in education.  F.A.C.E. is attempting to provide a road map for PA but there are many byways.
2. Although the basic Biblical principles remain the same, the implementation should be as individual as each family.
3. Education is more than getting through the curriculum and testing.  It is about reaching the whole soul, spirit, and body of the child.  Education is enlightenment of their soul and the development of their Christian character that is of most importance; beginning with the Word of God at the heart of every subject.
4. Reflective Learning is teaching our children to use their minds to think and reason and not just their memories in memorizing facts and putting them forth on a test—but to go to the very Word of God—the heart of learning.

 Other highlights:

1. Explanation of the value of the 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary.  Noah Webster being described as the “The Father of American Christian Education”.  The 1828 Dictionary is the only English Dictionary containing Biblical meanings.
2. The historic nature of the Notebook.  It did not originate with The Noah Plan
3. The value of scholarship
4. The value of the Notebook Method versus the Workbook Method.
5. Reflective Reasoning in the Notebook
6. Value of the Classroom Constitution

I found the tapes/CD information to be very enlightening.  If you can help it, try not to skip them.  I’ve listened to them more than once and continue to pick up new thing  

A Master Teacher’s Testimony

            What I so appreciated here is realizing how we are in the process of our re-education.  SDS is about beginning the process of cultivating a habit of personal research and writing. 

            SDS is a stepping stone to help us as we are being “re-tooled” scholastically:

·        One word study at a time;

·        One principle at a time;

·        One leading idea at a time;

·        One link in the Chain of Christianity at a time

Thank goodness, we need only teach our children as we are learning! 

Our lesson plans should reflect:

·        Our God-given individuality;

·        God’s spirit empowering us and our children

The most important—The joy of The Principle Approach of teaching and learning is the— 

·        Liberty to govern our pace;

·        Liberty of the subject content we teach;

·        Liberty of the enrichment that we weave into our course of study.

A Self-Directed Seminar in the Principle Approach

I didn’t quite pick this up until my 2^nd time around in SDS, but noted how the purpose of SDS and completing the Chart {Establishing a Philosophy of Education} is to do just that and more.  This course is designed to establish our philosophy of education upon the Word of God.

 Karen