Episodes
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Ep. 41 - Dr. Mike Wilhelm on Youth Ministry and the Iona Project
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
Wednesday Oct 26, 2022
This is Episode 41 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog sponsored by Kepler Education.
In this episode, Dr. Mike Wilhelm joins Scott Postma to talk about the Great Books and the life of the mind, ministering to youth as the senior chaplain at a residential child care facility, and the Iona Project—a quasi-neo-monastic gap-year opportunity for college graduates.
Dr. Wilhelm is the senior chaplain at Cal Farley Boys Ranch near Amarillo, TX. Cal Farley Boys Ranch is NOT actually exclusively for boys and has been a leader in residential childcare services for over 80 years. CFBR meets the needs of children and families by way of the continued generosity of supporters while never seeking state or federal funds to support the work.
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Ep. 40 - Dr. Junius Johnson and Redeeming Imagination
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
This is Episode 40 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog sponsored by Kepler Education.
In this episode, Dr. Junius Johnson joins Scott Postma to talk about Liberal Arts Education, Great Books, Fantasy, and redeeming the human Imagination.
Dr. Johnson is a Yale-trained, independent scholar of theology, philosophy, and literature who devotes his time to thinking and writing about whatever is good, noble, and excellent, and how to bring these things to bear to nurture meaningful lives. He resides in Memphis, TN with his wife, Rebekah, and their two children.
- You can learn more about Dr. Junius Johnson and the courses he teaches at Junius Johnson Academics.
- In the podcast, he recommends G. K. Chesterton's Tremendous Trifles.
- In November 2022, he is speaking at the Eliot Society on The Imagination at the Heart of Discipleship.
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Ep. 39 - Carrie Eben on Intellectual Virtues, Assessment, and Poetic Knowledge
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
Thursday Oct 06, 2022
This is Episode 39 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog sponsored by Kepler Education.
In this episode, Scott Postma talks with Carrie Eben, a classical educator and the founding consultant at Classical Eben. Carrie was introduced to classical education and Douglas Wilson’s book Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning in 1999 when she began working at St. Augustine’s Classical School in Tulsa. Since then, she has provided a classical education for her children in both private, classical schools (where she taught) and classical homeschool. She joined Classical Conversations in 2010 as an Essentials of the English Language tutor in Keller, Texas and has served in many other leadership and teaching capacities. Today she serves on the board of Sager Classical Academy, a classical Christian school in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Carrie holds a BSEd degree from John Brown University and MSEd from Oklahoma State University and is currently pursuing doctoral studies at Faulkner University.
Together with Dr. Albert Cheng, director of the Classical Education Research Lab at the University of Arkansas, Carrie has a research article forthcoming in The Consortium Journal, "Assessing the Pedagogical Power of Poetry for Poetic Knowledge."
In the podcast, Carrie mentioned the book, Deep in Thought: A Practical Guide to Teaching for Intellectual Virtues.
Learn more about our sponsor, Kepler Education, and how this consortium of classical Christian educators is helping families connect with some of the top teachers in classical Christian education.
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Ep 38 - Karen Elliott and Rafiki Foundation
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
Thursday Sep 29, 2022
This is Episode 38 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog sponsored by Kepler Education.
In this episode, Scott Postma talks with the executive director of the Rafiki Foundation, Karen Elliott. Rafiki means "friend" in Swahili and depicts the purpose of the Foundation - to help people know God and raise their standard of living with excellence and integrity. Since 1985, the Foundation has been building Rafiki Villages throughout Africa that seek to cultivate human flourishing through Bible study and classical Christian education.
Karen has served with Rafiki since 1990, including twelve years on the mission field, primarily in Nigeria. She is now Rafiki's executive director. She holds a BBA in finance/accounting and music minor from Southern Methodist University, Masters degree in Education from UTA and is currently pursuing doctoral studies at Faulkner University.
Wednesday Aug 24, 2022
Ep. 37 - Dr. Chris Swanson and Learning for Life
Wednesday Aug 24, 2022
Wednesday Aug 24, 2022
This is Episode 37 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog sponsored by Kepler Education.
In this episode, Scott Postma interviews Dr. Chris Swanson, president of Gutenberg College in Eugene, Oregon. Dr. Swanson shares his own unique education journey, Gutenberg's innovative (but not new) approach to a liberal arts education, and why educators should consider attending the Learning for Life Education Conference hosted by Gutenberg College in September each year. This year the conference is September 8-10, 2022.
Learning for Life Education Conference speakers and topics include:
- Amanda Butler of Classical Conversations “Reclaiming the Art of Conversation”
- Scott Postma Kepler Education “Preparing Students for a Life Worth Living”
- Andrew Pudewa Institute for Excellence in Writing “However Imperfectly: Lessons Learned from Three Decades of Teaching”
- Kathryn Smith Templeton Honors College “A Fairy Tale Education”
- Andrew Zwerneman Cana Academy “History: Seeing the Whole”
- Eliot Grasso Gutenberg College “Learning for an Integrated Life”
- Chris Swanson Gutenberg College “An Inquiry Approach to Mathematics and the Sciences”
Thursday May 05, 2022
Ep. 36 - Why New England Needs Classical Education
Thursday May 05, 2022
Thursday May 05, 2022
This is Episode 36 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog sponsored by Kepler Education.
In this episode, Sarah Abbott and Tim Knotts of the Classical Learning Consortium for New England join Scott Postma to discuss the need for classical education in New England. Given the number of Ivy League schools in New England, it is only obvious that it once was the epicenter for liberal education in the United States; In the 19th century, however, it became a leader in the push for the modern education of Horace Mann and John Dewey. Learn why, like never before, New England needs Classical Christian Education.
Listen in to a fascinating discussion about what classical education is, what the Classical Learning Consortium for New England is doing, and why Kepler Education is joining the CLCNE to host the New England Consortium of Classical Educators on July 15-16, 2022.
Learn more about or get tickets for the New England Consortium of Classical Educators.
Wednesday Feb 09, 2022
Andrew Kern: What Happened to Classical Education?
Wednesday Feb 09, 2022
Wednesday Feb 09, 2022
This is Episode 35 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.
In this episode, Scott Postma talks with Andrew Kern of the CiRCE Institute about Classical Education and Andrew's 3-part article, What Happened to Classical Education? Listen in as Andrew brilliantly answers some of the big questions educators should be (and are) asking: What is classical education? What forms or variations does it offer? Is it an identifiable method? Is it a formula or even a form? Is it a creed, a value system, a set of skills? What do we mean when we claim to be classical educators?
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
The Growing Spotlight on Classical Christian Education
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
Wednesday Feb 02, 2022
This is Episode 34 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.
In this episode, Scott Postma sits down with Joffre Swait to discuss Fox Nation's recent 5-part documentary on classical Christian education and what the growing spotlight means for Classical Christian Education. First, we discussed the various themes and implications treated by each episode and then we looked at the larger consideration of how to reclaim the Christian Paideia in the 21st-Century.
You can find the Fox Nation documentary here and use code: classroom to watch it free.
You can also watch the short film Kepler produced last year, We've Been Schooled.
Learn more about classical Christian Education here.
Thursday Jan 20, 2022
Jake Litwin on Apologetics and Integrated Humanities
Thursday Jan 20, 2022
Thursday Jan 20, 2022
This is Episode 33 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.
In this episode, Scott Postma sits down with Jake Litwin to discuss the Integrated Humanities and Apologetics, and why the various concepts studied in these subjects are essential to a well-rounded high school education.
Jake is a teacher at Kepler Education, teaching Ancient and Classical Humanities and Apologetics. He is also part of The Doane Creative Agency team, a brand building and content communication company. Jake earned a B.A. in Christian Studies with an emphasis in Christian Education. He lives in Idaho with this wife and two children and enjoys reading, watching and discussing movies, playing guitar, hiking and traveling.
You can find Jake's courses at here at Kepler Education.
Friday Nov 19, 2021
Dr. Chris Schlect on the History and Meaning of the Liberal Arts
Friday Nov 19, 2021
Friday Nov 19, 2021
This is Episode 32 of the Consortium Podcast, an academic audio blog of Kepler Education.
In this episode, Scott Postma sits down with Dr. Chris Schlect to discuss the Liberal Arts, its history in classical thought, what the liberal arts are, and what they are not.
Dr. Schlect is the Senior Fellow of History at New Saint Andrews College, where he teaches courses in ancient and medieval civilizations, US history, the history of American Christianity, medieval education, and Classical Rhetoric, among other subjects. Dr. Schlect is also the Director of New Saint Andrews College’s graduate program in Classical and Christian Studies.
He has taught courses in US history and Ancient Rome at Washington State University and has authored, as well as contributed to, numerous books and articles, appearing in several classical Christian publications as well as the National Park Service’s “Getaway” series. Dr. Schlect is also a teaching elder at Trinity Reformed Church (CREC) in Moscow, Idaho. He and his wife, Brenda, have five children and five grandchildren.