CiRCE Institute Podcast Network

Latest Episodes:

Special Edition: Ken Myers' The New, The Cool, and the Sensational: Judgment in the Face of Popular Culture's Pseudo-Transcendenalists Aug 29, 2013

Show notes

From the 2013 CiRCE Conference: A Contemplation of Judgment

July 2013; Baltimore, MD

The making of judgments requires some sort of standard against which to make measurements. While the normal nihilism of contemporary culture is often described as being thoroughly without standards, all judgments assumed to be merely expressions of preference, very few people possess the Promethean confidence to assert their preferences requires some sort of standard against which to make measurements. While the normal nihilism of contemporary culture is often described as being thoroughly without standards, all judgments assumed to be merely expressions of preference, very few people possess the Promethean confidence to assert their preferences rful arbiters of quality.

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On Being Discerning Cultural Consumers, with Brett McCracken Aug 29, 2013

Show notes

In this week's episode of Quiddity, the CiRCE podcast and the audio companion to this website, David Kern chats with author and culture critic Brett McCracken, whose new book Gray Matters: Navigating the Space Between Legalism and Liberty, came out earlier this month from Baker Books. They talk about why he was motivated to write this book, how to cultivate cultural discernment in young people, and why so many recent books have challenged common Christian conceptions of cultural engagement.

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On Starting the School Year Well, with Cindy Rollins & Dr. Chris Perrin Aug 16, 2013

Show notes

In this week's edition of Quiddity, the CiRCE podcast and the audio companion to circeinstitute.org, David Kern chats with Cindy Rollins and Dr. Chris Perrin about starting the year off well. Topics of conversation include how to avoid biting off more than you can chew, what to do when you inevitably do, and how to keep learning from being a "School year" thing.

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On Fairy Tales and the Moral Imagination Aug 09, 2013

Show notes

In this edition of Quiddity, the audio companion to circeinstitute.org, Dr. Brian Phillips and David Kern discuss the art of teaching great literature in such a way that reckons with the fact that many students will hate the process. What is the nature and purpose of literature and how can we can teach it according to both? What role does "the spark notes" approach play and how do we deal with what Flannery O'Connor referred to as the "mystery and manners" of literature?

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Respond in the comment section below or on Facebook or Twitter.

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On Teaching Literature Without Killing It Aug 02, 2013

Show notes

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Repond in the comment section below or on Facebook or Twitter.

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A Conversation about Standardized Tests May 13, 2013

Show notes

Standardized tests have been in the news a lot lately.

As the new Common Core initiatives take root, our national educational system increasingly insists and depends upon them. Yet in places like New York City, Chicago, Seattle, and others, students, parents, and teachers are responding - and the media is taking note.

In the newest edition of our Quiddity podcast, Brian Phillips and David Kern discuss these stories and consider what it all might mean for classical educators.

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On Finishing the Year Strong, with Dr. Christopher Perrin May 01, 2013

Show notes

Dr. Christopher Perrin on Finishing the Year Strong

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On Children's Literature for Grades Seven and Under, with Cindy Rollins Mar 05, 2013

Show notes

In the April 2012 edition of Quiddity, the CiRCE Podcast, we had the really fun opportunity to interview Cindy Rollins. Cindy is a regular contributor to our website and blogs here. Cindy has more than 20 years experience as a homeschooler and therefore has a wealth of knowledge (very nearly second to none!).

In this conversation we discussed good books for children grades 7 and under, some of which are classics of which you’ve probably heard (Little House On the Prairie) and others are works with which you may not be so familiar (the works of John Buchan and Little Britches).

Cindy has some really interesting things to say about those Little House books (some bold claims) and about how to deal with questionable language in children’s literature.

So sit back – or run or drive or however you listen – and enjoy.

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