Jason Barney on Charlotte Mason, Modern Science, and The Classical Tradition

About our Guest
Mr. Barney serves as the Principal of Coram Deo Academy in Carmel, IN. In 2012 he was awarded the Henry Salvatori Prize for Excellence in Teaching from Hillsdale College. He completed his MA in Biblical Exegesis at Wheaton College, receiving The Tenney Award in New Testament Studies. Before coming into his current position, Jason served as the Academic Dean at Clapham School, a classical Christian school in Wheaton, IL. In addition to his administrative responsibilities in vision, philosophy, and faculty training, Jason has taught courses in Latin, Humanities, and Senior Thesis from 3rd-12th grades. He regularly speaks at events and conferences, including SCL, ACCS, and the CiRCE Institute. He has published A Classical Guide to Narration with the CiRCE Institute and A Short History of Narration through Educational Renaissance, where he blogs regularly on ancient wisdom for the modern era.

Show Notes
Jason Barney places Charlotte Mason squarely within the classical tradition. In this conversation, Jason points to multiple attestations within the classical tradition and contemporary science that demonstrate that Mason was on to something right in her philosophy and practices.

In our conversation, Jason lays out some of the problems with the modern factory education model. He explains how the art of narration fosters what contemporary scientists call "durable learning" or deep and lasting knowledge retention. Jason also takes on Bloom's Taxonomy and explains how it risks enshrining the teacher in modernism when they would be better served reading The Abolition of Man.

Some topics in this episode include:
Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition
Modern Education Movements: Ruseau, Pestalozzi, John Lock, Monstasori
Lessons from Contemporary Psychology and Neuroscience
Narration, Retrieval Practice, and Durable Learning
Practicing Narration in the Classroom
Why Students Can't recall What They Just Read/Heard
Problems With the Factory Model of Education
Narration Leading to Good Conversations
Problems with Blooms Taxonomy
Making Time to Read

Resources and Books & Mentioned In This Episode
A Short History of Narration
A Classical Guide to Narration
Educational Renaissance on Charlotte Mason

Bonus Podcast
Jason and I continued our conversation and talked in-depth about one of his favorite books for teachers, Teach Like A Champion by Doug Lemov. If you want to listen to that conversation, please support us on Patreon.

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Credits:
Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel
Logo Art: Anastasiya CF
Music: Used with permission. cellists: Sara Sant' Ambrogio and Lexine Feng; pianist: Alyona Waldo

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