Advanced Learning Frameworks

Should Latin be Taught?

Does a dead language have any place in a 21st-century curriculum? Is it useful? Is it relevant? Does it have value as an enrichment to the core curriculum? I think it does, and for the following reasons.

1. Latin offers young people a glimpse into the life and times of the ancient Romans.

Yes, they can read about ancient Rome and watch videos. They can learn about the expansion of the Roman Empire under Julius Caesar. All that information is readily available. But it is filtered information. The whole point of learning a language is to be able to read source materials. I don't want somebody telling me what Julius Caesar said. I want to read it for myself. I want to understand what Caesar said, why he said it, how he said it - the works.

With that assumption in mind, it makes sense to allow students to experience the language by learning how to speak it. Perhaps Latin may be a dead language because it is no longer the lingua franca of commerce and world affairs. On the other hand, Latin is a beautiful-sounding language that will delight young listeners.

I will disclaim that I learned Latin back in the 50s and 60s when it was taught in the rather old-fashioned way languages were taught back then. You learned endless conjugations and declensions. You struggled with Latin's nuanced sense of tense. Et cetera. It would have been rather dry and dull had

As a nation, we spend billions on K-12 educational technology So, the question about whether all this spending is improving outcomes is a fair one. Has technology, in fact, improved educational outcomes?

Pros

Technology has freed up administrative time.

Electronic grade books save time for teachers. Computerized tests and quizzes save more time. The software which allows students to master skills in maths, sciences, and languages are huge time savers. Email and blogs make communications with parents and administration instantaneous and very efficient. And the tools just keep getting better and better. The less time a teacher has to spend on administrative tasks, the more time she theoretically can spend on lesson preparation and other purely teaching-related tasks.

Technology has opened new worlds.

iPads and wireless networks have liberated teaching. We can teach anywhere, at any time. That flexibility is what makes teaching exciting and relevant. Decades ago, you livened up your class by taking them outside on a beautiful day to sit under a tree and teach your lesson. The lesson was usually successful because you had your students' undivided attention. You piqued their interest with the change of venue. Exposing young people to the world around them locally, nationally, and abroad is an essential part of a teacher's job.

Technology performs that function instantly and without creating logistics issues like taking a class outdoors does. Your history lessons come alive as you make

Joann McPike, the founder of THINK Global School, graciously answered some questions that I posed about the school. ~ Rob Kennedy

RK: Explain why you took the reins rather than finding some institution that you could guide and shape according to your ideals and goals.

JM: My husband and I love to travel. We have always taken our son Alexander with us whenever we went anywhere. We took his schoolwork with us. It was Alexander's never-ending questions and comments that started showing us the benefits of traveling and opening the minds of youngsters.

We started looking at boarding schools all over the world for when he had to go to high school, and although there are some fantastic schools out there, we couldn't find one that would provide the different points of view that we felt were necessary to have a truly open mind.

As to why I didn't find an institution that we could guide and shape... I assume you mean an existing school? I guess I thought it would be more challenging to try to convince a school board to do something so out of the ordinary than to start a school from scratch. Most people feel safe in the status quo, but there are a few risk-takers who want to shake things up a little. I guess I am one of those who want to shake things up a little... as are the courageous parents who took a leap of faith and sent

You want the best possible education for your child. The local school district is reasonably good but is facing some drastic budget cuts next year and, as far as you can tell, probably for many years after that. You don't want to sacrifice your child's educational opportunities or spend money needlessly on other educational options, such as private school or homeschooling.

Private school makes sense on so many levels because everything's there. Academics, activities, sports, facilities, and staff are the critical components of every private school's package. In a private school, learning and teaching are continuous. It doesn't matter whether your child is in the classroom or on the playing field; she will be learning.

Perhaps you are considering homeschooling. While homeschooling is doable, you must track everything and make sure all the paperwork is completed, submitted, and approved by local and state authorities. It's a lot of work—indeed, it is a full-time job. Now contrast that with the kind of life and activities your child can have at private school, as shown in this video.

So, what about some of those rumors you have heard about private schools? Are they true? False? Are things changing? Are private schools different from what they were fifty years ago? Well, things have indeed changed over that period. Most of what the popular media says about private K-12 schools today can be charitably categorized as misconceptions.

"Everybody does it." Sadly that excuse is one of several reasons why there is so much cheating in America's high schools. Children learn by example. When they see adults cheating, they assume that there is nothing wrong with cheating. Adults cheat for a variety of reasons although I suspect that expediency probably tops the list of reasons why. Students seem to cheat because they are under tremendous pressure to be successful. Getting the best marks constantly so that Ivy League colleges will accept them has been many students' mantra ever since they could remember. We parents are to blame for putting that kind of pressure on our kids.

Michael Winerip's article on the cheating scandal in Philadelphia public schools underscores one of the intrinsic differences between public and private schools. Private schools do not have to teach to the test. Public schools do. That is as a result of The No Child Left Behind legislation which required that minimum test scores be attained, among other requirements. The consequences for not achieving the benchmarks are serious. The net result is that some unethical teachers and administrators are alleged to have cooked the books in the Philadelphia schools. And they got caught. A similar situation occurred in Atlanta's public schools with several educators jailed for their role in a wide-spread cheating scandal.

Private schools are not covered by NCLB or its replacement legislation the Every Student Succeeds Act. Consequently private schools do not have to