Did you know?

There will probably be a lot of titles to this blog of "Did you know", because there is so much that I didn't know that I wanted to share with you as I take this Homeschooling journey.  

The Bible, when first translated from Latin into the language for the common people into English, was translated by John Wycliffe, in 1356.  It is pretty commonly known that it was at a great risk to his life and it took over 40  years to do.  But did you know that the first book of the Bible that was translated was Revelation?  During that time period a new social order was arising and there was a false prophet named Abbot Joachim of Calabria who was turning men's minds towards a deceptive Everlasting Gospel, and not the True Gospel.  John Wycliffe believed the world was entering the end times and thought the people needed to have an understanding of the Apocalypse.  

I think that is a profound thought.  Even back in Jesus's day the disciples wanted to know if the end of the world was near, and I am sure it was felt in the early church with the persecution many of them faced.  And yet hundreds of years have passed, and the pattern continues.  Are we in the last days?  It seemed as John Wycliffe felt it in his century.  We could be, and even if we aren't it seems like we will face persecution and have trials and tribulations in our own lives.  But take heart, Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).  

So where does that leave us?  I believe we are therefore called to a deeper understanding of God and responsible for teaching it to our children.  That our children will know how to go to God and be led by the Holy Spirit.  We need to take back the education and put it into the obedience of God if we are to at least see a change in our own family units.  

Dr. Elias Boudinot, President of the Continental Congress in 1783, was quoted, "Ever keep in mind that it is parts that form the whole, and fractions constitute the unit. Good government generally begins in the family, and if the moral character of a people once degenerate, their political character must soon follow."  

God give us the strength to follow You as a family.  

Continuing the Self Directed Seminar

This week I purchased the three books that go with the Self-Directed Study , Teaching and Learning America's Christian History: The Principle Approach, The Christian History of the Constitution of the United States of America, Vol 1: Christian Self-Government, and The Christian History of the American Revolution: Consider and Ponder.  All these books are offered by the Foundation for American Christian Education.  Once I get them at the end of this week I am going to go back through the study with a fine tooth comb and learn some more.  

Did you know that the popular version of the Bible, NIV, is at the 5th grade reading level?  The King James version is at a 12 grade learning level.  Did you also know that the Humanist Manifesto (Google it sometime to read the whole thing) part two of three right now, that is basis for Humanism in this day and age, believes in the right of universal education, and although education is good, keeps God out of the school system and everyday life.  And that is what is happening today.  We hardly even know the basis of our own history in the United States and what this country was founded on, because of it's God given roots.  We are being spoon fed, and not strengthened to learn and to seek out the truth.  That partial in part of the reason I am going to homeschool.  I am looking forward to digging in, and will share with you what I learn.  

Weekly thoughts

I finished going through the Noah Plan Self-Directed Study in the Principle Approach,  just a quick overview, so I am going to go back through it looking up more references and do it in more detail.  Although my aim is to update this blog weekly, I find myself daily thinking about homeschooling, either in watching my kids, seeing an online article about it, or just in my daydreams.  

I want to write out the big picture statements from the Lessons just for my reference of what are the main ideas.

Lesson #1 - Preparing for the Seminar

What's Wrong - American Christians have permitted secular educators to rob us of our rich educational heritage and the knowledge of our Biblical foundations.

Let's Solve it - Wake up and get armed with the educational philosophy that gave us our liberty.  Take leadership!

Lesson #2 - Gaining the Mind of Christ in Education

What's Wrong - The secularization of our culture went to our heads.  We've met the enemy and it is us.  We are the products of the vain philosophies: of modern American education.

Let's Solve It - Restore your head as well as your heart to Christ!  Learn to reason by Biblical principles and gain a truly Christian world and life view.

Lesson #3 - The Notebook Approach

What's Wrong - Consumerism has consumed us!  Modern education is a consumer driven industry cranking the gears of functional illiteracy!

Let's Solve It - Classic Principle Approach education makes the learner a producer and establishes the skills and character of scholarship through the Notebook Approach. 

Lesson #4 - Education A Whole View

What's Wrong - When you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there.

Let's Solve it - Get a vision of the end goal and aim for it.

Lesson #5 - Our Heritage of Christian Education

What's Wrong - Without principles and "knowledge of the past," we cannot recognize the better way.

Let's Solve it - Learn to discern true methods and curriculum.  Examine Biblical models.

Lesson #6 - Gaining a Providential View of History

What's Wrong - I'm indoctrinated by a materialistic, hedonistic, "me" and "now" focus.  I am not the center of the universe of the sum total of existence.  

Let's Solve it  Get a worldview that is true, Learn His story.

Lesson #7 - The Curriculum and the Method

What's Wrong - Force-fed, worn out, stimulus-response, sensation-injected curricula form the consumer-driven education of today and the resulting dependent character.

Let's Solve it - Breathe life into learning by daring to research, reason, relate, and record. Cultivate a love of learning.

Lesson #8 - Education for the Twenty-first century

What's wrong - The culture is on a crash course propelled by secular, humanistic, agendas driven by modern education

Let's Solve it - Reformation comes one soul, one heart, on mind at a time.  Join the reformation of the nation.  

Those are big picture points that are helpful to look at as I learn this way of teaching.  Now it is time to dig in and look at more of the details.

Definitions

The Noah Curriculum is based on the Bible and the 1828 Noah Webster's Dictionary, part of the reason of the name.  Here is the definition of Education from the Noah Webster's dictionary:

The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of matters.  Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations.  To give children a good eduction in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious eduction is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties.

Wow, that says a lot.  It forms the whole person, and puts the burden of responsibility on the parents.  Now just out of curiosity I checked out an alternative definition of education from the online Merriam Webster dictionary:

1.  the action or process of educating or of being educated; also a stage of such a process, the knowledge and development resulting from an educational process.

2.  The field of study that deals mainly with methods of teaching and learning in schools.

Hmmm.  The burden of responsibility with that one is on the schools.  That is interesting, because one seems pretty vague, but more well known, and the other is more detailed, but not as acknowledged in this period of time.  

Which one is right?  I know that Noah Webster used the Bible as a source for his dictionary and they have a tendency to overlap in meaning.  Since the Bible is important for us to follow, here are some scriptures to fill in some of the blanks:

Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  

Psalms 86:11 - Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name.

Psalms 132:12 - If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

Matthew 5:19 - Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

2 Timothy 2:24 - And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,

There are 109 reference of teaching in the Bible, and just from this small selection above, the ability and knowledge of what to teach is very important.  Are these things that can be learned in schools at all in this day and age?