Why Classical Education Works

I ran into this article recently on a blog called Yummy Sushi Pajamas (I am not making it up--I promise). Here is the link:

Yummy Sushi Pajamas Post

What I like about this post is that it recognized that classical education works and starts to draw the outline for why it is better. It admits that some things about a classical education are hard to quantify, but that it just makes sense.

Let me build on the post and the NY Times piece on which it is built.

Classical education is radically effective because it gets down to the bedrock of things. It is not distracted by educational trends or the latest research. It recognizes that every generation needs some skills that are, if present, able to prepare a students for work in every kind of employment or calling. These skills are most notably: critical thinking and communication. Classical educators call these: Logic and Rhetoric. You need these skills in almost every line of work. Leaders in any area must have these skills.

Today, far too often, educators fly from pillar to post. Presently, the darling idea is technology. The tag lines sounds something like this: "It's all about ___________________." (You could fill in smart boards, classes on iPhones, or online learning.) Some of these things might be good. None of them will transform education; and all of them are positively harmful if they distract us from the skills that students really need: critical thinking and communication.

Classical education is successful because it is not just teaching content with no end in mind. Instead, whether it is teaching math, science, history, or literature, it is working to build up students skills in critical thinking and communication.