When trying to explain classical education to others, we tend to focus on how our teaching style is more effective, how the content is beneficial for the student and how it is superior to those commonly used in secular education. While those may be important measurements, we too o en fail to realize that those who shaped the modern secular classroom had strong theological convictions that were contrary to the Christian faith. Some were Gnostics, others Mystics and others were Universalists. What they had in common was that they understood their pedagogies as tools to turn American children away from historic Christianity and adopt these anti-Christian theological views. is session will look at the theology of people such as Jean Piaget, Maria Montessori and John Dewey, and how it has shaped the modern classroom. Practical approaches for explaining these concepts to parents will be explored.
Thomas Korcok
In 2001, Thomas developed Grace Evangelical Lutheran School in Pembroke, Ontario, and taught logic to the upper grades. This initiated an interest that led to researching the application of the liberal arts in an elementary setting. He has taught at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catharines, Ontario, and Niagara University in Lewiston, New York. He is currently an Associate Professor at Concordia University in Chicago, where he has taught theology since 2013. At Concordia, Dr. Korcok is also the Director of the Center for the Advancement of Lutheran Liberal Arts (CALLA) and Director of the Classical Pedagogy Program.
