English Grammar through Latin

When my husband and I began homeschooling, we wanted to provide an education that would challenge our children. I did a lot of research as to what I wanted to pursue, because I knew without a doubt that homeschooling could provide opportunities for rigorous education in ways that a public school could not. When I read Susan Wise Bauer's The Well-Trained Mind, I knew I had found my structure: classical education. I also read Douglas Wilson's book Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning, and that also shaped my goals.

In the model of education I wanted to follow, there was an emphasis on learning Latin. Now, some people may wonder why that is. Other than the fact that it is the basis for the Romance languages, which a student may learn later, the majority of English comes from Latin. There can be made a case for Greek as well, and I believe it is a valuable thing for a student to be exposed to Greek. However, learning Greek requires learning a new alphabet as well, and for some students, that may be intimidating. I do think, however, if a Christian can study Koine Greek at some point, he should. I took three semesters of it at university, and those were the best grades I received. I have mostly forgotten it, sadly, but hope to pick it up again at some point.

The other benefit from learning Latin is to help with English grammar. Now, how does that help? Well, because Latin is an inflected language, the parts of speech are not identified by their place in the sentence as in English, but rather what their endings are. So, for example, the word Christus is in the nominative, which means it is the subject of the sentence, as opposed to Christum, which is in the accusative case, and therefore the direct object. Koine Greek works the same way, so learning Koine Greek could help with grammar as well. Actually, I remember when taking Greek being very thankful that my 7th grade English teacher had forced us to diagram sentences, because knowing the difference between a direct object and a predicate nominative was helpful in translation.

There is a program called The Latin Road to English Grammar, which many homeschoolers use. I never used it because a homeschool mom on a parent forum I visited had used it and re-named it "The Latin Road to English Despair," because her children hated it. I have another friend who used it and said it was okay, but she had never used any other program. I, myself, used three different programs, Latin Primer, Latina Christiana, and Henle Latin. The last two of those I found the best for the beginner. Yes, they are produced by Roman Catholics, but if one filters out any objectional references (mostly in reference to Mary), she can find a very solid program, especially if the teacher wants to learn along with the student. Plus, the resources available from this publisher are excellent, including teacher keys. I also have a book which is popular, Wheelock's Latin, but the teacher key for the student workbook is almost impossible to find, and when one is learning on her own, there needs to be a teacher key. Cambridge Latin, another good program, has on-line study courses, but they don't come cheap, so if I ever want to go that route, I'd need some $$$. If I had an excess of $$$ for on-line courses, I'd choose a seminary over strictly Latin. Wheelock's and Cambridge move faster than the other programs, and Cambridge uses a "reading" approach rather than providing noun and verb paradigms right away. I have a beginner book by Cambridge, and it consists of stories of a Roman family, and they're actually quite entertaining.

I resurrected my Henle Latin books because I really like translation. I tried picking up my Greek again, but it's harder, because it has been so much longer since I took it, and Latin vocabulary, because it looks more like English, is easier for me to recognize and remember. Why do I do this? Well, some people like Sudoku. I am terrible at Sudoku; but I am pretty good with languages. It's like a rather unique puzzle-solving activity. The sentences are fairly rudimentary, such as "Caesar, dux Romanorum, voces Gallorum in silvis audivit" (translation: Caesar, leader of the Romans, heard the voices of the Gauls in the forest), but you have to start somewhere, I guess. See that word "voces?" It means "voice." See the English cognate in there, i.e. voice, vocal? It's pretty cool, I think.

Recently, as I was enjoying my Latin puzzle-solving time, I was indeed very aware of how much this exercise forces me to look at each word in the sentence and how it fits to make the whole thing work. Not a bad activity for someone who likes to write. Perhaps when I have progressed with this, I can move back to Greek.

Thankful Thursday

I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word. (Psalm 138:2)

There is much to be thankful for every day, and most of all, we can be thankful for God's steadfast love.

Aging in reverse

Yesterday, I had a very long walk. It was a great day for walking. It was neither too hot nor too cold, and there was a breeze. The sun occasionally peeped out for a look-see, but the slightly overcast weather was good for picture-taking.

While I was walking, I had my iPod on shuffle, and a song from the Dan Fogelberg recording "The Innocent Age," came on. What a time warp. Here I am at the age of 44, hearing the recording that was my favourite when I was 15 years old. I listened to that vinyl album countless times. I knew the words, could play all the songs on the piano. It was a great recording, because it talked about growth and change. I loved it.

As I was walking, I was thinking, "Man, I'm 44 years old! Am I really that old?" Of course I already know that; I was there for my birthday this past year. I don't feel 44 years old. Some mornings, my ankles are a little stiff when I get up, but I'm fairly active, have always made time for exercise, and have never really struggled with any serious health issues other than skin allergies, and those aren't really all that debilitating. Physically, I don't know how a 44 year is supposed to feel; I think it varies from woman to woman. I do know, however, that I am in fairly good shape and healthy, which is a huge blessing.

No, what I meant is that in my head, I don't feel 44 years old. On most days, I feel very much like a wandering, vulnerable child. I don't mean that I can't function; although some days it's iffy, I suppose. I manage quite nicely to keep house, cook meals, feed and deal with neurotic pets and children, as well as provide a modicum of intelligent conversation for my husband when he comes home at the end of the day. I think this vulnerable feeling comes from the perception I had a child that when I was older, I would have it all together.

I see other women who look like that they have it all together, only to find out that they struggle just as much as I. One of my best friends, probably one of the godliest ladies I know, and my former teaching partner, is a model of composure and strength, but I know she has times of struggle. And, I might add, she deals with them with grace and faith. I'm blessed to call her friend.

Every now and then I wonder if people look at me and think I have it all together.... *rolling on the floor laughing at the ludicrousness of that statement*

.... well, perhaps not. I'm fairly certain that my friends and family know frail I truly am.

Anyway, I often feel like we age in reverse. There are the ways that I realize I have gained some wisdom, but often for every ounce of wisdom God gives us, He gives us a larger measure of the realization of how small we are. That is what ran through my mind yesterday: I am so small. I was listening to a song by "Casting Crowns," as this thought popped up, and the line from the song was, "Somwhere between a whisper and a roar," That is the tension I occassionally feel; longing to roar, but knowing that a whisper is about all I'm good for.

Maybe that's a good thing.

Walking on the dead

No, that's not "waking" the dead.

Yesterday, I went for my walk, and decided to go to the cemetery. I had not been there for over twenty years, when my husband's aunt was buried there in 1986, but I pass by its entrance with great regularity in my car and when I am walking. It's on a street that has a very good incline for walking. Often when I am walking, after about 10 minutes, I will go up that hill; perfect time in the workout to push myself a little.

I decided to go in yesterday and take my camera. It's a very nice cemetery. This is the view as I walked in:



It was much larger than I realized. As I mentioned, I had not been there since 1986, and on that day, it was mid-April and very cold and rainy, so my memories are blurry.

There was a section of markers for men and women who were in the armed services, and this was the monument in the midst of those graves:


Some day, I will learn to take a picture without tilting the horizon, haha. There were several lawn mowers going when I was there, and I was afraid of being in the way, so unfortunately, some of my pictures were taken in a hurry.

There were a number of older graves, but I didn't go back as far to look at them closely. I want to make a return trip some time. I like reading the old grave markers. I was conscious as I walked along that each person buried there had a life, a home, a family, a history. God knew each one of them by name.

Some people had quite elaborate headstones. I'm thinking this couple were game players, judging from the images of cards and dice on the headstone. It's interesting how one can get a glimpse into the life of an individual by looking at the headstones left behind.



And some had rather humble ones, like this one, which I thought was really precious. Someone had obviously put some work into this for the loved one:




The surface of the cross is smooth, and the dates of the person's life are carved into the wood.

On the circumference of the cemetery, there were many benches for sitting. I didn't take advantage of that, but I plan to some day. It's such a peaceful place. This is the view from the southern edge:


Those are soybeans growing there, I believe.

A few months ago, the teacher for the ladies' Sunday school class at my church challenged each one of us to take a "spiritual retreat." By this, she meant to take a few hours away from our homes, away from distractions, and read God's word and pray and ponder. She likes to go to a beach, and in the spring when no on is really at the beach, she is able to walk in solitude. I think this cemetery would be a great place to sit for a few hours. I remember reading in the Anne of Green Gables series of books, Anne of the Island, I believe, when Anne and her college friends spend time walking in a cemetery and contemplate the lives there. I don't know if it's a morbid idea or not to sit in a cemetery. As I walked through, I saw names I knew and wondered if those people are related to the individuals I know. I found one grave that I know is the father of someone whom my husband works with.

On the way home, right next to the cemetery, I passed by a house which I have always admired. At one time, it was for sale, but obviously out of our price range:



I noticed that it needs a bit of TLC. You can't see from the picture, but there are places that need paint, and areas of obvious wear and tear, but I love the house. That little room off to the side of the house reminds me of an English country house. I imagine myself using that room as a library. In the evening, it would face the sunset.

I hope to go back to the cemetery some time for just sitting out of door with no distractions.

A little Church history

The date 325 AD is one of the most important in Church history. That is the date of the Council of Nicea, where the Nicene Creed was formulated.

Now, these creeds were not hammered out because a bunch of balding old men wanted to assert their personal biases. They were in reaction to controversy within the Church. The reaction to heresy is generally to sit down and articulate what truth is in order to battle the heresy. We can't recognize heresy if we don't know truth.

The heresy that was running rampant at the time of Nicea was Arianism. I could describe Arianism to you, but Rebecca does a better job of that in her Theological Term of the Week feature. Check it out.

Dr. Calhoun provides a simple statement to begin: the Nicene Council sought to emphasize that Jesus is truly and fully God. Arians had a little problem with that concept. In fact, Arius, who was reputed to be quite a sharp young man, went about promoting his doctrine through song:

Arius of Alexandria, I am the talk of the town. Friend of Saints, elect of heaven, filled with learning and renown. If you want the Logos-doctrine, I can serve it steaming hot. God begat him and before He was begotten He was not.

Pretty catchy, no? Today, we have men stand up with their headsets, pumping music, Power Point, book deals and websites. Arius had to write bar songs to promote his teaching.

The Nicene Creed was formulated, but the drama didn't end there. One of the results of Constantine's conversion was that government began to interfere in the matters of Church. In fact, it was Constantine who called the council. I am not sure if he did it because he was concerned about doctrine or concerned about the unity of his empire. The simple fact is that once Constantine allowed religious freedom, and leaders became Christians, lines could be drawn, sides could be chosen, and the Church could (and would prove to be) be a pawn in political drama. Many leaders would simply court the side whom they needed support from. The government was very often pro-Arian, and the political forces behind it would make it difficult to combat. This political interference would make its presence known repeatedly, as Athanasius, who was the antithesis of Arius, spend his life in a cycle of banishment-return from Alexandria, depending on who was the emporer. The pro-Arians would boot him out; they would die and a sympathetic or apathetic leader would arise and let him back in. But in all this, Athanasius never backed down on his position.

There is a huge debate over a "dipthong" that is part of this story. The Greek word homoousios means "of same substance." This is what the Arians had a trouble with. The Arians preferred homooisios, which means "of similar substance." Dr. Calhoun comments on this debate, and how the historian Gibbon believed that it was rather a silly debate. B.B. Warfield, however, saw it differently:

“The whole doctrine of the Trinity in unity and of the proper deity of Christ resides in that iota.”

One of the things that I find so gratifying about reading Church history is that it really forces one to sit down and understand the doctrinal issues over which these men disputed. If one was to teach a Sunday School class of teenagers, for example, about the Nicene controversy, that teacher could establish a doctrinal truth that would serve those young people for years to come: the doctrine of the Trinity.

Copying Lisa....

... with my July "status" report. Do check hers out, here.

**Update** Rebecca is copying Lisa, too.

Sitting... at my desk.

Drinking... nothing at the moment. Already had my coffee.

Watching.. a bird outside my window

Resuming... the week's daily routine with driving working kids here and there and trying to keep everyone well-fed.

Anticipating... a bible study workshop coming up in August.

Hoping... to find a day when the whole family can get together and take a day trip somewhere.

Still looking... for a clock. I need a new clock for my family room. I want something kind of old fashioned.

Planning... for a youth group social event on Saturday. Swimming, bonfire and frolic in the woods.

Completed... D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The First Forty Years. Looking forward to tackling the second volume, The Fight of Faith, which is easily 800 pages. This man was simply amazing.

Wanting... to not feel so out of place. I seem to feel like I'm always sitting outside the circle. I have asked myself on more than one occasion lately, "what am I doing here?"

Deciding...when to paint the bathroom upstairs. It needs to be rid of the horrid wallpaper up there. However, the wallpaper is behind the toilet tank, too, so that involves taking down a toilet. With three kids at home using it, I am thinking that it may have to wait until September.

As for me and my house

In Joshua 24:14-15, we read this:

14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

I have always loved these verses. Somewhere, at my mother-in-law's I think, I saw a cross-stitched picture of a house with the phrase, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," underneath the picture. I think someone may have made it for her.

I did not grow up in a godly home, and my family has become rather fragmented over the years. I have a brother whom I have not spoken for about four years, and really only hear about him through my mother. I have another brother whom I have not spoken to except via e-mail, for about three years. I also have a third brother who lives about two hours away, and we are fortunate to be able to see him and his family at special occasions.

By the time I was about eighteen years old, my family had become a collection of people living in the same house, but with very little unity. The things that bound us together were biology and common experience. Our values were all very different despite having lived in the same home all of our lives. Now, it is much more pronounced. The brother who lives close to me is a great guy, and I enjoy being with him. He is the only one who seems to make an effort to keep up the relationship. It is hard when our kids become teenagers and begin working, and then going to off to college or university, because time to continue nurturing the family is hard to find.

Case in point: this week, my 17 year old son will probably work four of seven nights. My daughter works in the evenings two days this week, and the others, during the day. This means that there will be precious little time when we are all home together. This will only become more of an issue in the future, when my youngest son wants to get a job. He is already contemplating next summer, pondering the possibility of returning to the training camp he just came home from, and asking to be put on a team that goes out for six weeks of the summer in other parts of the province. There is a real possibility that I may only have one or two kids around next summer.

It has always seemed to me that having Christ at the centre of the family is the thing that ought to bind a Christian family together. Common experience, biology, and a shared faith in Christ seems like a good recipe for family unity. Of course, family members aren't perfect and there will be issues, but even as an unbelieving teenager, I thought that having God in the home had to make a difference. I had a lot of Mormon friends in high school, and I saw how close-knit their families were; I think that was one of the things that drew me to want to join that particular church. I am thankful that I did not, obviously, but I saw the reality that a common faith can nurture a family in a way that nothing else can. And of course, the crucial element there is a shared faith; often, there isn't a shared faith within a family.

One of the things I learned when reading the book The Excellent Wife, is that there is a danger of wanting a godly family more than wanting Christ Himself. I have had to remind myself of that a lot in recent years, because I can see how that can become true. We may not think it can, but I have seen it in my own heart. It is a good thing to desire that our homes be a home that serves the Lord, but if worrying about that too much causes us to lose focus on Christ, then that desire can be almost idolatrous. And yet, we mothers desire so much to see our family love and serve the Lord.

I don't want my family to become a group of individuals who simply share the same living space. I want us all to be able to say, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Only God can build in that desire; I believe it is what He wants, but it is still His work to do.

Conflict

O LORD GOD,

Thou art my protecting arm,
fortress, refuge, shield, buckler.
Fight for me and my foes must flee;
Uphold me and I cannot fall;
Strengthen me and I stand unmoved, unmoveable;
Equip me and I shall receive no wound;
Stand by me and Satan will depart;
Anoint my lips with a song of salvation
and I shall shout thy victory;
Give me abhorrence of all evil,
as a vile monster that
defies thy law, casts off thy yoke,
defies my nature, spreads misery.
Teach me to look to Jesus on his cross
and so to know sin's loathsomeness in thy sight.
There is no pardon but through thy Son's death,
no cleansing but in his precious blood,
no atonement but his to expiate evil.
Show me the shame, the glory, the bruises
of incarnate God,
that I may read boundless guilt in the
boundless price;
May I discern the deadly viper in its real malignity,
tear it with holy indignation from my breast,
resolutely turn from its every snare,
refuse to hold polluting dalliance with it.
Blessed Lord Jesus, at thy cross
may I be taught the awful miseries from which
I am saved,
ponder what the word 'lost' implies,
see the fires of eternal destruction;
Then may I cling more closely to thy broken self,
adhere to thee with firmer faith,
be devoted to thee with total being,
desert sin as strongly as thy love to me
is strong.
And may holiness be the atmosphere in which I live.

From the Valley of Vision.

Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde?

Okay, so that is probably not the best analogy to describe what I'm about to write. I just can't think of a good one at the moment that describes the dual person that is a woman such as myself. And I'm not talking abut the struggle between the old man and the new. The Dr. Jekyll/Mrs. Hyde analogy works quite well in describing the struggle that Christians have with regard thew new life in Christ; the struggle to do what is good while being regularly tempted to do what is not good.

No, I'm talking about the fact that as a woman, I have two competing responsibilities in my every day life. One, obviously is the care and nurture of my husband and family. As a married woman, they are my first priority. No matter what other day to day things come up, things such as employment or service in the Church, my family is my first priority. After my children are fully grown and married with families of their own (Lord willing, of course), my husband will still be my first priority after the Lord Himself. I'm good with that. I'm a very committed advocate for the principle that a woman's family is her most important ministry.

But then there's this little itch I have. Not poison ivy or dandruff, but the itch to learn; to know, to understand. It is the itch to understand things like the Bible, theology, doctrine, history, and literature. It is an itch that wants to write down my observations and puzzle them through. I believe it is an itch that is God-given. It is often difficult to scratch that itch because the simple fact is that running a household and caring for a family can be time consuming. At 4:30 in the afternoon, very often I would much rather be reading a book or listening to a sermon, not getting in my car for the third or fourth time that day to drive someone somewhere. There are times when I get pulled away from something I'm reading or writing in order to listen to the details of my son's recording pursuits, as he shares how he is plugging this interface to that software, or running that cable to this amplifier. I have no idea what he is talking about, but I am interested in his life. Doctrine often gets interrupted for every day life.

It works in the other direction, too. I am ashamed to admit that we often have wrinkled clothing due to me forgetting to take the laundry out of the dryer because I had my nose in a book or I was writing something. There are coffee grounds on the counter and dust bunnies in the corners of the house quite often as I sit here at my desk, working on something. I never though I would ever be someone who could work while her surroundings were not completely tidied, but I ought not to have said never about that, because it goes against my motto of never saying never.

The domestic side and the learner side of me are always competing. I do want to do nice things with my house, make it warm and homey and comfortable. But that takes time, too, and I know that it will take time from studying. Recently, I have concocted a mental reading list of things I feel I should really read, in addition to regular bible study. But then, there's that scarf I'm knitting for my daughter that I'd like to have done for September, when she goes back to school. And there's that cross-stitch picture I'm working on. So, I listen to the sermons while being domestic; that works for a while, until something is said, and I feel like I should be writing it down. While I wish my husband was able to get home from work by 5:30 on occasion, I must say that it has been good that he hasn't some days, because I often get caught up in something and dinner gets started late. Occasionally, I wonder how much reading I could do if I didn't have domestic duties to distract me, and then I wonder how different my house would look if I didn't have these bookish tendencies.

I wonder how many women before me have struggled with this tension. I recognize fully, and embrace with enthusiasm that I am the keeper of my home. I have reasoned that part of nurturing our includes providing a rich environment of learning and inquiry; I think my children have been positively influenced in that way. But the beds still need to be made, and meals prepared and I do have to make at least a little effort at things like decorating, etc. Although, the decorating thing is probably more a pride issue for me, because I have friends whose homes are so wonderfully and tastefully decorated, and I'm afraid mine reveals the reality all too well: Martha Stewart, I am not. I am a good cook, and I have ideas in my head about how I'd like my house to look, but the thought of executing such decorating schemes feels quite onerous at times. I'm usually just content to do with a fresh coat of paint.

I am lucky, I know. Many years ago, without modern conveniences, women who had a hunger to learn, would have struggled to find time and daylight hours to indulge their interests. They may have met with resistance from their husbands and families. It hasn't always been popular for women to seek academic pursuits, and even still, in the Church today, a woman interested in theology and doctrine is considered a bit of an odd bird. Well, tweet tweet, that's me, I guess. I don't often get invited to ladies' lunches or cookie exchange parties. I think that's because I am sure I am reputed to be a nerd. I am, however, blessed to have two really good friends who share my love of study. And we are all quite busy working in various areas of the church as well, so when we do have time to visit and talk theology and doctrine, the times are sweet.

The highlight of my summer, I think, will be when my friend and I attend a three-day workshop that deals with learning how to study the Old Testament, and how the Old and New Testaments work together. I'm looking forward to it so much. Now, this friend of mine is a wonderful cook, homemaker, wife and mother, and I know she shares my struggle. But we both recognize that we are blessed to have husbands who support our pursuits and time to do it. The thing to do is be thankful for each and every moment with our families and with our books, knowing that God has blessed us abundantly. I continue to live with a frequent frustration that neither side of me is getting the attention I would like to give it, fully aware that God can be glorified in both arenas. Perhaps living with frustration is a good preventative to complacency.

In light of the hoopla...

... that has surrounded the death of certain celebrities of late (I heard on the radio this morning that the Iowa State Fair wants to have a sculpture of Michael Jackson made from butter on display), I found this piece very interesting, courtesy of Cal.vini.st.

Favourite Link of the Week

I read with interest this week, The Vocation of Manual Labor at Cranach. Dr. Veith quotes a review of the book Shopclass Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work, by Michael B. Crawford.

The reviewer says this:

Crawford believes that Americans, in their frenzy to send every kid to college in pursuit of information-age job skills, have lost something valuable. “My sense is that some kids are getting hustled off to college when they’d rather be learning to build things or fix things, and that includes kids who are very smart,” he says in an interview. . . .

This is more than just an American thing. It goes on here in Canada all the time. I can attest to the fact that many teachers seem to push most students into university rather than giving them other options. The fact is that skilled tradesman are a dwindling resource. There is a man, in his late 50's I believe, who fixes my appliances when they are broken. He is a very busy fellow, because he's one of the few who still do it; most places just want to sell you a new one. I don't want to throw out a five year old dryer when it is broken; I want to fix the one I have. He has said, though, that young men and women don't want to do that kind of work.

There are two high schools here in my little town, one public school, and one Roman Catholic School, which may as well be a public school because it gets government funding. The only difference in the curriculum is that the students at the Catholic school have a requirement of four "religion" credits during their school years. And I use the term "religion" loosely. My daughter went to that school for three semesters and took two religion credits. If I was a Catholic parent and was hopeful for my child to receive a Catholic education, I'd be a little miffed. But this is going off on a tangent.

Anyhoo, when our middle child was getting read for 9th grade, we took him to the Catholic school's information night. I was quite impressed with the fact that the school did a good job of promoting alternatives, not just university. And even in the three semesters my daughter attended, I got the sense that the guidance office was not pushing every student into university, because frankly, not every kid is cut out for it. If a student is working his heart out to get a C average in high school, he may find university a struggle. The amount of reading and work is simply overwhelming. There are quite simply, many young men and women who shine when they build things, or fix things, or create things. My friend has a son who is a genius with taking things apart and putting them back together; university would be excruciating for him.

My middle child is a bright boy. He has had an average of over 80% every year of high school thus far with very little effort, but school rather bores him. He would rather be tinkering with his music equipment or playing his guitar, creating something. He's a good writer and an an excellent math student, but those things are simply the means to the end, which he sees as getting out of high school. My children all have a rather healthy disdain for the whole high school environment. I'm afraid they get that from me. The whole homecoming queen, pep rally, Brady Bunch, booster club scenario of high school just doesn't seem to jive with my head. It's more like the survival of the fittest.

In the school my sons attend, the strictly public school, there has not been nearly as much promotion of trades and alternatives, although it has not been totally absent. However, the guidance office insists in reminding my son that next year he needs to take another credit that will ensure his entrance into a university as opposed to a non-degree granting college. In our education system, we have three levels of learning. The "U" level is for students intending to go a university. The "applied" level is for students intending to go to community colleges or technical institutions. There is a third level, "workplace," which is for students who will pursue other options. My son wants to go to a Bible college that offers a program in music studio production; it doesn't grant degrees, and he doesn't need 6 "U" credits, as he would if he was applying for university. He will have 5 "U" credits when he graduates. Now, I think he should take the extra one and not limit himself, but he's stubborn, and I'm not going to force him. If he gets into college and start hankering to go to university a year into it, that will be his baby. The point is though, that university and "information age" careers are not for everyone. And just because someone pursues a trade doesn't mean he isn't smart and isn't interested in feeding his mind.

I want there to be people to fix my appliances, write music, and work in studios. And what is more cool than to find out that your plumber reads Plato?