| Significance
of The Examined Life Program
Exemplary
Model
The Program is an exemplary model of professional education,
involving the call for renewed and thoughtful consideration
of Greece in the curriculum. The acquisition of knowledge,
in itself, has integrity. Many programs for teachers deal
with methods of teaching; few deal with substantive knowledge
and how to translate this knowledge into classroom practice.
Collaborative
Effort
The Program is a close collaboration between an outstanding
school system/s and a distinguished university. Overwhelming
evidence indicates that such collaborations can dramatically
affect the quality of public school education. Also, far
too few programs deal with humanities education; support
for math, science, and technology far outweigh support for
the humanities.
Participatory
Approach
The Program, in addition to being rooted in scholarship
and academic rigor, calls for the participation of teachers
across the curriculum in every subject and on every grade
level, thus uniting teachers in a common mission and helping
them to understand the interconnectedness of knowledge about
ancient Greece.
Renewal
and Inspiration
The Program is a source of renewal and inspiration; it gives
teachers an opportunity to pause, to reflect, and then to
take up once again the enormous challenges of their profession.
Teachers are prompted to think about the question posed by
Professor Gregory Nagy in his presentation: What do I want
to address as a teacher? What will have value to these students?
Cross-disciplinary
Approach
The Program addresses State Curriculum Frameworks in all
subjects. For example, required topics in world history for
students include:
- Greek civilization: literature, philosophy, arts,
and science;
- Athenian democracy: principles, practices, and legacy;
and
- Alexander the Great and the spread of Hellenism.
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