Lost Tools Podcast

Mr. Bianchet and Mr. Mullins continue their discussion on the necessity of reading and engaging with the Great Books or Classical Literature in the Western Canon. Both consider the notion that there are not only a reflective and propositional elements to master but experiential, non-propositional elements to be engaged with that have a seeming neurological/psychological as well as philosophical ef...

 When we usually think about classical education we think about books like The Iliad, The Odyssey, Plato’s Republic, Paradise Lost, Tale of Two Cities, etc. These are books that are influential to nearly all political, informational (media), institutional (universities and commerce), and familial settings in America and Europe. These ideas were fundamental in the creation of Democracies, Republics...

Consider this: The central importance to expressing and receiving ideas well is based on the quality of a person's rhetorical skill. How you speak affects how others perceive you, and how you perceive yourself. Have you thought about language in such a way? Have you examined your speech patterns and diction and how it shades how we are perceived not only as Christians but as fully formed humans? ...

We have arrived at last to the Final Stage of a student's education, The Rhetoric Stage. This will be the culmination of the other two stages put into practice and made excellent. If we go back to our house analogy, it is the beautifying process of the materials and structures. By using the right words, in the right moment, for the right reason will better allow one to convey an idea or thought mo...

Mr. Bianchet and Mr. Mullins deviate from Educational Philosophy for a moment and discuss Logic as a discipline with a special guest....Mr. JR Tomlinson! Mr. Tomlinson is a first-year teacher at Veritas that has graciously taken on the Logic program in the 7th and 8th grades (among other classes.) The three of them breakdown how logic is taught and viewed at Veritas.     Mr. Mullins plugs his Apo...

Following the house analogy that Mr. Bianchet and Mr. Mullins presented for the Grammar School, in being the collection of material, the Logic School is focused on equipping the skills to plan and frame the rough construction. It is learning to assemble the bones and undergirding of what will become a beautiful dwelling place. If you've ever seen a house being built, they pour the foundation and t...

We continue our journey today into Grammar School foundations and aims. Mr. Bianchet and Mr. Mullins begin by discussing pre-rational/ pre-classical stages of learning. This is achieved through exposure to classical literature (fables, fairy tales, and mythologies) and music. It allows students to be primed to recognize and accept Reason when it arrives in Logic School. It also, cultivates the des...

Welcome back for this two-part series on Grammar. In Part I, Mr. Wes Mullins and Mr. Ryan Bianchet continue developing their argument for what is Classical education and exposit how one achieves the primary aim of Classical education--becoming a great orator. The first step in the process is the mastery of Grammar education, so the hosts begin by defining Grammar and elucidating its role within th...

Mr. Bianchet and Mr. Mullins continue explaining the "why" of becoming an orator, and what are the many benefits. One can see very quickly that the benefit cost ratio of time spent learning to think and speak far out weigh other educational approaches that are solely focused on specified knowledge or future employment. This is why, here at Veritas, we are training the students to be "thinkers and...

In this episode of  The Lost Tools, Mr. Wes Mullins and Mr. Ryan Bianchet explore the practical benefits of pursuing oratorical training for your child. 'Why would I want my child to be an orator? Will this help them get into college? Will this assist them with finding a meaningful career? Will my child miss out on necessary academic training if they are trained as an orator?' We will address thes...

This is the final episode in the "What is an Orator" series.     Today, Mr. Bianchet and Mr. Mullins are exploring what it means to speak well through the understanding of copiousness, using words fitly spoken, and mastering the trio of voice, countenance, and gestures.     Even though it may seem obvious that we all need effective communication skills, many of us overlook the actual training requ...

One of the key components of Classical Education is mastery of language. In short, its focus is all about equipping students to be able to think and speak well. Mr. Bianchet reminds us that if one can master language then one can master thought. And if one can master those two then there's a shot they can become master of themselves, being able to set chaos into order wherever they may be.  In the...

Welcome to the Lost Tools Podcast! This is our first official episode. Today, Mr. Ryan Bianchet and Mr. Wes Mullins will introduce themselves and ultimately set out to give an introductory overview of what Veritas Christian Academy is and what it means to be a Classical, Christian, and University Model institution. They will explore the mission and goal of Veritas and how they are trying to achiev...