BaseCamp Live

How do we know when we've overstepped technology in the classical educational environment? Don’t we need to raise "real world" ready kids? Martin Cothran argues that today’s schools - and parents - are actually raising “Windows" ready kids, to the detriment of their ability to focus. Listen in to hear about the latest technological trends in education and how to respond in the class...

Dr. Mark Phillips has been on a lifelong journey to the science classroom. From Vanderbilt to Oxford, from comedy clubs with Steve Martin to Classical Christian Education, he has pursued God’s calling. Listen in to hear him describe the two scientific discoveries that he believes should be taught to every student in classical Christian schools. You also don’t want to miss his amazing conversion st...

Jeremy Tate explains how the Classic Learning Test (CLT) counters the SAT and ACT as a better resource to assess your student for college, and well as new tests for the high school and middle school years. Standardized tests are a necessary hoop to jump through on the way to college but have changed since their beginnings. Colleges are having to adapt to the changing landscape and more and more ar...

Adolescence can be one of the most difficult and challenging seasons of our lives, whether you are a middle schooler, a parent, or teacher of middle schoolers. And sometimes all three collide. But with a measure of grace and some practical tips in your pocket, those in-between years can be redeemed, treasured and used for good. Nathan Jordan is a longtime educator of middle schoolers. He reminds u...

Alexander the Great considered stories his most prized possession and Jesus deemed stories worthy of the secrets of the Kingdom of God. Storytelling is more than something we do around a campfire… it is what drives how we learn and engage the world. But when the average American spends upwards to 84 hours a week in front of a screen, how can educators and parents combat this? Aaron Ames shares the...

The headlines tell stories of persecution of Christians in China. As we pray for them, how do we help our students in the United States and elsewhere meet and overcome the challenges right where they are in the classical Christian classroom and in the world? Our guest today, “John Smith”, speaking under his alias name, shares stories from the field and how the lessons in China can inspire parents,...

How do children with learning challenges fare in classical Christian schools? And how should CCE schools respond to the special needs of children and families? Leslie Collins has worked within special education for years, both in public and private schools, and her response may surprise you. Learn about the framework and infrastructure that she recommends for CCE schools to meet these needs and ho...

One of the critical issues of our time is the disconnect between the humanities and sciences in both secondary schools and in higher education. Lack of crossover hurts both, says Dr. Mitch Stokes, Senior Fellow of Philosophy at New St. Andrews, engineer, and author. In fact, most people don’t realize that western thought and civilization grew up around people responding to the math and sciences! D...

Have you heard the wise saying, “You cannot teach what you do not have”? Yet, in this busy world, we often get distracted and end up running on fumes as we respond to the urgent more than the important. George Grant encourages parents and educators to heed the moments, delight in what we teach and pass that mindset on to our children and students. Most importantly, he shares his own method for put...

Today, more voices than ever give us parenting advice…yet we have a poverty of wisdom when it comes to parenting the way God designed. In this interview, Keith McCurdy highlights the most common parenting struggles and current cultural and psychological dynamics he sees in his counseling practice. He points us back to to the order God put in place so that kids can function best in this challenging...

Classically-educated teens are trained to argue logically…but do they also know how use the gift of logic wisely and appropriately? If not, then we are raising mechanistic citizens who only want to win arguments and slay dragons. Brian Daigle, author of Street-fighting Logic, shares practical advice from his book that shows educators, parents and kids how to maturely apply the tools of logic. Ofte...

Good news, parents and teachers...according to Bill Carey, every student is a math person. But today's schools often rob students of their natural curiosity and they end up experiencing math as something incoherent and frustrating. Carey shares the fascinating and somewhat shocking history of mathematics and encourages educators to shape the curriculum in a way that ignites the mathematical curios...

Did Aristotle do pushups? Or was he a couch potato who only did mental calisthenics? Jenny Crockett says that the Greeks highly valued physical exercise and spent more than 50% of their time on physical activity. Unlike those mental and physical giants, modern students lag far behind and often sacrifice form for speed. Crockett challenges schools and parents to raise children who are “physically l...

Is the current system of grading undermining students today and their long-term formation? Dr. Williams, a college dean at Eastern University, offers a fascinating history lesson about the origin of grades (hint: it’s a late modern invention) and challenges teachers and parents to consider separating true assessment from number and letter grades. Lots of practical advice in this episode about how...

In 2016, the Oxford English Dictionary named “post-truth” as their word of the year. In 2019, Westerners are quite possibly even more confused about what is real and what is not. In today’s episode, host Davies Owens asks Abdu Murray about his new book, Saving Truth: Finding Meaning and Clarity in a Post-Truth World. Murray shares his faith journey to Christianity, defines what it means to live in...

Echoing C.S. Lewis’ arguments in The Abolition of Man, Dr. Steve Turley cautions that modernity robs us of our humanity and leads to an abolition of sanity with regard to what is true, good and beautiful.  Educators should urge students to consider their divine purpose over and against the mechanistic messages that culture throws at them. When given truth, time, and classical tools, students are b...

ENCORE: This critical episode was originally aired in March of this year. The battle continues...What are technology’s latest sneaky maneuvers to get to our kids? How do parents combat the bad while accepting the good? Like Cyclops, the one-eyed giant who battled Odysseus, technology is the stranger in our midst attempting to get a grip on our children’s hearts, minds, and souls. Tune in to learn...

Today's episode originally aired in June of 2018 and is more relevant than ever before. Nancy Pearcey has been called "America’s preeminent evangelical Protestant female intellectual." Her book Total Truth was a best seller along with the book she authored with Chuck Colson: How Now Shall We Live. In this interview she talks about her latest book, Love Thy Body, which asks the hard quest...

The bad news…temptations exist even in the classical Christian world. The good news…uncovering these temptations means parents and educators are more informed and can think wisely about the challenges they and their students might encounter. Having served as a classical Christian educator, Brian Douglas critiques from within, shares the struggles he fought and how to best overcome wrong thinking a...

Isn’t competition as American as apple pie and Chevrolet? Yes, but all too often, modern society’s fixation with competition, performance and metrics erodes our children’s identity and the Christian faith we are trying to build. Even worse, well-intentioned parents are often the worst culprits! Ben Bost shares compelling research about the harm that our competitive society inflicts on kids today…a...

Author Tony Reinke’s newest book, Competing Spectacles: Treasuring Christ in the Media Age, addresses the tension between seeing as God sees versus what we see all around us… anything from Facebook to Twitter, from Netflix to a kiss cam. This constant media barrage means that what is not explicitly sinful still pulls our gaze away from the greatest spectacle of all - Jesus. In this interview, Tony...

Far and away, what area of a classical Christian school most influences a school culture? Our guests today share the stunning answer…a thriving House Program! As Jordan Tucker, a House Governor for six years, says, the House Program is "the heartbeat of our school.” While students don’t wear funny robes or hats like in the movies, they are unified in ways that make the House experience one-of...

Have you ever wondered what Mock Trial is all about? Today’s episode will explain how this intellectual sport works and how it combines some of the best parts of a classical education. Two students and their coach share stories, lessons learned and why Mock Trial has been one of the best decisions they ever made…and why more students should consider joining. Every school should start a Mock Trial...

Neuroscience reveals that not only are we wired for stories, but our brains are activated up to 5x’s more when we hear a good tale. If true, then parents should maximize storytelling and not just leave it to teachers! But how? Matt Bianco and Brian Phillips identify the roadblocks, offer advice and walk us through their newest book filled with fairytales and templates to guide parents and kids in...

Parents and teachers often ask, “How do you teach science and math classically?” Today’s guest, Ravi Jain, is probably the most knowledgable person to answer this question. As a science teacher and co-author of The Liberal Arts Tradition: A Philosophy of Christian Classical Education, he offers theory and practical advice that every listener can incorporate right away in the classroom and lab. As...