Foundational Lessons from Sweden's 17Th Century Flagship
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THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF CORAM DEO ACADEMY FALL 2019 Vasa Foundational Lessons from Sweden’s 17th Century Flagship by CDA’s Dr. Robert Armstrong Training ethical servant-leaders & wise thinkers who will shape culture for the glory of God Production Collabor ation Executive Editor: Samantha Davis The Forum The University-Model® Editors: Barbara Rogers From the Office of the President Kelly Stumph Diana Weatherford Feature Photographer: Kennedy Thornton Collaboration noun – Layout and Design: Andrew Kendall to work jointly on an activity, especially MarCom Awards honors excellence in marketing and communication to produce or create something while recognizing the creativity, hard work and generosity of industry (Oxford Dictionary). professionals. Since its inception in 2004, MarCom has evolved into one of the largest, most-respected creative competitions in the world. Each year, about 6,000 print and digital entries are submitted from dozens of hristian, classical, and countries. – MarCom Awards collaborative are the three words that describe Cthe Coram Deo Academy model of education. These three words Contents are our foundational attributes, otherwise known as our Legacy: Emma Weatherford 4 “distinctives.” Certainly, much Cover Story: Facing the Wind 6 has been printed about Christian The Church Family 8 education, as well as classical Embraced by Christian, Classical, Collaborative Education 10 education, but not nearly as much has been written about collaborative A Personal Impact 12 education. Most classical, Christian The Centrality of the Trivium 14 schools purport to collaborate with Diamonds & BowTie Ball and Our Partners 16 parents to educate students to some Your Giving Makes an Impact 18 extent, but at CDA collaboration is represented by the University- Model®, a model in which partnership Lion’s Roar is taken to an entirely different level. In the University-Model®, Christian Flip Magazine educators recognize the mandate established in Deuteronomy 6:5-9: Local Missions: Camp Blessing 2 3-Sport Champions: Kacey Heitschmidt and Caleb Johnson 4 “5Love the Lord your God The Fine Arts 6 Student Successes: Latin 8 with all your heart and Fifth Graders Explore Texas History 10 with all your soul and with Cover Story: Claire Druffner 12 all your strength. 6These CDA Campuses commandments that I Collin County Flower Mound give you today are to be Pre-K to 12 Pre-K to 12 9645 Independence Pkwy 4900 Wichita Trail 7 Plano, TX 75025 Flower Mound, TX 75022 on your hearts. Impress Phone 469.854.1300 Phone 682.237.0232 them on your children. Dallas COMING ‘20-’21 Mid-Cities Pre-K to 9 Pre-K to 6 7777 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy 3800 Highway 121 Talk about them when Dallas, TX 75251 Bedford, TX 76021 Phone 972.385.6410 www.Cor amDeoAcademy.org 2 you sit at home and when you walk students are taught and encouraged to appreciate knowledge and to love the process of learning. along the road, when you lie down and Many CDA graduates report that after mastering the ® 8 University-Model , they were well prepared for the academic when you get up. Tie them as symbols rigors of college and able to confidently employ time- management and self-leadership skills. CDA alumni realize, on your hands and bind them on your before even entering their collegiate lecture-halls, that at foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes least two hours of “homework” are required for every hour of in-class instruction. This is a lesson that many traditional of your houses and on your gates.” students take several semesters to learn, if ever, and often at great cost to their grade point averages, college transcripts, and wallets. With this, University-Model® educators believe that parents are commissioned by God to be the primary educators Another intangible benefit of the CDA approach is that the ® of their children, and that the purpose of professional home component of the University-Model makes the entire teachers and administrators is to partner with parents in educational experience more effective. Educational research this most important endeavor. This is where the definition overwhelmingly reports a positive correlation between of “collaboration” becomes so instructive. In the University- parental involvement and academic performance; the more Model®, CDA teachers work jointly with parents to “train parental involvement, the better the educational outcome. ethical servant-leaders and wise thinkers who will shape Study after study has shown that students thrive in an culture for the glory of God.” environment in which parents are more involved. Excepting the homeschool model, no other educational model requires so To accomplish this task, students attend typical classical, much parental involvement. However, the University-Model® Christian classes two days per week (either Monday and leverages the expertise that professional educators provide in Wednesday, or Tuesday and Thursday) and participate in the classroom component. This is particularly important in the the home component during the alternate days of the week. higher grades where homeschool parents may struggle with Most students also take elective classes on Fridays, to include teaching or tutoring subjects outside of their own expertise. courses such as: band, choir, and art, as well as some mandatory Oftentimes, higher-level intricate subjects such as chemistry, laboratory sessions in higher grades. The home component trigonometry, and physics, present difficulties for homeschool is not simply a traditional homeschool education, in which families. The collaborative University-Model® provides the parents provide initial content as well homework and testing. best of both worlds with professional instruction and robust In the University-Model® all content, homework, and testing parental involvement. is provided by the teacher on campus. The parent then acts as Collaboration is the secret ingredient that makes the CDA a tutor in the early grades, or as a mentor in higher grades. By experience a truly revolutionary movement. Christian the time students have been in the model for a few years, the education is fundamental, Classical education is excellent, main role that parents typically play is monitor, ensuring that but collaborative education is effective. An educational students stay on track during their studies. approach that combines all three of these elements is While it may be difficult to quantify the value of a University- transformational! ® Model education, many CDA graduates and parents can attest to the many benefits. Through the Christian, classical, collaborative approach, CDA students learn to take ownership of their spiritual lives, academic performance, and interpersonal relationships thus demonstrating a Dr. J. Alan Marshall, Colonel, USAF (Retired) level of personal maturity that is beyond that of their Coram Deo Academy President traditionally educated peers. In an academic world that fosters unproductive, indulgent educational practices, CDA 3 Emma Weatherford CLASS OF 2015 FLOWER MOUND 1ST–12TH GRADE BAYLOR UNIVERSITY 2019 BA University Scholars – Biology, Medical Humanities CDA’s influence now extends to one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious schools of tropical medicine, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). As a Fulbright Scholar, Emma is studying the interface between human, animal, and environmental health in a master’s program jointly administered by the LSHTM and the Royal Veterinary College. The MSc in One Health is a holistic study of infectious diseases and contemporary strategies for fighting them. Emma’s interest in the medical field took root in Mrs. Ligon’s freshman biology class, but her preparation began in her early years at CDA. Describe some valuable parts of your CDA education The teachers! When I was in grammar school, not thinking great thoughts about being a servant-leader, the teachers provided an example of what Christian living, and servant- leadership looks like. My CDA teachers invested deeply in the lives of all students, and I am grateful for their influence. The University-Model® helped me develop self-discipline. From 1st through 12th grade this model, by design, slowly shifted from my parents’ intense oversight to me taking ownership; I learned how to manage my academic and extra-curricular activities. Thus, the collaborative model was a critical part of doors opening to me in many areas of my life. The communication training from Ms. Loe, Dr. Heitschmidt, Mrs. Powell, Mrs. Colvin, and Mrs. Blair has proved invaluable. Knowing how to write a paper and give a presentation were second nature by the time I arrived at college. The same skills are required to write a lab report or an English paper. Having the ability to stand and speak to any audience has provided many opportunities for learning and service. 4 legacy Explain your undergraduate degree As a University Scholars major, I pursued a multifaceted pre- medical education. This degree plan gave me substantial freedom in choosing courses. The combination of science and humanities classes allowed me to study medicine from different angles. My science courses taught me to consider human beings as organisms with well-regulated and predictable natural processes. In the Medical Humanities department, I learned to think of both the patient and the doctor as persons subject to influences and needs that cannot be reduced to physical processes. And in my Great Texts courses, I learned to place disease within the context of a full human life. While reading Boethius’ masterpiece The Consolation of Philosophy, I discovered that the great questions – “What is the good life?” “What is justice?” – are not merely toys for the privileged but indeed of the utmost importance to the suffering. Serving in Kenya Emma’s Fulbright award is intended I have had the honor of working with the Straw to Bread team for more than graduate study. The heart of the Fulbright Program is on the Nyakach Plateau in western Kenya. This work began with “the enduring belief that those who a medical mission trip and has blossomed into a partnership spend time immersed in another including a school, hospital, women’s health programs, and culture will have a profoundly clean air and clean water projects.