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| Frequently Asked Questions
Announcing an huge upgrade in our classroom: Beginning spring semester 2008, our classes now feature 2-way audio, video, break-out work rooms and more.
What Does "Lukeion" mean?The famous philosopher Aristotle founded his own school near Athens near the Lukeion or "lyceum." Students and teachers didn't sit in a classroom but walked around during class examining the world. They were called the peripatetics because they wandered about so much! Aristotle fostered zeal not only for philosophy, but for the study of all disciplines in the ancient world. So, we chose our name--mobile, flexible, cutting edge and passionate about the ancient world! Why haven't I heard of you before? While we were archaeologists and educators for a long time, it was not until February, 2006, that we first launched the first live Lukeion Project course. Will my student enjoy these classes? Our courses not only cater to auditory and visual learners (your student has a front row seat in a fully illustrated, interactive lecture) but our online reinforcement quizzes and games will allow your kinesthetic learners get the most from the material as well. All major universities and colleges are implementing a large compliment of live online classes because students of the technological age prefer them over almost all other types of learning experiences. Why do we choose the textbooks that we do for our semester courses? There are many very bad textbooks and curricula out there, we agree! Sometimes high schools use poor excuses for textbooks: dry, pasty, politically charged and correct, lowest bidder "history." Thanks to modern archeological finds, newly translated inscriptions, and newly translated ancient texts, there are also a number of very good textbooks as well. We have chosen what we believe to be balanced and informed treatments that are used in the college classroom. We have also selected textbooks that have not been heavily manipulated by special interest groups that are over represented in a rising percentage of college level texts. We believe, however, that some exposure to these perspectives while parents are still the primary guide in intellectual development is an important part of "college preparation." Why study history in a live class? Aren’t there lots of history books and tutorials available? Here are 3 important reasons: 1. It’s true that the truths (facts) of history are not changing, BUT no one has all the facts, so our understanding of history is progressing daily as we learn more. Every day archaeologists, historians, and philologists are making discoveries that can fundamentally change our understanding of the ancient world. Any tutorial or book is likely to be out-of-date as soon as it goes to press. Here are just two examples: (1) While the Bible tells us that King David captured Jerusalem, made it his capital, and built his palace there, no monumental architecture from the period of his reign had been found. This led some researchers to question the importance of David as a historical figure, and of Jerusalem as an influential city. However, in 2005, archaeologists working in the area unearthed the monumental architecture we’d known was there all along. One of our former professors co-authored the article on this magnificent find in Biblical Archaeology Review. (2) A discovery published in March of 2006 fundamentally changed our view of the Jewish Revolt which resulted in the destruction of the Temple by the Roman general Titus and his army. Traditional textbooks will say that pressure had been building, but that the revolt was spontaneous in nature – somewhat like a volcano that suddenly explodes. However, when underground tunnels filled with supplies and linking houses were discovered in Galilee, it became clear that the Revolt was not as spontaneous as we had thought. People had been carefully and systematically preparing for this revolt for some time. 2. History can either be exciting and thought-provoking, or it can be dull and lifeless. Our high school experience with ancient history definitely fell into the latter category, and it wasn’t until years later we discovered what we’d been missing. Our classes are highly visual, filled with the little-known facts and stories that make it exciting to us, and interdisciplinary. While you can study “history” separately from the arts, literature, and archaeology of the selected period, we don’t recommend it. That’s the fastest way to kill your child’s interest in history. 3. We highly recommend that you use primary sources. BUT if your study of the ancient world depends mostly on primary sources, then you’re only seeing a small, prejudiced part of the picture. While it is popular in many study programs to tout the use of primary sources, historians and archaeologists have recognized for many years that only those leading a life of leisure had the luxury of becoming authors. We love and we use primary sources, but when you use them, you’re viewing the ancient world through the eyes of the moneyed elite. If you want to know what the daily life of the average person was like, ask an archaeologist! What age group are your classes designed for? Being home educators, we know that individuals are driven by interest, sometimes ahead of skill. That is why our workshops are excellent for just about everyone. Tests and quizzes are optional and in-class review polls are just plain fun (our own children fight over who gets to take them). We have had gifted children as young as second grade attend our workshops with their parents, as well as persons of retirement age--and everyone in between. We ask that our semester-long classes be attended by those functioning at the high school level (not necessarily high school age). There are challenging classes which require a weekly and even daily work commitment. If you want your younger student to hear the material but not participate in the class through tests and papers, please consider the option of auditing the course (this is only an option if the class is not full). What is the classroom experience like? View a recent sample class. Students may hear the instructor and type in questions at any time. Sound transmission comes through your computer speakers but only travels one way. The rest of the class can not hear the student. While at first we considered this a draw back of the software, we have had many parents comment on how glad they are that the whole family does not need to tip-toe around the house while the student is online in class! Students are asked to fill out polls, write on the board, type in responses, and ask questions at any time during class or afterwards in email (we are always available to answer emailed questions for enrolled students). What happens if we have to miss a class? Our online classroom provider makes recordings of our classes. If you want to register for a workshop but have a scheduled conflict or two, you may request a recording key for the missed class. Recordings are generally available for 7 days after the original air date. All recording key requests must be made by emailing the instructor after the class meets. Our provider requires 2-4 hours to generate the recording. We offer these recordings as a courtesy. In some circumstances we are unable to generate a recording. We offer two types of classes:
What is the workload like for workshops? Easy! We provide optional online quizzes for our workshops. This will allow parents to gauge their students retention if they so desire or simply have their student attend and enjoy. Class web pages include games, handouts and important web links so that students can expand their understanding at their own pace and interest level. Each family may choose how the workshop plays a part in their child's curriculum. What is the workload like for semester classes? Unlike our workshops, our semester classes carry quite a few requirements: weekly homework/reading, writing projects, quizzes and tests. Semester classes are a commitment to be taken seriously by both student and parents. They require a high level of responsibility to complete assignments outside of class time (expect an hour to an hour and a half each school day). Classes meet for only an hour per week. We will cover the core material live and then give reading and writing assignments. While we are able to provide feedback and guidance, parents are expected to provide all oversight and proctoring during the course. Why don't you offer accredited classes? Accredited classes are a "moot point” for home school students. Parents determine curriculum and the credit given. We don't feel that an affiliation with an academic institution will improve our ability to serve our patrons and, on the contrary, may make our courses prohibitively expensive. Doubling or tripling the price of our courses simply to "carry the weight of an academic institution" is poor stewardship. What good is a workshop without "credit"? Modern America has fostered the idea that learning without "credit" serves no purpose. On the contrary, most home educators realize the value of "education" over "schooling." Previous generations of Americans were richly and thoroughly educated in the classical world, an emphasis that is utterly lost in public schools and almost extinct in private schools. We are providing a service that is not available through any other conventional means. Is my child ready to start taking Greek or Latin? Latin and ancient Greek are challenging languages for a number of reasons. Unlike modern spoken languages, these ancient languages must be read and understood at a fast pace. Students will be expected to master around 20 new vocabulary words as well as new verb/noun or pronoun forms each week. They must practice syntax and grammar by translating as much as possible and submitting homework on schedule. For Latin, expect a weekly quiz and for Greek, every two weeks. A student must have a mature work ethic, a comfortable familiarity with English grammar, and a willingness to ask for help from the instructor and or teaching assistants when the grammar becomes confusing. Readiness for the accelerated high school level pace of Lukeion Latin and Greek should be carefully evaluated based on these skills. Some students perform beautifully at age 12 while others are still not ready for this type of challenge until they are much older. Due to the 'ageless' nature of an online classroom, we are happy to accept non traditional students: young gifted students and adults are welcome. Are there any scholarships available? We recognize that hiring a tutor for your child in any subject is not cheap. At the Lukeion Project you are hiring a tutor to teach your child the ancient world. We have tried to keep our costs down yet value our classes at a level that will support our instructors. In each workshop and, occasionally, in each semester class, we reserve a seat for a scholarship. We give preferences to the following groups: missionary families, home educated children of widows/widowers, or families that have suffered a recent hardship (Katrina, house fire, etc.). Please contact us directly for more information. Scholarship families must have access to high speed internet. Would you like to contribute to our scholarships program for children of missionaries and widows? If you would like to make a donation toward providing scholarships for missionary families, retired individuals on a fixed income, home educated children of widows, families that have suffered a recent hardship (Katrina, house fire, etc.) you may donate any amount and, if you wish, specify those for whom you would like to provide support. Contact us directly Lukeion Course Gift Certificates buy a class for the person who has everything! Our courses make great gifts for:
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Copyright © 2008 The Lukeion Project
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