After School with RCS

20th Anniversary Interview: Brian Augustine

The 2024-25 school year marks Redeemer Classical School's 20th Anniversary. To help us commemorate this milestone we're recording a series of interviews with founders, early adopters, and alumni. In the second installment of this series we're speaking with Dr. Brian Augustine. Brian was Redeemer's Founding Board Chair and is an alumni parent, with three children who have attended Redeemer. In this episode we discuss what sparked an interest in Classical Christian education, the challenges that the school faced early on, and how the school has remained committed to its core values since its inception. Brian currently serves as the Chair of the Chemistry Department at Furman University and joins us remotely from Greenville, South Carolina.

20th Anniversary Interview: Bill Leach

The 2024-25 school year marks Redeemer Classical School's 20th Anniversary. To help us commemorate this milestone we're recording a series of interviews with founders, early adopters, and alumni. In the first installment of this series we're speaking with Bill Leach. Bill is the Pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA), husband to our beloved Rhetoric School teacher, Mrs. Annie Leach, and the father of five Redeemer alumni. He's also a founding board member. Join us as we dive into some of Redeemer's early history and the values and vision that led to the founding of our school.

AI and Education - The Negative Potential

There seems to be widespread agreement that AI will revolutionize the way we live and work. The biggest question, for now, is whether or not that revolution will be positive or negative. Will AI improve our quality of life, as its proponents say? Will it allow us to produce better work more efficiently? Or, as the detractors argue, will it make us more anxious, stressed, and busy? Will AI only further disrupt our relationships and, in the process, dehumanize us? 
 
In this episode, the fourth and final installment in our series on AI and education, Aaron and Ron discuss the negative potential that AI has for education. In the process they discuss the ways that AI could distort our understanding of the purpose of education, disrupt relationships, and lead to a dehumanizing experience.
Resources:
Amusing Ourselves to Death by Postman
That Hideous Strength by Lewis

AI and Education - The Positive Potential

There seems to be widespread agreement that AI will revolutionize the way we live and work. The biggest question, for now, is whether or not that revolution will be positive or negative. Will AI improve our quality of life, as its proponents say? Will it allow us to produce better work more efficiently? Or, as the detractors argue, will it make us more anxious, stressed, and busy? Will AI only further disrupt our relationships and, in the process, dehumanize us? 
In this episode, the third installment in a four part series, Aaron and Ron discuss the positive potential that AI has for education. In the process they discuss the ways that AI could prove helpful to teachers and students and, ultimately, allow for improved relationships and a more humane education.
Resources:
Social Acceleration by Hartmut Rosa

AI and Education - A Philosophy of AI and Education (Part 2)

To say that there’s a lot of talk about Artificial Intelligence these days would seem to be a gross understatement. Everywhere we look there’s a new blog post, news article, podcast, book, youtube video (and more!) on AI — what it can do, what it purports to do, and what might be able to do in the future. It’s enough to make one’s head spin! In the world of education, much ado has been made about the impact of AI on the future of teaching and learning. Some seem convinced that AI is the death knell for education, while others see limitless potential for increasing student engagement and learning. 
In this episode Aaron and Ron continue the conversation that was started in the previous episode, as they take a closer look at AI and the philosophical underpinnings that should guide how we think about AI — both in its potential for good and bad. This is part two of a four part series on AI and education. 
Articles and books mentioned in the podcast:
The Age of AI: And Our Human Future, HENRY KISSINGER, ERIC SCHMIDT, AND DANIEL HUTTENLOCHER
Rise of Techno-Authoritarianism” by Adrienne La France (in the Atlantic)
Don’t Fuss About Training AIs. Train Our Kids.”
AI Demonic: What is this Thing? By Paul Kingsnorth

AI and Education - A Philosophy of AI and Education (Part 1)

To say that there’s a lot of talk about Artificial Intelligence these days would seem to be a gross understatement. Everywhere we look there’s a new blog post, news article, podcast, book, youtube video (and more!) on AI — what it can do, what it purports to do, and what might be able to do in the future. It’s enough to make one’s head spin! In the world of education, much ado has been made about the impact of AI on the future of teaching and learning. Some seem convinced that AI is the death knell for education, while others see limitless potential for increasing student engagement and learning. 
In this episode Aaron and Ron take a closer look at AI and examine some of the philosophical underpinnings that should guide how we think about AI — both in its potential for good and bad. This is part one of a four part series on AI and education. 
Articles and books mentioned in the podcast:
The Age of AI: And Our Human Future, HENRY KISSINGER, ERIC SCHMIDT, AND DANIEL HUTTENLOCHER
Rise of Techno-Authoritarianism by Adrienne La France (in the Atlantic)
Don’t Fuss About Training AIs. Train Our Kids.
AI Demonic: What is this Thing? By Paul Kingsnorth

What is the Purpose of School Sports?

Youth athletics holds a major place in our lives and in our society today. This is clearly seen in the amount of money that families spend on youth sports. According to a recent Aspen Institute study, families in the U.S. spend between $30-$40 billion dollars on youth sports each year. Given the fact that so many young people play sports and that many of them play on school sponsored teams, it shouldn’t be surprising that schools are spending more and more money on athletic programs, as well. Classical schools aren’t immune to this trend. As the movement grows more and more classical schools are wading into school sports, many in a big way. In today’s episode Aaron and Ron discuss the purpose of school sports and, in the process, examine the many benefits that sports have to offer and some of the pitfalls that come with those programs.

2023 Advent Devotional 4: The Greatest Gift

The Christmas Season is upon us and to celebrate we’re sharing a weekly Advent Devotional with you throughout the month of December. In this week’s episode we look at Matthew 2:1-12 and the reason why we exchange gifts at Christmas time. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!