Courses
Intermediate Course (13 yrs and up), $285 per term, 28 week course/class twice weekly – No Prerequisite
Euclid's Elements has proved itself to be the most enduring work on basic geometry and for good reason. Euclid begins with the most basic principles of geometry, such as the definitions of points and straight lines or the axiom that things equal to the same thing are equal to each other. From these modest beginnings, he deduces step by step many amazing truths about shapes and quantity. This course covers the first six books of Euclid, which are on plane geometry. These first six books were the parts of Euclid's Elements studied by most university students from the Middle Ages until fairly recently. Students will learn the proofs in these books, present them to the class, and then discuss them. Students will be expected to learn about 3 proofs in preparation for class. For most students, this preparation will take about an hour per class.
Students will present their proofs to the class by video and audio, so they will need a working webcam.
Senior Course (14 yrs and up), $285, 14 week course/class twice weekly - Prerequisite: Foundational Great Books
In this course, students will become acquainted with the basic phenomena of the sun, moon, planets, and stars. Students will see how Ptolemy (2nd cent. A.D.) took naked eye observations and came up with an earth-centered model that explained the motions of the heavenly bodies and allowed predictions of their future locations. After immersing themselves in this geocentric system, students will see why Copernicus's heliocentric model of the cosmos came to replace Ptolemy's, and how the heliocentric system was bolstered by the observations and theories of Kepler, Galileo, and Newton. This investigation of cosmic models will allow students to see the interplay of observation and mathematical theory that is found in many of the scientific disciplines.
Students will make observations of the sun, moon, planets, and stars, especially in the first portion of the semester. The main readings consist of excerpts from Ptolemy's Almagest, Copernicus's On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, Galileo's Starry Messenger, and Newton's Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Many of the readings are technical and will be accompanied by reading notes. In preparation for each class, students should expect to spend up to 60-90 minutes on reading and other assignments.
Below, find detailed information about WISDOM's Socratic Dialogue Online Program. You may scroll through and click on 'Read more' for the whole article. See the sidebar to quickly and easily access a specific section.
Find details on — and register for — specific upcoming spring courses here.
University of Alberta, Augustana Campus
Augustana is a campus of the University of Alberta, located in Camrose, Alberta, Canada.
WISDOM Home Schooling is pleased to be partnering with Augustana Campus in a pilot project that invites WISDOM students to apply to Augustana with extremely homeschool friendly requirements.
For the first time, home education students will have a pathway to the University of Alberta that compliments the use of traditional homeschool resources, which are not Alberta curriculum specific.
Pursue Truth, Goodness, and Beauty through the WISDOM Socratic Dialogue Online Extra Evaluation courses, and enjoy a simple pathway to the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus.
Through the use of virtual classrooms, WISDOM offers a selection of courses supporting home schoolers. Each classroom environment features a tutor experienced in leading Socratic discussion. Communication within the classroom is achieved through microphone, text chat, and whiteboard. (Webcam is not typically used, as experience has shown it to be a distraction.)
The online program is primarily available for students who are enrolled with the Gilbertine Institute. Out-of-Province students, Albertan notification-only students, and WISDOM alumni also are welcome to join the program.* Non-Gilbertine in-Province students are not eligible to register for online classes. If a family leaves the Gilbertine Institute mid-year, they are also by default removing themselves from any online class(es).
WISDOM acknowledges and views parents as the primary educators of their children. The online program is not meant to replace education in the home, but rather acts as an extension of the home, giving support to parent through the high school years (and earlier). Tutors work in cooperation with parents, providing a service that recognizes the authority of mother and father. This entails some flexibility on the part of the tutor.
For current courses, please click here.
Read on more helpful information.
Students and parents are solicited for feedback at the end of each term. This feedback asks the student to evaluate what they liked best and what they would like to see changed. Parents are also given opportunity for comments. This feedback, remitted anonymously, is shared with tutors so they can self-evaluate and make needed changes or not.
It is important that the online classes provide a learning environment where tutor and students are respected and time is well spent. Uniformity in all the classes as it pertains to expectations is crucial. By abiding by the Etiquette Guidelines, students can expect the same standard from class to class.
The WISDOM Socratic Dialogue Online Program was first started in order to help families fully engage in a classical approach to learning. It is natural for youth, ages 13 and up, to be attracted to learning with others in an interactive environment in order to challenge, develop, and refine their own thinking.
Especially with the approach of the high school years and the time for entering work or post-secondary studies becomes more imminent, students want to assure they are amply prepared. A classical education provides the time-proven foundation that supports all future study and work.
The WISDOM Socratic Online Program offers a classical education. A classical education can refer to using the classics (i.e. the Great Books) in studies but, more importantly, it refers to the time-honored approach to education. The classical approach emphasizes memorization during the ages of 6 to 12 and then the development of the skills of logic and expression thereafter. Developing logic requires discussion (socratic dialogue), which is the method used in all the WISDOM online classes.
The Great Books or original classics are extremely valuable in education. Since they have been so influential throughout history, in the development of our ideas and culture, we do well to read them in order to have a strong grasp of our roots; they reveal to us where we have come from and where we are going as a society. Further, the Great Books are among the best examples of beautiful literature, clear and orderly thought, and persuasive language. But most importantly, the classics are classics. That is, they are not simply a passing fad, but have stood the test of time. Every generation has found them to be worth reading, which proves that they contain important insights and truths - truths that are just as important today as they were in the past. This really is the greatest benefit to be gained from the great books - not just an understanding of history or a mastery of language and literature, but a love for truth and beauty.