Author: Karl Oles

Seattle attorney, teacher of philosophy

Learning to Speak in Your Own Voice

Pupil writing at a school in Ghana [Amuzujoe, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons]

In elementary school, the questions and answers are frequently simple: What is the capital of Washington? Olympia! What kind of triangle is this? Isosceles! What is the sum of 1/3 + 1/5? 8/15! In cases like these, the teacher has provided the answers or the calculation method. Your job is to repeat back what you… Continue reading Learning to Speak in Your Own Voice

Education as Love

Dante and Beatrice speak to the teachers of wisdom Thomas Aquinas, Albertus Magnus, Peter Lombard and Sigier of Brabant in the Sphere of the Sun (fresco by Philipp Veit), Canto 10.

Education as Love. Nearly everything we learn about has a historical dimension. History and biography are obvious examples. Science too has a history. New advances depend on prior work. Newton said, “if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” In 1915, Einstein proposed a test to support his theory… Continue reading Education as Love

Scholars Ponder Top Gun

The movie Top Gun: Maverick is breaking box office records. Here are some questions that online scholars may ponder to develop their understanding of the film. Mathematics.  How do the box office receipts compare to other movies? What does it mean to adjust the receipts for inflation? Physics. Which flying maneuvers generate forces on the… Continue reading Scholars Ponder Top Gun