Tag Archives: Education

The Pilgrim’s Progress and the Nursery Bookshelf: A Book’s Journey (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on March 17, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

At A Pilgrim in Narnia, we have an occasional feature called “Throwback Thursday.” By raiding either my own blog-hoard or someone else’s, I find a blog post from the past and throw it back out into the digital world. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Reviews | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, children's literature, Education, Emily of New Moon, English Literature, fantasy, Frances Hodgson Burnett, John Bunyan, John Milton, L.M. Montgomery, literacy, Louisa May Alcott., Mark Twain, Shakespeare, The Pilgrim's Progress, The Pilgrim's Regress, Tyndale | 7 Comments

A Lament for the Loss of Young Teachers (A Feature Friday Post from the Vault)

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

I am doing work in the statistical analysis division of our labour market research unit in government. Of course, I am. After all, I’m doing a PhD in fantasy literature. I wrote this piece a couple of years ago, where … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, On Writing, Original Research, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged academic, art, Education, higher education, Mr. Holland's Opus, On Writing, Richard Dreyfuss, Ronald Reagan, Teaching, theology, Theology of Culture, University | 8 Comments

Top Ten Ways to Do Better on Exams

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I am at that point in the semester when I am getting my exams ready for students to write. I am always unsatisfied with exams–and many of the ways that we evaluate students. In first-year religious studies overview courses, though, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged academics, Education, Teaching, University, writing | 10 Comments

The Real Problem with Teached Helplessness

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

On Tuesday I posted an article called “12 Loving Ways You Can Ruin Your Kid’s Career,” which has gotten a bit of chatter. Most readers understood pretty clearly the satire. There is a lot of talk these days about the problems … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged academic, Baby Boomers, Education, Generation X, GenX, higher education, learned helplessness, Millennials, sociology, Teached Helplessness, Teaching, The Hunger Games, Theology of Culture | 12 Comments

12 Loving Ways You Can Ruin Your Kid’s Career

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

Although many parents are radically successful in their focussed attempts to destroy any real potential in their children, some parents raised on a diet of Dr. Spock and after-school specials are struggling to know what else they might do to guarantee the … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged careers, Education, higher education, humour, INXS, parenting, University | 12 Comments

A Lament for the Loss of Young Teachers

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

Last week I wrote a post about the problems of the lack of women in academic publishing, using my favourite publisher, Zondervan, as a test case for the conversation. Senior editor Katya Covrett responded, setting the problem of academic publishing … Continue reading →

Posted in On Writing, Original Research, Reflections, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged academic, art, Education, higher education, Mr. Holland's Opus, On Writing, publishing, Richard Dreyfuss, Teaching, theology, Theology of Culture, University, Zondervan | 25 Comments

The Charm of Mystery: An Encouragement to Christian Teachers in Secular Schools

Posted on September 7, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

I am right now furiously at work on the 3 Day Novel Contest, so I thought I would rework this note of encouragement to Christian teachers. I think, despite its focus, that all teachers will be encouraged by it, especially … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged 3 Day Novel Contest, Christian schools, Education, evolution, homosexuality, media, Pedagogy, science, Science vs. Religion, sex, stereotypes, Teaching, Theology of Culture, worldview | 10 Comments

Can You See Beauty in Things You Disagree With? The Ihsan of Evangelicalism

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

I remember when I first stumbled across the word “Ihsan” in my studies. It is from a mystical path in Islam, and is best translated “Doing What is Beautiful.” As soon as I read the word, I knew what it … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged apologetics, culture war, Education, environment, evangelical controversy, evangelicalism, Fundamentalism, homosexuality, Ihsan, Islam, media, pop culture, sex, social media, Theology of Culture | 43 Comments

The Charm of Mystery: An Encouragement to Christian Teachers in Secular Schools

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

Last week I posted a fun and thoughtful “schools out forever!” post for students. Thinking of the end of term got me to thinking about the teachers. Although I have done youth work and subbing in Christian environments, and work … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Christian schools, Education, evolution, homosexuality, media, Pedagogy, science, Science vs. Religion, sex, stereotypes, Teaching, Theology of Culture, Westboro Baptist Church, worldview | 13 Comments

“Screwtape Proposes a Toast”: A Discussion on All About Jack

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

Nearly two decades after the work that secured his fame as a public Christian intellectual, C.S. Lewis wrote a follow up to The Screwtape Letters. Lewis never thought Screwtape was worth the fuss, and he struggled to write from the demonic perspective in the … Continue reading →