Paideia 1a
Fall 2009
We will weave together intentionally the strands of Paideia: academics, intercultural,
collaborative, and civic engagement.
The theme is "Responsible Citizenry: Athenian Democracy and Contemporary America." In the
5th century BCE, the Athenian state achieved as radical a form of democracy as any political
state has ever achieved. Citizens participated in the legislative process directly, and were
expected to contribute materially to the state according to their means. Athens was far from an
ideal state, however, developing, for example, demagoguery to a level seldom seen since.
During our three year time together in Paideia, we will investigate how Athenian democracy
informs our own sense of participation as responsible citizens in our contemporary democracy.
The following shared values, methods, and procedures continue to clarify our approach to
learning in this seminar:
* we will take a proactive approach to learning
* we will develop our goals and objectives with intentionality (that is, careful consideration
and planning).
* we will reflect on our experiences, and the experiences of others, in an attempt to evaluate
our own preconceived ideas and feelings; to challenge or reinforce our own values and beliefs; to
discover other ways of thinking about complicated issues; and to explore different attitudes and
viewpoints involving diverse perspectives.
* we will endeavor to maintain a supportive learning environment, one in which everyone’s
opinion is valued and ideas that differ from our own are welcome.
* we will seek out and establish connections between what we are learning in our academic
studies and the world at large.
* we will strive for personal growth and this will serve as a measure of our success.
Therefore, this seminar will require all of us to “stretch” beyond our established frames of
reference, limits of understanding, and levels of comfort. The end result will be the integration of
diverse learning experiences and progress toward the realization of our respective personal goals
with regard to our educations.