Mission Moments Blog
In an Age of Information, What is Worth Keeping?
On September 10, we are hosting Dr. Angel Parham on Zoom at 8:30 am in the Washington Room. Dr. Parham, a classical educator and associate professor of sociology at the University of Virginia, has graced our campus a few times already, and her messages, focused on citizenship, literature, or history, have been very valuable and closely aligned with our Mission at Brookfield Academy. But this time, her topic will be a new one for us and one I have come to appreciate immensely. I would love for many BA parents to hear her explanation of Commonplace Notebooks and embrace this new habit with their children.
A commonplace notebook is a personal collection of words and ideas worth keeping. Students and adults alike can capture passages from literature, memorable quotations, important historical ideas, observations, questions, and thoughts they want to remember. This practice is nothing like taking class notes for a test and then forgetting them; a commonplace notebook is meant to grow with the student. It teaches one to read attentively, recognize what is true, beautiful, interesting, or important, and make those ideas one's own. There are several powerful benefits of working with a commonplace notebook. First, it motivates one to pay better attention, asking oneself, "What do I want to capture today and hold on to?" It also strengthens one’s memory simply by taking the time and care to copy a passage into one’s book. Perhaps, most importantly, it forces one to slow down, to think more carefully about what really matters, and consider ways to best express one's ideas.
A commonplace notebook is not a scrapbook of favorite quotes. The true and deeper purpose is to form the habit of asking, "What have I encountered that is worth carrying with me?
That question fits perfectly with classical education because it reminds us that education isn't merely about covering material and collecting information. Rather, education is for human flourishing, and the commonplace notebook will help students fill their minds with things worth remembering.
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A commonplace notebook is not a scrapbook of favorite quotes. The true and deeper purpose is to form the habit of asking, "What have I encountered that is worth carrying with me?
That question fits perfectly with classical education because it reminds us that education isn't merely about covering material and collecting information. Rather, education is for human flourishing, and the commonplace notebook will help students fill their minds with things worth remembering.
