From Wonder to Mastery: Science Education with John D. Mays

Summary

In this conversation, Shannon Valenzuela and John Mays explore the principles of teaching science classically. They discuss the importance of beauty to the work of education, the importance of textbook design, and the need for a mastery-oriented curriculum that emphasizes long-term retention of knowledge. Mays introduces his Wonder-Integration-Mastery model for science education, which serves as a framework for teaching that integrates various disciplines and fosters the development of wisdom and virtue in students. The conversation highlights the role of teachers in modeling honesty and virtue, and the importance of effective communication in the classroom.

Topics Covered:

• The role of beauty and wonder in education
• Textbook design
• The Wonder-Integration-Mastery model in education 
• Integration of disciplines enriches the learning experience
• The end of a classical education: wisdom and virtue
• Self-reflection and modeling for teachers

Today's Guest:

John D. Mays spent 14 years in industry in engineering and engineering management in the areas of electrical, controls, and telecommunications systems and has completed graduate degrees in Secondary Education (MEd) and Liberal Arts (MLA). John served as the Math-Science Department Chair at Regents School of Austin from 2001 until 2009, when he became Director of the Laser Optics Lab at Regents. He founded Novare Science in 2009 and Centripetal Press in 2015, both of which became part of Classical Academic Press in 2019. John is the author and editor of numerous student science texts and teacher resources. 

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction
04:24 Introduction to Science Education and Curriculum Development
06:18 The Cram-Pass-Forget Cycle
11:39 Mastery-Based Teaching Model
13:55 Textbook Design Philosophy
17:41 The Importance of Beauty in the Education Environment
23:05 Wonder, Integration, and Mastery in Science Education
34:38 Distinctions between Modern and Classical Education
40:40 The Importance of Self-Reflection for Teachers
53:21 Modeling Virtue: The Teacher's Role
55:28 Conclusion

University of Dallas Links:

• Classical Education Master’s Program at the University of Dallas: udallas.edu/classical-ed
• St. Ambrose Center Professional Development for Teachers and Administrators: https://k12classical.udallas.edu/

Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode:

From Wonder to Mastery: A Transformative Model for Science Education

Centripetal Press: https://centripetalpress.com/

Novare Science (Classical Academic Press): https://classicalacademicpress.com/collections/novare-science

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