The Quadrivium in the Middle School with Dr. Merrill Roberts

Summary

In this episode, Shannon Valenzuela and Dr. Merrill Roberts explore the beauty of the quadrivium for the middle school classroom.  They discuss the integration of nature studies, mathematics, and science in middle school education, highlighting the importance of play, joy, and sensory learning. The discussion also delves into the relationship between mathematics and beauty, the role of the imagination in learning, and the interconnectedness of disciplines across the curriculum. The conversation concludes with reflections on the importance of arts and music in education and the profound impact of experiencing the night sky on students' understanding of the universe.

Topics Covered:

• The quadrivium and middle school math and science
• Beauty and wonder in math and science education
• Play and joy as pedagogical tools
• Learning through the senses and working toward abstraction 
• The quadrivium across the curriculum
• Arts and music are integral to a classical education
• The power of dark skies

Today's Guests:

Dr. Merrill Roberts received his Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College in 2003. He earned his Ph.D. in Physics from The Catholic University of America in 2018, where he has also served as a Lecturer in Physics, teaching multiple courses, including a course in Solar Physics designed for students planning to teach in primary and secondary schools. He worked for over a decade as a researcher at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, where he studied solar coronal transients and performed forward modeling for the Parker Solar Probe mission. Dr. Roberts is a Senior Faculty Consultant for the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education (ICLE), giving workshops and developing curriculum centered around the Quadrivial Arts since 2013, and is also an Associate Fellow at the Boethius Institute, helping with the creative retrieval of the Quadrivium. He combines his passions for nature and education as the Nature Studies teacher at St. Jerome Academy in Hyattsville, MD, where he has instructed 5th through 8th graders since 2010. He is also, along with his wife Elizabeth, the Co-director of Music at St. Jerome Parish, where he strives to emphasize the beauty and truth inherent in the Mass.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:27 From NASA to the Classroom

06:41 St. Jerome Academy's Model of Education

10:44 Experiential Learning and the Senses

17:09 Playing with What We Don't Fully Understand

24:50 The Relationship Between Questions and Answers

39:16 The Quadrivium and the Imagination

44:28 The Importance of Music

50:19 Experiencing the Night Sky: A Learning Journey

55:25 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:

More on the Quadrivium Retrieval: https://quadriviumretrieval.org/

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