Spring Break
Churchill seminar draws teachers, British scholars
David Steffen
Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: News
The Winston Churchill statue enjoyed its finest hour last weekend when the Hoogland Center for Teacher Excellence sponsored its first seminar on the former British prime minister.
"You've got three of the greatest Churchill scholars in the world," said John Ramsden, professor emeritus of history at the University of London. "There's nowhere else that's got three in one place."
The Hoogland Center for Teacher Excellence held the seminar for 69 educators April 16 to April 19 on campus. The teachers came from across the country and included public, private, home-school and charter-school teachers. Ramsden delivered a speech during the seminar.
Hillsdale College Professor of Political Science Robert Eden, Assistant Professor of Political Science Will Morrisey and President Larry Arnn discussed Churchill's statesmanship in particular.
"What we mean by a statesman is somebody who is a 'great politikos,'" Morissey said. "And what Aristotle and Churchill meant by 'great politikos' is a magnanimous or great soul."
Morrisey said Churchill is an important figure to study because he is an outstanding leader in the political realm.
"You need the best specimen to study [a subject]," Morrisey said. "Similarly, if you're going to talk about politics, you need a good specimen of a great political leader."
The Hoogland Center for Teacher Excellence, an organization Hillsdale launched in 2001, provides six to eight graduate-level seminars every year for teachers, who are required to attend them to maintain certification. It holds about half of them on campus, said David Bobb, the center's director. He said the program discusses content rather than teaching techniques.
"The idea is that we teach from primary-source documents," Bobb said. "Instead of reading about the Constitution, we read the Constitution. It's all content - we don't talk about methodology."
Last weekend's CTE was the first one to collaborate with the Chicago-based Churchill Center, Bobb said. The center organizes regional and state Churchill societies.
"You've got three of the greatest Churchill scholars in the world," said John Ramsden, professor emeritus of history at the University of London. "There's nowhere else that's got three in one place."
The Hoogland Center for Teacher Excellence held the seminar for 69 educators April 16 to April 19 on campus. The teachers came from across the country and included public, private, home-school and charter-school teachers. Ramsden delivered a speech during the seminar.
Hillsdale College Professor of Political Science Robert Eden, Assistant Professor of Political Science Will Morrisey and President Larry Arnn discussed Churchill's statesmanship in particular.
"What we mean by a statesman is somebody who is a 'great politikos,'" Morissey said. "And what Aristotle and Churchill meant by 'great politikos' is a magnanimous or great soul."
Morrisey said Churchill is an important figure to study because he is an outstanding leader in the political realm.
"You need the best specimen to study [a subject]," Morrisey said. "Similarly, if you're going to talk about politics, you need a good specimen of a great political leader."
The Hoogland Center for Teacher Excellence, an organization Hillsdale launched in 2001, provides six to eight graduate-level seminars every year for teachers, who are required to attend them to maintain certification. It holds about half of them on campus, said David Bobb, the center's director. He said the program discusses content rather than teaching techniques.
"The idea is that we teach from primary-source documents," Bobb said. "Instead of reading about the Constitution, we read the Constitution. It's all content - we don't talk about methodology."
Last weekend's CTE was the first one to collaborate with the Chicago-based Churchill Center, Bobb said. The center organizes regional and state Churchill societies.
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