Education and the Good Life: Conversation with Dave and Doug Sikkema

I recently had a conversation with Dave and Doug Sikkema, twin brothers, who are not only fun to talk with, but both of which have an abiding love for learning. I was intrigued at the combination of classical learning and digital innovation in their writing, work, and lives.

Dave quotes, Hicks in his article “Playful Minds” saying, the school is not meant to be a utilitarian institution, but rather, it is: "a normative institution . . . governed by the wise . . . cultivating the human spirit by presenting a complete vision of man as he lives and as he ought to live in all his domains—the individual, the social, and the religious. It teaches the student how to fulfill his obligations to himself, to his fellow man, and to God and His creation. Its understanding of man, therefore, is prescriptive—and its curriculum and organization allegorize the scope, the sequence, and the vision of all that men must recognize and accept as fundamental if they hope to grow to their full human stature."

This quote led us into questions about “the good life,” “what ought to be,” and how education plays a role in bringing this about amidst the disruptive nature of our digital age.

 

Biography:

Dave Sikkema is a 4th grade teacher at Regents Christian-Classical School in Austin, Texas. He earned degrees in History from Queens University, Baylor University, and University of Western Ontario. Dave frequently writes about the cultural impact of digital technology on his blog and for other publications, and is currently teaching an after-school program for 5th and 6th grade students on digital citizenship.

Doug Sikkema is a Senior Researcher for Cardus and the Managing Editor of Comment. Doug is also currently working toward a Ph.D. in American Literature at the University of Waterloo.