Doug Paterson May 2008

Philosophy For Children

SAPERE

LEVEL ONESt Benet Biscop

High School

Is something boring

because of it

Or

because of you?

Introductions & Aims

Day One Introduction to and the format of ‘Community of Enquiry’

Day One Aims

To be introduced to a Community of Enquiry

To investigate the habits we wish for our students

To understand the component parts of an Enquiry

Enquiry One - Oral Story

Hank & Frank

Philosophy 4 Children

• Aim – To help students become more REASONABLE

• Motto – Not all your questions answered but all your answers questioned

• Method – Challenge what they believe to be true through DIALOGUE – The Community of Enquiry

The HABITS of being REASONABLE

ReasonableBehaviour

Reasonable Thinking

Listening Evaluating

Label the habits/attributes and add the Physical Characteristics of a ‘Wise Person’

A 'Wise Person’

What does being WISE look like?

What does being

WISE Sound like?

What does being

WISE feel like?

Enquiry Two - Using Pictures

Reflection

In pairs think back over the session and the P4C work you have done

Formulate one question that you still want to be addressed in our final session and write it on the flip chart

Introductions & Aims

Day Two – Facilitation and Principles

Day Two Aims

To investigate further the skills of facilitation

To understand the principles under lying P4C

To look forward to our own practise

Facilitation

Tips

It is OK to struggle

Deconstruct the question – look for the concepts

Keep on course

Use the questioning techniques

Which is more important?

Being Right or Being Polite

In pairs take it in turns to use the question stems to facilitate a Dialogue from the

following -

Origins – Matthew Lipman Monclair State College, New Jersey

Encourage young people to be more reasonable – ready to reason and be reasoned with. The goal of education – ‘practical wisdom’ or good judgement

Emphasis on Questioning & Enquiry

We learn to think as we learn to speak, by internalising the patterns of speech and thought we hear around us

Origins – John Dewey 1859-1952

‘An education that emphasises community,

communication, intelligent enquiry, and a

reconstructive attitude can best serve the citizens of an

ever-changing world’

The majority of our students will work in jobs not yet

invented

Origins – Lev Vygotsky 1896 1934

‘What children can do in co-operation today, he can do alone

tomorrow’

Children construct their knowledge

Development can not be separated from its social context

Language plays an important part in mental development

Facilitating Dialogue as opposed to DebateQuestion StemsCan you give me an example of that?Has that ever happened to you?Is that always true?Why do you believe that?What do you mean by …..?Can you say that in a different way?Is it ever Ok/Right to …?What is the difference between (a) and (b)?Is there a difference between (a) and (b)?What is doing the thinking/feeling?How is that connected to ….?Whose thoughts are you making links with?What evidence have you got to back that up?Does anyone agree or disagree with? Why?Does anyone have a different idea?How could we find that out?Can you summarize what you have just said?What other reasons would make us believe that?Could it be ever possible that ….?Is that exactly what you mean?Would there be any circumstances that would make you give a different view?What might change your mind?

If you had a different name would you be a different person?

Are friends more important than family?

Do we have to be sad sometimes in order to be happy at other times?

Is it ever OK to steal?

Would you still be you if everyone in the world thought you were someone else?

Would you rather be able to think more, write more, or speak more?

Is it possible to hold a fair race?

What is the difference between telling a lie and keeping a secret?

What’s the difference between dreaming, daydreaming and thinking?

When did you start to think?

Is it alright to lie?

Do we all have the same rights?

Deconstruct these questions,

What are the KEY CONCEPTS to explore?

‘Do things have to get worse before they get better?’ Wisefools‘Do things have to get worse before they get better?’ JRBS‘Is it better to think things twice before you act?’ Rachel, Becca, Amber, Ashleigh, Natalie‘Do you always think twice?’ The Cheeky boys & Kevin‘Does it always get better b4 it gets worse?’ The Foo-Kings‘Why do more fortunate people often take things for granted?’<Hello Moto>

Question deconstruction – Philosophy starts with the discussion of words

The Three Robbers

Which would you rather be

Brave

or

Clever?

It was always ChristmasYou knew everythingIt rained every dayToys came aliveEveryone was a boyIt was never coldThere was no such thing as loveWe could see what people are thinkingPeople could flyThere was no moneyNobody could talkThere was no time

There were no schoolsNobody ever got told offDreams came trueChickens laid golden eggsYou had a birthday every dayIt never rainedWe could all do magicWe had no fingersThere were no numbersPeople were as small as antsNothing was roundThere were no grown upsChildren swapped places with teachersThere was no sunMoney grew on tressThere was no electricity

Suggested Ten Minute StartersLet’s Pretend /Would it be good if …….

Enquiry Components

Suggestions

Preparation (Warm Up)

Presentation of Stimulus

Thinking Time (Reflection on Stimulus)

Conversation

Formulation of questions

Airing of the Questions

Selection of Question (Vote)

First Words

Building (Facilitation)

Last Words

Plan Your Own P4C SessionClass Date Stimulus

Doug Paterson Jan 2009

Philosophy For Children

SAPERE

LEVEL ONESt Benet Biscop

High School

Introductions & Aims

Day Three – Troubleshooting & Next Steps

Day Two Aims

To have an open forum to discuss issues arising

To have a community of enquiry

To look to our next steps

Can you come up with TEN questions to which the answer is ZOO?

The Focusing ExerciseSimple but powerful exercise to help students focus their attention. It can also be used as a calming exercise at the start of a session. As with all exercise repetition leads to good habits.

The Exercise –

Students sit up right with a straight back and feet on the floor

‘First give your attention to the sense of touch. Feel the weight of your feet on the floor….Your body on the chair…. Your clothes on your skin…

Now using sight, and without naming things in your kind, see colures…. Shapes… The spaces between shapes…

Now using your sense of hearing, hear any sounds close at hand….now let that hearing gradually run out until the furthest sounds can be heard

Now try and hold this awareness for a few moments

ObjectivesTo continue to become more ‘philosophical’ To continue to practise the habit of waiting our turnTo continue to practise the habit of giving reasons in support

Philosophy

Walk Away?

Formative & Summative Self-Assessment for Communities of Enquiry

Formative Self-Assessment

Summative Self-Assessment

Were we sitting a circle today?

Are we better at sitting a circle now than we were before?

Were we listening to each other today?

Are we listening to each other more now than we were before?

Did a lot of people get to talk today or only a few people?

Are more of us taking now than we were before?

Were we taking turns today?

Are we better at taking turns now than we were before?

Did we think a lot today? Are we thinking more/better now than we were before?

Was our thinking interesting?

Is our thinking more interesting now than before? Do we think about more interesting things?

Did we give (good) reasons today?

Are we giving more/better reasons now than before?

How did we treat each other?

Are we treating each other more kindly?

Next Steps & Accreditation

SAPERE Accreditation

Complete Level 1 certificate application and return to SAPERE

Membership – Highly recommended £15 for the first year

Level 2 Eligibility Trainer Evaluation form return to SAPERE

Resources

Level One Handbook

Thinking Together – Philip Cam

But Why? – Sara Stanley

Little book of thunks – Ian Gilbet

Next StepsResources on the Net

www.sapere.netNational Charity for the advancement of Philosophical Enquiry in Education, providing further training and support, (who I am accredited by!)www.p4c.com (An on-line resource and collaboration service for P4C0)dwlp@hotmail.com (My e-mail address)www.p4c.org.nz/ Discussion plans and resourceswww.networkpress.co.ukExcellent for buying resources for both P4C and Thinking Skills

StimuliStart Thinking Marcelo Staricoff & Alan Rees (where my starters come from)These are for more general P4C theory and practice.‘School is Hell’ A Cartoon Book – Matt Groening‘I wish I didn't have to sleep’ – Keith Haring, Award winning graffiti Artist Thinking Stories – Philosophical Inquiry for Children by Philip Cam‘The Gruffalo’ Julia Donaldson101 Ethical Dilemmas Martin CohenFurther ReadingThese are for more general P4C theory and practice.Thinking Together ‘Philosophical Inquiry in the Classroom’ - Philip CamThe Philosophy Files - Stephen Law Radical Encouragement, Creating Cultures for Learning – Rupert Wegeriff & Steve Williams