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If you are interested in taking this course, or if you would like to find out more, please stop by my office (EHFA 282) or send me an email!
Course Description:
Students will explore various methods for introducing philosophy to K-12 students. Students will discover what philosophy for children is, the value of engaging children in philosophical exploration, and the method of establishing a "community of inquiry" for doing philosophy with children. There will be three distinct components to the course--the theoretical background related to philosophy for children, the practical issues related to engaging children in philosophical discussion using children's literature, and the experience of facilitating philosophical discussions with area school children in after-school programs. Students completing this course will gain a deeper understanding of the core philosophical methodology--inquiring, reasoning, listening, and discussing--by engaging in these activities themselves and by facilitating sessions with small groups of children. Students will also reflect on their own learning experience as well as the role that philosophy plays in society.
Experiential Learning Component (optional):
During the first ½ of the semester, students will engage in philosophical research, writing, presentations, and discussion. A central component of doing philosophy is becoming familiar with the literature, understanding key issues and arguments, and evaluating those issues and arguments. While discovering the historical, theoretical, and practical considerations of doing philosophy with children, students will be actively engaged in these activities. Moreover, philosophy is largely dialectic, thus the majority of class time will be spent establishing a community of inquiry with the shared goal of acquiring knowledge and understanding pertaining to philosophy for children as well as that of the philosophical significance of the philosophical problems that are presented in select children’s literature.
During the second ½ of the semester, students will conduct sessions of doing philosophy with children as part of the experiential learning component of the course. “IDEAS Club” [Inquiry, Discussion, and Enlightenment After School Club] sessions will be held at local elementary schools and at other after-school care facilities. Pairs of students will design and implement sessions for small groups of children to discuss philosophical questions and issues that arise in children’s storybooks. This will be an exceptionally rewarding and important opportunity for students to develop their own critical thinking and communication skills, but also for the school children to develop their own thinking, communication, reasoning, and literacy skills, as well as providing them an opportunity to make connections with college students as role models and mentors.
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