Community of Inquiry
The central pedagogical tool and guiding ideal of Philosophy for Children is the community of inquiry. With this tool students work together to generate and then answer their own questions about the philosophical issues contained in purpose written materials or a wide range of other resources. Thinking in the community of inquiry is critical, creative, collaborative and caring.
In the community of inquiry students learn to respect, listen to and understand a diverse range of views. The process of philosophical exploration in this environment encourages students to take increased responsibility for their own learning processes and to develop as independent and self-correcting learners. Students develop the confidence and intellectual courage to put forward their own views in a group. Participation in the community of inquiry develops higher order thinking skills in the context of meaningful discussion.
Rough Timeline
What follows is a brief outline of the history of the Philosophy for Children Program. Am much more detailed version can be found at the IAPC website.
YESTERDAY
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The first Philosophy for Children novel, Harry Stottelmeier’s Discovery, was written in 1969 by Matthew Lipman, a philosophy professor at Columbia University. Troubled by recent student riots during the late 1960’s, and by the lack of dialogue and dialogical ability among students and faculty, Lipman intended to his philosophical novel to help pre-college and university adolescents learn to reason and dialogue. As Harry Stottelmeir’s Discovery was piloted and found to improve critical thinking skills, lipman became interested in writing more materials--specifically novels for children and accompanying resource manuals for teachers. In 1972 Lipman left Columbia University to pursue his work at Montclair State College (now University). At Montclair Lipman was joined by Professor Ann Margaret Sharp who shared his vision of bringing philosophy to children. The Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children was established at Montclair in 1974.
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TODAY
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Since its intial conception the Philosophy for Children program has grown rapidly due to its innovate approach and ability to build thoughtful, creative, and caring people out of the students who participate. The program is now active in over 60 countries and the core novels have been translated into over 40 languages (Follow this link for a complete listing of member countries) The program has also received numerous awards recognizing its excellence. In 1986 Philosophy for Children was listed as an “Exemplary Program” by the National Diffusion Network of the US Department of Education, and was validated twice by that department’s Program Effectiveness Panel. In 1998 UNESCO’s Division of Philosophy and Ethics commended the program in a special report. And in 2001 the American Philosophical Association awarded the IAPC the prestigious Award for Excellence and Innovation in Philosophy Programs. Awards aside, the program continues to prove its value to both students, teachers and researchers. For a list of studies investigating the value of Philosophy for Children please visit the IAPC website.
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TOMORROW
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Philosophy will continue to be taught in a variety of classroom contexts in the future. For many teachers and students, the critical thinking skills developed through philosophical dialogue have come to play an important role in how they teach and learn across the curriculum. Philosophy for Children Alberta is committed to facilitating the introduction of philosophy into Alberta classrooms. Our affiliate status with the IAPC, together with the institutional support provided by the University of Alberta, position us well to provide informational outreach and to assist teachers and educators interested in adopting the program in their schools. Through introductory workshops, professional development day in-services, and other forms of teacher support, P4C Alberta can help ensure success in achieving core learning outcomes with respect to a range of academic and social skills. |
