P4C Philosophy for Children What is it How do you do it What s the point of it Gifted Talented Conference June 16th

1. P4C Philosophy for Children What is it? How do you do it? What’s the point of it? Gifted & Talented Conference June 16th 2010

2. Section 1 Some thoughts about Philosophy for Children…

3. In Philosophy, children learn HOW to think, not WHAT to think. The most important element that forms a philosophical debate is the building of thoughts upon thoughts…a journey of enquiry, with active listening and respect for the views of others. It’s about ‘learning to think for yourself through thinking with others’. (P4C.com) The emphasis is on the PROCESS rather than the END RESULT.

4. ‘Give children a thought and they’ll learn for a day. Teach them to think and they’ll learn for a lifetime.’ This is what P4C can accomplish… because P4C is about questions we have in life. It is a lifelong learning tool.

5. Section 2 Who pioneered P4C in modern times?

6. Dr. Matthew Lipman. Started as a project in 1960’s….teaching Philosophy at Columbia University, New York….time of great social conflict and upheaval …the Vietnam war…segregation …student unrest…when ‘reasonableness, in all senses of the word, was in short supply’. Concern that schools were making children into ‘passive learners who expected to be told what to think…feared the school system was providing poor preparation for further learning and for life itself’. Lipman wanted to use the discipline of philosophy as a resource, a positive tool, to help children become ‘more intellectually energetic, curious, critical, creative and reasonable’

7. Professor Lipman emphasised the crucial importance of questioning or enquiry in the development of reasoning. He appreciated that we learn to think as much as we learn to speak. We teach children how to speak, so why not how to think? He developed a new model of learning… ’Communities of Enquiry’…

8. The scene is in a secondary school in down-town Newark…a war zone where drugs, crime and murder are rife. A major shake-up in education was needed to stop this spiral of destruction amongst young people. A new Principle was appointed to the school. After 12 hard years he had turned the school into ‘a sanctuary of order and good learning…building the minds of our children so society will not have to mend them as men’. How? He decided traditional teaching was not enough…it taught them to learn by rote and not to think for themselves. To enable them to think for themselves he tried Professor Lipman’s P4C programme. Questions were asked in debates such as ‘ would you consider someone to be your friend if they offered you drugs? What is a friend?’ . At the end the youngsters were asked, ‘who has a new definition of a friend?’ They all had. Quite a powerful testimonial for P4C.

9. Undergoing a resurgence world-wise, P4C is also practised in Britain. Schools are ‘dipping their toes’ in it….from small rural Primaries to large urban Grammars. Example: Gallions School in East London.

10. Gallions Primary School’ Newham Opened in 1999

11. The experience of a classroom teacher and Philosophy novice at Gallions. Year 4. Sceptical at first, the teacher watched as her very difficult and disruptive class embraced P4C. It prompted the whole school to ‘go for it’ the following school year. ‘Within a few months, my class’s ability to listen and respond appropriately improved almost beyond belief. The children were able to challenge each other’s ideas in an assertive but non-aggressive way. They began to show respect for each other as contributors and there was a much more co-operative feel to the class. Empathy displayed regularly in the classroom continued to be displayed in the playground and the children were in trouble outside much less frequently than previously’.

12. Section 3 So…just what is Philosophy for Children?

13. * Methodology that develops, enhances and enriches thinking and questioning skills. *A discipline concerned with logical, critical and reflective thinking and the development of reasoning. ~Children are ‘naturally nosey’…inquisitive…have innate curiosity. ~Enter school unanswered questions about the world they live in. ~P4C builds on their wonder and curiosity and enriches their understanding. ~Teachers immersed in delivering facts and knowledge to feed into tests and reach prescribed targets and levels. ~Sometimes we forget that children have ideas and thoughts, concerns and fears that they want to talk about.

14. What does P4C do? Taps into children’s natural curiosity and sense of awe and wonder. ~ Encourages Collaboration… thinking , discussing, cooperatively working with others. Builds communication and conversational skills; ~ Enables Caring…excellent social skills tool…fosters a climate for healthy debate, social responsibility and moral citizenship…thinking of and about others.. ~ Builds confidence, self awareness, self-esteem, motivation, emotional strength…developing those qualities and attributes that make for reasoned and good judgements in everyday life.

15. Section 4. Why should you introduce P4C into your school? Three points to consider about P4C

16. When the idea of P4C was first introduced, people were dismissive…curriculum already overcrowded…what’s the purpose of it? Envisaged lessons on existentialism or the ravings of Freud or Jung…really boring stuff for most of us! POINT ONE: P4C is practical philosophy…not theoretical…about the process of thinking… exploring philosophical questions through Socratic questioning (ie open-ended questions)…where the dialogue and reflective thinking are crucial….not the teaching of facts.

17. Raising attainment always on our mind… ~constantly testing ~desperate to meet targets with every changing cohort ~OFSTED ~parental, governor, LEA expectations. POINT 2: Raising attainment depends on effective teaching and optimum learning and tackling barriers to that learning. Consider that these depend upon… ~ Extent to which early years experiential deficits are addressed. ~ Extent to which there is high profile focus on the processes of teaching and learning. ~ Extent to which teaching and learning is harmonised with the way the brain works. ~ Extent to which children are challenged and supported to think for themselves….and given the opportunities to do so. Attainment can only be raised to a certain level within each of those aspects…for a child to reach full potential, the final aspect of developing thinking skills must be accessed….this is where P4C can be a crucial element in that development.

18. The core feature of P4C is dialogue…much more than conversation however….where a child’s ideas and perceptions may change in the process because he is thinking about and discussing issues with others…listening to their views as well as voicing his own. POINT 3: Key to developing important and meaningful dialogue in P4C is the FACILITATOR … needs skills in asking good, open-ended questions (Socratic questioning technique)…encouraging children to do the same. Through the process of dialogue, thinking skills are developed… ~ Information Handling…analysing, interpreting. ~ Enquiry …posing and defining problems, questioning. ~ Reasoning…giving reasons/explanations for opinions, deducing, making judgements…looking at different arguments. ~ Creative Thinking…generating opinions…coming up with new ideas and possibilities. ~ Evaluation…evaluating what is heard, read or seen…developing criteria for judging.

19. ACTIVITY 1 Introducing P4C through story and demonstration… Rocks of life

20. Teacher stood in front of class … some items in front of him. In silence, he picked up large, empty jar…proceeded to fill it with rocks to the top. Asked pupils if jar was full. They agreed it was. Teacher proceeded then to put smaller pebbles into the jar. Shook jar…pebbles rolled into open spaces between rocks. Pupils smiled, some laughed. Teacher again asked if jar was full. Pupils agreed, yes it really was full this time. Teacher proceeded to pour sand into jar…which of course trickled through the rocks and pebbles and filled up everywhere else. ‘Now!’ said the Teacher. ‘I want you to imagine & recognise that this is YOUR LIFE’

21. The rocks are the IMPORTANT things in your life…family, health, education, friends, your partner, children,… those things that are SO important to you that, if they were lost, you would be nearly destroyed, heartbroken, painfully unhappy, unable to move on in life….deep emotional trauma. The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale….they represent things like your job, house, car, pets, holidays. The sand is everything else in your life…’the small stuff’…computer, mobile phone, shoes, clothes, i-pad, television, street-cred, dance moves. If you put the sand or pebbles in the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the ‘small stuff’…material things…you will never have room for the things that are truly most important. Take care of the ROCKS first. ‘So...pay attention to the things that are critical in and to your life. Stay healthy…have checkups…eat sensibly….exercise. Play with your children…take time to read to them at bedtime. Treat the wife…spoil the husband…enjoy your family…spend time with them…don’t take them or your friends for granted. There will always be time for work, to surf the net, phone the insurance company, give a party, spring clean the house, watch tv.

22. How could you turn that story into a philosophical dialogue? Tell story of ‘The Rocks of Life’. Give children time to think about the story content. Ask children to consider the meaning of the story, then think about the rocks, pebbles and sand in their own lives. Give them TIME to do this. Share thoughts with their next door neighbour. Build an ‘Ideas Web’ from the ideas. Draw links. Identify a question for philosophical dialogue. Talk about it, encouraging everyone to participate. For example: ~ Which are the easiest things to change? ~ Would anyone want to change any of the big things, the rocks? ~ Why is it that different things can be ‘rocks’ for different people? ~ Could the same thing be a rock, a pebble or sand for different people? ~ Is it possible to cope with losing or changing some of the ‘rocks’ in life? Close dialogue and sum up ideas and thoughts. Offer children a ‘Thought for the Week’….eg ‘During this school week, try to identify what are, for you, the rocks and pebbles and sand in your life and how much attention you pay to them.

23. Section 5 The Strengths of P4C

24. Strength 1 of P4C In the world of the future, our economic well-being will become more and more dependent upon having people who can think things through, who can reason competently and efficiently, who can judge well. Vital, therefore, we not only allow children time to think, but that we teach them how to think…give them the keys that will challenge them to think. P4C enables this to happen.

25. Strength 2 of P4C A child’s life opportunities and quality are affected not only by IQ…also by Emotional and Social intelligence and competency ~ Self-Awareness…how feelings affect work and life. ~ Self-Regulation…handling emotions…being conscientious. ~ Motivation…persevering…striving to improve. ~ Empathy…sensing others’ feelings, using that wisely in dealings with people. ~ Social Skills…reading social situations…using skills to negotiate, persuade, lead. These are integral in the development of P4C.

26. Strength 3 of P4C As teachers, parents, society, we not only want our children to be educated well, we want them to be good citizens….honest, reliable, caring, hard-working, conscientious. In P4C children explore moral and ethical questions about life and the world in which they live and learn to understand different values and viewpoints, whilst exploring their own behaviours, ideas, thoughts…opening up possibilities of seeing and understanding the reasons for these.

27. Strength 4 of P4C In discovering how to be ‘a good citizen’, Spiritual Intelligence is developed…which means… ~ Having vision and values. ~ Seeing the unity of things around us. ~ Being ‘independent’…..making those important judgements in life. ~ Being spontaneously adaptive…able to learn as situations evolve or develop. P4C can support and encourage this development.

28. Section 6 When could we use P4C? Who will benefit?

29. P4C can be a regular part of a teacher’s planning for the week…an ongoing aspect of the curriculum… included in most/all/some subjects…or A specific programme; eg in Circle Time or in a once-a-week PHSE /Citizenship session (and Citizenship is part of the curriculum under the New Primary Curriculum…training for which is being rolled out in schools for statutory implementation in Sept, 2011) Although all children benefit from P4C, some groups will especially benefit… G&T…philosophical exploration is particularly stimulating and intellectually challenging, because they are dealing with ideas/ideals that are central to our lives but which are contestable…if they have enriched language the debates can be exciting and enthusiastic. Dyslexic children because P4C is essentially oral and so presents as an opportunity that doesn’t involve the difficulties associated with reading and writing. Underachievers…no one is judging them…they can agree or disagree…they don’t have to be right or wrong because there are no right or wrong answers…it boosts esteem and confidence enough to ‘have a go’.

30. Activity 2 Using POETRY as a STIMULUS for all ages Looking at using P4C in PHSE / Circle Time… It’s Not Fair! A continual school/playground issue. What is fairness? ‘Colin’ by Allan Ahlberg from ‘Please Mrs. Butler’. KS1/KS2 ‘If Life Was Fair…I’d Be You’ by P.L. Reed-Wallinger. KS2/KS3 ‘Hey Man! It’s Not Fair’ by Sumas Kumar. KS3/KS4/6th form

31. Section 7 What is the subject matter for P4C?

32. The subject matter encompasses questions we all ask about the concepts that underpin our experiences of Life. ~ truth, reality, reason, anger ~freedom, justice, bravery ~time, existence, identity ~ responsibility, logic, power ~love, hate, friendship, human nature ~ rights, fairness, honesty

33. Activity 3 Listening to Music … ‘Heal The World’ Philosophical Question… Freedom, Justice, Fairness. Can we make the world a better place?

34. There’s a place in your heart…and I know that it is love…and this place could be much brighter than tomorrow…and if you really try, you’ll find there’s no need to cry…in this place you’ll feel no hurt or sorrow…here are ways to get there…if you care enough for the living…make a little space…make a better place. Heal the world…make it a better place…for you and for me and the entire human race…there are people dying…if you care enough for the living…make a better place for you and for me. If you want to know why, there’s a love that cannot lie…love is strong, it only cares for joyful giving…if we try, we shall see, in this bliss, we cannot feel fear or dread, we stop existing and start living. Then it feels that always love’s enough for us growing…so make a better world, make a better world. Heal the World… And the dream we were conceived in will reveal a joyful face…and the world we once believed in will shine again in grace…then why do we keep strangling life, wound this earth, crucify its soul…though it’s plain to see this world is heavenly…be God’s glow. We could fly so high…let our spirits never die…in my heart I feel you are all my brothers…create a world with no fear…together we’ll cry happy tears…see the nations turn their swords into ploughshares…we could really get there if you cared enough for the living…make a little space to make a better place. Heal the World…Heal the World…Heal the world… There are people dying…if you care enough for the living…make a better place for you and for me There are people dying…if you care enough for the living…make a better place for you and for me You and for me…you and for me….you and for me…you and for me….you and for me….save it for our children etc

39. Section 8 The P4C Approach to Teaching Thinking…

40. The key practice that starts and drives the whole thinking process is ENQUIRY ( going beyond information for understanding). Aims and processes are made explicit in the language used by the teacher…who is the FACILITATOR.

41. Enabling deeper and reflective thinking through a variety of Socratic questions: Clarifying/Reasoning: What do you mean by that? Scaffolding: What do you think about…? Probing the Superficial: Why do you think that? Hypotheses/Exploring alternative views: Does anyone have an alternative explanation? Seeking Evidence/ Making Connections: How do you know that? Testing Implications/Consistency: What consequences does it lead to? Evaluating/Summarising: Who can summarise the main points?

42. Strategies for good questioning…

43. Give ‘thinking time’…crucial. With increased thinking time children will give longer answers, actually ‘volunteer’ more answers more often, answer more thoughtfully, creatively, analytically. Second time around! Send the question back…done with care and skill it can encourage deeper thinking….but don’t harass! Involve ALL children. Encourage everyone to participate…it will develop thinking, listening and speaking skills and confidence over time… but don’t pressure. It’s ok to give cues and help! If a child is clearly struggling or feeling pressurised provide cues (scaffold) to support him, rather than just waiting or moving on to another child. Think of esteem and confidence boosting here. Quality rather than quantity! Don’t let the debate ramble or get out of hand. Slow the questioning down if necessary. Don’t forget to offer that thinking time. Be a good listener. A skilful facilitator is a good listener. Don’t ‘takeover’ the discussion…but be there to tactfully punctuate with questions or bring things back on track. Don’t be judgemental and encourage alternative views to be voiced.

44. Section 9 Formal structure of a P4C debate…

45. Looking at the structure in more detail Setting up: Children sit in semi-circle, horseshoe or circle….symbolises the unity and equality of the group ….. however…remember that spontaneity often happens (Anne Frank/Spider) Decide on Rules. It’s a school …there has to be rules! Keep simple and few.

46. The Community Rules The ‘usual’ type of rules Look at whoever is talking…then we know you’re listening. Share thoughts with all the group…not just your neighbour. Everyone is entitled to a viewpoint…if you disagree, be polite about it. Respect the opinion of others. Wait till someone has finished speaking if you want to say something.

47. The Session Develop P4C as part of the school’s creative curriculum OFSTED are favourable to this idea! (It impacts on/contributes to moral/social development…develops capacity to become independent thinkers and learners). Try to keep it the same time, same day each week. Optimum time is about ¾ of an hour to an hour…but that very much depends on the age of the children and their interest in the question so it could be less, could be more…that flexibility needs to be factored in. Ideal number in group = 12-20 but could be up to 30 (gets harder to ensure every child has a say with bigger groups…too small a group may make children self-conscious and limit range of ideas to build on)

48. 2 minute Warm Up; A focusing activity Example: Play some calming classical music for a few minutes. Do a Brain Gym exercise Get children to close eyes…listen for a minute to the sounds around them. Describe their favourite food…and why. Sing a song or nursery rhyme. Listen to sounds…of water, forests, birds, rhythms. Whatever you deem suitable to create an alert but peaceful and calm frame of mind.

49. Present the Stimulus…this is central to P4C. Story Picture Artefact Poem Music Video/video clip Comic Newspaper article Horoscope Power-point Presentation Sculpture Art work A comment A school issue PHSE topic Historical or current event The Bisociation game ‘Spur of the moment’ opportunities…

50. Thinking Time In response to stimulus, give children Time to think and discuss Draw or Make notes Using P4C Thinking Journal Whiteboard Depending on age They are integral part of the process…evidence.

51. Questions… After thinking time (can be in pairs) children present their questions… (Facilitator puts on board/flipchart)

52. Connections… Children look at questions as they’re written on board and… Make connections between them. Discover similarities of some questions. Group similar, connected questions. Group children (if not already in groups) Ask each group to talk together and come up with one question that sums them all up or is the most important aspect for them.

53. Discussion… The facilitator can then write the amended questions down from each group….ending up with perhaps 3-4 questions. One question is then chosen to discuss more fully. Agreed by hands-up voting, general consensus or direct choice by the facilitator. Discuss and debate the chosen question. The Facilitator keeps discussion ‘on track’ …..but doesn’t lead it….by ‘punctuating’ with relevant questions.

54. And finally…. Facilitator brings the discussion to an end. One final thought from everyone Or Facilitator can summarise the thinking and discussion that has gone on, depending on the age of the children.

55. ACTIVITY 4Looking at visual StimulusIf using pictures or artefacts …use powerful images… it may well be enough to kick-start the debate…via the Facilitator’s initial question, especially if time is an issue. 

58. Q for older children: Light pollution…  Potential questions from the Facilitator.Who is responsible? Can it be changed? Do you believe so much light pollution is damaging the planet? What evidence is there for that?What implications and consequences could there be in NOT stopping or limiting light pollution? Should it be down to individual nations to decide or should it be a global project? 

59. Q for younger children Light Pollution… Facilitator’s potential questions What do you think all the bright lights are? (if no one says the answer, tell them…those bright lights show all the electricity that we use on this planet of ours at night and this is how it lights up the sky). It’s night time, so do you think all those lights should be turned off? Why do you say yes? Why do you say no? Do you think all those lights shining up into the sky might be hurting our planet? Yes? No? Who can tell us why they think that? Do you think we would be able to see the stars better if there was not so many lights switched on? Who can explain what they think about that?

62. The inspiring beauty of a sea creature…Facilitator’s potential questionsBut what has man done to it? Is there an explanation good enough to justify this? Do we have the right to treat animals in this way? 

63. ACTIVITY 6 Looking at Philosophy across the curriculum… The Circle Game…or What counts as Art? An exercise designed to stimulate exploration of concepts (in this case ART) by discussion of items/artefacts that may or may not fall into the category of ART.

64. A stimulus idea to discuss what counts as ART? In groups, look at articles on the tables. Talk to each other and decide into which circle each item should go… ART / NOT ART / Don’t Know-Not Sure. Then, each group places the items in their selected circle…and explains why. The other groups may comment or challenge each placement. These then become the raw material for an overall ‘definition’ of the concept… or an understanding of why such a thing is difficult or impossible.

65. christinegoodbody@hotmail.com