Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children
Teacher Preparation in P4C
The Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC)
publishes K-12 curriculum materials designed to engage students in
exploring the philosophical dimensions of their experience, with
particular attention to logical, ethical and aesthetic dimensions.
Students read aloud or act out episodes from philosophical stories and
deliberate about issues that interest them, as a "community of
inquiry." Teachers facilitate these dialogues in a number of ways. They
encourage students to share their questions and ideas with the
community. They model many kinds of good thinking "moves" such as
clarifying terms, giving good reasons, offering counterexamples,
drawing inferences, and challenging assumptions. They reinforce the
social aspects of dialogue such as listening to each other and building
on each other's ideas. They maintain a sense of where the discussion is
going and share their own sense of wonder about the issues.
Although Philosophy for Children is suitable for any child, it is not
something that can be readily facilitated by any teacher. The IAPC
provides a variety of services to prepare teachers to facilitate
philosophical inquiry with their students:
- Philosophy in the Schools Program:
Teachers in "First-Tier" schools practice P4C with classroom
assistance, and attend "Philosophy for Teachers" sessions conducted by
IAPC staff. "Second-Tier" schools collaborate with the IAPC in
research, curriculum development and teacher preparation. (Available
only to schools near the University; see details below.)
- On-Site Workshops for whole
school participation or for a cohort of teachers in the school. These
workshops can be customized to fit the needs of particular schools,
e.g., for critical thinking or character education. See details below.
- A "Philosopher in Residence" to
conduct a course for teachers and to supervise their P4C practice. See
details below.
- IAPC
Summer Seminars held each August (introductory) and May (advanced)
in Mendham, New Jersey.
- Montclair State University degree programs in
Philosophy for Children:
- Graduate Certificate in Philosophy for Children
- Ed.D. in Pedagogy and Philosophy
- IAPC Visiting Scholar Program.
Educators may attend the IAPC for periods of weeks, months, semesters,
or an entire academic year to prepare to practice Philosophy for
Children, to develop curriculum and/or to conduct research and
scholarship in educational philosophy.
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Philosophy in the Schools Program
Philosophy in the Schools is the model for
partnerships among the IAPC and primary and secondary schools
in the region of Montclair State University. This model contemplates
two levels of school participation in Philosophy for Children (P4C) as
well as ways in which individual teachers who do not belong to such
schools may participate.
Philosophy for Children is most successful when it becomes part of the
culture of a school. For this reason, the IAPC prefers to establish new
relationships with cohorts of teachers within a school. Each new
partner school begins as a "First-Tier School" with the expectation of
becoming a "Second-Tier School" at some point. Teachers from schools
without such a cohort may participate by joining a First-Tier School
cohort.
First-Tier Schools
The relationship with each school may be somewhat different, but is
described generally in the following guidelines:
- A cohort of at least eight teachers in the school
commit to learning and practicing P4C for at least one school year.
- The IAPC gives introductory workshops in P4C and
classroom communities of inquiry at the school.
- IAPC-certified graduate students conduct P4C once per
week in each classroom of cohort teachers.
- Each cohort teacher leads an additional philosophy
session in her/his classroom once per week with periodic supervision.
- The cohort has regular (bi-weekly) Philosophy for
Teachers (P4T) meetings for the first year, with one or more IAPC
personnel attending. These may be structured as study groups and may
bear credit toward MSU's P4C Certificate Program.
- Cohort teachers participate in IAPC evaluations of
students, graduate students, and themselves.
- The IAPC offers follow-up workshops, mini-courses,
conferences, etc. to support new cohorts and to introduce First-Tier
schools to the wider P4C community.
Second-Tier Schools
Second-Tier Schools enter the strongest partnership with the IAPC, as
described in the following guidelines:
- A cohort of teachers in the school practices
philosophy in their classrooms with periodic supervision or assistance
from the IAPC.
- The cohort organizes its own Philosophy for Teachers
program, which may be structured as study groups, research groups, or
MSU off-campus courses. IAPC staff is available for assistance.
Experienced P4C teachers in non-participating schools may be invited to
join these P4T communities.
- Second-Tier schools have ongoing support from the
IAPC including visits from IAPC staff, refresher workshops and
invitations to IAPC events.
- Teachers perform regular evaluation studies of
philosophy in their classrooms, with IAPC assistance.
- Teachers open their classrooms for MSU doctoral
student research.
- Experienced P4C Teachers supervise MSU graduate
students in their first semesters of practicing P4C with children, with
the oversight of IAPC staff.
- Experienced P4C Teachers supervise P4C Student
Teachers.
- Experienced P4C Teachers help other teachers in the
school who begin practicing philosophy.
- Experienced P4C Teachers may be invited to assist in
workshops, teaching mini-courses, writing papers, conducting research,
etc. for the IAPC.
- Second-Tier schools are demonstration sites for IAPC
visitors (local, national and global).
Teachers involved in either First-Tier or Second-Tier schools earn
Professional Development Hours.
The cost of becoming a First or Second-Tier School varies depending on
the number of teachers involved, the availability of P4C Graduate
Students, and the arrangements made between the teachers and the school
districts. The costs of the initial workshop and for follow-up
workshops are:
- $500.00 per day for up to 15 participants
- Curriculum materials needed for teacher workshops and
for classroom use
- Travel and per diem expenses for IAPC Staff, if
applicable
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On-Site Workshops
Every year IAPC Staff conduct P4C workshops in schools all around the
world. These workshops can be structured to suit the needs of your
schools. Two popular options are three 3-day sessions (9 days total)
and two 5-day sessions (ten days total). For each option, teachers are
required to participate for full days (6 hours) and each IAPC Staff
member can work with a maximum of 15 teachers.
The two 5-day workshops are separated by about six weeks. In the first
session there are three days of introduction to the P4C curriculum and
the "community of inquiry" methodology with intensive practice,
followed by two days of modeling by the IAPC Staff in classrooms. The
second session consists of observations of P4C teachers and sessions
for teachers to discuss their classroom experiences.
The three 3-day workshops consist of one introductory session, one
modeling session and one session for observations of teachers.
IAPC Staff are available by phone and e-mail to support workshop
teachers, and refresher workshops and advanced workshops are always
available to schools with P4C experience. The costs for IAPC On-Site
Workshops are:
- $500.00 per day for up to 15 participants
- Curriculum materials needed for teacher workshops and
for classroom use
- Travel and per diem expenses for IAPC Staff
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Philosopher in Residence Program
The IAPC can arrange for a "Philosopher in Residence" to spend all or
part of a school year at your school, to conduct a seminar for a cohort
of teachers, to supervise their classroom philosophy sessions, and to
work directly with students. The seminar is typically held after school
and provides teachers with the theoretical foundations of Philosophy
for Children, the opportunity to discuss their philosophy practice, and
perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to inquire into the ethical,
logical, aesthetic and political dimensions of their teaching.
Participating teachers are expected to practice philosophy with their
students a minimum of one hour per week. The Philosopher in Residence
will visit individual classrooms, model philosophy sessions with the
students, and observe and evaluate each participating teacher.
In addition to professional development credit, teachers who work with
the Philosopher in Residence and attend the seminar may obtain credit
toward Montclair State University's Philosophy for Children Graduate
Certificate Program (tuition for these credits would not be included in
the cost of the Philosopher in Residence). The costs for the
Philosopher in Residence program include:
- Philosopher's salary (negotiated between the school
district and the Philosopher)
- IAPC overhead charge (5% of Philosopher's salary)
- Curriculum materials needed for teacher seminars and
for classroom use
If there isn't an IAPC-Certified Philosopher in your area, a teacher or
administrator from your district can come to the IAPC Summer Seminars
(both August and May sessions are required) to become certified in the
Philosophy for Children Program.
The IAPC is an approved Classification
One Professional Development Provider for the New Jersey Department
of Education. For more information about any of these programs, please
contact us:
Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children
Montclair State University
Montclair, NJ 07043
Phone: (973) 655-4277
Fax: (973) 655-7834
E-mail: matkowskij@mail.montclair.edu
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