During this workshop participants will learn about the history of P4C, delve into its theoretical dimensions and practice working with several different parts of the P4C curriculum (including facilitating a community of inquiry session). Participants need not know the P4C curriculum or have had any experience doing philosophy with children or with teachers. Our emphasis will be on practice: helping participants to feel comfortable leading philosophical discussions using the curriculum.
Various skilled facilitators will lead and model inquiry sessions so that participants can be exposed to various styles of the method. Practical considerations will also be covered, such as: how to start your own philosophy for children program, tips for strengthening partnerships and tools for assessing progress (program evaluation). Considerable time will be dedicated to engaging in the practice as both a facilitator and participant to inform and strengthen participant’s understanding of the method.
Time will also be spent discussing selected articles about the pedagogical and philosophical underpinnings of the philosophy for children methods and principles. There is also a block of unstructured time in the afternoons, where participants are encouraged to create focus groups to explore common interests, receive feedback and additional support on the development of personal practice, or to recharge and explore the surrounding area.