Philosophy in Education

Questioning and Dialogue in Schools

By (author) Jana Mohr Lone, Michael D. Burroughs

Publication date:

22 February 2016

Length of book:

254 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442234772

Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialog in K-12 Classrooms is a textbook in the fields of pre-college philosophy and philosophy of education, intended for philosophers and philosophy students, K-12 classroom teachers, administrators and educators, policymakers, and pre-college practitioners of all kinds. The book offers a wealth of practical resources for use in elementary, middle school, and high school classrooms, as well as consideration of many of the broader educational, social, and political topics in the field, including the educational value of pre-college philosophy, the philosophies of education that inform this philosophical practice, and the relevance of pre-college philosophy for pressing issues in contemporary education (such as education reform, child development, and prejudice and privilege in classrooms). The book includes sections on: the expansion of philosophy beyond higher education to pre-college populations; the importance of wondering, questioning and reflection in K-12 education; the ways that philosophy is uniquely suited to help students cultivate critical reasoning and independent thinking capacities; how to develop classroom communities of philosophical inquiry and their potentially transformative impact on students; the cultivation of philosophical sensitivity and positive identity formation in childhood; strategies for recognizing and diminishing the impact of social inequalities in classrooms; and the relationship between introducing philosophy in schools and education reform.

Preface

Section IWhy introduce philosophy to young people?
Chapter 1 – Philosophy Beyond the University
Chapter 2 – Wonder, Questioning and Reflection

Section IIMaking Space for Questioning and Dialogue
Chapter 3 – Learner-Centered Education and the Dialogical Model
Chapter 4 – Philosophical Sensitivity
Chapter 5 – The Community of Philosophical Inquiry

Section IIIIn the Classroom
Chapter 6 – Philosophy in Elementary School
A Question Board
Creating Our Own Philosophical Story
The Three Questions by Jon Muth
Stuart Little chapter 12 by E.B. White
Big Questions and How We Answer Them
Why? by Lindsay Camp and Tony Ross
Keep the Question Going
What’s Your Reason?
Good News, Bad News
Horton Hears A Who by Dr. Seuss
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone chapter 12 by J.K. Rowling
Silent discussion: The Hole by Øyvind Torseter
Let’s Do Nothing by Tony Fucile
The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater
An Angel for Solomon Singer by Cynthia Rylant
A Shelter in Our Car by Monica Gunning
Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Paperbag Princess by Robert Munsch
The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Bird by Zetta Elliott
The Conductor by Laetitia Devernay
What is Music? Silence and Sound
The Art Lesson by Tomie de Paola
What is art?
The Coat by Julie Hunt and Ron Brooks

Chapter 7 – Philosophy in Middle School
Freedom
Fair or Equal?
Justice and Fairness in Schools
Stereotyping
Following the Leader
On Friendship
Human Nature and the Ring of Gyges
Drawing a Good Life
Shallow Pond and Charity
Philosophical Inquiry and Teaching The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
LEGOs of Theseus
Social Media and Free Will
Convince Your Teacher/Principal
Logic Charades

Chapter 8 – Philosophy in High School
Arguments and Philosophical Reasoning
Drop the Ball
What Do We Find Beautiful?
Affirmative Action in University Admissions (1)
Affirmative Action in University Admissions (2)
I Lost My Cool
Social Contract Theory: Creating a Cooperative Learning Environment
Applied Ethics – Genetic Enhancement
Justice and Utopia
The Case of Kitty Genovese: Moral Responsibility and the Bystander
Effect
The Words We Live By
The Ethics of “Stop Snitching”
Socratic Seminar
In-Class Ethics Bowl

Section IVIdentity, Social Inequality and Philosophical Practice
Chapter 9 – Philosophical Recognition and Identity: Recognizing the Child
Chapter 10 – Children’s Philosophical Encounters: Taking Seriously the Role of
Privilege in Classrooms
Chapter 11 – Philosophy and Transforming K-12 Education

Appendix
Bibliography
About the Authors

Jane Mohr Lone and Michael Burroughs provide a compelling justification for teaching philosophy in K-12 schools, and a useful, well-grounded set of lesson plans for how to do it. Emphasizing the practice of philosophy, and specific activities like questioning, dialogue, and inquiry, Mohr Lone and Burroughs promote the aim of doing philosophy with students, and not just teaching about philosophy. Their lesson plans, and ingenious use of literature, start with where students’ interests and concerns are, across different ages. Their approach of promoting discussion within a “community of philosophical inquiry” is pragmatic and grounded in experience. Any teacher could use some of these lesson plans in their classroom.