The fact that a famous philosopher expressed virtually the same thought as the student, but roughly 1600 years ago, was both exciting and validating for all of the students. Engaging with Augustine also allowed us to play around with different ideas collaboratively–to try them on and see what we thought rather than focusing on whether we agree or disagree with certain ideas or one another.
By Jana Mohr Lone In the beautiful picture book Infinity and Me, written by Kate Hosford and illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska, a young girl, Uma, looks up into the night sky and starts to feel “very, very small.” She begins to wonder about the nature of infinity. Uma then asks various people how they imagine … Thinking about Infinity with Elementary School Students
By Roberta Israeloff If at first glance these questions seem easy to answer, think again. The more you consider them, the more complex they become. Ethics is less about discussing right and wrong than weighing competing claims and deciding which framework to use to weigh those claims. When you take an ethical dilemma to heart, … The Good, the Bad, & the Ethics Case Library
The PIR program responds meaningfully to the changing nature of the world we live in, constantly addressing new issues and topics for students to consider. … Students’ ideas, thoughts, and experiences will shape the future of our world. Helping them develop the tools needed to meaningfully explore developments whether they are sociopolitical or technological will ensure that the decisions we make as a society in the future will be well-founded and open to different perspectives and possibilities.
By Karen S. Emmerman, Philosopher-in-Residence at John Muir Elementary & PLATO Education Director How a Philosopher-in-Residence Program Works Yesterday, as I walked down the halls of John Muir Elementary school in the middle of year eleven as their Philosopher-in-Residence (PIR), I passed by students who greeted me with an enthusiastic “Dr. Karen! Are you coming … Building & Running a Philosopher-in-Residence Program
By Audrey Ledbetter, Boston-area Philosopher-in-Residence at Medford High School High schoolers are not often given the space to let their minds wander freely. Their days are punctuated by bells signaling when they can move and grades quantifying their worth as students. As one of the PLATO Philosophers-in-Residence, I wanted my classrooms to feel different. I … Discussing the Meaning of Life in High Schools
By Laurie Grady (HS English & Philosophy Teacher, Haverford Senior High School, PA) The concept of failure is so vast, so diverse, and so widespread, that it is impossible to examine comprehensively. Even within a limited scope, the abstruse and often formidable subject is one that most folks would like to avoid talking about–let alone … Process > Product: Thoughts on How to Combat the Loser’s Blues
Ariel Sykes provides ongoing workshops and training for educators new and experienced in Philosophy for Children. Check out her PLATO workshops here and other services here. She is available for individual coaching and as a visiting teacher upon request. When I work with educators looking to improve their Philosophy for Children facilitation practices, I first … Reflections on Successful P4C Facilitation
By Joe Glover, PhD Candidate, University of Iowa As a teenager I did not really know what philosophy was. This is surprising considering my interests at the time. Beyond the usual interests of a high schooler, as a teen I read a lot of books, especially ones that could be considered “philosophical” such as those … The Iowa Lyceum: Building a Precollege Philosophical Community
By Cassie Finley, PhD Candidate in Philosophy, University of Iowa Since the launch of ChatGPT on November 30th, there has been widespread discussion among educators about what this new technology means for education. OpenAI’s ChatGPT is a large language model, which means that it uses massive amounts of existing written work to generate new writing … Incorporating ChatGPT in Philosophy Classes
PLATO is part of a global UNESCO network that encourages children to participate in philosophical inquiry. As a partner in the UNESCO Chair on the Practice of Philosophy with Children, based at the Université de Nantes in France, PLATO is connected to other educational leaders around the world.
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