Children and Youth Philosophers News http://www.buf.no/unb/ Fri, 10 Sep 2010 21:27:35 GMT FeedCreator 1.8.0-dev (info@mypapit.net) Week-end seminar with Oscar Brenifier (Argenteuil, Paris, Sept 26-27) http://www.buf.no/unb/thread/49 INSTITUT DE PRATIQUES PHILOSOPHIQUES

Week-end Seminar "The art of questioning" in France (in english)
Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th  of September 2009

The Institut de Pratiques Philosophiques is organizing a week-end seminar, in english, led by Oscar Brenifier.

It will take place in Argenteuil, a suburb of Paris, on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th of September 2009, from 9 am to 6 pm.

During different workshops, we will work on the art of philosophical questioning, as a tool for thought construction and critical analysis, from a theoretical and practical standpoint.

This seminar concerns all those interested in philosophical practice, for professional (teaching, management, consulting) or personal reasons.

Practicing philosophers who wish to present their methodology and hold a workshop during the seminar are invited to send in their proposal.

The cost will be 50 EUR for the workshop and refreshments. Meals can either be taken in nearby restaurants (about 10 Euros) or one can eat on the premises.

Hotels of the vicinity offer rooms starting around 50 Euros per night.

Argenteuil is less than one hour from Charles de Gaulle airport or from any Parisian train station.

For more information
e-mail: alcofrib at club.fr
Website : www.brenifier.com (texts and videos) ]]> no_email@example.com (Oyvind) Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:49:22 GMT http://www.buf.no/unb/49#118 IAPC Online Course (Introduction to P4C) http://www.buf.no/unb/thread/48
http://frontpage.montclair.edu/iapc/OnlineCourseFlyer.htm

¹ Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children, Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA ]]> no_email@example.com (Oyvind) Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:33:40 GMT http://www.buf.no/unb/48#117 Re: "Wandering Through Life" http://www.buf.no/unb/thread/25
Eva Marsal, Takara Dobashi, Barbara Weber (eds.):
Children Philosophize Worldwide—Theoretical and Practical Concepts
Band 9 in Hodos—Wege bildungsbezogener Ethikforschung in Philosophie und Theologie,
published by Institut für Philosophie und Theologie der Pädagogischen Hochschule Karlsruhe
Peter Lang Verlag
Frankfurt am Main 2009
ISSN 1619-666X
ISBN 978-3-631-59329-5

p. 633-644 ]]> no_email@example.com (Oyvind) Wed, 12 Aug 2009 12:32:32 GMT http://www.buf.no/unb/25#116 Universities still complaining... (...about student's lacking skills) http://www.buf.no/unb/thread/47 IAPC (Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children)—is famous for stating that the lack of basic language and thinking competencies in his Columbia University students was what put him on the idea that there was something seriously wrong with the primary and secondary education in the US. That was some 40 years ago. Currently, in our apparently advanced day and age, one should have expected that the quality and aptness of students had improved beyond recognition since the late sixties.

Not so, at least not in Britain. In the Daily Telegraph we can read that, according to a study carried out by ACS International Schools, "teenagers are starting university with little creativity or independent thought because of Government reforms." The article continues: "A culture of "teaching to the test" at school and college has left many students struggling to cope with the demands of degree courses." And: "Most [of the responding Universities in the study] said creativity and the ability to think independently was the most sought-after quality in new undergraduates."

Well, look no further. Drop the sordid test regimes and look to Matthew Lipman and the IAPC. He still has got the answer: philosophical explorations with children within communities of enquiry, communities that teach critical as well as creative thinking. One cannot help but wonder why this obvious route towards the alleviation of the student's constant under-achieving is still not, after 40 years, given the time of day. ]]> no_email@example.com (Oyvind) Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:52:20 GMT http://www.buf.no/unb/47#109 "Too much methodology and skills in school" (Prince's Teaching Institute summer school) http://www.buf.no/unb/thread/46
There has been a widespread feeling among teachers who have attended previous summer schools that there should be more incentive for teachers to communicate the richness of their subjects and the sheer enjoyment of studying them. But they tell us it is not always easy to do so.

The main thrust has been to place greater emphasis on the applications of mathematics rather than the concepts; to attach more importance to exam results than to real educational standards in the subject; and to concentrate on the perceived needs of the many, with corresponding neglect of laying proper foundations for the study of higher mathematics by those with the talent for it.

And for the large majority of children, the attempts to design maths courses that were more relevant and accessible have had the effect of reducing the levels of challenge, enjoyment and attainment.

In a speech, she said the emphasis on personal, learning and thinking skills - as well as functional English and maths - is "a wholly inadequate prescription for education". She added:

Because the centrality of subject knowledge is no longer considered by everyone in the education world to be a priority and, too often, it has taken second place to a concern with teaching methodology and skills.

No-one who has spent any time teaching will undervalue the importance of the craft of the classroom, and all teachers are of course committed to preparing their pupils for life beyond school. But an over-emphasis on methodology and skills can mean losing sight of the fact that the best teaching is about communicating with enthusiasm what lies at the heart of our subjects.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/5674189…

It seems here - although she is certainly right in lamenting the loss of "proper knowledge" in today's school subjects - that Mrs McCabe too quickly juxtaposes the focus on personal and learning skills with the focus on thinking skills. Of course, thinking skills are still skills, as are personal and learning skills: they are not "proper knowledge" in a strict sense. On the other hand, thinking skills are necessary conditions of all other types of skills and knowledge. One must be able to think properly in order to perform any task or to understand any subject matter. Therefore thinking skills are more fundamental than the other skills. Besides, in general schools have not, until now, focused so much on thinking skills as on pedagogical methodology and other more trivial types of skills.

But on the whole, she is right. There is far too much messing about in contemporary schools, too much experimenting and short-sighted programs and reforms, too much politics. This does not mean, however, that we should dispense with the teaching of thinking skills. Mrs McCabe implies as much herself when she complains that there is too much "emphasis on the applications of mathematics rather than the concepts." If you want more conceptual thinking in mathematics then you require that the pupils have acquried proper thinking skills. ]]> no_email@example.com (Oyvind) Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:23:40 GMT http://www.buf.no/unb/46#101