Philosophy for Children New Zealand Mini-Conference “Learning to Think through Philosophical Inquiry” 8 & 9 June 2012 Balmoral School, Balmoral, Auckland P4CNZ presents a unique opportunity to find out how Philosophy for Children has transformed children’s thinking in a Brisbane School, and how children’s literature and popular films can be used to facilitate philosophical inquiry. This mini-conference will be of interest both to those who have not yet encountered Philosophy for Children and to beginning or experienced facilitators of P4C. Learn how to ensure that philosophical progress is made in communities of inquiry, and attend practical workshops that focus on reasoning and the teaching of thinking skills. Opportunities also to participate in philosophical communities of inquiry! Friday 8 June 7pm Greeting and refreshments 7.30pm Keynote Speaker: Lynne Hinton Learning to Think: Philosophical Inquiry in Schools Saturday 9 June 9am Keynote Speaker: Professor Thomas Wartenberg Teaching Philosophy using Picture Books and Popular Films 11am

Communities of Inquiry Tom Wartenberg, Vanya Kovach, Cathy Legg

1pm

Keynote speaker: Dr Clinton Golding “Are we getting anywhere?” Making Philosophical Progress

3pm

Practical workshops Clinton Golding, Lynne Hinton, Jonathan McKeown-Green, Vanya Kovach

Friday Evening Keynote Speaker: Lynne Hinton Learning to Think: Philosophical Inquiry in Schools There is much expected of schools. Linking the diverse, eclectic range of things that schools are expected to deliver, is the need to be able to think. Thinking is surely fundamental to all learning. Hence, there can be nothing more important for schools than to teach children how to think well. This presentation looks at the need for children to be able to think well, and how this can be achieved through engagement in philosophical inquiry. The far reaching and extraordinary changes that occurred in one school following the implementation of philosophy across the whole school are described.

Lynne Hinton is Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia, where she teaches the development of thinking through Philosophical Inquiry to preservice and post-graduate students. Lynne was principal of Buranda State Primary School in inner-city Brisbane for 14 years until the end of 2009. During that time she led the school through a process of significant curriculum and pedagogical reform, for which she won numerous state and national awards for Educational Leadership. Lynne believes the core business of schools is to teach children to think well, and that this can be achieved through engaging them in philosophical inquiry. She has consulted nationally and internationally on the practice of undertaking Philosophy with children.

Saturday Keynote Speaker: Professor Tom Wartenberg Teaching Philosophy Using Picture Books and Popular Films This presentation describes two different programmes for introducing preUniversity age children to philosophy. The first, suitable in primary grades (ages 6-12), uses children’s picture books as prompts for philosophical discussions. The second, suitable for middle school pupils (ages 12-15), focuses on ethical issues that are presented in short clips from popular films. The presentation will include introductions to the two websites that include the relevant programme materials as well as a short video in which 7 and 8 year olds discuss philosophical issues presented in different picture books.

Thomas E. Wartenberg is Professor of Philosophy at Mount Holyoke College. For the past decade, he has taught a course for college students, Philosophy for Children, in which the college students teach philosophy to elementary school children, which is also the basis for his book, Big Ideas for Little Kids: Teaching Philosophy through Children’s Literature. His website, teachingchildrenphilosophy.org, has won international acclaim, and recently was awarded the 2011 APA/PDC Prize for Excellence and Innovations in Philosophy Programs. He is a member of the American Philosophical Association’s Committee on Pre-College Philosophy. He also pursues research in aesthetics and the philosophy of film.

Saturday Keynote Speaker: Dr Clinton Golding “Are we getting anywhere?” Making philosophical progress This paper explores what it is to make philosophical progress in a Philosophy for Children classroom. This session will elaborate on the powerful suggestion that we make progress by ‘following the inquiry where it leads’ and show how this differs from having a good discussion, developing a mature community of inquiry, or learning to think well. We will discuss three tools that can help to follow the inquiry where it leads, making philosophy for children more productive and educationally valuable. Each of these will be illustrated by examples from your own personal inquiries. There will be a follow up to this presentation in the practical workshops stream.

Clinton Golding consults nationally and internationally on Philosophy for Children, education for thinking and creating thinking schools. He has taught in primary, secondary, tertiary and professional contexts in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore, including work across all curriculum areas and with numerous partnerships and consultancies with schools, cultural institutions such as museums and galleries, and business and government organisations. He has been ‘thinking coordinator’ in two NZ schools, and the philosopher in residence in another, and was the co-founder and past coordinator of the Philosophy for Children Association of New Zealand. Clinton was a lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Graduate School of Education from 2004-2011 where he wrote a number of books and papers related to education for thinking and philosophy for children, and won several teaching awards. From 2011 he will be based in Dunedin at the University of Otago Higher Education Development Centre, and consulting with schools and teachers.

For information on the aims and practice of Philosophy for Children see “About P4C” at www.p4c.org.nz

Philosophy for Children New Zealand Mini-Conference “Learning to Think through Philosophical Inquiry” 8 & 9 June 2012 Name : ____________________________________________________________ Contact email: ______________________________________________________ Contact phone number: ______________________________________________ School/organisation: _________________________________________________ School/organisation P4C contact : ______________________________________ Email address: ______________________________________________________ (if different from above person attending the workshop) Special needs and considerations for the workshop: (dietary needs for lunch etc) __________________________________________________________________ Registration / Attendance costs: Friday / Saturday

Friday only

Saturday only

Waged

$250.00

$120.00

$200.00

Waged

$220.00

$100.00

$180.00

Unwaged / student

$150.00

$80.00

$100.00

(more than two per school)

Please highlight your attendance in above table. I enclose a cheque for $_________ (please send form with cheque) Please make cheques out to “P4CNZ” and post to: Balmoral School, c/o Mary Rea, 19 Brixton Rd, Mt Eden, Auckland 1024 I have paid online, 38 9005 0949654 00 P4C NZ ; name as reference and course date as code, and have emailed [email protected] with the registration form. All registrations must be received by Friday 11 May I would like to receive further information about future P4C events. Please complete one form per person