Philosophy in Schools Conference
University of St Andrews,
Arts Lecture Theatre.
Saturday 2 November 2019, 10.30 – 5.15 pm.
(Refreshments available from 10.00)
The Department of Philosophy is pleased to announce its third conference on teaching philosophy to children at nursery, primary and secondary levels. The emphasis will be on practical methods of teaching philosophy, rather than on theoretical considerations. The conference is mainly aimed at schoolteachers, though anyone interested in philosophy for children is welcome to attend.
10.30 – 11.30 Thomas Wartenberg
11.45 – 12.45 Claire Cassidy
1.45 – 2.45 Peter Worley
3.00 – 4.00 Berys Gaut and Morag Gaut
4.15 – 5.15 Derek Ball, Julie Ford, Karen Hurndell and Brian Johnston
The conference is free but if you wish to attend, advanced registration is required. To do so, please send an email to Morag Gaut ([email protected]).
The speakers:
Thomas Wartenberg, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Mount Holyoke College, is author of Big Ideas for Little Kids, a former President of PLATO (Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization), the subject of an Emmy-winning PBS documentary, and winner of the 2011 APA/PDC Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Philosophy Programs.
Peter Worley is co-founder and co-CEO of The Philosophy Foundation. He has written or edited eleven books on the subject, including The If Machine, which was adapted into a BBC series and nominated for a BAFTA award. He has trained numerous teachers in his P4C method.
Claire Cassidy is Reader in Education at Strathclyde University, and course leader of the Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy with Children. She is leader of the Philosophy with Children network, which brings together teachers interested in P4C, and is author of Thinking Children.
Berys Gaut is Professor of Philosophy at the University of St Andrews, and Morag Gaut is a retired nursery and primary teacher. They are co-authors of two practical guides for teachers about how to teach P4C: Philosophy for Young Children, and the forthcoming Philosophy for Older Children.
Derek Ball is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of St Andrews. He has introduced lesson plans and activities into schools in Fife about animal and human minds from both philosophical and psychological perspectives. He will co-present with Julie Ford and Karen Hurndell (teachers at Collydean Primary School) who have used the plans.
Brian Johnston is a teacher at Caldervale High School, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, who has introduced an interdisciplinary learning course with a focus on philosophical enquiry and learning skills.
The conference is generously funded by the Royal Institute of Philosophy, the Scots Philosophical Association, and the University of St Andrews.
