Epistemology needs to matter: A call to arms
“At a time when political rhetoric is riven with irrationality, when knowledge is…seen…as an encumbrance that can be pushed aside if it stands in the way of wishful thinking, and […]
Author Archives: Michelle
NAPLAN persuasive writing test subverts critical thinking
The capacity to persuade is a vital currency: it fosters active civic participation and affords access to power in a democracy. Developing persuasiveness therefore has an important place in education. […]
A peak experience
“This was the best morning of my life!”, a Year 9 student enthused, following our recent philosophy workshops at Albert Park College’s Liberal Arts Festival. Students in Years 9 – […]
A cheap shot?
The New Yorker has disappointed me again, this time by its recent coverage of a series of children’s philosophy workshops at the Brooklyn Public Library. Rebecca Mead’s article, ‘When Kids […]
Starting them young
Our early experiments in preschool philosophy have been embraced by a local kindergarten. In weekly philosophy sessions, four- and five-year-olds are learning how to think deeply about big questions, how […]
Questioning debate
The recent podcast episode ‘Debatable‘ from WNYC’s Radiolab got me thinking about formal debating and its relationship to the sort of collaborative enquiry we foster at The Philosophy Club. The podcast […]
Saving Babies
(Or, Which Ethical Paradigm Do You Choose?) I once facilitated a philosophical dialogue among 8 – 10 year olds about The Lost Thing, an animated short film based on Shaun […]
