# data[].attributes.body
Each column scrolls independently. Zoom in to make the writing bigger.

# data[].attributes.body
It's hard now to get permissions in the normal course of visits to schools to work with teachers and pupils. It's also easy to forget to turn on a recorder for audio. These selections were all OK though.

# data[].attributes.body
I've been working in the field of Philosophy for/with Children (P4C) for about 30 years. I'm also interested in writing for thinking, reader's theatre, rhetoric, history and collective
memory. With this webpage, I share some information some of my writing on p4C and education.

# data[].attributes.body
Here are some links to a selection of documents I've written about P4C, thinking and education.

# data[].attributes.body
I started this a while ago and then left off. I've just started it again.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
According to the philosopher, Nicholas Rescher, philosophical apories are 'collections of individually plausible but collectively incompatible theses' (Rescher, 2006, p.17). The recognition of an apory* often leads to doubt and puzzlement. Philosophising is required to achieve greater consistency and coherence; it is an attempt to systematise one's ideas in order to achieve a more cogent perspective on reality - to re-draft our ongoing personal guidebook to life. Philosophising in the face of apories can involve some of the following important moves:

1. Retain some theses and abandon others.

This calls for weighing the costs of abandonments against the benefits of retentions. Here's an example:

1. Philosophy makes progress in matters that really count

2. Philosophy does not progress in points of communal consensus

3. The achievement of consensus is a key goal of philosophy

For Rescher, three resolutions are available:

Abandon (1): Deny that philosophy makes progress (thereby effectively negating its claim as a valid cognitive discipline)

Abandon (2): Adopt a 'true believer approach', insisting that there is indeed a growing consensus but only within the community of real philosophers, thus, in effect, excommunicating most of the community (namely those who don't see things our way).

Abandon (3): Reject communal consensus as the pivotal desideratum of philosophy.

Rescher favours resolution (3).

2. Make distinctions in order to adjust our common-sense commitments so that they are compatible but also fit with our experience.

Here is my everyday example just to illustrate the process. Take the following proverbs on the theme of co-operation:

1. 'Too many cooks spoil the broth'

2. 'Many hands make light work.'

From our experience of co-operating we can recognise both situations. But if we want to develop our own cogent general guidance about the value of co-operation, we make a distinction between would-be co-operators who agree about goals and those do not. We might say: 'When people agree about the goals of a task many hands can made light work but when they are at odds about the goals, too many cooks can spoil the broth.' We are beginning to amend our personal guidebook and making common sense into good sense.

So what? Rescher says that a significant part of philosophy over time has involved the making of distinctions but that new apories are regularly discovered. New distinctions then become even more acute and so it goes on. Philosophy in the professional field is therefore necessarily complex. However, philosophical distinction-making is an activity that all (including children) can do and find useful. So an important element of philosophising with children is identifying apories and exploring ways to move forward - either by abandonment of theses for good reasons or by making distinctions to retain all theses. When talking to pupils I may not use the word 'apory' but I help them to recognise the problems of consistency that the term describes.

Here is a further example of an apory by Nicholas Rescher's. I'll leave it to you to think about it.

1. All events are caused

2. If an action issues from a free choice, then it is causally unconstrained.

3. Free will exists - people can and do make and act upon free choices.

* Apory or Aporia is an word from Ancient Greek: ἀπορία: 'impasse, difficulty of passing, lack of resources, puzzlement'. It is used in a more particular sense here. I am unable to think of a one-word or simple-phrase translation of this sense into modern English. Perhaps the phrase 'problem of consistency' would do the job, although that misses out the something important - that the individual theses are plausible.

Rescher, N. (2006) Philosophical Dialectics: An Essay on Metaphilosophy, State University of New York Press.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
According to the philosopher, Nicholas Rescher, philosophical apories are 'collections of individually plausible but collectively incompatible theses' (Rescher, 2006, p.17). The recognition of an apory* often leads to doubt and puzzlement. Philosophising is required to achieve greater consistency and coherence; it is an attempt to systematise one's ideas in order to achieve a more cogent perspective on reality - to re-draft our ongoing personal guidebook to life.

# data[].attributes.body
This is my take on the nature of philosophising with children.

# data[].attributes.headline
A selection of my articles from 'Teaching Thinking and Creativity Magazine'

# data[].attributes.subject
A selection of my articles from 'Teaching Thinking and Creativity Magazine'

# data[].attributes.body
Here are some of the topics covered in 17 articles.:

Metaphorical thinking in education

Creativity

Newswise: The Murder of Stephen Lawrence.

Metacognition

Classroom cultures to encourage thinking and dialogue

Strategies for questioning

The value of Fermi questions

Using written dialogues to encourage thinking

Readers theatre

Philosophical role-plays

Photography and philosophising

# data[].attributes.headline
Philosophical dialogue with children about complex social issues: a debate about texts and practices (In 'Childhood & Philosophy' Journal)

# data[].attributes.subject
Philosophical dialogue with children about complex social issues: a debate about texts and practices (In 'Childhood & Philosophy' Journal)

# data[].attributes.body
An article describing a debate between Karin Murris and Darren Chetty about children's books, history, fantasy and the role of teachers talking with children about what is important.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The PDF file you selected should load here if your Web browser has a PDF reader plug-in installed (for example, a recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader).

If you would like more information about how to print, save, and work with PDFs, Highwire Press provides a helpful Frequently Asked Questions about PDFs.

Alternatively, you can download the PDF file directly to your computer, from where it can be opened using a PDF reader. To download the PDF, click the Download link above.

Fullscreen Fullscreen Off

There are currently no refbacks.
childhood & philosophy
e-issn 1984-5987 | p-issn 2525-5061

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
philosophical dialogue with children about complex social issues: a debate about texts and practices | williams | childhood & philosophy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The PDF file you selected should load here if your Web browser has a PDF reader plug-in installed (for example, a recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader). If you would like more information about how to print, save, and work with PDFs, Highwire Press provides a helpful Frequently Asked Questions about PDFs.

# data[].attributes.body
My account of how P4C got started and developed in the UK.

# data[].attributes.headline
P4C monitoring and evaluation: A selection of resources

# data[].attributes.subject
P4C monitoring and evaluation: A selection of resources

# data[].attributes.body
4 files on standards and formative assessment in P4C

# data[].attributes.headline
Newswise archive (with Roger Sutcliffe) -- old editions

# data[].attributes.subject
Newswise archive (with Roger Sutcliffe) -- old editions

# data[].attributes.body
9 editions of 'Newswise; Thinking Through the News' with some stories and supporting materials that still see relevant today.

# data[].attributes.headline
Research into P4C at Village Community School

# data[].attributes.subject
Research into P4C at Village Community School

# data[].attributes.body
I started P4C going in a Secondary School in Derby back in 1992. This is a report on the research I did into the outcomes.

# data[].attributes.headline
Dialogue about vaccination and Louis Pasteur -- with support materials

# data[].attributes.subject
Dialogue about vaccination and Louis Pasteur -- with support materials

# data[].attributes.body
I wrote this dialogue in a different style to the Matthew Liipman novels. A bit more playful. It comes with some support materials and activities to explore the nature of causation.

# data[].attributes.body
I was wanted to use writing in a dialogical way to help pupils think more deeply. I wrote some made a case for writing as a aid to dialogue and made practical suggestions for working with children and young people. At the moment, I'm working on an ebook concentrating on using writing in P4C.

# data[].attributes.body
Here are some links to as selection of things that have been published and cost a little bit of  money to access.

# data[].attributes.headline
Materials on p4c.com (subscription website)

# data[].attributes.subject
Materials on p4c.com (subscription website)

# data[].attributes.body
p4c.com is a website for materials to help teachers do p4C. You won't be able to access the materials unless you subscribe but it will the link below with take you to a list of all my contributions to the website.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Steve taught English and Media Studies for 14 years in secondary schools and served for five years as head of an English department. He helped to found SAPERE, the Philosophy for Children network in the UK, and was the first person in Britain to introduce P4C as a curriculum subject in a secondary school.

# data[].attributes.headline
Philosophy for Children Through the Secondary Curriculum

# data[].attributes.subject
Philosophy for Children Through the Secondary Curriculum

# data[].attributes.body
I contributed the Introduction to this book and two chapters and philosophising in English and English Literature lesson.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Philosophy for Children Through the Secondary Curriculum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Philosophy for Children (P4C) is an approach to learning and teaching that aims to develop reasoning and judgement. Students learn to listen to and respect their peers' opinions, think creatively and work together to develop a deeper understanding of concepts central to their own lives and the subjects they are studying.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a PDF file that gives a brief account of my experience in P4C and related areas.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a book and CD that I organise with IRIS, a women's photograph archive in Stoke. The aim of the project was to philosophise about the mean of photographs with children and then have the children take their own photographs. I edited the book and contributed as a writer.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Home / ICT / Technology / Talking Pictures - thinking through photographs

£55.00

Thinking Through Photographs
By Asa Andersson, Sara Liptai, Radmilla Sutton, Steve Williams and Catherine Fehily

Photographs can stimulate children's thinking in many different ways that teachers should consider in their curriculum planning.

This product is subject to VAT
Format: Mixed media pack

Description

Photographs can stimulate children's thinking in many different ways that teachers should consider in their curriculum planning. For example, a powerful image can trigger descriptive or narrative writing. A striking photograph can illuminate personal and social issues or inspire other artistic endeavours in music, poetry and drama. Philosophical discussion can enhance the quality of education in schools by encouraging children to ask questions and search together for thoughtful answers.
The digital revolution has made it easier than ever to incorporate photography into the school curriculum, particularly in art and design. This exciting pack of materials provides teachers with effective methods for guiding pupils to analyse photographic images, discuss aesthetic issues, and make photographs of their own after thoughtful planning.
The pack makes full use of the way digital photography and scanning support creative exploration - pupils can view their images straight away and then try again until the results satisfy them. The pack contains:

A 64-page guide for teachers

Sixteen laminated images for class discussion

A CD with 46 further printable images, examples of pupils' work, articles on digital photography and printable classroom resources

Talking Pictures is a resource aimed at art and design but one that will also be valued as a contribution to the curriculum as a whole.

photos

Related products

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Talking Pictures - thinking through photographs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Home / ICT / Technology / Talking Pictures - thinking through photographs £55.00 Thinking Through Photographs By Asa Andersson, Sara Liptai, Radmilla Sutton, Steve Williams and Catherine Fehily Photographs can stimulate children's thinking in many different ways that teachers should consider in their curriculum planning.

# data[].attributes.body
A book I wrote with Rupert Wegerif on a project called NRAIS. Based on an independent organisation working with teachers, learners, parents, and community groups. This book is for education professionals involved in creating positive cultures for learning in schools and communities. It includes chapter on Philosophy for Children.

# data[].attributes.body
I wrote this back in the 1990s with Roger Sutcliffe. It's now available as an ebook on the p4c.com.
website.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Advice, methods and photocopiable materials to assist philosophical dialogue with pupils aged 10 and over.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a link to something I wrote in 1996 about doing P4C in small groups. I added bits in 2007 after a training session in which teachers said they were interested in working with small groups in P4C sessions. I added a few things on writing. Maybe it will be useful to someone or maybe someone will make a comment.

The original version was published in back in the day SAPERE had a journal that I edited. (Steve)

# data[].attributes.body
My colleague Steve Bramall and I did a little role-play with Y3 pupils and filmed it. We asked to imagine some monsters came to school who wanted to eat them. They had to persuade the monsters not to. We suggested the pupils did some drawing and we made the whole thing into a little story.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Year 3 pupils tell a story. Will they persuade the opinion monsters not to eat them?

# data[].attributes.body
I was working with a school for a project called 'askit'. A year four class were discussing how to care for their garden. The thought about killing slugs to protect lettuces. Then they wondered.  And then they wrote a dialogue and filmed it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A year four class at Bell Lane Primary School were discussing how to care for their garden. The thought about killing slugs to protect lettuces. Then they wondered.  And then they wrote a dialogue and filmed it.

# data[].attributes.body
My colleague Steve Bramall and I visited the Yorkshire Sculpture Park with a group of Y6 pupils. We wandered around chatting with the children and taking photos. Then we discussed the experience afterwards. I put the two things together for this film.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
My colleague Steve Bramall and I visited the Yorkshire Sculpture Park with a group of Y6 pupils. We wandered around chatting with the children and taking photos. Then we discussed the experience afterwards. I put the two things together for this film.