Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialogue in Schools

Philosophy in Education: Questioning and Dialog in K-12 Classrooms is a textbook in the fields of pre-college philosophy and philosophy of education, intended for philosophers and philosophy students, K-12 classroom teachers, administrators and educators, policymakers, and pre-college practitioners of all kinds. The book offers a wealth of practical resources for use in elementary, middle school, and high school classrooms, as well as consideration of many of the broader educational, social, and political topics in the field, including the educational value of pre-college philosophy, the philosophies of education that inform this philosophical practice, and the relevance of pre-college philosophy for pressing issues in contemporary education (such as education reform, child development, and prejudice and privilege in classrooms). The book includes sections on: the expansion of philosophy beyond higher education to pre-college populations; the importance of wondering, questioning and reflection in K-12 education; the ways that philosophy is uniquely suited to help students cultivate critical reasoning and independent thinking capacities; how to develop classroom communities of philosophical inquiry and their potentially transformative impact on students; the cultivation of philosophical sensitivity and positive identity formation in childhood; strategies for recognizing and diminishing the impact of social inequalities in classrooms; and the relationship between introducing philosophy in schools and education reform. Review Jana Mohr Lone and Michael Burroughs have given us a profoundly thoughtful book about the ways that children can participate in dialogue and critical reflection at a level that transcends the pro formá mandates of most standardized curricula. Beginning in the early elementary grades and continuing through the secondary years, they provide us and our teachers with a smorgasbord of practical and ingeniously inventive avenues into a realm of inquiry that opens up essential questions about justice, ethics, and equality.--Jonathan Kozol, National Book Award winner and author of "Savage Inequalities" and "Death at an Early Age" Jane Mohr Lone and Michael Burroughs provide a compelling justification for teaching philosophy in K-12 schools, and a useful, well-grounded set of lesson plans for how to do it. Emphasizing the practice of philosophy, and specific activities like questioning, dialogue, and inquiry, Mohr Lone and Burroughs promote the aim of doing philosophy with students, and not just teaching about philosophy. Their lesson plans, and ingenious use of literature, start with where students' interests and concerns are, across different ages. Their approach of promoting discussion within a "community of philosophical inquiry" is pragmatic and grounded in experience. Any teacher could use some of these lesson plans in their classroom.--Nicholas C. Burbules, Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Professor, Department of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign About the Author Jana Mohr Lone is the founder and director of the University of Washington Center for Philosophy for Children. Since 1995 she has taught philosophy in classrooms from preschool to college, as well as taught college students, K-12 teachers, parents and others about ways to bring philosophy into the lives of young people.  She is the author of The Philosophical Child, which explores ways that parents, grandparents, and other adults can stimulate philosophical conversations about children's questions, Philosophy and Education: Introducing Philosophy to Young People, (co-editor with Roberta Israeloff), which examines various issues involved in teaching philosophy to young people, and many articles about K-12 philosophy. She writes the blog Wondering Aloud: Philosophy with Young People. A frequent speaker about pre-college philosophy, Jana is the president of PLATO (