Surprise! Reading Actually Helps

This week has been so much easier working with the kindergarteners. Since they are so young they still need work on not only forming a question but answering one as well. On previous visits I would go with either Maureen or Cindy and we would throw a question at them and the discussion would be very one way and we would desperately try to keep the conversation going by trying to relate to them as simple as possible. But I noticed from the second grade class that the kids seemed to be apart of the conversation a lot more from reading the book and not only did the seem to be apart of the discussion but they had started to use another source to help back up their reasoning so now instead of giving an answer with no evidence of where they got it from they now have some sort of evidence to help prove their point. In my opinion this is a break through that will help form their question making and answering skills and, even though they are not ready for a Plain Vanilla inquiry just yet, they are already trying to give counter claims as to why their class mate is wrong.

First Grade: Thanksgiving

What does it mean to be thankful?

This is the question I first posed when I entered Mrs. E's class. Answers like "when someone gives you food, you say thank you," "when my mom gives me something I want, I say thank you to her," and "appreciating what you have" were said as we went around the circle. Avery said it means to be appreciative and not taking things for granted. 

Afterwards, we went around the circle and shared what we were thankful for. Things like food, iPads, Sky Landers, Beyblade, soccer, my family, and friends floated around. 

But it made me wonder, why is good to be thankful? Lots of students raised their hands, wanting to answer. Amy said it is good to be thankful because if you are not thankful, then you will not get it again. Josh said that it is good to be thankful because some people do not get what you might have gotten, so you should say thank you for it. I said it is good to be thankful because you may never if things might get taken away from you or things may be gone. 

Students then related this to homeless people. Zaine said homeless people do not get everything, so we should give them things we do not need, because they will be thankful for it too. Kassey said that if we give homeless people something, then they would be thankful and be happy.

This was a new class I went to and I was amazed at the welcoming I received when I walked in. This class has not done p4c in a long time, so it was great to be in there and do some thinking about Thanksgiving, since it is Thanksgiving break this week.  

Kindergarten:Is It A Good Idea Or Bad Idea?

On November 23rd, Logan and I visited the Kindergarten class at Maunawili Elementary School. Logan came up with the lesson plan which was reading a book and coming up with a question to have a discussion. The book Mrs. T chose was called Jamaica's Find, and the kids really enjoyed listening to her read this book.

Jamaica's Find is about a girl named Jamaica who goes to the park on a regular basis and finds things on every trip she makes. One day Jamaica went to the park and she found a stuffed dog, she took it home to her mother and she had a liking in the stuffed animal and wondered where she had gotten it from. Jamaica felt guilty about keeping this stuffed dog that she brought home from the park so the next day she took it to the lost and found. That same day Jamaica sees a girl with her mother at the park and decided to ask her to play, but the girl said she had to find something before they play.

Jamaica realized that the girl may have been the potential owner of the stuffed animal and asked if that was what she had been looking for, and it was. 

The moral of the story was to be honest and if you found something and it doesn't belong to you, then you should give it back. After Mrs.T finished reading the story, we posed the question "Is it a good idea or a bad idea to keep something that doesn't belong to you?" Many of the students told us that it was a bad idea because the owner might get sad about loosing the item they had found. Then I asked how they would feel if they lost something and they saw the person with the item they had lost. Mario answered "I would go up to the person and ask them nicely to please give it back." Other students said that they would tell a teacher or an adult that they know who took their lost item.

Overall I thought this inquiry went pretty well because I know that kids sometimes have a hard time sharing and trying to control their behavior when it comes to conflicts between kids their age. Hopefully if a problem arises like this one, they will know how to solve it in a calmly manner. The fact that the kids are able to understand these types of situations is really surprising to me because they are only five or six years old with little experience. 

The philoSURFERS on World Philosophy Day

Today, the third Wednesday of November, marks the tenth celebration of World Philosophy Day. Since 2005, UNESCO has taken the lead in promoting value of philosophy has on humanity and  the communities in which we reside. Considering the philoSURFERS have dedicated their time and efforts to achieving this aim on a daily basis by supporting teachers in bringing philosophy, specifically p4c, to life in classrooms, we thought it would be a great time to write a post concerning philosophy's importance. In just a few minutes, the philoSURFERS put together this post to share why people should even care about philosophy.

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People should care about philosophy because philosophy is a part of life. Everyone thinks about things they care about and we make decisions everyday. If a questioning attitude is a part of life then we should all care about philosophy. Our questions need to be answered, and by doing p4c we get answers to things we wonder about from others around us.

Philosophy has helped me look at the world with a different mindset. Before I was introduced to p4c I never really thought anything through. For example, I never really gave any thought to decisions I would make, my future, or problems happening right before my eyes. Philosophy has allowed me to think at a deeper level, understand others more, and helped me discover myself. I have discovered myself throughout high school through philosophy by being taught in an environment where we talk about things that really matter to us. An example of this is being in Mrs.U's class and constantly talking about careers we are looking into and that helped me really think about my future and think about the classes I need to take, and set goals I need to set for myself.

Being a philoSURFER and having the opportunity to spread philosophy to other students and teachers is great because they now understand the importance of philosophy. This role doesn't stop at school grounds, it continues into my personal life. For example, I talk to my family about things that we discussed that day when we have plain vanillas and I also talk to my friends about what's happening.

-Cindy

The reason I care about philosophy is because it’s a simple way of expression that really helps others to feel more comfortable with new people around them. In today's society I think that people are more focused on their looks than whats actually inside and philosophy is a great way to help erase that way of thinking. There have been so many times I've judged someone just by the way they looked, but when we have an inquiry together their input and questions paint a whole new picture in your mind that you forget about your first impression. Philosophy allows you to really listen to others. Sadly, most people do not get too many experiences in doing philosophy. 

However, I like to think we are trying to change this.  Actually, we’ve been doing something about this since freshman year when we first started doing p4c. Since then, I have loved doing philosophy, not only with my peers, but with the elementary students, as well. Given our positions as philoSURFERS, we have chances has given to learn more and to teach others that are not to familiar with philosophy and philosophical thinking.  It is for this reason, I can’t wait to continue my experience with Dr. Miller and the rest of the students and schools we work with.

-Logan

Many adults, teenagers, and children do not get the opportunity to express themselves or say what they feel, but I believe when philosophy is introduced to these individuals, they will feel more comfortable in expressing themselves. For example, I was introduced to philosophy during my freshman year in my Ethnic Studies and Philosophy class at Kailua High School. At first, I was a bit scared because the students in my class were not people I would really open up to. The individuals in my class did not seem open-minded, therefore, I was not comfortable in speaking my mind. I knew they were quick to judge. At that time I was also shy. The dynamics of everyone in the classroom did not make me feel safe. At one point, I really considered switching into a different class. However, after talking to various teachers, they told me to give it some time. Staying in that class was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. I soon learned to say what I wanted even if people were still going to judge. More and more philosophical discussions really helped me to open myself up and share my thoughts and ideas. 

I am currently interning as a philosopher in residence, a philoSURFER, and I enjoy doing philosophy. I have been doing p4c for four years in my classes and interning as a philosopher in residence has opened my eyes to seeing how powerful philosophy can be in the classroom. Elementary students are excited and eager to have discussions where we can talk about almost anything. Philosophy is a way to think philosophically and share your thoughts, ideas, and wonderments without being judged, this is why the world needs philosophy. 

-Maureen

Pausing to Reflect on Our First 14 weeks of the philoSURFERS

After 14 weeks, what are three things we’ve learned so far?

After 14 weeks of being a philoSURFER, I have learned that I can really work with kids. I want to be an elementary school teacher and this experience has made me excited for my future. I have truly appreciated what elementary teachers do with their students because they are not as easy to handle. When I first went a kindergarten class, they were very “rascally,” but as time progressed they were able to sit in a circle for over 30 minutes. Same thing happened in a third grade class. I have also learned how to create lesson plans for a class. Normally, high school students do not create the lesson plan, but the teacher does. Well in in my case the role has reversed. I have learned more about philosophy for children and how to support teachers while doing so. I think I have been doing a very well job at supporting the teachers and the kids seem to enjoy doing p4c. 

-Maureen

I have learned that just by giving a kid a chance no matter how old or what grade they are just by giving them the time to think they have the ability to blow your mind. Being with the younger kids sometimes they need a good question to spark the flame within them but once its lit they are able to go on and on about the question. The learning process is really a two way thing and i'm learning so much from these kids and I can't wait until next semester when new philoSURFERS come and experience this with me.

-Logan

After doing this internship for 14 weeks I’ve learned patience, creativity, and to keep an open mind. I have learned patience with trying to work around some of the rascals within classrooms and patience in seeing growth in different classes. I learned creativity with trying to make different games and lessons that would help the students understand the purpose of p4c better. Lastly, I have learned that keeping an open mind to things makes you see things more clearly. 

-Cindy

After 14 weeks, what are three challenges we have experienced?

The challenge I have experienced is that my internship will soon be ending. This makes me sad because I have really enjoyed being a philoSURFER and I want to continue. But I have things I need to take care of. Having a great connection with all my students has truly opened and validated myself in becoming an elementary school teacher. The bond that I have with the students will never be irreplaceable, but I truly hope whoever my replacement will be, that they will take care of not only the student and the teacher. Along with my internship almost ending, I’m also challenged with teaching the teacher about p4c. I know that we are the experts but I feel scared because I know I have to teach them as much as I can since I will be leaving soon. This may be a silly a challenge, but it has also been a challenge to remember student's name, I mean we do serve over 500 students. 

-Maureen

One of my main challenges has been working with the kindergarteners as well as other younger grades. I just don't have that many experiences with children this young. Another challenge would be lesson plans but what's challenging is that sometimes it's hard to know if I have used the lesson plan in the "right" way.

-Logan

One of the challenges that we faced was when it would get hard to hold the attention of the class, especially the kindergarten and first grade classes on a hot day. Another challenge we experienced was the lack of communication with the teachers we worked with, which made making lesson plans a bit challenging. I think the most challenging thing for us to figure out is how to keep our classes moving forward in p4c.

-Cindy

The "unveiling" of the philoSURFERS

Yesterday, Kailua High School held their annual Parent and Community day. The aim is to highlight the initiatives of school, as well as share data about their efforts with the wider community. Honestly, it is an amazing opportunity to ensure the school is really listening to the populations in which they serve. The reason I mention this is because I was asked to present the historical timeline of p4c at Kailua High. This post is not intended to summarize that presentation (I think I am saving that for an academic paper topic in the near future), but is aimed to highlight the brilliance of the philoSURFERS.

The students each got up on stage in front of hundreds in attendance, introduced themselves, spoke about their experiences being a philoSURFER, and then provided the details on the schools in which we work. As the details emerged, there was a murmur in the audience. People were turning to their neighbors in what seemed to be an attempt to do some quick math. What they ended up realizing was in just 13 weeks, the philoSURFERS reach has impacted four schools, twenty-two teachers, and roughly 560 students! This is incredible. If this is what we have done in just over a quarter, what is possible for the year? The next two years? Five years? A decade? This project is truly innovative and is an important aspect in revolutionizing our schools. I am so grateful to consider these three teens my colleagues and look forward to working with many of their peers in the future. This community will surely benefit from their energy, intellect, and efforts.

Friends, Growing Up, Real or Not Real

This week in Mr. Y's class, the topic was about friends. The initial question posed was "what does it mean to be a good and bad friend?" Some responses given were "they stick up for you," "that person is someone you can trust," and "they care about what you have in the inside." As for a bad friend, some responses given were "uses you and does not stick up for you," it is someone that you do not trust," "dislikes what you have," and "spreads your secrets." Another question we talked about was "is it true that the friends we have now will be our friends forever?" Answers like "yes because if you were friends with them for a long time, then you will still be friends later," and "yes because you will remember them for the rest of your life" were given. This discussion was something near to my heart because as someone who is going to be transitioning into college in less than a year, I need to remember and cherish the friends I have now or make new friends later.

The next day I went to Mr. M's class. Can I assume we are all afraid of growing up? This is the question that was voted on Mr. M's fourth grade class. Some may wonder how can fourth graders answer this question because they are still growing up, but let me tell you this discussion went great. Mikayla said life is full of challenges and growing up is hard to do. Jeff said they are afraid of the outcome. Trevor said I think were afraid because we never know what we are up against.  As students kept sharing, it made me wonder what does it mean to grow up? This was something I wondered because everyone has different definitions of "growing up." Logan said to grow up you take on responsibilities, Mikayla said when you turn another age, have children and get a job is when you grow up. Others shared experiences of them growing up or what they would like to do when they grow up. This class is improving on their sharing and listening, which is big plus for us!

In Mrs. L's third grade class, we did this is it real, not real or are we unsure activity. I gave them topics to help me organize them into a real, not real, or unsure category. But of course they would have to give a (R)eason. Things that we have discussed for now were ghost, love, and dreams. Heather said they were real because she played the charlie charlie game (example). Jay said he was unsure because although there are books about it, he has never really experienced it.  When we discussed about love some people said it was real and some were unsure. Penny said it is real because you can feel love in your heart when you love someone. Brenna said it is real because it if it was not then we would not love our parents. Brock said he was unsure because when you love someone you will know but there is a chance you might accidentally love them. Dreams was the last topic we talked about. Keoki said he was unsure because they may or may not come true. Beverly said they were real because her moms dreams came true. After hearing more about what other said, Mrs. L asked the class, "what do we mean by dreams?" Because dreams could be the ones we have at night or dreams could be the one we want to accomplish. As a class we concluded that ghost, love and dreams were real.