EDGEMONT SCHOOL P4C TEACHER STUDY GROUP

Edgemont Montessori School, Upper Montclair

2003-2004 Theme: Scientific Inquiry

The Edgemont School P4C Study Group has recently convened for the third year in a row. Composed of teachers, faculty, graduate students and other interested participants, the group has chosen scientific inquiry as its theme for the 2003-4 school year. The group will be supplementing existing science curriculum--beginning with second and fifth grade texts--through the design of discussion plans, exercises, activities and stories which can be used for inquiring into the basic beliefs and assumptions of scientific method and content in a context of group dialogue, or community of inquiry. Our intention is to make these resources available to teachers as occasional or supplementary materials for use along with the regular curriculum. 

We have already identified two areas of science theory practice for exploration, each of which represents a different kind of inquiry. One area has to do with scientific knowledge and process. We will design curriculum which encourages group dialogical reflection on the "scientific method"--i.e. the implicit values, meanings and assumptions associated with concepts like "observation," "question," "hypothesis," "test," "measurement," and "conclusion." Another area has to do with larger fields of belief, i.e. with scientific paradigms and how and why they change. A study of the ongoing reconstruction of cosmological theory is a good example of this process, and we intend to develop curricula in this area. These are only the areas of inquiry we have identified so far. 

We encourage those who are interested in science curriculum and its relation to "philosophy of science" and the process of scientific inquiry itself to join us. We meet on Tuesdays from 3:15-4:30 at Edgemont Montessori School, 20 Edgemont Road, Upper Montclair, in Ms. Heuskchel's Fifth Grade classroom. Professional development credit is available for participation in the Study Group. 

STUDY GROUP MISSION

The Edgemont School P4C Study Group was convened in January, 2003 by a small cohort of teachers at Edgemont Montessori School, a Montclair Public School.  The study group is supported by a grant from the New Jersey Network for Educational Renewal (NJNER), and is further supported by the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC) at Montclair State University. 

The study group is designed for teachers and paraprofessionals who are either currently practicing Philosophy for Children in their classrooms or are interested in doing so.  The group is conducted by Dr. David Kennedy, a Montclair State University faculty member in the Department of Educational Foundations, and an experienced Philosophy for Children workshop facilitator. It is designed to combine theory and practice in an optimal way: those already practicing or beginning to practice P4C in their classrooms are encouraged to bring their experiences to the group, where they will provide the primary material for our inquiry. 

The study group may be used for academic or professional credit in a variety of ways. Those who are enrolled at MSU may contract for an independent study, which can count for credit in the Certificate Program in Philosophy for Children, and the Master of Education, Concentration in Philosophy for Children.  All participants who are New Jersey Schoolteachers may to apply the study group hours toward the 100-hour professional development requirement.  Dr. Kennedy is also be available for classroom visitation, for purposes of modeling and/or observation.

For information on the study group or on Philosophy for Children, call (973) 655-4279) or email (kennedyd@mail.montclair.edu) David Kennedy.