Thinking Online Index - A searchable index of citations to articles from Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children, with abstracts of articles beginning in 1992, and full text of articles beginning 1996, is available on the Education full text database produced by The H.W. Wilson Company (Bronx, New York), available online through libraries that subscribe to Wilson Web, (www.hwwilson.com) including Montclair State University's Sprague Library. (Click on "Education Full Text" on Sprague's "Articles and More" page.)

Combined Degree Program - After nearly two years of planning, it is at last official: MSU graduate students can now enroll concurrently in the Master of arts in Teaching: Elementary Education K-8 and the Graduate Certificate in Philosophy for Children. The advantages of doing the degrees concurrently is that students save six credit hours, are mentored in their philosophy practice, participate in a professional seminar that includes a focus on Philosophy for Children, and conduct their supervised teaching in classrooms with P4C teachers. Combining these degrees gives those individuals with a background in philosophy and who are interested in teaching, the opportunity to continue their philosophy studies whilst learning about philosophical pedagogy and how to bring philosophy to children. What great News!  Thanks to the following who worked very hard to make this happen: Nancy Lauter, Megan Laverty, Maughn Gregory, Perry Greene, Cindy Onore, Eric Brooks and Sumi Hagiwara.

Edgemont Study Group - The Edgemont School 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 this year. The group will be supplementing existing science curriculum beginning with second and fifth grade texts-through the design of philosophical discussion plans, exercises and activities, and stories that 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. For more information, visit our site at:
http://frontpage.montclair.edu/iapc/EdgeStudy.htm

A cross-cultural research project - Nathan Brubaker, Ed.D. student, and Natasha Koltko, elementary teacher and professor in Kirovograd, Ukraine, and former IAPC Visiting Scholar, are in the preliminary stages of preparing a cross-cultural research project involving elementary classrooms in both countries.

Video Conference - On October 8th, Matthew Lipman gave a video conference to students at Mt. Holyoke College for
Women (Mass.) at the invitation of professor Thomas
Wartenberg. Prof. Wartenberg trains his philosophy students to become teachers of philosophy.  This is the second time he has asked Professor Lipman to give a presentation on P4C. The students reported the visit by television to have been delightful and Professor Wartenberg considered the event inspiring.

NJNER - Maya Levanon is teaching a mini-course titled "Philosophizing with Children: How to promote Thinking in a Community of Inquiry," as part of the fall 2003 New Jersey Network for Educational Renewal Professional Development Series. This mini course will introduce the theory and practice of Philosophy for Children, with a special emphasis on the pedagogy of the community of Inquiry. The mini-course runs three weeks: Nov 11 and 18 and Dec 2, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Cedar Grove High School.

Gifted and Talented Program - P4C courses continue to be taught through MSU's Gifted and Talented program.  This fall, Maya Levanon continues to practice philosophy with grades 1-3, while Joe Oyler continues to practice logic with children grades 7-8.  Classes are 1 hour and 15 minutes and are held on Saturdays and Sundays at the University.  This is the second of what will hopefully be many more years of collaboration between the IAPC and the Gifted and Talented program.  These courses are another great opportunity to bring Philosophy to young people.  Graduate students who have ideas for additional G&T courses should contact Maughn Gregory.

Susan Hozer, M.A.T./P4C student, is currently the director of Religious Education at the Essex Ethical Culture Society in Maplewood, NJ. At the Society, Hozer has been using the P4C curriculum with children ages 4-12. Currently, the children are working on a mural project for the Society's classrooms. "The Moral Mural" is an evolving painting that showcases the
children's ideas about Ethical Culture.

Congratulations to Matthew Schertz, who successfully
defended his dissertation entitled "Empathic Pedagogy" on
November 21, 2003 at Montclair State University for the Ed.D. in Pedagogy, Specialization in Philosophy for Children.