This program which was aired today from the ABC's Radio National Program - The Philosopher's Zone describes how important it is in the curriculum to have Philosophy for Children (P4C) and related programs or ways to promote THINKING in students in the classroom.
As the Secretary for the ACT SOPHY (Philosophy for Children Association), I firmly believe that we need to encourage students to think and express their thoughts in a respectful manner through P4C. It is a fabulous tool! One of the techniques that can be used in P4C is WebQuests. WebQuests encourage higher order thinking and collaboration amongst students to solve a messy problem.
In The Philosopher's Zone - Teaching children to be philosophers, Associate Prof. Phil Cam said it is essential that we get our students to think rather than loading them up with facts. Absolutely Phil! Let's hope that the Committee overseeing the National Curriculum was listening!