Dr. Thomas Wartenberg, founder of Teaching Children Philosophy, will be speaking on Feb. 22 at 11:30 a.m. in the Union Building Ballroom. This talk is open to the public.
His public talk is entitled, “Doing Philosophy with Frog and Toad” and will discuss how children’s stories are a useful tool in teaching children philosophical concepts. Free lunch will be provided at this event.
This public talk is one of two events Dr. Wartenberg is hosting over a two-day period. On Feb. 21 Dr. Wartenberg will host, “‘Teaching Children Philosophy’ with founder Dr. Thomas E. Wartenberg: An exclusive Workshop for Putnam County elementary Educators.”
The workshop will be held at the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics from 12:30-3:30 p.m. This workshop will focus on professional development and will be attended by Putnam County educators.
Wartenberg is currently a senior research fellow at Mount Holyoke College and has published multiple articles and books about teaching philosophy through the use of children’s literature, according to a press release from Prindle. Wartenberg is also the founder of Teaching Children Philosophy, a program intended to teach children philosophy at a young age through the use of children’s literature.
The Greencastle and DePauw communities have already shown interests in these two events. “I am very pleased about the number of teachers who have registered to come to the professional development,” said Emily Knuth, Prindle’s assistant director of events and engagement, “I mean that’s twenty teachers, you know, previously that haven’t had some of this training.”
Knuth also said that some teachers and students in Greencastle have already been exposed to these same teaching tactics during Prindle’s Express C.A.M.P (character, attitude, morals, perspective) and have all reacted positively.
Many have seen the positive influence that Dr. Wartenberg’s work has had on children’s ability to learn philosophy through books. Saige Trottman-Huiet, Prindle graduate fellow, said, “I think the most important part of it [Wartenberg’s work] is that he emphasizes that children can do philosophy and should do philosophy.”