Respectful Classrooms using the Community of Inquiry Approach a presentation by Lorelei Siegloff B.A. (Hons), B.VA. (Hons) M.Teach. The South Australian Philosophy in Education Association

Activity: Community of Inquiry Ensure you have your name tag on! Sit in your group Say hi 

“What changed in Australian law after Sep 11 and was it reasonable or unreasonable?”

Part 1: Groups Each group has a few ‘changes’ to evaluate together In groups decide by negotiating a consensus (everyone agrees) If the change that occurred was reasonable or not How reasonable – more or less on the spectrum And why – your group’s justification

Group Rules Kind Patient Inclusive Respectful Only one speaker at a time Inclusive Listening Reflecting Respectful Gentle voices Consensus – Everyone must agree

Part 2: Reporting Back to Class The class sits in a large circle facilitated by the teacher with the spectrum on floor in middle Each group in turn will place their ‘changes’ on a spectrum of reasonableness and explain their reasoning for each placement “changes’ can’t co-exist on the spectrum

No-one else may speak whilst they set out the ‘changes’ (maybe use a talking stick/ball etc.) After each group has finished an open discussion can occur about whether or not others agree with the placement and why Only one person speaks at a time The whole class must negotiate to arrive at a new consensus or the issue stays where it is

Adding complexity... Rework the spectrum from different perspectives; i.e. Political (Pragmatic) Historical (not invested?) Ethical (civil rights/community vs individual) Legal principles (Right/wrong)

Part 3: Review Reflect on the process of negotiating a consensus with the class Students can spend a few minutes writing a personal reflection of their thoughts about the ‘changes’ that occurred

Philosophical Pedagogy: Matthew Lipman Building on Dewey Classroom learning is a social activity in which “questioning, reasoning, connecting, deliberating, challenging, and developing problem-solving techniques” can occur The classroom as “gestalt” (intersubjective knowledge) Community of Inquiry is reflective, democratic, and rigorous It is based in dialogue

Thinking about a unit of SACE work Establishing group norms at the outset How do you do this? Set up class groups that are used in most lessons Teacher established (non-negotiable) Build Community of Inquiry skills across the unit Interweave with AC outcomes & Skills +Blooms Taxonomy + SACE Capabilities/Performance Standards ...

Arc of Skills Development Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Resources PPT Websites Videos Texts Artefacts Skills Negotiation Note taking Reading effectively Knowledge Comprehension Evaluation Critical Analysis Online research Sequencing Application Comparison Values & Ethics Inquiry Understanding Perspectives Investigation Synthesis Formative Activity Intro group activity: reading together More note taking Developing group models Shared timeline Community of Inquiry Activity Group presentations Modelling note taking from video Source analysis of video Classification of notes against a model Shared research time using timeline focus Developing Inquiry questions Assessments Source Analysis Group projects drawn from timelines Textual Inquiry Assessment

Activity: Classification of Notes Against a Model Do you have a model you’re using? (e.g. aspects of a totalitarian state, the intelligence cycle) Have the groups/students developed one? Have they identified it through their reading? Home work reading with note taking A series of white boards/poster papers set out around the room with a heading from each stage in the model Groups work through their notes to find examples of each parts of the model. They then write up the note (with a page ref) on the boards The class has a fixed time to get the notes up into their categories When complete a review process lead by teacher or a student to remove duplicate notes and discuss if they are in the right place in the model.

The Model A lens through which data can be analysed Source analysis model A subject specific model A series of themes

Activity: Developing Inquiry Questions Students discuss possible issues to investigate further drawn from the Community of Inquiry activity Students identify an inquiry action Why, How etc.. Students discuss applying a perspective to their investigation Reasonableness, ethical, just et. How can they measure this perspective?

In Summary It’s all about developing a classroom culture that is; Respectful Inquisitive (with Wonder, per Socrates) Thoughtful And excited about learning as a community. Thanks for your brilliant participation!

Further Resources The SA Philosophy in Education Association sapea.weebly.com fapsa.org.au

References Cam, P. 2013, Philosophy Park: A beginner’s guide to great philosophers and their ideas, Acer Pub. Cam, P. 2006, Twenty Thinking Tools, Acer Pub. Davey Chesters S. 2012, The Socratic Classroom: Reflective Thinking through Collaborative Inquiry, Sense Publishers Lipman, M. 1980, Philosophy in the Classroom, Temple Uni Press Lipman, M. 2003, Thinking in Education (2nd ed.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.