➖ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆? ➖
In the age of information, philosophy is the key to supercharging critical thinking, logical reasoning, problem-solving, and the art of crafting compelling arguments. It's not just about learning; It is about a journey that not only nurtures learning but also cultivates empathy and a deep understanding of diverse perspectives. Empower your child to navigate and shape the world with wisdom.


➖ 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 ➖
Join me on a journey of wonder and exploration as we delve into the philosophical world in Matthew Lipman's book 𝘒𝘪𝘰 & 𝘎𝘶𝘴. The teacher will share pdfs of the relevant topics during the class. Our class is a safe space where learners can freely express their thoughts, doubts, and questions on the concepts presented in the book, such as the nature of reality, the power of imagination, and the values we hold dear. The teacher will guide the discussion, and together, we will reflect on how these ideas relate to our daily experiences and how we can apply them in real-life situations. So come and join me on this quest for wisdom, where critical thinking and reasoning skills are sharpened, and the world becomes a more intriguing and meaningful place.

In this class, learners are not merely passive recipients of information. Instead, they actively engage in the 𝙎𝙤𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙈𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙙 of learning. We create our circle of inquiry. The teacher encourages learners to question, challenge assumptions, and analyze different perspectives in a judgement-free environment. By engaging in open ended questions, dialogue and questioning, learners develop the ability to think about their own thinking, a crucial skill that can be applied to all aspects of their lives. The situations presented in class are thought-provoking and inspire learners to explore deeper philosophical concepts such as reality, courage, truth, and friendship. Through these discussions, learners develop a better understanding of the world around them and are empowered to shape their own values and beliefs.  By creating a safe and inclusive space for students to share their ideas and opinions, learners are empowered to think critically and confidently. This method empowers the student and allows them to gain confidence in their ideas and sharing them.

Here are some key aspects of the Socratic Method:
𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻-𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Socratic questions are open-ended and require more than a simple "yes" or "no" answer. They encourage participants to think critically, analyze concepts, and consider various possibilities.
𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: The Socratic Method often involves a dialogue between a facilitator and the learner. Through this dialogue, participants engage in a back-and-forth exchange of ideas, building upon each other's responses.
𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: Instead of providing direct answers or explanations, the instructor guides participants to discover answers on their own. This approach empowers learners to develop their own thought processes and problem-solving skills.
𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀: The Socratic method is particularly effective for exploring abstract concepts, ethical dilemmas, and complex issues that don't have simple solutions.

𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝙆𝙞𝙤 & 𝙂𝙪𝙨:
Kio visits his grandparents’ farm and becomes friendly with Gus, who lives with her family not far away. Each chapter presents different situations such as Kio's grandfather telling him about his encounter with a whale when he was a sailor.  This book consists of conversations between Kio and Gus as they explore the nature of animals, people and things in the world. 

The maximum number of learners in class will be 6. This ensures that all learners have the opportunity to share their thoughts with their peers. 

𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀:
Introductions/Warm up questions, such as: Think of something you are glad happened. Can you be happy and sad at the same time? Think a funny thought.
Round table discussion of the philosophical concepts facilitated by the teacher.
Wrap up/Goodbye

Please note that the below listed months are a guideline. The study of philosophy is a spiral where the concepts are covered multiple times and in multiple ways throughout the classes. Even when not specifically listed the topics are being covered each month. There are multiple groups with varying start dates.  Due to multiple active groups and amount of student driven discussion and engagement, not all groups are on the same topic. If you are looking to join in at a specific topic of discussion, please send me a message so I can let you know which group will best meet your needs. Thank you for your understanding.

Topics to be covered each month: 
𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Hypothesizing, Can you be afraid of nothing? Relationships between children and animals, what can animals understand?, Taking turns, Intentions, Imagining, Cause & Effect, Inferring
𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Metaphors, Is it possible, Quantity & Quality, Figures of speech, Making a difference, Inferring, Persuasion, Fixing, Remembering & Forgetting.
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Making, Saying, & Doing, Arguments, Animal Rights, Justifying, Because, Logical fallacy, Might makes right, Family relationships, Making distinctions, Picturing or Imagining, Wondering, Similarities & Differences, 
𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Figuring out, Homonyms, Saying & Speaking, Exploring, Exclamations, Believing, Trust, 
𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Real or Fake, Description, Deciding, Analogies, Direction, Recognition
𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Mental Acts (Wondering, Knowing, Understanding), What do we mean by "Probably", what does it mean to do something wrong?, Pretending & Make Believe, Making, saying, and doing, Differences of degree, beauty, what is fair?
𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: What is truth? What is best? Hypothetical reasoning, Thinking, Knowing, What is simple?, What is real, Analogical reasoning, Where do things come from? Differences of degree, beauty, what is fair?
𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Truth, Believing and Knowing, What is good?, What is best? Seeing and Knowing, Making, Analogical reasoning.
𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Where do things come from? Why do things happen the way they happen? Life on the Farm vs. Life at Sea, Figuring things out, Intentions.
𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: The word "next", Do things have names?, Are numbers real?, Inventions, Minds, Communication, Guessing, Saying No, Being Mean, Knowing someone, Supposing & Assuming, Taking turns.
𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰: Idioms, Human Beings, Animals, Wishing, Wondering, Being Puzzled, Not blaming, Thinking, Existing, "Really", Trusting.

Material rotates back to the beginning when the last topic is covered.

The methodology of this course is based upon the teachings of Matthew Lipman.

I follow Outschool's policy on refunds for ongoing classes: Parents enrolled in an ongoing class will see a “stop subscription” button instead of “withdraw” on the classroom page after the class’s first meeting. Use this button to prevent any future weekly charges, starting with the following billing period, which rolls over Sunday mornings Pacific time. You can use this to stop future charges at any time.  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. 

Outschool Attendance Policy: “If your learner misses a class meeting, you are not entitled to a refund. If your learner misses 3 consecutive class live meetings without communicating with the teacher, you forfeit the class fee and the teacher may cancel the class or withdraw your learner.” 

Class Cancellation: Please note that per Outschool policy, if there are 0 students after the first 10 minutes of the class, the class will be canceled for that day. The live meetings are scheduled for 50 minutes; however, depending upon the number of students and the amount of participation from the class, some live meetings may be shorter than 50 minutes.  If the teacher needs to cancel class a makeup class will be assigned. If the student is unable to attend the makeup class a refund will be issued after the makeup class.