Children As Philosophers Erasmus Project

Project Title

Children As Philosophers

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Pedagogy and didactics; Inclusion – equity; Ethics, religion and philosophy (incl. Inter-religious dialogue)

Project Summary

‘Children As Philosophers’ is a collaborative project between 8 partners from the UK, IT, DE, BG, RO and SE, including 4 schools, a training provider, a municipality, a foundation and an adult education/vocational centre.
We have worked together to share experiences, learn new skills and develop new methodologies to support education and training aimed at improving the quality of education of both staff and children in early years and primary education.
We believe that education in Europe is facing significant socio-demographic and economic changes, therefore educators need to be prepared to provide adequate training of children whose way of thinking, behaviour, preferences, expectations and learning styles are different from those of teachers. In doing so, we can support citizens to play an active role in democratic life and prepare our children in a world with new jobs that have yet to be created. Our role is to help children develop the skills needed to respond to advances in technology, changes in socio-demographic and cultural contexts. In turn, this will break down barriers to learning and prevent violent radicalisation by promoting common European values, fostering social integration, enhancing intercultural understanding and a sense of belonging to a community.
In response to the increased importance being placed on an understanding of how the development of higher-level thinking skills, as part of a comprehensive communication education (at all levels), our project has addressed the main challenges of:
* increasing key competences for children in order for them to fully participate in and contribute to a multicultural society
* developing a robust and tangible methodology that employs methods to support development of basic skills through the use of enquiry-based philosophy skills and creative thinking techniques
* equipping teaching and non-teaching staff with a range of skills, key principles and relevant methodologies.
* improving literacy and language levels through participation in activities that have further developed metacognition and critical thinking, which had been identified as a key to develop children’s ability to question and to further develop their thinking of the world around them.
Our shared project promotes and offers an innovative methodology within the practice of philosophy with children that addresses social inclusion specifically. We have worked together in evaluating the practice of philosophy as a useful tool that supports the development of critical and social skills in children and teenagers, favouring the implementation of a new form of collective action, inspired by values of peaceful living, respect, dialogue and debate. The practice of philosophy with children is also an important tool for developing strategies for peaceful conflict resolution, especially within a multicultural context.
Through a structured approach of a mixture of 3 joint staff trainings, 2 pupils’ exchanges, the development of several intellectual outputs, and over 290 dissemination activities, our strong collaborative approaches have led to the following concrete outputs:
Publication of ‘good practice’ research following research into the teaching philosophy in early childhood and primary education (10 per country) in 6 languages
Training guidelines in 6 languages
Training package for educators in 6 languages
Collection of case studies from the implementation of the new techniques (detailed recording/documentation of implementation at local level) in 6 languages
Training course outline for replication and sustainability of project results in 6 languages
A Project DVD available on several platforms in 6 languages
3 Joint Staff Trainings (IT/RO/SE: 53 staff from 8 partners) & 2 Pupils’ exchanges (UK and BG with 29 pupils and 15 staff – over 120 including those from the hosting organisations)
3 Translational project meetings and 1 bilateral (48 staff funded & non funded)
6 Multiplier events with approx. 150 participants
A Project website
A searchable database containing approx. 116 adaptable activities to use for teaching in all 6 languages.
The project has achieved both short and long-term benefits:
• Enhanced teachers’ confidence in the use of the new and specific teaching methodology and cultural understanding
• Enhanced teaching and learning to address specific local targets
• Enhanced teaching and learning of digital competencies to address teachers own skills and performance
• Internationalisation of teaching and learning through collaboration, observation and evaluation of models in other countries
• Developed a strong EU focus to the organisations teaching and learning
• A EU dimension embedded in the culture of each organisation and increased involvement in European activities.
Key audiences reached through activities and dissemination are teachers, trainers, advisors, policy makers which are ensuring the results are integrated within a wider context.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 221368 Eur

Project Coordinator

Language Education And Partnerships LTD & Country: UK

Project Partners

• VOLKSHOCHSCHULE IM LANDKREIS CHAM EV
• Stiftelsen Onums friskola
• Osnovno uchilishte Hristo Smirnenski
• COMUNE DI MODENA
• The Bliss Charity School
• Liceul Teoretic ELF
• FONDAZIONE COLLEGIO SAN CARLO