Renowned Scholar to Meet with Putnam County Educators at Prindle
On February 21, renowned scholar Dr. Thomas E. Wartenberg is coming to Greencastle to assist approximately 22 Putnam County K-5 educators with exploring techniques for teaching philosophy and ethics to children.
Wartenberg, a national scholar who uses well-known children’s books as entry points to get students thinking and talking about values and morals, will be visiting DePauw University and the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics from Wednesday, February 20 to Friday, February 22. Beyond Wartenberg’s educator workshop on Thursday, which the Prindle Institute is offering at no cost to the educators, he will give a public talk for the campus community on Friday from 11:30-12:30 in the Union Building Ballroom. Wartenberg is author of Big Ideas for Little Kids: Teaching Philosophy through Children’s Literature.
“Philosophy is often thought of as an elitist discipline, but when it’s really boiled down, it’s about figuring out what you think, supporting your own views and reasoning with one another,” said Dr. Andrew Cullison, director of The Prindle Institute. “With this workshop, we aren’t suggesting that teachers teach a particular philosophy or morality, but, instead, that they help children understand how to think about their own and others’ ideas and beliefs.”
As our culture confronts increasing polarization, Cullison adds, these skills will be increasingly important. That’s why he’s excited to bring Dr. Wartenberg to Greencastle.