Chapter 18 Multiliteracies and the Critical Thinker
Philosophical Engagement with New Media in the Classroom
In: Education for Democracy 2.0Search for other papers by Laura D’Olimpio in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Abstract
Teaching children philosophy enhances critical thinking skills that are sorely needed in today’s technological society. When it comes to mass art and social media, we need to discern between reliable sources of information, misinformation, hoaxes and dross. I claim that the Community of Inquiry (CoI) pedagogy as practiced by proponents of Philosophy for Children (P4C) can assist in training students to challenge their own assumptions as well as those of others, work collaboratively in search of truth, and engage both critically and compassionately with diverse perspectives; whether they be face-to-face or online. Such multiliteracies are sorely needed in an age of Web 2.0, Democracy 2.0 and the neoliberal agenda. In this chapter I will defend the role philosophy can play in teaching students to be critically reflective, ethically engaged, democratically participatory and creative in their use of Web 2.0 technologies.