The Paideia (pie-day-a) program is a philosophical and pedagogical model proposed by Mortimer Adler and the Paideia Group (1982) that integrates didactic instruction and coaching exercises with seminar discussions. The seminar promotes critical and interpretive thinking through Socratic questioning and is appropriate for elementary and secondary grade students as well as for adults. The Paideia seminar can be applied as a strategy across the curriculum with selections of classical and multicultural readings, art forms and other genre. Selections for seminar discussions are chosen for the complexity of ideas, issues, or values they present. The Paideia program is committed to equal educational opportunity for all students and holds as one of its principles that all children can learn. Currently, the seminar process has been adopted or adapted by over 200 schools across the United States and in other countries. The benefits to learning that schools are reporting include opportunities for improving skills in critical thinking, reading, writing, speaking, listening, and group participation.
Paideia Training Options.
Onsite training is designed in collaboration with a school to meet the special curricular needs of the school’s faculty. Seminar selections are drawn from teacher materials or recommended by our trainers as appropriate for grade, subject area, special needs, and EL learners. Onsite training can replicate the summer workshop or be extended over a longer period of time such as inservice days during a school year. CEUs or graduate level courses are also available.
Past onsite trainings have included public (Minneapolis, Anoka, Edina, Minnetonka, Wayzata, Forest Lake, Mankato, Kelliher, and others), private (St. Paul Academy, Breck School, Minnehaha Academy), charter (St. Croix Prep, Nova Prep, Eagle Ridge Academy, Seven Hills Prep, and Hope Academy) and out-of-state schools in Wisconsin, Michigan, and California.
Contact Dr. Rachel Lloyd for questions or to schedule an onsite collaboration.