LEARNING CURVE

Issues | LEARNING CURVE Jan 23, 2019

Waxing philosophical in English class with 'Thinking Experiments'

by Farrah Hasnain

If you've ever taught English at a Japanese school, you'll likely be familiar with a certain kind of silence — pervasive and tinged with teenage ennui. Authors Alexander Dutson and James Hill want to recommend breaking the ice with philosophy. Their book, "Thinking Experiments," presents ...

Issues | LEARNING CURVE Jan 23, 2019

Trying out a lesson on traditional notions of gender

by Farrah Hasnain

I teach a class of 38 at Hamamatsu Higashi Senior High School in Shizuoka Prefecture, and earlier this month I tried out a gender-themed lesson from Alexander Dutson and James Hill's "Thinking Experiments." The class I teach emphasizes essay writing and comprises students who aim ...