A prática socrática na educação infantil : diálogo, obediência e medo

Abstract

In what ways can dialogue contribute to the organization of an Early Childhood Education group? This work is directed to seek the answer to that question. Problematizing what is the meaning of the concept of dialogue that is consolidated in this work, a connection between early childhood education and philosophy was established, specifically in some of Plato‘s dialogues, in which he gives voice to his thoughts, through the character of Socrates. Inside the Socratic philosophical context, the dialogue becomes the central tool to the practice and construction of this dissertation. With Socrates, the concept of dialogue is problematized and its understanding is put in check, in order to enable its encounter with an early childhood education group from the city of Porto Alegre – RS. In this sense, the concept of dialogue is materialized as a way of communication between Socrates and the ones called upon by him, that is to say, a strategy put into practice in Ancient Greece, promoting the knowledge contained in the subject, and expecting from the one called upon, in this case Socrates, to make the move to show them the way to make their objective possible. However, in order to enhance the understanding of the concept of dialogue, it was necessary to expand the meaning of language, since in Socrates, the language was constituted only in its verbal form. And, in the everyday life of early childhood education, everything becomes language. After expanding the concept of language and reaching a consolidation of the concept of dialogue, this work focused on putting into practice the analysis of the initial question. From the observation of classes in an early childhood education kindergarten group, two modalities of dialogue put in practice by the teacher with the group of children were noticed: individualized dialogue and collective dialogue. In face of this specification, it was possible to notice that, in the platonic dialogues, the same modalities were put into practice by Socrates with the ones called upon by him. Because of this, a hybrid relation between the notes made during the observation of classes in the early childhood education group and two platonic dialogues (Alcibiades and Apology of Socrates) was established. Finally, it was determined how these dialogical exercises contributed to the organization of the group and in what ways the teacher articulated, with these dialogues, the pedagogic plan together with the children.