TACTics Journal
September 17, 1999
POOGI POOL
Rami Quiz #4— Can we expose assumptions underlying the
connection from the cloud B-D, by completing the sentence: "If D' exists,
then B does not exist, because..."?
The Rami Answer— The answer is yes.
Let’s take an example we all know: The Alex-Sharon
story from Session 1.
B: Ensures Sharon’s safety.
D: Sharon comes home at 10 p.m.
D’: Sharon comes home at midnight when the party is
over.
Now let’s complete the sentence:
If Sharon comes home at midnight when the party is
over (D’ exists), then I will not ensure Sharon’s safety (B doesn’t exist)
because at midnight it is not safe for Sharon to return home by herself. At
midnight the boys at the party might break some “limits”. Are those suitable assumptions
for B/D?
Let’s use the known method of exposing assumptions and
see if the same assumptions will be exposed.
In order to “ensure Sharon’s safety” (B), I must have
Sharon home by 10 p.m. (D), because at midnight it is not safe for Sharon to
return home by herself. (At midnight the boys at the party might break some
“limits”).
As you can see the same assumptions can be exposed.
D is a necessary condition for B.
D’ is in conflict with D, which means D’ and D can’t
coexist.
From this stems:
If D’ exists then B does not exit.
When we examine why when D’ exists then B does not
exist, we are checking at the same time why D is a
necessary condition for B.
QUOTES...
“Our entire school system is based on the notion of
passive students that must be ‘taught’ if they are to learn. Our country spends
tens of billions of dollars each year not just giving students a second- rate
education, but at the same time actively preventing them from getting an
education on their own. And I’m angry at how school produces submissive students
with battered egos. Most students have no idea of the true joys of learning,
and of how much they can actually achieve on their own.”
— Adam Robinson, co-founder of The Princeton Review
EDITOR’S NOTE
Educators, share your TACT teaching and training ideas
that prove Mr. Robinson is wrong when he says we produce “passive, submissive
students who can’t get an education on their own.”
The TOC Thinking And Communication Tools are
the basis for creating active, independent, motivated students. Do you agree?
We know this is a very busy time for educators.
Nevertheless, TACTics needs your input to be successful. Please take the time
to share your TACT teaching and training ideas. Remember we learn best by
teaching and sharing with others.
Send your ideas to:
Hyperlink: Baughca@aol.com
Or
bucknek@resa.net
Mail:
Cheryl A Baugh
27731 Lathrup Blvd.
Lathrup Village, MI 48076 USA
WIZDOM
One of Kay Buckner-Seal’s favorite books is by Thomas
Armstrong, Awakening Genius in the Classroom published by ASCD. This
book is a great resource to use as we develop classrooms that encourage
children to become active
participants in their learning. Kay shares this with
us.
Awakening Genius; A Backdrop for the Socratic Method
The genial classroom is a place dedicated to the
celebration of learning and young minds. It is a place that honors and
celebrates the capacities of each student. Genial classrooms share at least
five characteristics regardless of content and grade level:
Freedom to choose; choices are carefully designed within safe and clear structures,
Open-ended exploration; students are allowed to explore a subject without
necessarily having to reach a fixed point,
Freedom from judgment; students are allowed to learn in an atmosphere free
of criticism and judgment,
Honoring every student’s experience; ideas can be explored in an atmosphere of trust,
mutual understanding, and diversity of opinion,
Belief in every student’s
genius; the teacher serves as an
advocate for each student among the unbelieving in the student’s life.
NETWORKING
Story line— It
is the beginning of the new school year and you want to guide your students
towards developing good learning/study habits. Right? Sure, but how?
Solution— Give
your students an edge by teaching them a technique for planning their projects
and achieving their GOALs.
Sure, we all know that’s the PrT but what’s a good way
to teach the process to kids?
Jim and Jackie Trimble from Seattle, Washington have a
couple of great ideas.
Jackie shares a lesson she used with her middle school
students and reports that it had great results:
The Mouse Trap—
For this project you will be asked to build a
mousetrap. This mechanism must be one where an action causes a reaction and it
must have a least three or more actions to complete the catch. You must also
have diagrams of your planned mechanism showing how it works.
Earn 10 points for the diagrams
Earn 10 points for completing a project plan (detailed
explanation of the PrT)
Earn 10 points for creativity (finding unusual
solutions)
Earn 20 points for completing project according to
guidelines
Most work will be done in class however, some work may
need to be done outside of class, including collecting materials.
Jim’s version of introducing the PrT to his colleagues
from Boeing:
Give the Mouse a Cookie—
Present your class, team, or committee with an
ambitious target. Be sure that your target statement is very broad.
Jim’s ambitious target:
Have fresh baked cookies for this meeting tomorrow.
The cookies will be mixed, cooked, and consumed in
this room.
Define and refine the target. Avoid “solution
statements”— define only what the target is.
Jim’s defined and refined target:
Have 8 dozen fresh, soft-baked chocolate chip cookies
for this meeting tomorrow at noon.
The cookies will be mixed from scratch, fresh baked,
and served hot. We will be prepare and serve the cookies in this room.
Now follow the rest of the steps for achieving an
ambitious target.
Jackie says, she too, has
used this ambitious target in her classroom with tasty success.