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.