TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

September 22, 2000

 

CONTENTS

WIZDOM

   (1)     Think Big!, Kathy Suerken

NETWORKING

   (2)     The Miracle Happened, Gila Glatter, Israel

CONNECTIONS

   (3)   International TOCFE Conference 2001, Kathy Suerken

   (4)   Updated Ordering Information, Evalyn and Lyman Ellis, USA

EDITORS’ NOTE

   (5)     Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards

 

WIZDOM

(1)      Think BIG!

By Kathy Suerken

 

"Our thoughts and imaginations are the only real limits to our possibilities." —Orison Swett Marden

 

Have you ever found yourself in front of a group of people you don't know for the purpose of convincing them to participate in something that is really important to you?  Such as a group of people who are gathered to learn: “What is TOC?”

 

How do we even start to build credibility— not only for ourselves but also for our subject matter?  Do you agree that people like to be associated with something that is successful…and BIG?  We know also that the best way to transfer ideas is not to tell others but to let them draw their own conclusions.

 

Recently, Audrey Taylor and I discussed her action to meet those needs as she stood in front of 20 educators and 6 children in Trinidad —a TACT class of people who really did not know: “What is TOC?”  As she illustrated the worldwide impact of TOC For Education with a brightly colored transparency of 13 national flags, Audrey noted the eyes of the children just lit up!  They widened with awe.  It was as if they were thinking, “I can be part of something really BIG —connected to people around the world!" 

 

Since TOC For Education was not yet organized in Trinidad, their flag was missing from Audrey's transparency and the children and teachers wanted their flag up there too!  For those who were not at our conference, maybe it's time for a little awesome update on our worldwide impact.  Get out your mental crayons!  Here are the nations where we have developing programs as of our conference, Aug 12, 2000:

 

Colombia

Israel

Malaysia

Mexico

Netherlands

Philippines

Republic of South Africa

Russia

Singapore

Taiwan

United Kingdom

United States of America

Venezuela

 

And in the last 30 days we have added:

 

Trinidad and Tobago

Yugoslavia

Ecuador

 

I'd like to share a letter I just received from Jorge Arias, a businessman from Ecuador who so much believes in TOCFE, that he acted on his ambitious thoughts.  The letter is written to YOU because you are TOC For Education.

 

Dear Katty:

My wife and me have to thank you to all of you, TOCFE family, for the opportunity of learning more about the improving possibilities in our educational system.  During the last two weeks we have learned that all the effort investing for the two idealistic ladies, Alejandrina and Marina, have been put in fertile soil.  They seed the hope in almost 75 people who attended TACT seminar in Ecuador.  We believe that in the near future we will see the fruits of their time.

 

Originally we had planned to hold 2 seminars (one in Quito and other in Cuenca), but due to the extraordinary result of them, the principal from another high school in Quito asked us for a third one.  Alejandrina accepted to delay her return to Monterrey.  In Cuenca, Marina caused an extraordinary movement in the public educational authorities that at the end, she was asked for her commitment to come back early in 2001 to hold the "How to teach seminar.”  A local newspaper interviewed her about TOCFE philosophy.

 

We firmly believe that Ecuador will accept to implement TOCFE in all levels of educational system.  That's our ambitious target.  We have the commitment for working in that way.  Again, thank you very much for your help.

 

Warm regards,

Vero and Jorge

 

Because of ambitious targets like that one and ambitious actions by the people of TOCFE, we have impacted over two million children in the last 5 years.  With that number as a frame of reference, keep in mind that TOC— the cloud, the NBr, and PrT (ambitious target tool), is being written into the transition program for EVERY kindergarten student in Malaysia for year 2001!  Additionally, it is being recommended for the national curriculum for preschool students.

 

Therefore, the anticipated impact of the TOC tools to prepare children for life will therefore double in 2001 to 4 million children… Exponential growth through the results of one nation!

 

Khaw Choon Ean's achievement in bringing TOCFE to Malaysia is phenomenal and you are part of it because she is drawing from the global bank of ideas (applications, shared work, even quotes!) that you have contributed.  YOU are part of something big and TOCFE is big because of YOU.

 

NETWORKING

(2)      The Miracle Happened

From Gila Glatter, Israel

 

Shalom my TOCFE friends,

Last week I had a very interesting TACT course for 4 full days and I would like to share some experiences we shared together through the learning.  There were 20 of us, all academic teachers who are working in the teachers' collages all over our small country.  We came from a variety of academic fields and diverse sectors.  The number of men & women were equal and I was very pleased about that.

 

We were working on 3 TOC tools: the Cloud, the PrT and the NBr.  I was a bit scared, facing these very smart people, who are considered the best in their field.  Each one of them has a lot to say about teaching and education. And indeed, as I assumed, during my introduction to TOC philosophy, I was disturbed many times.  Almost everyone had something smart to say or argue about.  I asked them to delay their responses, but my pleas were neglected.  The time went very fast and I was worried about loosing the people, but the miracle happened.  All of a sudden, I found myself lecturing in front of very interested and cooperative people.  The participants were listening very carefully.  The new way of operating that I was offering to them for organizing information touched their intelligence and made them curious to exam the tools to see if they would be effective on the relevant issues with which they were dealing.

 

How to combine theory with meaningful implementation in instruction was the most relevant issue for all.  Putting the polemic words and thoughts into a cloud diagram, made the big problem as one clear, bright, focused and understood issue.  It was amazing how they were interested to learn more; asking questions and not letting me go for recess.  Getting your colleagues' attention, and appraisement, is a big deal in the academic milieu.

 

The next day most of the people came up with their conflicts, sharing their reflection on the process they had gone through.  Someone said she did not know if the tool is genius or just simple.  We know that genius makes things simple...  Working on content texts has shown almost everyone, how we can make the textbooks relevant to our lives, examine the solutions toward a win- win action, and invent better injections if needed.  We also worked on defining Ambitious Targets that are relevant to our milieu like:

     "I build an interesting introduction course in the university"

     “The student does not have discipline problems through her/his lesson."

     "School is clean from drugs.”

     "I write a quality research paper which is highly evaluated. "

     "I know how to build a good lesson."

Now, I have a bank of relevant targets that I can use in many classes.

 

We tried to build a questionnaire for a research: checking the worth of using the PrT as a tool for building a strategic plan, and comparing it to a group who works on a plan without the PrT.  The elements of the questionnaire were not easy to come up with, but we have at least a start up.  We’ll see what will happen in the coming days.  By the end of the 4 days we have the feeling that we're going to be keeping in touch, joining the growing TOCFE family, breaking through the way for more leaders in education.

 

Take care,

Gila

 

CONNECTIONS

(3)            Ambitious Target: International TOCFE Conference 2001

From Kathy Suerken

 

Speaking of ambitious targets, plans are already underway for next year's conference.  We know TOC is about honestly looking at obstacles that might prevent the target of a successful next conference…Hmmm.  The first one that comes to my mind is the success of this year's conference… How to improve on that!?

 

To do so, I borrowed an idea from the TOC global bank!  It was contributed by Galina Doyla and shared at Conference 2000.  Therefore, I am EXCITED to announce the 5th International TOC For Education Conference and the 1st TOC for Education International Children's Conference will be held concurrently in Detroit, Michigan USA in summer 2001. 

 

We have many obstacles to overcome in establishing the best date for our event in order to ensure Eli's participation as well as high (local and international) attendance and to coordinate that with venue availability etc. You will know as soon as we have achieved all the IOs to the “most effective date.”  In the meantime, I wonder how BIG we'll be by next year!  It's up to all of us!

 

(4)            Updated Ordering Information

Evalyn and Lyman Ellis, USA

 

To order audio or videotapes of The Fourth International TOC for Education Upgrade Conference, request an order form from:

Evalyn May Ellis and Lyman Bruce Ellis d.b.a. RECORDING BY ELLIS
536 Timber Lane, Post Office Box 120502, Big Bear Lake CA 92315-8942

Phone or Fax: 909-866-8987 or 800-262-0429; ellisbigbear@earthlink.net

The order form for the tapes of the conference is posted on the TOCFE web page under "What's New.”  Readers are able to print it out and go from there!

 

EDITORS’ NOTE

(5)     Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards

To all of our TOCFE family, in next week’s TACTics look forward to reading more about: The Malaysian Experience, by C. Ean Khaw from Malaysia and exploring Scientific Thinking Study, Using the Theory of Constraints, by Dr. Rami Kallir and Maya Kallir from Israel. 

 

Do you a have a special quote, a lesson design, a flying pig, or just a great experience you would like to share?  If so, send hyperlink to: 

<bucknek@resa.net>

or

<redwards@sault.com>.

Or, you may send it by mail to:

Cheryl A. Edwards

2253 S. Hill Island Road

Cedarville, MI 49719 USA