TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

July 21, 2000

 

 

CONTENTS

           

            CONNECTIONS

                              (1)The 2nd TOCFE Conference in Israel, Continued, Rami Goldratt

                  4th International TOC for Education Upgrade Conference

                                  (2)            New Internet Site

                                  (3)    Conference Information

            NETWORKING

                           (4)            Responses to ‘Look Who’s on a POOGI!’, ZZippi Margalit, Denise Meyer

 

 

CONNECTIONS

(1)             The 2nd TOCFE Conference in Israel

By Rami Goldratt

Well, you waited long enough to hear the rest of the coverage of the second TOCFE conference in Israel. I admit, it’s been a while since the first part of the coverage. It’s just that I had a lot of work. But now, when I have to prepare work assignments for the university, there is nothing like writing a report for the TACTIC Journal, as a good excuse not to study.

 

The first part of my report about the conference ended with the beginning of Mira's presentation. To remind you all, Mira is a teacher of teachers, who teaches at colleges and schools throughout the country.

Mira began her presentation by sharing what she thinks is one of the basic problems of the teacher.  On one hand, in order to be a successful teacher, a teacher needs to pass information to the student (that is also the standard by which s/he is measured). In order to meet this condition, the teacher wants to be, what Mira calls, "More of an informative teacher", that is, a teacher who focuses his teaching on passing information to hes students.

On the other hand, in order to be a successful teacher, the teacher needs to model being a good character to hes students (guide them to be a good person). In order to fulfill this need, the teacher should be, what Mira calls, "More of an educating teacher", that is, a teacher who focuses hes teaching on the students lives and behavioral aspects.

 

Mira claims, that these two types, the 'Informative teacher' and the 'Educating teacher', that every teacher feels compelled to adopt, are practically in conflict. For most teachers being an Informative teacher' and also being an 'Educating teacher' is impossible.  The time & resources available for the teacher forces hem, many times, to make a choice: either be an 'Informative teacher' or to be an 'Educating teacher'.

 

Now, Mira pointed out that this conflict is based on many false assumptions, one of them is that:  "It is impossible to use the information 'scheduled' to be passed to the students, as a means to educate them".

Mira claims that the teacher can use the material that s/he is supposed to teach the student in a way that deals with their lives and educates them to become a better person.  I stress again, because it is very important. THE TEACHER DOESN'T HAVE TO CHANGE THE MATERIAL S/HE ALREADY INTENDED TO TEACH. The teacher also doesn't have to change the measurements by which hes students and s/he are measured.  What the teacher does is teach the content in a way that will be relevant to the student’s day to day lives.

How can s/he do that easily?

Well, you probably have guessed it. The teacher will use the thinking tools in order to teach the content.  How can we use the thinking tools in a way that will teach the content and educate the student?

 

Instead of telling you the general sense behind the method, I'll describe an example Mira shared with us during her presentation.  For those of you who wish to learn more about it, I'll share the methodology in the future.

 

Mira spoke of a story called "The Necklace" by De-Mopasan, I probably miss-spelled it, but you are used to Raminglish by now.  This story is being taught at every school as part of the program. Mira taught it to 5th grade students.

For those of you who don't know the story, or "forgot it" (I am so polite), I'll describe it briefly. The story is about a very poor couple. This couple was very happy living together, had a lot of friends, and did not let their poor economic status get in their way. One day the couple was invited to a very exclusive party. The woman wanted to look respectable, so she borrowed from her rich friend a diamond necklace.

After the party when the couple returned home, they discovered that the necklace was missing. They searched everywhere, but they couldn't find it. The woman did not want to tell her friend, so they sold everything they had, took big loans, and bought another diamond necklace which they gave to the rich friend.  Needless to say, their economic situation deteriorated.  They had to work for 15 years, living in bad conditions, and loosing all their friends, in order to pay back the loans they took.

After 15 years, the woman met her rich friend accidentally on the street. Responding to her friend’s question, she told her, that her life had been destroyed, and told her the whole story.  Her astonished friend said, "But the necklace I gave you was fake, it cost only 5$. Why didn't you tell me?”

 

Well, how can you teach this story and educate the students using the Cloud?

That's right, Mira guided the students to construct the internal cloud of the woman:

A- To feel good with myself

B- To protect my honor (Not to feel embarrassed)

D- Not to tell the friend about the necklace

C- Try to receive help and support

D'- Tell the friend about the necklace

 

This cloud summarizes the essence of the story.  The assumptions also expose other details from the story.  Do you see any resemblance of this cloud to the students ‘Day to Day’ lives?

 

Mira asked the students to think for while about their lives and tell her if they also have a similar conflict.  After a few minuets, one student raised his hand and spoke of a dilemma he has. His parents got divorced, and he is very frustrated.  He has a dilemma, should he tell his friends about his frustration or not. His needs were exactly the same needs as the ones from the "Necklace cloud". Now, when his friends in class, heard his dilemma, they immediately supported him and told him that he should have told them.

Mira then guided a discussion over this case.

She also received other examples (to tell a secret or not...) 

 

By transferring the cloud from the story to the student’s lives, Mira was able to move from being an informative teacher, who teaches the story, to being an educating teacher, who shapes a good character of her students.

Mira has many other examples from other subject matters, such as History, Bible, Geography...  In every subject matter, she claims, it is possible to move from the cloud of the content, to a cloud from the day to day lives of the students. This way they are being educated, and really learn the content -not just memorizing it.

 

Have a better world

Rami Goldratt

 

Editor’s Note:

Thank you, Rami, for sharing this valuable learning with our TACTics’ readers.  We all hope that your studies have not suffered too much. A big ‘Thanks’ to Mira, also. The cloud she shares is certainly a generic teacher’s cloud.  We agree, the solution can be used by all educators in all subject areas and in all countries.  Our global world is not as big as we seem to think. We hope to hear from both of you again!

 

4th International TOC for Education Upgrade Conference

 

(2)            Conference Information:

August 9-12, 2000

Monterrey, Mexico

Conference Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

 

Conference Registration

$75.00 covers the cost of lunches. 

Send checks payable to TOC for Education, Inc. along with your registration forms to:

Attention: Bernie Kean

TOC for Education, Inc.

1532 Glenlake Circle

Niceville, FL   32578  USA

 

Airport:            Gen. Mariano Escobedo International Airport (Code is MTY). 

   Transportation from Airport to hotel: Cab $15.

   Departure Tax: $10.00

 

Hotel:             Sheraton Ambassador Hotel- Monterrey, Mexico

(*Room rates are based on single OR double occupancy.)

Classic room—            $86(+tax)For more than two people to a room, there is a $15.00 charge for each extra person.

 

Reservations: Identify yourself as a member of TOC for Education.

                Mexico — (direct to the hotel)                           1.800.832.8400

                        USA & Canada— (central reservation)                        1.800.325.3535

                        Nations outside of North America—(switchboard)                  1.528.380.7000

 

Registration Deadline:            July 25, 2000 (for conference rates)

 

(3)      Check It Out!

A new page on the Internet announcing… TOC for Education’s IV International Conference in Monterrey, Mexico.  You can access in either of two ways:

           

http://www.galeon.com/zurdomx/

or

www.tocforeducation.com.

 

Click on “What's new” and you will see the link for the conference.  Thanks for a great job, Sebastian !

 

(4)Response to: ‘Look Who’s on a POOGI!’, TACTics Journal, July 14,2000

Responses from ZZippi Margalit, Israel and Denise Meyer, USA

 

Last week we asked for your help in our continuing efforts to make the TACTics Journal a publication that entertains, celebrates and provides us with new knowledge.  We are growing our Prerequisite Tree.  Thank you, Denise and Zzippi for taking the time to help us.

Ambitious Target:

TOC for Education practitioners are intrinsically motivated to enthusiastically share their learning experiences with their fellow TACTics readers.

 

Would you agree with this ambitious target?  Will you help us with the verbalization? 

Some thoughts from Denise:

 On the verbalization of the target, I think you need to exclude the words ‘are motivated’ and just say "we share".  Because I'm motivated—sometimes there are just some obstacles that are more concrete.  

Like:

Ø       I know that piece of work is somewhere--but where?

Ø       How do I format it and load it so TACTics can read it?

 

As usual I thought there were all kinds of obstacles but as I think about

it, there's really not so many.  I think that one is my biggest.  Which brings

us back to time.

We know you have more obstacles.  We’ll add Denise’s and the following from Zzippi to the list and wait for yours.

 

More Obstacles contributed by ZZippi:

Ø      there are no new experiences during summer holidays

Ø      there are not enough educators that apply TOC in education

Ø      it is not easy to write in English if it is not your mother tongue

 

Original Obstacles:

Educators often do not have the time to write up their experiences.

Educators don’t know if their stories are worthy of publication.

Putting experiences in “writing” and then sharing leaves the author open to criticism.

Readers don’t realize the importance of sharing their experiences.

 

An Intermediate Objectiive offered by ZZippi :

Obstacle:
Educators do not have the time to write up their experiences.
Ø      I.O.:
Ø      Collect short notes during the year and write it up on summer holiday. 

 

Appeal

Won’t you please take the time to help us on our POOGI?  We need your help with the:

      (1)      Verbalization of our ambitious target.

      (2)       Obstacles that prevent you (and others) from sending in articles.

      (3)       Intermediate Objectives that will invalidate the obstacle(s).

 

We look forward to hearing from you!  Send responses via hyperlink to <bucknek@resa.net> or <redwards@sault.com>.  Or you may send them by mail to:  Cheryl A. Edwards, 2253 S. Hill Island Road, Cedarville, MI 49719 USA