ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY TACTS
(1) Diary of a Newbie: PrT and Remedial Math, Wong
Siew Shan
(2) Scenarios for Classroom Practice, Denise
Meyer
CONNECTIONS
(3) 4th
Annual TOC for Education International Conference
QUOTE
(4) Tim Quinn
EDITORS’
NOTE
(5) Kay
Buckner-Seal and Cheryl Edwards
ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY TACTS
(1) Diary of a Newbie in TACT Block: PrT and
Remedial Math
Wong
Siew Shan, Vice-Principal, Jing Shan Primary School, Singapore
3.3.2000
Today I used the PrT in a totally
different way with my P6 Remedial Math group.
I will only be able to tell if what I did today would reap any tangible
results next Tuesday, 7.3.2000.
I planned to teach my pupils how to
construct triangles, given the lengths of all 3 sides of the triangle OR the
lengths of 2 sides of a triangle and the angle where both these lines meet at a
point. Ten minutes before the end of the
lesson, I asked the pupils to construct a triangle ABC with sides AB=6 cm.,
BC=7 cm. and angle ABC=60 degrees. Of
course I knew they would not be able to do it.
That was exactly what I wanted them to tell me. And tell me they
did!
“Why,
what are your problems?” I asked. And as they told me why they could not
construct the triangle for me, I put those down as obstacles first. After that, I asked them how we could
overcome those obstacles. Below was the
very simple PrT we came up with:
The Target of Our Activity: We can construct a triangle given the lengths of 2 sides of a
triangle and the angle between them.
Obstacles: Nobody
has a compass. Nobody
has a protractor. Some
don’t have rulers. We
don’t know how to do it. |
Intermediate Objectives: Everyone
has a compass. Everyone
has a protractor. All
have rulers. We
learn how to do it. Mrs.
Wong teaches us how to do it. |
After that, I said, “Since we need a lot
of instruments that we do not have today, I guess we have to keep this activity
for my next lesson with you. So, can
you tell me what everyone needs to bring for our lesson on Tuesday next
week?” They rattled off all that they
needed to bring.
“Thank you,” I said, “I am sure we would
not face all these obstacles in the next lesson because you all know exactly
what to bring to overcome all these obstacles, right?
A few days later I waited anxiously for
1.30 PM for my Remedial Math Lesson with the P6 pupils. What would be the outcome of the PrT done
with the pupils last Thursday? I started
the lesson with these words, “Today we shall learn how to construct
triangles. Will there be any obstacles
for us today?” No answer to that! The
silence was deafening. “Is there anyone
who did not bring the things that you promised to bring last Friday?” Still no answer! Maybe they did not understand me. So I asked a direct question, “Did you all bring your compasses,
protractors and rulers for our lesson today?”
“Yes!”
I thought I heard everyone answering. Just to confirm, I asked all of them to put
their instruments on the table before I began my lesson. To my amazement, all 21 of my pupils either
had the 3 instruments they promised to bring or they had more than that… their
entire instrument box!
That was too good to be true. I have never had the entire class bringing
all they were required to bring… definitely not this class of pupils. So, what caused this “miracle”? I have a strong feeling it was the PrT. That was the only new variable in the
equation— I am sure their memories could not have improved over night! With every pupil having their own
instruments, we had quite a fruitful session constructing triangles. That was the second successful outcome of
the PrT.
By Denise Meyer, Los Angeles, CA. USA
“The following are the
"simple" day to day conflicts according to middle school
students. What a commentary on our
society. How important is our work!”
—Denise
Editor’s Note: The following
are clouds for the two scenarios we published in TACTics 4/14/00 (www.nwfl.net/suerken/toc).
Did you notice that these scenarios
presented a greater level of complication than scenarios 1 and 2?
Scenario
3—
I have a friend, he’s a guy
but only a friend. Yesterday he put his
hand on me in a way that made me uncomfortable. I want to tell him not to do that again. I’m not sure what to say to him. I don’t really want to lose his friendship
but I also don’t want to be disrespected.
External (between the girl and
the boy)
A: Be friends
B: Be respected
D: Not have my friend touch me
C: Be comfortable with each other
D’: Be able to touch my friend
Internal (the girl)
A: Stay friends
B: Be respected
D: Tell him not to touch me
C: Not offend him
D’: Don’t tell him not to touch me
Scenario
4—
I got angry when Joe took my
notebook without asking. I ran after
him and got it back. A teacher saw me,
but she only saw me running after him.
I got in trouble for chasing him around and bumping into someone. The teacher wouldn’t listen to my
explanation.
A: Good class
B: Be treated fairly
D: Teacher must listen to my explanation
C: Consistency in punishing students who
break rules
D’: Not listen to explanation-treat all rule breakers the same
(3) 4th
Annual TOC for Education International Conference
Sheraton Ambassador Hotel
Monterrey,
Mexico
August
9-12, 2000
Lodging: (*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.
Executive room— $116(+tax) For more
than two people to a room there is a $25.00 charge for each extra person.
Registration
for conference rates must be made before July 25. After this date, rooms will be released and
on a space available basis. Make
reservations directly with the hotel by identifying yourself as a member of
TOC for Education.
To make reservations from:
• 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
We thank Denise Meyer for
her contribution: Scenarios for Classroom Practice, (TACTics, 4/7, 4/14). They can be used as springboards for
identifying conflicts, constructing clouds, and/or surfacing needs and
assumptions. If you decide to use them
in your classroom, we hope that you will share the results in a future issue of
TACTics.
To our entire TOCFE Family,
please continue to share so that we all may maintain our POOGI.
Send
HYPERLINK to:
bucknek@resa.net
redwards@sault.com NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS!
Send
mail to:
Cheryl A. Edwards
2253 S. Hill Island Road
Cedarville,
MI 49719 USA