A Publication for and by
TOC for Education Practitioners
January 28, 2000
"To accomplish great
things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also
believe."
Imagine a luxurious hotel in
the midst of exciting downtown Monterrey (a mere $10 cab ride from the
airport). So much is in walking distance that your family will be pleasantly
entertained if they have come with you while you are TOCing. Or maybe they will just relax at the hotel where
accomodations are beautiful and amenities are plentiful (TOCFE group rates
start at a reasonable $90/night). You
look excitedly over your schedule at the many special cultural events
Alejandrina and Marina have planned to celebrate YOU coming to Mexico!
Entering the hotel
ballroom for the first day's events, you are thinking you can't wait to see
them and all of your TOCFE friends. WOW!
You feel like you are at the United Nations--there are so many different
cultures represented here! It is hard
to separate old friends from new ones--there are so many faces! Is that why the ballroom is so large? 800 people are expected to attend the first
day! The plan to achieve that
ambitious target is so good that the room may not be big enough (surely that's
a positive, not a negative branch). You
correctly assume that any plan which is that effective must have used the TOC
tools and a lot of TOCFE collaboration.
You wonder what was the
starting point. First the dream? You
are so glad that you acted on your own dream. That's why you are here at the
4th ANNUAL
TOCFE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
SHERATON AMBASSADOR HOTEL
MONTERREY, MEXICO
AUG 9-AUG 12 2000
>From
Gila Glatter, Director, Israel
Gila Glatter, Director,
Israel shares this Transition Tree that she uses with students, to help them
with the process of writing a research paper.
Starting Idea: |
I have a general subject
for a research paper. |
Problem: |
The subject is still too
wide and I don’t know where to start. |
Need: |
To define the subject
and to give it a clear direction. |
Action: |
Think of a certain
direction for the subject, and define it.
Write the defined subject at the top of the page, in a prominent
frame. |
Reason: |
A defined subject with a
direction enables me to clear the smoke and to be more focused in my thinking
about the subject. |
Result: |
I have a defined
subject, indicating a clear direction. |
|
|
Problem: |
I still have insufficient
ideas and knowledge about the subject. |
Need: |
Basic information and
preliminary ideas about the subject. |
Action: |
Ask 3 questions: (1)
What do I know about the subject? (2)
What do I want to know about the subject? (3) How does the subject relate to
me and to my surroundings? |
Reason: |
Asking the questions
connects me consciously to my personal internal knowledge before I start
looking for external sources. |
Result: |
I have basic information
and preliminary ideas about the subject. |
|
|
Problem: |
I still have
insufficient information about the
subject. |
Need: |
To expand my knowledge
of the subject. |
Action: |
Surveying additional (information)
sources about the defined subject. |
Reason: |
Surveying the
information will expand my knowledge, deepen my understanding , and enable me
to decide which research question to choose. |
Result: |
I have an interesting, challenging
and worthwhile research question. |
|
|
Problem: |
I still have no
component map of the subject. |
Need: |
I have to decide about
the components which develop the subject. |
Action: |
Raise questions and
sub-topics related to the defined subject. |
Reason: |
Raising the questions
and sub-topics arranges a map of components which will help and direct me in
developing and expanding each component. |
Result: |
I have section headings
that constitute the paper’s framework. |
|
|
Problem: |
I have not yet studied
the relevant information sources in depth. |
Need: |
Collecting specific
material for the sub-topics from a variety of
sources. |
Action: |
Studying the
(information) sources while organizing the materials according to the
sub-topics. |
|
Merge the information. |
|
Create an accurate list
of sources. |
Reason: |
Looking at the sources
while organizing the material according to the sub-topics, merging them and
listing them will save me a lot of
time during the editing stage. Now I
am inside the subject, and I will not have to get into it in depth again. |
Result: |
I have the extended and
deep answers to the research question. |
|
|
Problem: |
Not everything is
properly edited and is not yet worthy of submission. |
Need: |
A properly edited paper,
worthy of submission. |
Action: |
Edit and write the
information while checking and adapting it to
the research question and the section headings. Add an introduction, a conclusion and a bibliography. |
Reason: |
Only content appropriate
to the research question with a logical sequence which seems reasonable to an
external reader will receive appreciation. |
Result: |
I have a sufficient
answer to the research question, which has a chance of receiving
appreciation. |
>From Francois Moll,
Director, Republic of South Africa, fmoll@netactive.co.za
I was sitting in our School
Executive Committee meeting when the topic of the “Matric Farewell” arose. This is a big deal (like Prom night) and
involves fundraising etc. It is not an
event that staff members usually like being in charge of. Nevertheless the comment was made that the 4
ladies who are running it this year (for the first time and not senior members
of staff as is usually the case) are brilliant; they are organized, positive
and have already introduced several innovative ideas. I could not contain my excitement at this and instead of being
inscrutably mysterious, I pointed out that 3 of these ladies had just completed
the TACT and were merely using the TOC tools!
Wishing everyone much joy
and peace for 2000!
Francois Moll
A Call for Curriculum Examples!
By Cheryl Edwards
Have a lesson that worked
especially well, or a training idea that really got your idea across? Won’t you please share your lesson plans or
training ideas with other TOC for Education folks? Everyone is asking for these examples.
Other ways to contribute:
POOGI Pool—Ideas to keep us on a
process of ongoing improvement.
Flying Pigs—Hard to believe but true
stories.
Elementary/Secondary
Tactics—Lesson
plans, strategies, and student artifacts related to using or teaching the
Thinking Tools.
Networking—Information to clarify our
knowledge of the tools and to support each other-encouraging words, clouds to
practice, tips on implementation.
Connections—News to keep us current
with training, sessions, and conferences.
Quotes—Words worth repeating from
the famous and not so famous.
Wizdom— Important thought
provoking contributions.
As always, your contributions
are what make this TACTics Journal.
Please continue to share so that we all may maintain our POOGI. Thanks!
Send HYPERLINK to:
bucknek@resa.net
cherylaedwards@aol.com
Send mail to:
Cheryl A. Edwards
2253 S. Hill Island Road
Cedarville,
MI 49719 USA