NETWORKING
(1) Editor’s Comments, Cheryl A. Edwards
(2) TOC for Education Begins in Caracas,
Venezuela, Francis Conde
(3) TOC for Education: Happenings in Texas, USA, Paula
Sommer
SECONDARY TACTICS
(4) An Alternative to Hazing: The Results of an
Intervention Activity, Cheryl A. Edwards
CONNECTIONS
(5) 4th Annual TOC for Education International Conference
QUOTE
(6) Colin Powell
EDITORS’
NOTE
(7) Kay Buckner-Seal and
Cheryl Edwards
NETWORKING
(1) Editors’ Note
Cheryl A. Edwards, Director, USA
“There is genius in
persistence. It conquers all
opposers. It gives confidence. It annihilates obstacles. Everybody believes in a determined man. People know that when he undertakes a thing,
the battle is half won, for his rule is to accomplish whatever he sets out to
do.” —Orison Sweet Marlen
We love success! This week’s TACTics is full of just some
of the wonderful success stories that are surfacing from around the world. Many of us, as we strive toward achieving
our goal of getting the TOC Thinking Tools into the hands of children, have
found that our task is not easy.
Hopefully these stories will give you some synergy to “keep going,” to
persevere with determination, knowing that there is (more and more) hope for
success. Thank you, Frances and Paula
for sharing the results of your hard work.
Also, CONGRATULATIONS to Frances and to Paula and her Texas team: Dr. Charles Blanton, Dr. James Hughey, and Delores Harris for
helping us all to achieve our goal! Paula, Charlie, Jim and Delores will be giving a
presentation regarding their work and results at the 4th Annual TOC
for Education International Conference in
Monterrey, Mexico.
(2) TOC for Education
Begins in Caracas, Venezuela!
By Francis Conde
After 5 months of
looking for a group of teachers interested in receiving the Thinking and
Communication Skills Workshop, the children's home, "Hogar Divino
Niño" (Holly Kid Home) finally showed interest. Hogar Divino Niño is a safe haven for homeless children between
the ages of 3 to 15 and are of the lowest social status.
The first TOCFE Workshop
starts June 10 and continues every Saturday for six Saturdays. We are going to have six voluntary workers
from the directives of the Institution, two psychologists, three home care
workers, and four teachers from the public school where the kids attend. And, as an initiative of the principal of
the Institution, they have invited two teachers and two principals from similar
institutions, to extend the workshop in the near future to the other 50 homes
located in the metropolitan area in Caracas.
Local branches of the
Lion International Club are going to be the logistic sponsors for the whole
program. The Network of children homes
for homeless kids is a non-governmental organization; non-profit oriented,
supported by the Lion International Club under the direction of a Catholic
Church. There is a bishop involved as
the responsible authority from the church on ethic and philosophical
principles. Each home covers around 200
kids, all of them coming from vacant single mothers or non-formal employers,
and all of them are studying in regular schools and living in the Institution.
There are two other
private schools for kids from social status between lower and middle-class,
which are showing interest in implementing the workshop as well as a private
high-social class school.
We feel that we are
doing a better job, now, here in Venezuela.
It hasn't been easy but we know that TOC gives us the tools to make our
life's work better. Rafael shared a
proverb with me: "Don't be afraid to go slow, be afraid to stop."
(3) TOC for
Education: Happenings in Texas, USA
By Paula Sommer
TOC
Training for Principals and Teachers
The first series of TOC
for Education training in Dallas by The Institute for Standards in Quality
Education is scheduled for June 6, June 20, July 25, September 19, and October
17 at the Bill Priest Institute, Dallas County Community College. The dates of the second series are September
27, October 25, November 15, January 24, 2001 and February 21, 2001. We welcome all educators.
Dallas Independent
School District (DISD)
School to Work partners
in Dallas, Glenn Bounds and Principal Louise Smith, attended the February TOC
training. As a result, Glenn has
recommended TOC training be added to the Chamber sponsored school
curriculum. We are expecting to
schedule TOC training for the next 20 partnerships (along with other support
people from the schools) once identified.
Principal
Louise Smith (Townview Magnet School, DISD) and Superintendent Annette
Griffith, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, have indicated they will be sending
participants to the series beginning June 6.
Grand
Prairie ISD
We are working with the
Director of Elementary Education in Grand Prairie
ISD on four
projects:
1. Improving the Principal Evaluation
Process— We began with using the Transition Tree in helping them clarify the
gaps. We plan to use all the tools in
helping them revise their process.
2. Improving the Campus Improvement
Planning Process— They are selecting three pilot campuses. We will use a combination of tools to help
them revise their entire planning process.
3. Improving the District Improvement
Planning Process and Integrating the District and Campus Plans— Here again we
expect all tools will be taught as we work through the process. We are awaiting the hand-off of this process
to staff since the superintendent has a process for gathering community input
well underway before we came into the picture.
4. Retreat for Principals— This has been
delayed while the District prepares for a state audit.
Arlington ISD -
Hutcheson Junior High (7th and 8th grades)
We are working with
Hutcheson as a part of a grant to bring the community and school together in
using standards to improve education delivered to around 900 students. Over 50% are considered economically
disadvantaged.
Hutcheson was where I
expected to use the new notebook with students. The
Principal is quite
excited about using it. I used the
tools in coaching her as well as helping her resolve a conflict between two
students. As a result of this approach
the process has been changed to teaching all of the teachers so that they, in
turn, will be able to teach all of the students.
The current plan
developed with the principal is to change the beginning of school so that each
class does an Ambitious Target aimed at having a successful class with all
students succeeding at learning the class objectives and passing the required
tests. The process of redesigning the
beginning of school for next year starts with the Site Based Team (May 23)
developing their Ambitious Target. In
June, I will meet with the principal (weekly) to lay out all the plans in
detail. When the principal, assistant
principals and counselors come back (July 21 and 24), we will teach the tools
and fine-tune the materials for delivery at Hutcheson. We will teach two tools, the PrT and the
Evaporating Cloud, to the teachers when they return August 7. Each teacher will have the training
materials needed for use with their students.
Each class will create a PrT on having a successful class with all
students succeeding at learning and passing the required tests.
The Cloud will be used
for three sessions with students to make decisions on:
1.
being successful at school: complete homework / do
not complete homework; participate in extracurricular activities / do not
participate in extracurricular activities
2. having
a safe school: speak up/ do not speak
up and join a gang / do not join a gang.
3. making
sound decisions: use the cloud / do not use the cloud; use the ambitious
target/ do not use the ambitious targets; set goals / do not set goals.
Weatherford
ISD
We have shown two
principals how to analyze their Campus Improvement Plan using the TrT. This led to them wanting to redo the entire
process. We will teach them the PrT
process for working with their Site Based Team. Both have the workbook and are looking at it for use with their
students. Next meeting is May 30 when
we will develop the plan for working with them and their staffs next year. Our target is to present all of the tools to
their staffs next year.
Haskell
ISD
I just got back from
four days in Indianapolis with Superintendent Billie McKeever, Haskell
ISD. We co-presented at the Annual
Quality Congress on
"Using Statistical
Thinking to Improve Education." We
will work with her using all the tools to accomplish what she desires for her
district. She has the workbook for
students and an overwhelming list of possibilities, which I have assured her we
can work through using the cloud and the trees. We have worked for two years laying the foundation of PDSA,
profound knowledge and systems thinking with her, her principals and
counselors. What she has done with that
information was impressive to the AQC listeners, so I am quite excited about
working with her to design an in-depth plan for her district using TOC. She is planning on being a hub for districts
in her area to be trained. Haskell is
three hours west of here in the wide-open spaces of West Texas where rural,
small schools abound. My ambitious target is
to guide them in developing and launching a plan for a series in West
Texas.
(4) An Alternative to Hazing: The Results of A
Group
Intervention
Activity, By Cheryl
A. Edwards
Last week, Doug shared his experience using the cloud
with high school senior girls who were practicing the demoralizing art of
hazing. After defining the problem, one
young lady came up with the following injection:
“As seniors we already have
seniority. I could introduce myself to
the
freshman and help them find their
way around the building. We should
be the people they look up to and
admire, not run away from.’
We
thought it would be interesting to hear the results of this group intervention
activity. TACTics Journal
contacted Doug and he told us that the senior girls created their clouds last
September and since then he has had no further referrals regarding this
practice. Great results, Doug!
(5) 4th
Annual TOC for Education International Conference
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 Deadline:
(for Conference Rates) July 25.
Make
reservations directly with the hotel and identify 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
Airport
in Monterrey, Mexico:
Gen. Mariano Escobedo International
Airport (Code is MTY).
Transportation
from Airport to hotel: Cab $15.
Departure
Tax: $10.00
Returning to the United
States: Caution! Make certain that you can return to the United States with the
proof of citizenship that you take with you. U.S. law requires that you
document both your U.S. citizenship and identity when you reenter the United States.
(6) “Success
is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and
persistence.” —Colin Powell
(7) To our entire TOCFE Family, we would
really love to hear your comments, examples and concerns. 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