In this week’s issue:
(2) Reader Response, Zzippi Margalit
Quote
(4) H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Editors’
Notes
(5) Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A.
Edwards
(1) Danilo's
Concept Cloud
From Eleanor May-Brenneker, Director,
TOCFE, Netherlands
At the
latest POOGI day 13th Nov. 01 in the Netherlands, I introduced my colleagues
there to Rami's 3 UDE cloud, Rami's three-in-one text cloud (i.e. from specific
external to-generic to-specific internal) and Danilo's teaching concepts
through clouds. And, I compiled 10-step
summaries in Dutch as a handout on all three.
Today I'll share with you the Danilo concept cloud as practised by our
Dutch TOCFE enthusiasts.
In our
story, Jack had lost his bike key (typical Dutch scenario!) in the playing
field next to his friend's house. Then
I let the two groups discover a variety of solutions using Danilo's Cloud demo
material guidelines. It went like a
train!
This
exercise was followed by the groups working out a new scenario and concept
cloud which would eventually lead to the “solution” of surface calculation:
length x width.
Scenario:
Group 1: Found that Mary could choose the
wallpaper for her room to be decorated and had to find how many rolls to buy.
Group 2: Peter was helping Dad to tile the
patio.
D: Roughly measure/guess tiles needed
D': Not roughly measure/guess tiles needed
B: Get started with the job the way I know
C: Not waste precious time, money or tiles
A: Be happy with our new patio
Alternatives
to the solution were: cutting out 1 square foot newspaper tile templates
in rows and counting them, (tedious and boring!) or counting the number of
Dad's footsteps in rows to get an idea of the tiles needed ( not very accurate
and time consuming). So the
solution, discovered by “the pupils themselves” seemed most effective!
What
also turned out to be educationally very important was the application of the
Socratic approach: every idea has merit and we need to get consensus on the
most practical one without knocking any of the alternatives or any of the
pupils' suggestions in the process. We
never harm anyone with our actions!
The groups
found this a very worthwhile teaching tool and they foresee plenty of
application opportunities. Thanks
Danilo! A report of the Rami
applications will follow soon. Just
having a tea break!
Love and
best wishes!
(3) READER RESPONSE
(In Response to TACTics: November 23, 2001)
Dear Cheryl,
It was so
exciting to read all the initiatives that you, USA colleagues, are taking in
the field of TOC in education. I've
learned a lot!
While
reading the journal and your goal "to help achieve the goals of TOCFE” in
the USA, I felt that I have to mention again my idea of using forums on the
Internet in order to achieve an ambitious target. We can all establish such a forum in our TOC site, and work
together on this target, with no limits of time and space. It is so easy!
You can see
an example at this address:
http://vcisrael.macam.ac.il/site/eng/dropdown.asp?page=fm&subject=f&forumid=42
Yours,
Zzippi
From Alejandrina Gonzalez, Mexico
Back here we
are still working with a lot of enthusiasm.
All the teachers are very interested in knowing the TOC tools. I think the success we've had is all because
of the change of attitude they have seen within themselves, with their family,
and with their students.
In our
school system, the teachers need to take a few courses for their personal and
professional growth. Since we started
with the TOC program, it has been voluntary.
There hasn't been any obligation in taking it. And to the surprise of everyone it has been the most popular, and
the one that has grown the most!
Marina
has been doing a follow up with all the teachers to be sure that they are
applying the Toc tools in their classrooms.
She also interviews the teachers besides visiting their classrooms. She is also available for any questions or
doubts they might have. This gives us
the conscious responsibility we have towards the principals, teachers, and
students.
Also we are
very happy because after a year they have called us from the juvenile center to
give the program to a group of kids that will be free this December. We have Marcela, Ramona and Alma Delia
working with them. The kids are very happy and we are starting to see a change
in their attitude.
Here
are our events in Mexico just for November:
Nuevo Leon:
6 presentations in the Public Education System of Nuevo Leon to 175 teachers
4 courses of 40 hours: 113 teachers and students.
1 course of 10 hours: 33 teachers.
Sonora:
1 course of 10 hours to 40 teachers from a private school.
Marina and I also gave 2 presentations in Hermosillo, Sonora One was a
presentation to the n a First National Mediation Conference attended by
teachers, judges, Magistrados, and lawyers. The other presentation was to the
Minister of Education from Sonora and his team of 100 heads from the education
system there.
We are
working on our two interactive seminars for September, 2002. I want to thank, very much, all of the
people that gave us materials at the conference in Detroit. They have been very helpful. I wish they all will continue to send
materials, so that we can make good use of them here in México.
I
send my regards to all the TOCFE family from our beautiful city of the
mountains, Monterrey!
(4) “There
are people who will always come up with reasons why you can’t do what you want
to do. Ignore them.” —H. Jackson Brown Jr., Life’s Little
Treasure Book: On Success
(5) Kay
Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards
Eleanor, Alejandrina,
and Zzippi thanks for sharing in this week’s TACTics. It is always a pleasure to read about what’s
new around the world in connection to TOCFE.
To the rest of our TOCFE
family, tell us what’s on your mind.
Your responses, applications of the thinking processes, lessons,
announcements, and etc. are always welcomed.
If you would like to send by mail, send it to: Cheryl A. Edwards, 2253 S. Hill Island
Rd., Cedarville, Michigan 49719, USA.
Or send hyperlink to: redwards@sault.com,
or bucknek@earthlink.net.
We hope to be hearing
from you soon!
To
view TACTics in its intended formatting, visit our website at
www.tocforeducation.com
and click on “What’s New.”