TACTics Journal
A Publication for and by TOC for Education
Practitioners
June 15, 2001
This Week’s Issue:
POOGI Pool
(1) Progress at Hutcheson Junior High,
Paula Sommer
Connections
(2) Clouds at Wayne RESA, Cheryl A. Edwards
(3) 5th Annual TOCFE International
Conference/First Annual TOCFE
International Student’s Conference, Cheryl A. Edwards
Editor’s Notes
(4) Kay
Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards
POOGI POOL
(1) Progress at Hutcheson Junior High
From Paula Sommer, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Just finished the final progress report on
the grant for Hutcheson Junior
High where we began the year with every
class doing an ambitious target for
everyone in the class mastering the
curriculum. We used this along with the
cloud to help students make decisions. I am
very pleased with the results.
The following is a quote from the report to
TEA:
“In 2000, TAAS reading scores were 76% of
students meeting minimums.
In 2001 84% of all students — 81% of the 7th graders and 85% of the 8th
graders met minimums. 46% of all 8th graders
and 64% of 7th graders met
minimums for TAAS math in 2000. These
increased to 89% for 8th graders,
76% for 7th graders and 83% of all
students.”
They had better improvement than the
district —but the writing which we
did not focus on slipped. Next year we will
work to imbed the Thinking and
Communication
Tools even more and use them on the writing skills.
CONNECTIONS
(2) Clouds at Wayne RESA
By Cheryl A. Edwards, Kay Buckner-Seal
A team of over twenty school improvement
Achievement Group coaches from
Wayne County’s Regional Educational Service
Agency (Wayne RESA), in
Wayne, Michigan, gathered to learn the
Cloud technique in order to better
service their schools. The task of these
coaches is to provide technical
assistance to “priority” schools in Wayne County.
Their goal is to make the
necessary improvements so that all students
can achieve. The obstacles
these schools and their coaches face often
seem insurmountable. They are,
however, obstacles that are being faced by
educators worldwide. Do you
agree?
Some of the obstacles surfaced by the team:
· Leadership
at the local level is not supportive.
· Educators
have lost faith/belief in themselves.
· Lack
of financial resources
· Shortage
of quality time
· Lack
of “quality” professional development
· Educators
are ill-prepared for “new-aged” children.
· Educators
lack strategies for differentiated instruction
· Instruction
is textbook driven
· Districts
lack focus
· Educator’s
perception of “who we are”
· Educators
lack of awareness of available resources and “best practices”
· Leadership
skills are lacking. Leaders are more often “managers” than
leaders
· Educators
are not receptive to “best practices”
· Educators
tend to resist change
· Schools
lack a consistency in the selection and delivery of the learning
process
· Testing
backlash
· Unions
· Lack
of theoretical knowledge
· Unpredicted
obstacles get in our way (…me?)
The team worked together to learn how to
define a problem and then look
for “out of the
box” solutions the TOC-way. Team problem-solving:
Obstacle: Educators are not receptive to
new “best practices”
In order to have:
A: Successful students
B: Educators must meet the needs of ALL
children by improving instruction.
D: Educators must be receptive to
innovative “best practices.”
C: Educators must use “tried and true”
practices.
D’: Educators want to disregard new
practices
B/D Assumptions:
· Research
supports best practices.
· Research
shows that best practices make a big difference in student
learning.
· Continuous
improvement requires openness to change.
· Why?
It allows for assessment that informs instruction.
C/D’ Assumptions:
· Educators
do not have the time.
· Educators
do not have faith in new practices.
· They
are tired of “bandwagon / flavor of the month” programs.
· They
do not have confidence in their ability to use new methods.
· They
can not accept change.
Solution (based on several of the
assumptions):
Connect educator’s “tried and true’
practices to the research of “best
practices” in order to validate their
knowledge and expertise. Find out from
them (and assessment data) what is not
working. Then show ways to enhance
their “favorite” strategies or suggest new
strategies that have proven to
work.
Here are a few responses from the team
concerning their experience using
the cloud:
“It’s not always easy to define the
conflict.” —Dr. Patsy Stewart
“Thank you! I enjoyed the ideas. I would
like more inservice and practice with TOC. I see this as
a useable tool with my schools. —Syndee
Malek
“The TOC cloud: Seems like another useful
set of techniques. Obvious connections to choice
theory / reality
therapy. —Bruce Fay
“As a Regional Educational Service Agency,
we need to look at the models used for decision-making
and conflict resolution, then make a
decision to use the best practice model. We should
then provide professional development in it
and/or incorporate it in all training. The cloud has been
very helpful to me in conflict resolution
and decision-making with others.” —Dr. Halyna Bialczyk
“Social Studies MEAP (Michigan Educational
Assessment Program) does not test content outside
of process. The cloud can give students a
concrete problem-solving method in which to do this.”
—Dr. Karen Williams
And, after the group collaboratively came
up with a solution to the conflict,
they all looked at their thinking, as was
mapped/scribed on several overhead
transparencies. Upon reflecting on how we
first learned to use the tools, Dr.
Helen Stanks who has been trained in the
process said, “We need overhead
transparency Post-its!”
Which was so true! The cloud allows us to
see our thinking and there is
nothing linear or “neat” about the process.
Who knows, one day someone may
come up with that ingenious idea! If they
do, they can count on selling a
steady supply to a group people working
through the TOCFE thinking tools.
Kay Buckner-Seal will gather the conflicts,
which were written in their small
group activity, to share with you in next
week’s TACTics.
(3) 5th Annual TOCFE International Conference/First
Annual
TOCFE International Student’s Conference, Cheryl A. Edwards
“The best way to predict the future is to
create it through TOC."
TOC for Education, Inc. presents the 5th
Annual TOCFE International
Conference and the First Annual TOCFE
International Student’s Conference!
Date: June 25-28, 2001
Location: Detroit, Michigan USA
Hotel: Northfield Hilton
5500 Crooks Road
Troy, Michigan 48098
248. 879. 2100
The Northfield Hilton is adjacent to
Interstate 75 at Crooks Road, Exit 72
Reservations: 1. 800. HILTONS
Ask for TOC for Education’s
special room rates.
Single or Double Occupancy
Per night $139.00 U.S. + Tax
(6% Michigan Sales Tax and 7%
Occupancy Tax). This rate
includes breakfast for two.
Transportation: Detroit Metropolitan Airport
(DTW)
EDITORS’ NOTES
(4) From Kay Buckner-Seal
The Process of ongoing
Improvement is what educating and becoming life-long
learners is all about. Bravo,
to the efforts and results at Hutcheson
Junior High in Texas!
I had a great time with my
colleagues at Wayne RESA while Cheryl
facilitated the thinking
processes involved with using the cloud. She did a
fine job! I’m sure many of you
will meet some of the Wayne RESA
consultants at the 5th
Annual TOCFE International Conference.
Share a connection, an
experience, a wish, or a thought. Send by mail to
Cheryl A. Edwards, 2253 S. Hill
Island Rd., Cedarville, MI 49719, USA. Or,
send hyperlink to
<redwards@sault.com> or <bucknek@earthlink.net.
To view TACTics in its intended
formatting and to read previous issues,
visit the TOC website at: www.tocforeducation.com