(1) Learning and Teaching in the Philippines
(Part 3), Kathy Suerken
(2) Kay Buckner-Seal
Connections
(3) 5th Annual TOCFE International Conference/First Annual
TOCFE International Student’s Conference, Cheryl
A. Edwards
NETWORKING
(1) Learning
and Teaching in the Philippines (Part 3)
From Kathy Suerken
When I read through TOC content applications from the Philippines, I am
reminded of a learning experience during Danilo Sirias’s recent Detroit “TOC in
Content” seminar and thereby hangs THIS tale.
The connection was
sparked by the use of TOC to explain the chain of events in "Grandmothers
Table" published in last week’s TACTics. When I use that story line as a TOC teaching example, everyone,
no matter what their existing skill level in cause and effect, is able to plot
the general sequence of events in the story.
In reading the logic aloud, however, it is necessary to add explanation
to make the logic flow. This step
requires some assumptions— inferences, if explanations are only implicit in the
storyline. In
so doing, the discussion and analysis of the content becomes nicely focused
and, at the same time, engages and develops the logical (higher order) thinking
of every participant.
After
completing this activity with the core leadership group in the Philippines,
Alice Acosta returned the next day with an application of the cause and effect
methodology to explain the “properties of matter.” She had used a short lesson from a science book to generate the
connections and, in so doing, concluded, "This cause and effect
explanation of the material is so much easier to follow and remember than the
way it is presented in the book."
A few days
later at a Filipino Facilitator Upgrade Workshop, I took advantage of another
opportunity to use "Grandmother's Table" and this time I invited the class to write a negative
branch and/or a cloud on the story. Twenty minutes later, high school principal
and former home economics teacher, Jenelyn Rose Corpuz presented her example as
an "Application of cloud as a motivation tool or spring board for a
lesson. It reads:
Subject:Home Economics
Area: Home and Family Living
Topic: Types of Family
a. basic family unit
b. extended family
Specific Topic: Extended
Family
Springboard: Students read the story "Grandmother's Table" *
Recall: Filipino family values
Motivation/Guide
Questions:
1. Do you want to stay
with your grandma or not?
2. What are the
advantages and disadvantages of extended family?
Processing the Cloud:
1. Two groups of students: One group favors Grandma staying with
the family. The other group does not
favor Grandma staying with the family.
2. Teachers and students
draw the CLOUDS
Sample cloud:
A: To have harmonious
extended family
B: Maintain close family
ties and utang na loob
D: Grandma stays with
family
C: Parents not annoyed
D’: Grandma
stays away/apart from family
Jenelyn's
TOC facilitator colleagues then verbally discussed the underlying assumptions
from the sample cloud. The next day, we
leveraged Jenelyn's application into even more ideas at the Philippines
National TOC Conference attended by over 250 TACT graduates. As a result, a Biology teacher excitedly
presented a cloud she planned to use with her class to generate discussion on
genetic engineering! (Can you think of
such a cloud?)
A
few weeks later I found myself once more learning from a group of educators,
this time in the USA, as they responded to a Social Studies example during
Danilo Sirias’s seminar on “How to use TOC to improve the delivery of
content.” Jane Hudak, one of our TOCFE
content pioneers, shared some of her experiences in using assumptions to
generate classroom discussion. Mary
Beth Cordier, a newcomer to TOC, then observed that not only would the TOC
processes “pull students so much more into the story but also they will enable
the teacher to more effectively and simply teach to USA standards and
benchmarks such as drawing inferences.”
Various
members of the class extended this “critical chain” of thinking, noting that
TOC provides the framework to which students can attach previous
knowledge. "Wow," concluded
Mary Ellen Bourbeau, drawing a rather spectacular inference, "at last we
have tools to achieve differentiation, to effectively teach content to groups
of children who may be at different levels of understanding! The cloud, for example, engages every level
of ability and allows all students to work at their own level. It doesn't force the segregation of the
class. What a time saving teaching
methodology for teachers!"
Listening to
Mary Ellen, I looked outside to a blustery snowy, wintry day in Michigan and
yet I was mindful of similar and yet unique discussions on the other side of
the world in tropical Manila! Whether
the group is novice, expert or mixed, the TOC learning experience is so
dynamically focused that it engages not only everyone's wish to learn but their
ability to do so as well.
What a
fascinating “never ending” tale of life long learning!
* The tale,
“Grandmother’s Table,” can be found in TACTics, April 6 at www.tocforeducation.com
EDITORS’
NOTES
(2) Kay
Buckner-Seal
The cloud is
an amazing tool! When we give students
opportunities to use the cloud, it engages their minds well. Core subjects that are often times
considered ordinary or even dull come alive with intrinsic
meaning and value to students. To read
Parts 1 and 2 of Kathy’s article, Learning and Teaching in the
Philippines visit our website at www.tocforeducation.com and look
for TACTics, March 30 and April 6.
Share with us!
Send your ideas 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.
Celebrate
with us! Make plans to attend The 5th Annual TOCFE International Conference/First Annual
TOCFE International Students’ Conference in Detroit, June 25-28.
Details follow in Connections.
CONNECTIONS
(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)
To
view TACTics in its intended formatting and to read previous issues,
visit
the TOC website at: www.tocforeducation.com