TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

November 23, 2001

 

In this week’s issue:

Networking

    (1)     Made in the USA, Cheryl A. Edwards

    (2)     Reader Response, Kay Buckner-Seal

Connections

  (3)   The 6th International TOCFE Conference

Quote

  (4)  George Washington Carver

Editors’ Notes

  (5)   Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards

 

NETWORKING

(1)       Made In the USA

!stright By Cheryl A. Edwards

 

Just like other countries, the USA has its own set of obstacles to disseminating TOC within the education systems.  Some are similar to those in other countries and some are very different.  Even when we have similar obstacles, the best Intermediate Objectives may be different.  In an attempt to find all of the obstacles and the best appropriate Intermediate Objectives, a USA Leadership Team has been established.  This team’s goal is to help achieve the goals of TOCFE by providing a network of dedicated USA educators, who are willing to contribute their time and expertise.  A myriad of educators and friends are working hard to help accomplish this task.  I’m proud to share the recent accomplishments of a few TOCFE USA educators.

 

CALIFORNIA

Denise Meyer and Remedeas Kelly-Weaks continue to forge ahead taking TOC with them as they venture into new positions in the California education system.  Denise has established a monthly TOCFE support meeting and has published TOCFE L. A. Reflections a TOCFE newsletter for the Los Angeles area.

 

She has also written a research article based on teaching critical thinking through the use of the Cloud that is being sent to various educational journals.  In order to get documentation for this article, she worked with 60 high school students teaching the cloud in curriculum.  Denise continues to create materials and study guides that she uses for presentations to teachers and parents.

 

Besides giving presentations and classes to administrators and teachers in her new district, Remedeas, teaches at the National University where she includes the Cloud training. 

 

IOWA

Cal Haliburton is also working on an educational article for publication and has taught a Cloud and Negative Branch class at Central Iowa University.  He also has a TACT training scheduled for January and February 2002 through the Intermediate Service Agency.

 

MICHIGAN

Mary Ellen Bourbeau and Doug Roby are responsible for training teachers and students at several schools in Michigan, including the University of Detroit Leggett, Parcell Middle, and Grosse Pointe South High.  They currently have a proposal in to train the staff at Poupard Elementary.  They have also presented at the Association of Michigan Counselors Conference.  Doug and Mary Ellen will facilitate training for the educators at the Michigan Institute for Nonviolence in February 2002.

 

Larry Till has continued his work with Joy Middle School and the Guidance and Counseling Department and the Resource Coordinators of Detroit Public Schools.  Larry also has several other projects in the works.

 

I am working with Grand River Magnet Elementary School in Lansing as they use the PrT to improve student scores on the state reading and math tests.  I also trained consultants at Wayne County RESA with the Cloud to help them with the conflicts they are facing as they try to effect change at their designated schools.  In January 2002, I will facilitate a TACT, ETC. training, which will be hosted by the Michigan Institute for Nonviolence Education.

 

A “Michigan Leadership Team” has also been established to help achieve the goals of TOCFE by providing a Michigan network of educators dedicated to sharing ideas, discussing concerns and to working together to do what needs to be done to accomplish our Ambitious Target.

 

OHIO

Warren Foster, in preparation for the Surgeon General’s stamp of approval on the effectiveness of TOC Peer Mediation, is preparing a proposal to employ TOC Peer mediation for the Cincinnati Public Schools.  This will be offered in the second semester 2001-2002.

 

Beverly Brown has been training educators and has a TACT training scheduled for February.

 

TEXAS

Paula Sommer and Charles Blanton have been getting great results from their work with several schools and school districts.  At Hutcheson, Bowie and Forney schools they have been working with teachers who in turn are impacting their students.  At Van Alstyn ISD, they are working with administrators who are working with the teachers; at the Midlothian ISD, they are teaching the superintendent, central office staff and all principals. Also, in several other districts (DeSoto, Mesquite, Mansfield and Weathersford), they are involved in conversations with superintendents about teaching their team TOC.  The impact of these talks could result in the critical mass they are looking for.

 

Charlie and Paula have also presented TOCFE at the Mid-Winter Conference for Superintendents, at the Texas Education Agency Technology Conference, at the Texas Association for Professional Educators, and the American Society for Quality, Fort Worth Chapter.

 

In addition Charlie is teaching aspiring administrators at Dallas Baptist University and Texas Women’s University the TOC effect-cause-effect planning for school and classroom planning improvement.  He is also meeting with the Executive Director of the largest teacher association in the state.  The target is to work on the association and through the association- a process that has taken three years.

 

Paula continues to upgrade the Web page for Texas that is still in the planning stages. 

 

VIRGINIA (NEW!!)

Barbara Riester is preparing to take the TACT, ETC class so she can help coordinate efforts in Virginia.

 

WASHINGTON

Jackie Trimble is in the process of developing a TOCFE web site for her state with a link to our international site and to others as they are developed.  She is also working with her grade team teachers on TOCFE applications in the classroom.  She hopes to use the experience in these applications to write materials for classroom use.

 

As I read the reports submitted by the TOCFE USA educators, I am (more and more) reminded of the familiar quote by Margaret Mead:

 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens

can change the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

 

(2)        Reader Response

From Kay Buckner-Seal

 

In last week’s TACTics, Cheryl posed a question that is often raised in connection to quality instruction and standardized testing:

 

If we, as educators, are going to be held accountable for the performance of our students on standardized test, what do we need to do to help them be more successful on these tests and still maintain the integrity of the learning in our classroom?  Is there a controversial conflict on the best way to achieve this goal?

 

I would like to begin the dialogue concerning this question.  I believe that student achievement is directly related to effective instruction.  One model of effective instruction is represented by a Venn Diagram of three circles, which show a relationship between the learner, pedagogy and process. 

 

Teachers must be able to draw on 3 distinct areas of expertise:

Pedagogy— The beliefs that guide our actions in the classroom must be grounded in high standards and be equitable to all students.

Learner— We must know our students, their abilities and needs as learners.

Process— We must understand that learning is a process that is based on meaning.

 

We must always seek the most effective methods of delivering instruction to our students.  We have to be creative problem solvers to be able to infuse our knowledge of the learning process with various methods and procedures to meet the needs of our students.

 

I believe there is controversy or conflict inside the “process” circle.  Many educators believe that the word “content” is best served in that circle. 

 

CONNECTIONS

(3)        The 6th International TOCFE Conference

 

Conference dates:                                July 8 to July 11, 2002 (July 11 concludes at noon)

Conference Venue:                                University of Nottingham in Nottingham, United Kingdom

Location:                Nottingham is approximately 100 miles north of London.  A Nottingham City bus runs at frequent intervals from the conference venue to the center of town and costs around  $1.50. 

TOCFE UK Conference Committee:                Galina Dolya, David Higgins, Linda Trapnell

 

QUOTE

(4)           "When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." —George Washington Carver (1864-1943)

 

EDITORS’ NOTES

(5)        Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards

 

Feel free to share with us.  Send your responses, applications of the thinking processes, lessons, announcements, and etc. by mail to:  Cheryl A. Edwards, 2253 S. Hill Island Rd., Cedarville, Michigan 49719, USA.  Or send hyperlink to:  redwards@sault.com, or bucknek@earthlink.net.

 

To view TACTics in its intended formatting, visit our website at

www.tocforeducation.com and click on “What’s New.”