TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

November 2, 2001

 

In this week’s issue:

Elementary/Secondary TACTics

  (1)   Malaysian Examples of Teaching and Learning Using TOC, Kamariah Abd. Malek

Connections

   (2)     The 6th International TOCFE Conference, 2002

   (3)   Reader Responses

Editor’s Notes

  (4)   Kay Buckner-Seal

 

 

ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY TACTICS

(1)            Malaysian Examples of Teaching and Learning Using TOC

By Kamariah Abd. Malek, Perak Malaysia

 

In last week’s TACTics, Kathy Suerken shared some exciting activities that came about as a result of Khaw Choon Ean’s presentation at our Conference in Michigan last June.  We thought you might like to see examples of the teaching and learning that are going on in classrooms in Malaysia as a result of Ean’s module:  Guide Student’s to Become Responsible Decision-makers and to Better Understand Academic Content using the Tools of TOC.

 

USING CLOUDS IN THE CLASSROOM: 

GETTING STUDENTS TO STAY IN THEIR SEATS

Jeram Mengkuang Primary School, Perak Malaysia

 

Hidatul, a Year-One child, doesn’t like to sit at her place.  She likes to run all over the place.  Her friends sit properly at their own places in the class.  They complain that Hidatul disturbs them when she moves over to their places.

 

The teacher would like Hidatul to think through her actions and communicate her need to her friends.  She can also compare herself to what her friends do.  The teacher tries to let Hidatul make a responsible decision and in the process, her friends will understand her too.

 

Together with her class, Mrs. Kamariah compares the behaviour of Maria and Hidatul.  The children now understand why each person acts differently.

 

This Cloud shows how they are different:

Maria’s Side:

A          Happy Day in School

B          Feel Comfortable

D          Stay Put at Own Place.

 

 

Hidatul’s Side:

A          Happy Day in School

C          Likes to Talk to Friends

D’         Run Around the Class

 

Assumptions:

B/D      Sitting in my own place means I can do my work.

C/D’     Can talk to friends only if I run to their places during lessons.

 

COMMUNICATING THEIR NEEDS AND WANTS:

In order to have a happy day in school, Maria has to feel comfortable, therefore she wants to stay put at her own place.

In order to have a happy day in school, Hidatul likes to talk to her friends, therefore she runs around the class.

 

USING THE NEGATIVE BRANCH IN THE CLASSROOM:

GETTING STUDENTS TO THINK THROUGH THEIR BEHAVIOR

Does Hidatul want to find another way to have a happy day by talking to her friends but without running around the class?

 

Mrs. Kamariah decides they need to look at a Negative Branch.

She would like Hidatul to think about the cause and effect of her actions.

 

Hidatul likes to run to her friend’s desks and disturb them.  Using the Negative Branch, Mrs. Kamariah and the children of the class are able to help Hidatul think through her behaviour.

 

First Branch:

(If)      Hidatul likes to run all over the class.

(Then)  She disturbs friends.  (If she disturbs her friends.)

(Then)  Her friends think Hidatul has no manners.  (If this…)

(Then)  Her Friends are angry with Hidatul. (If this…)

(Then)            Everyone doesn’t want to be her friend.

 

Second Branch:

(If)      Hidatul likes to run all over the class.

(Then)  She does not finish her work. (If she does not finish her work…)

(Then)  The Teacher is angry. (If this…)

(Then)  The teacher scolds. (If this…)

(Then)  Hidatul will get punished.

 

Mrs. Kamariah was pleased to find that another student in Hidatul’s class was able to apply what she learned in using the Cloud in a situation with two other students.

 

 

CONNECTIONS

(2)        The 6th International TOCFE Conference, 2002

 

Conference dates:                        July 8 to July 11, 2002

 

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. 

 

Airports: 

East Midlands Airport (closest):  The international hub for East Midlands Airport is Amsterdam.  Commuter flights are also available via London.  A one-way shuttle taxi to the university campus from East Midlands Airport takes approximately 20 minutes and costs around $25.

 

Birmingham Airport:            Approximately one-hour drive to University of Nottingham.

 

London Airports:            London is served by three major airports: Gatwick, Heathrow and Lutton.  If flying directly into London, you have several options to get to Nottingham.  In addition to a commuter flight to East Midlands, there is also a good rail link to Nottingham, which takes 2 hours.  By car, the University Campus is in easy access of the M1.

 

Accommodations:

If you want to stay on site at the University, TOCFE will have a private quadrangle of residence halls that includes a private dining hall with elegant long wooden tables for family-style breakfast and evening meals.  Attached to this dining hall is our own private pub!  Lunches will be served at workshop locations. 

 

(3)   Reader Responses

We are proud to share responses from our readers.  Thanks for your comments; they are always welcomed.

 

“Good lesson on civics and governance.”  —Joyce, Detroit, Michigan, USA

[TOC in Curriculum Content: Social Studies, Galina Dolya / David, TACTics, 10/26/01]

 

“I continue to read every Saturday the TACTics Journal, and I hope you are OK and well, so you can continue with it.”  —Zzippi Margalit, Israel

 

“Hello Cheryl,

Just received the new TACTics journal.  Great!  Just remembered some quotes concerning learning; I wrote down these last months.  I don't think I've seen any of them in TACTics but who knows.  Anyway, they're yours now.  :-)

Have Fun,

Philip Bakker, Netherlands

 

“You cannot learn if you are convinced that you already know.” —Harry Morgan Moses

 

"If you understand what you're doing, you're not learning anything." —Abraham Lincoln, US President

 

“Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.” — Confucius

 

“Learning doesn't happen until behavior has changed.”  —Bob Pike

 

EDITOR’S NOTES

(4)        Kay Buckner-Seal

 

A common goal for educators is to create self-directed, life-long learners who are well equipped to take up a productive role in society, which is driven by information.  Our students must be able to know how to collect information and how to evaluate the information once they have gotten it.  They must be able to ask themselves two key questions:

 

1.          Is this information relevant to my needs?

2.         How do I determine the credibility of the source?

 

In other words, students must use evaluative thinking in order to attain “critical literacy.”  Many of our students have not had the opportunity to develop critical literacy.  The TOC tools can be a way of providing them the opportunity to use the evaluative thinking needed to attain it.  Do you agree?  Do you have instances or lessons that apply to this idea?  Share your thinking on this topic 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.”