TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

February 23, 2001

 

CONTENTS

Networking

    (1)       The Malaysian Experience 3, Part 1: The Eureka Moment,

                Khaw Choon Ean

Editors’ Notes

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

Connections

    (3)     5th Annual TOCFE International Conference/First Annual TOCFE International Student’s Conference, Cheryl A. Edwards

 

NETWORKING

(1)        The Malaysian Experience 3, Part 1: The Eureka Moment

By Khaw Choon Ean, Malaysia

 

Another Silver Bullet, this time coming from Malaysia!  Khaw Choon Ean is going to share her story of how her Special Projects Team was able to develop a Transition Program that won the Annual Innovation Award for Education and more importantly help Year One children move smoothly into the structured school program.  Since this article is quite comprehensive, you can look forward to reading and learning from it for the next three weeks.  The article originally included graphics, which you can view by going to our website and clicking “TACTics.”  Enjoy!

 

Using the Ambitious Targets Tool

To Design A Curricular Program

 

“Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.”

—Richard Bach, American Writer

 

Kathy came to Malaysia again in late June 2000 and ran a proper TACT course in Port Dickson, a beach resort about an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur.  The course started on a Monday and finished on Friday.  Two days later, on Sunday, our Special Projects Team was packing to start a curriculum workshop in Kuala Lumpur.  There was special link between these two events though it was not fully realized at that point of time.

 

During the TACT course, I found myself wondering how the interesting tools, to which I have been introduced, could be put to practice.  The timing of the course was bad, I thought.  The revamp of our syllabus had just been completed and we were in the middle of the year where no new things could dream of getting a budget.  It seemed then that TOC would be relegated to just another new acquired knowledge to be stored as “upgrading our professionalism” as such things are euphemistically referred to.

 

“It is always possible to approach a goal by a detour.”

Theodor Reik (1888-1969), American Psychologist.

 

Revelation came at the strangest moment.  It was the day before the last day and Kathy had just set a task for the groups of participants.  My group was working well.  We were engrossed but at one moment I looked up from our table at the back of the conference room.  Kathy was standing at the main table, sorting out her things.  On one of the large white screens was the projected image of Linda Trapnell’s infant school playground with the cloud formation drawn on it.  (Thank you, Linda, for being the inspiration without knowing it!).  Kathy had used it for a second time to explain something and it was just there.

 

As I idly looked at the image, I was struck by the “eureka” moment.  It had made me think of the latest of our critical special projects that had been assigned to my Special Projects Unit recently with a very tight time frame that was driving us mad with anxiety.  This was called the Transition Program for Year One schoolchildren who were making the transition from preschool to a formal Year One education in primary school at 6-7 years of age. 

 

The first workshop to build the program was to start in a couple of days and we had called the experts: child psychologists, university professors, state education officials, preschool operators and primary school head teachers and teachers.  We knew we had all the right people, a great venue and plenty of adrenaline (the excitement, and yes, the fear of failure too!).  But alas, we had no concrete plan of how to go about it except what we normally do, i.e. set tasks for each group of participants and in this case, we would effect the spirit of sama-sama belajar, a term in our Malay language that means “lets learn together”.

 

Eureka arrived in two ways.  One inspiration was to introduce TOC in the Transition Program.  This was brilliant for a few reasons.  First, it took care of a “home” to try out the interesting tools.  Secondly, by using a “piggy-back” approach, it took care of looking for budgets and acceptance.  Thirdly, here was a tailor-made respectable program full of promise: the right target group, young children of tender ages who would be at the best period of their lives to acquire simple, effective thinking and communicational tools to help them all their lives.  The second inspiration actually came a bit later after some exploration.  We realized that we could use the tools to plan the workshop.

 

I remember running over to Kathy, abandoning my group to complete the group task, and excitedly telling her about The Plan!  It had no concrete structure at that moment but it had so much promise.

 

“First we have to believe, then we believe.”

—G. H. Lichtenberg (1742-1799)

German Physicist

 

If you believe in what the tools are capable of, finding out how to use them is a breeze and comes naturally.  Considering that I had had some blind hits before this TACT course, venturing now into using the tools to design a curricular program needed less courage and more invention as I was now going to apply knowledge to practice.

 

Next week:  Khaw Choon Ean will explain how they applied the Ambitious Target (AT) Tool to help create an interesting and productive workshop for the Transition Program.

 

EDITORS’ NOTES

Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards

 

Khaw Choon Ean, thanks for sharing your experience.  Loyal readers, follow TACTics for the next three weeks to find out how Khaw Choon Ean uses the tools to plan the workshop, whose participants will then use the tools to plan the curriculum.  Ean’s account is inspirational!

Are you planning on attending the Annual TOCFE International Conference this year?  If so, details of the conference follow in Connections.  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.

 

CONNECTIONS

(3)        5th Annual TOCFE International Conference/First Annual TOCFE International Student’s Conference

From 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