TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

March 30, 2001

 

CONTENTS

Wizdom

  (1)  Learning and Teaching in the Philippines, Kathy Suerken

Editors’ Notes

   (2)     Think Win/Win: Detroit 300!  Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards

Connections

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

 

WIZDOM

(1)            Learning and Teaching in the Philippines

By Kathy Suerken

 

"By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn."

—Seneca, paraphrased

 

Imagine sitting in the conference room of the National Capital Region (educates 2 million children) of the Philippines Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS) and learning from top management how a strategic plan to develop a self sustaining TOCFE Philippine infrastructure within 5 years is effectively becoming reality!  Thirty-six of thirty-seven superintendents in this region recently joined over 700 other Philippine educators as graduates of those trained in the full TACT program.

 

Written in November 1998, by Marcia Hutchinson and her team of practical visionaries, the original strategic plan (PrT/Ambitious Target) is now being upgraded and implemented by Philippines TOCFE Director, Cora Santiago, and her core team of Nora, Josie, Ding, Nimfa and Alice.  Helping to ensure this success are 50 facilitators, a group of highly supportive Rotarians and YOU!

 

You are very much in the synergy which allows us to understand what doesn't work (what to change!) and why, as well as what does work (to what to change) and why.  That TOC knowledge enables us to much more effectively create what is needed to systematically (how to) cause the change.

 

With that in mind, here's a “synergistic” TOC lesson I taught during the February Philippine National Conference (attended by 231 TACT graduates and 42 TACT facilitators!).  First the “whys.”  In TACT, we develop our cause and effect skills by practicing first on something about which we have intuition— the negative consequences of an event we've experienced.  That way we can use existing knowledge to learn and develop the new skill until we are able to transfer it to other applications.

 

Can we build this skill as easily in academic content and, in a way that allows the TOC processes to actually improve content comprehension?  I have been developing such a lesson in my local volunteer work as I teach and learn with a large class of students considered to be "at risk."  They represent ages 11-16 and very disparate academic backgrounds and level of skills.

 

My lesson begins with a story, which to my Philippine audience, I only share verbally as a chain of events in which the main character unthinkingly makes a series of unwise decisions.  Do you agree that the concept of "acting without thinking" is generally relevant to everyone but less threatening personally through a story about someone else?  (Very helpful when working with those highly sensitive to blame).  Have you noticed how much easier it is to be objective and frank about other people's mistakes?

 

The next step with my Philippine class of educators was to share the very simple negative branch I had written with the children— a basic chain of events easy to construct because it was based on existing information.  Next I shared the discussion with the children on when the story line began to turn negative and how the children had added the “whys” to the tree.  My class of “at- risk” students (some of whom who have been to jail) could easily identify many intervention points along the path to the unhappy ending.  (In other words, one mistake was not fatal)  The kids were very attentive as well as willing and able to suggest alternative actions which could have “rewritten” the story's end.

 

The discussion of the children's ideas triggered an unsolicited, spontaneous testimonial, which I asked for in writing for many reasons— not the least of which is to be able to credit the source.  Therefore:

 

"I just realized today that TOC, especially the trimming of the negative branch is a very interesting and relevant strategy especially in Literature.  Instead of just arranging the events according to how they are presented for memory sake and which does not create impact for the students, we need to use TOC for more lasting creative thinking.  The ‘whys’ and assumptions will be taken in the other parts of the lesson as the analysis portion." —Linda Usabal, Makati City, Philippines

 

The next step in our lesson is to practice the skill as a group on a class exercise.  The stories I am using are simple for skill building and generally in the public domain so that I don't have to worry about copyrights.  This is a version of an Aesop fable:

 

The Boy and the Candy.

A little boy once found a jar of candy on the table.  "I would like some of this candy," he thought.  "I'm sure Mother would give them to me if she were here.  I'll take a big handful."  So he reached into the jar and grabbed as many as he could hold.  But when he tried to pull his hand out, he found the neck of the jar too small.  His hand was held fast, but he did not want to drop any of the candy.  He tried again and again, but he couldn't get the whole handful out.  At last he began to cry.

 

At this point in the story, we stop reading and map the plot.  The very simple negative branch on this story generally reads something like: if (1) the boy sees the candy, then (2) he wants some and if wants some, then (3) he grabs a bunch and if that (4) his hand gets stuck leading to (5) he cries. 

 

The next step for me in the Philippines was to meet two needs with one action.  The Philippine network had asked for more practice on trimming negative branches and, at the same time, I wanted to show how to use the assumptions to guide the discussion to the lesson objective.

 

The teachers and some children focus on "grabbing the candy" as negative in and of itself and when they looked for the cause of grabbing and why, they gave me, "because he was greedy."  However, some of my students provide an additional answer.  Some students suggest the situation turns negative at the next box when his hand gets stuck and, in the discussion on the reason and why, they began to suggest alternatives like: he could pour the candy out, he could take a few at a time, etc.

 

What I have LEARNED from this teaching experience is how effective our TOC processes are not only to engage interest but also to unleash thinking and meaningful discussion REGARDLESS OF THE STUDENT'S PREVIOUS LEVEL OF SKILLS.

 

It was only after all this nice discussion that I allow my class to see the rest of the story as written:

 

"Well, don't be so greedy," his mother replied.  "Just take two or three and you'll have no trouble getting your hand out."

 

"How easy that was, said the boy as he left the table.  "I MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT MYSELF."

 

Indeed and how easy it is for us to use TOC to let students derive for themselves our lesson objectives.  I learned so much from teaching this really simple lesson and even more from the next step, which—for distance teachers/ learners— will be next week!

 

EDITORS’ NOTES

(2)  Think Win/Win: Detroit 300!

Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards

 

Here is another reason to think win/win and bring your family to The 5th Annual TOC for Education International Conference, June 25-28, 2001!  This year, Detroit is 300 years old!  “Detroit 300,” a bi-national celebration (United States and Canada) salutes a great city that is three centuries rich in culture, ethnic diversity, natural resources, commerce and industry.  Detroit’s tricentennial celebration extends throughout the metro Detroit-Windsor calendar through New Year’s Eve 2001.  On June 27, 2001, “Detroit 300” will host the Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival.  This festival will be recognized and respected as the best festival that represents the peace, unity, freedom, and friendship shared between Canada and the United States.  To learn more about Detroit’s tricentennial celebration, visit the website at www.detroit300.org.

 

If you would like to contribute to TACTics, send your ideas via snail-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 the formatting that is intended, please visit our website at www.tocforeducation.com.