A
Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners
December
6, 2002
In this week’s issue:
(1)
Focus
on TOCFE E-Learning Site , Kathy Suerken
WHAT TO CHANGE:
“I’m learning not to be afraid of problems… Problems can be opportunities to change your future if you learn from them…” from THE STORY OF YANI’S GOAL
How many times have TOC trained teachers told us: “I love the tools and the way they improve student behavior, but I just don’t have the time to teach them in my classroom. I have to focus on teaching my curriculum because the students are tested on it.” Teachers tell us it is still too labor intensive to figure out how to consistently use TOC in their existing curriculum.
Therefore, even though we have developed wonderful workbooks on behavior for teachers and students and, even though we have many examples of TOC in content, do we agree that many mainstream teachers are still in a cloud on whether or not to use TOC?
Only when teachers are consistently able to teach their existing curriculum through TOC will they be able to bridge from ‘I want to use TOC’ to ‘I am using TOC.’
Are we doing anything about it?
TO WHAT TO CHANGE:
“Solving problems with the help of friends can be a lot of fun and helps me do a better job of it. Just like building the bridge…..” From THE STORY OF YANI’S GOAL
In TOCFE, thankfully, we have many pioneers building bridges!
Many of you are creating exceptional content examples and are also developing curriculum student workbooks-- especially in the area of values education and life skills courses. All of these innovations are the building blocks needed to bridge to consistent teacher use of TOC.
However, although content examples help, we know that they, in and of themselves, are not enough to enable the teachers we train to develop applications that permeate the delivery of their curriculum. Therefore, TOCFE facilitators frequently have to take additional actions: individual mentoring, assistance with specific content examples, visits to the teacher’s classroom etc.
For these reasons, and by using the insights from your specific pioneering research, TOCFE has been developing a new product that will substantially reduce the need for so much one-on-one follow-up. We have been creating new self-learning workbooks that provide a systematic, simple and powerful way to teach curriculum through TOC and which are modeled through student units.
But we know that it is not enough to have these materials. How will we broadly disseminate them? We need, as well, an effective vehicle to uniformly deliver this know-how.
Therefore, with deep appreciation and considerable privilege, I announce the launch of a new e-learning product in partnership with Accelerated Learning Systems, LTD. Our package currently consists of on-line self-learning materials for primary school students and all k-12 teachers, school counselors and parents. Thus, there are two separate sets of workbooks that teach the cloud, branches and ambitious target tool in behavior and/or content applications to educators and parents. The student site teaches the three tools through separate self-learning units for ages 5-10. Materials for middle and secondary school students are in development and will be available spring 2003.
An important detail, of course, is the user fee. The price of a one year license for a school is about (USA)$1 per student but is capped at (USA) $500/school. The licensing fee allows use of the site by all students and employees of the school. Parental access-- to include those who homeschool their children-- will be available through individual purchase of CD-ROMs and/or a book version of the student story-- a very colorful hard bound copy available in English (late January) and Spanish (March).
Are we there yet?
HOW TO CAUSE THE
CHANGE:
“Yani, it looks like you have some obstacles to overcome—you know, the things that prevent you from getting across the gorge. What do you think they are?” from THE STORY OF YANI’S GOAL
We will need to think of ways to train existing facilitators in the new content units for teachers. We will need to find resources for additional translations. And, of course, some schools will not be able to afford our product.
But even if a school purchases the package, how do we convince educators and students to use this site? We know the mere existence of good materials is not enough to ensure people will try them.
These materials break the cloud for those who already see value in TOC---those who have already been trained. What about those who have never heard of TOC?
Back to square one? The problem of value?
These educators will have to be convinced that our materials provide sufficient relevant value and RIGHTLY SO. In some situations, improved behavior does lead to bottom line value and therefore Rami Goldratt has provided three powerful new self- learning units on behavior.
But how do we connect the bottom line to mainstream teachers and those who measure them? What is the link to measurable student achievement? Standardized test scores! What specifically are these tests supposed to measure?
In almost all countries, they are designed to measure Academic Standards and Benchmarks. Therefore, the TOCFE materials were developed to integrate targeted Standards and Benchmarks that education systems have determined are necessary for student achievement and to which they hold teachers and students accountable.
The list of these Standards and Benchmarks is lengthy and, for many of them, there is a perception that they are already addressed through current best practices. However, there are some that we think most educators will agree are very problematic and not currently achieved.
Therefore, we focused both the teacher content and student materials on these Standards and Benchmarks with a strong emphasis on their application to reading comprehension (basic to all curricula) In each of the teacher and student units, we explain how and why these materials better enable student achievement of these objectives.
Yes…. but! Are Standards and Benchmarks—even grades-- of sufficient relevant value to all children? Another obstacle?
As we know through experience, children DO like to learn when it is relevant to their daily lives, easily understood and engagingly presented. That’s why they like games and puzzles. They have to figure things out…to THINK! Do Socratic stories also make them think?
The student site is a Socratic story (THE STORY OF YANI’S GOAL) that is cross-cultural and which has been animated as a flash movie. If preferred, it is possible to have the story read aloud through the program. Learning objectives and story themes ad woven into the plot line by requiring the hero, Yani, to overcome obstacles (just like a puzzle!) by learning new methods. Yani’s adventures take him to villages where he has to practice on curriculum text and to new frontiers where he has to apply what he has learned to authentic situations. In the ‘process’, he is guided to a highly relevant moral:
YOU CAN ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS IN LIFE IF YOU THINK YOUR ACTIONS THROUGH TO SOLUTIONS IN WHICH EVERYONE WINS AND NO ONE LOSES.
As Yani learns to be more of an independent thinker, he also comes to realize that being able to think for yourself only enhances your ability to collaborate with others.
We, in TOCFE, know that people who collaborate should always be properly acknowledged. Our team of editors on this project is: Kevin Brown, Bernie Kean, Colin Rose, John Suerken and Linda Trapnell.
Our team of writers on this project includes Zana Borisavljevic, Cheryl Edwards, Rami Goldratt, and Danilo Sirias.
But most of all I need to acknowledge YOU for all you have done to require… and enable… TOCFE to continuously improve. In words from THE STORY OF YANI’S GOAL: “The cave creature says, ‘Thanks, Yani. This seemed an impossible thing to do but we did it!’ With a knowing smile, Yani replies, “Well, if you plan well and work together you can make almost any wish come true.”
Thankfully Yours,
Kathy
For more information, an animated preview of the student
story, and to order: www.tocforschools.com