TACTics Journal
A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners
In this week’s issue:
Elementary/Secondary TACTics
(1) Aesop’s Fables in the 21st
Century, Mike Round
Reader’s Feedback
(2) Cal Haliburton
Editors’ Notes
(3) Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards
ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY TACTICS
(1) Aesop’s Fables in the 21st Century
By Mike Round,
A TOC Rewrite of a Famed Aesop fable
We are all familiar with the fable “The Ant and the Grasshopper.”
Mike has
analyze this fable and written the
cloud like this:
A: Live a happy life.
B: Enjoy the present.
D: Do not collect food; instead hop around chirping and singing.
C: Prepare for the future.
D’: Collect food for the winter, bearing along with great toil.
Assumption B-D: one cannot enjoy collecting food.
Assumption C-D’: in order to collect fold for the winter, one must
“moil and toil”
Lesson: It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.
Now, the really fun part, let’s read on to see how Mike has taken
this fable
and given it a TOC twist:
The Jonah-Ant and the Grasshopper
In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about,
chirping and
singing to its heart’s content. An
ant passed by, bearing along with great toil
an ear of corn he was taking to
the nest.
“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of
toiling
and moiling in that way?”
“You hop about, enjoying the moment,” said the Ant, “and surely
enjoyment
of the moment is necessary for
a happy life! However, you see us working
and call it “toiling and moiling.”
Are you sure we’re not having more fun than
you, while also preparing for
the future?”
The perplexed Grasshopper squinted and said softly, “ I don’t see how…work
is work, and you have to admit
you’re working! I can see the sweat.”
“Sweat? Yes. Work?
Yes. I’ll admit both. You believe, though, if one works
and sweats, one has no
enjoyment. Do you not hear us as we “toil and moil?”
Do you not hear us singing, “The ants go marching one by one,
hurrah,
hurrah?”
“Chirp, sing, and work at the same time? “Present Enjoyment” and
“Future
Preparation” simultaneously—while having fun? I hadn’t thought of
this! I
won’t have to steal from you this
winter like I always do!”
The Injection: Whistle while you work!
Future Reality
(Remember to start reading from the bottom.)
Live a happy life.
“Moil and toil, laying up
food for the winter.” AND Enjoy the present.
Whistle while you work.
READER’S FEEDBACK
(2)
This message is in regards to an article published in last week's TACTics
written by Cheryl A. Edwards: "Yani’s Goal: Practice Session Example,"
Endangered Species, “Wild Cats,” p.15, Jo Ellen Moore.
Kay and Cheryl,
Thanks again for producing Tactics. I always find a connection
with the
content. Today's is unusual. Last
night I was listening to NPR and an
interview with a gentleman who has
been researching the status of Big Cats
in
country has a great deal of
mountainous jungle and was once home to
thousands of tigers, but that the
tiger population has been reduced to less
than two hundred.
The region is also one of the few places on earth without natural
sources of
salt. The native population must
spend a great deal of their time and energy
obtaining salt for their diet. It is a
life or death quest. One source of salt
is the Chinese merchant who
will trade salt for—you guessed it—dead tiger
parts.
Certain parts of the tiger are used in traditional Chinese
medicines. So
when we wonder what drives people
to kill tigers, it may not be as simple as
we think. How could we short
circuit this tiger killing process?
Best regards,
EDITORS’ NOTES
(3) Kay
Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards
Thanks, Mike and Cal for sharing. Can’t you just see students all
over the
world rewriting fables with a TOC
twist? A twist that always includes a
WIN/WIN solution! Lesson: WIN/WIN is possible if you just use your
TOC thinking tools.
This week’s TACTics includes graphics,
which can been seen in the pdf
version. Please note that the pdf version of TACTics is
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You may also view TACTics in its
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Remember that this newsletter depends on your contributions. We
welcome
your responses, applications of
the thinking processes, lessons,
announcements, and etc. Send by mail to:
Cheryl A. Edwards, 2253 S. Hill
Island Rd.,
cedwards@cedarville.net or bucknek@earthlink.net. We look forward to
hearing from you.