TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

February 21, 2003

In this week’s issue:

Connections

(1) Silver Threads Among the GOAL!, Kathy Suerken

(2) Filipino Student Leaders Present School/Community Projects, Cora Santiago

Editors’ Notes

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

CONNECTIONS

(1) Silver Threads Among the GOAL!

From Kathy Suerken

“We cannot live for ourselves alone. Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads, and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.”

—Herman Melville

Within the tapestry of a better world are the threads of YOUR ideas, time…and financial resources –fibers that are necessary conditions for us to achieve our goal.

Our founder and major contributor of all the above fibers, Eli Goldratt, once shared a cloud that well describes a frequent TOCFE core dilemma.

A: Strive toward our goal.

B: The goal is burning within you.

D: Service everyone according to his/her needs.

C: Acknowledge time and resource availability.

D’: Establish priorities/criteria for service.

Do you ever feel this cloud when you don’t have enough time, stamina or money? In TOCFE, we don’t want to have to deny children the tools because of a resource limitation and yet, sometimes that is the reality.

The existence of this cloud in TOCFE is because of our strong commitment to our vision, our goal. It seems you don’t know you have a problem unless you have a goal!

In trying to break this cloud for his network, David Higgins, our UK Director, thought of a local injection that has huge global impact-a real silver bullet, a silver thread that covers the whole TOCFE tapestry! As we know, in TOC, silver bullets are ideas that have far reaching impact.

David’s idea was to develop some distinctive, unparalleled TOCFE materials as a more effective way to save time, energy and money while trying to both market and teach TOC. And, like all exceptional leaders (teachers, friends, and parents!), he shared the idea in its initial stage to enable the synergy of others to weave global objectives.

He even shared a long time publishing connection, Colin Rose, of Accelerated Learning Systems, who has impeccable integrity and whose actions model a shared vision for children. We began to dialogue on how we could best create new materials through a joint venture with ALS. As a result, we developed an animated children’s book along with new, CUTTING EDGE, self-learning workbooks for teaching existing content through TOC.

The result of Colin meeting YOU and seeing the effects of TOCFE in action at the 2001 International Conference in Detroit was an injection that he proposed to help break c-d of our cloud. In order to enable TOCFE to service more and more the needs of ALL children, ALS is going to donate 65% of all proceeds to TOCFE from our joint venture.

The fee for a one year school license in USA is $500. The license allows all students and school staff unlimited use of these new distinctive and unparalleled TOCFE materials. An individual may purchase the CD-ROM for single use for $30. More details are available at www.tocforschools (which has recently been given a new look). UK launch of these materials is now underway. The USA version (using USA spellings and storyteller) will be available March 15.

To me, this initiative breaks our TOCFE cloud by:

· Providing uniform and qualitative delivery of our latest materials.

· Enabling us to disseminate TOCFE to larger audiences than currently possible through facilitated seminars, and

· Serving as a win/win fundraiser to enable us to grow ‘now and in the future.’

Therefore, I hope that it makes sense for you to support this initiative, made possible only by the contributions of our ‘global bank’ of ideas, service and especially through the support of our existing financial patrons extraordinaire.

A special thank you, therefore, is long overdue to Larry Gadd (Eli’s publisher) of North River Press who has significantly contributed to TOCFE since its inception. Jim Trimble and Steve Dightman also regularly contribute to TOCFE through the United Way of Kitsap County, WA.  A list of those who have donated financially and with exceptional service of time is posted to our web site.  What is not posted is the invisible thread of my unending gratitude.

(2) Filipino Student Leaders Present School/Community Projects

From Cora Santiago, Philippines

Fourteen finalists from 252 student leaders and student government advisers who took Thinking and Communicating Skills presented their projects on February 11, 2003 at the Department of Education – National Capital Region Conference Room to the Board of TOCFE Directors in the Philippines..The projects discussed how the student leaders used TOCFE skills in school assemblies and projects and community activities. The students were the winners in the fourteen school divisions of the National Capital Region. 

Three student finalists were selected and updated the board of judges of their projects on TOCFE for Students / Community.  They are:

School Project

Gian Carla T. Lumabao Makati Science High School Where Clouds Roll By

Edison B. Manalo Lawang Bato National High School Computer Literacy Program

Patrick C. Maghirang Rizal High School Main Teacher’s Day

Gian Carla T. Lumabao of Makati Science High School was unanimously declared winner by the Board of Judges chaired by Ms. Lourdes Visaya. The project was enlightening students’ select activities for their leisure hours.

Ms. Lumabao will join the Philippine delegation to the 7 th International Conference.

EDITORS’ NOTES

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

Feel free to share 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 cedwards@cedarville.net or bucknek@earthlink.net.

You may also view TACTics in its intended formatting, by visiting our web site at www.tocforeducation.com. Click on “What’s New.”