TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

May 2, 2003

In this week’s issue:

Connections

(1) 7 th International TOCFE Conference, Kathy Suerken

(2) Welcome New TOCFE Trainers, Eleanor May-Brenneker

(3) Dear TOCFE Friends, Katie Powell

(4) TACT Class in the Heartland, Cal Halliburton

Reader’s Feedback

(5) Manfred Smith

Editors’ Notes

(6) Oops!, Kay Buckner-Seal & Cheryl A. Edwards

CONNECTIONS

(1) 7 th International TOCFE Conference

From Kathy Suerken

May 16-19, 2003

Ramada Plaza Beach Resort

1500 Miracle Strip Parkway, SE

Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548

Telephone: 850-243-9161

Fax: 850-243-2391

Ramada Central Reservations: 1-800-272-6232

Standard: $120 (plus tax) per night.

Courtyard: $135 (plus tax) per night.

Poolside: $155 (plus tax) per night.

Beach Front: $175 (plus tax) per night.

All rooms include individual climate control, refrigerators, coffee makers, room safes, irons and ironing boards, 2 telephones with data ports, 27" televisions with cable, radio, clock alarm and hairdryers. Boxed continental.breakfast—up to two per room included with the TOC for Education block of rooms.

Recreational Facilities

Access to 800 feet of sugar white sand beach and sparkling Emerald Green waters. Swimming pools, sundecks, whirlpool and patios for lazing, tanning, swimming and playing. Northwest Florida's largest swimming pool accented with a five story Polynesian island where one may swim through the waterfall to the Grotto Bar. New exercise facility that is complimentary to hotel  guests. A Beach Gift Shop is on site and adjacent to hotel is a boardwalk with entertainment, shopping and dining.

Average daytime temps 81°F (27°C)

Average nighttime temps 66°F (20°C)

Airport

· Fort Walton Beach, Florida (VPS is the airport code).

· Cab/shuttle service from airport to hotel is about $15.

· Driving information:

¨ When leaving the airport, turn left onto FL-85 South (also called Eglin Parkway). Stay on 85 South for approximately 10 miles.

¨ Turn left (east) onto US-98/FL-30/Miracle Strip Parkway SE (it seems every road has two or three names just to confuse!) Go over the bridge to the island and the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort will be on the right one mile after the bridge.

(2) Welcome New TOCFE Trainers

From Eleanor May-Brenneker, Netherlands

I’ve just trained two more colleagues towards facilitator status in Holland. They would like to receive the TACTics Journal from now on. Their names are: Drs. Marijke van der Meer, head of O. C. R. Orthopedagogisch Didactisch Remedial Teaching Consultancy and Drs. Joel van Raak, Partner in O. C. R. They both intend to take TOCFE into schools on school study days, to teach teachers the TOC tools. That's a mouth full, isn’t it?

I need to congratulate these two new members on the way they so quickly learned and applied the tools. It was great fun to work with them. The success of the 5-session course lies in encouraging the students to immediately apply the tools, possibly at house, garden, kitchen level (Dutch expression!), so that use of the tools is directly relevant to every day personal life experiences. In this way, the learner will see that the proof of the TOC pudding is in the eating and that there remains no fear to start application.

How did we achieve this? The 5- session course was taught and we arranged for the 2 students to work with all five tools immediately, from the next day. I visited them again within the week and asked to see examples of their efforts: I was astounded about the high quality of their real-life examples! They were over the moon about the results they had so quickly achieved with the thinking tools. All they could say was, “IT WORKS!” All I would like to say is, “WELL DONE, MARIJKE AND JOEL!”

Kind regards.

(3) Dear TOCFE Friends

From Katie Powell, United Kingdom

As many of you know, for the last 2 years, I have been preparing myself to work as a primary school teacher. After the end of April, I will no longer be working directly with GOLDRATT UK; but instead will be completing my teacher training on an 8-week placement at a local school. I have accepted a full-time position at this same school for September 2003 and will be teaching their Year 3 class (7-8 year olds).

I can't wait to start and bring the TACT into action in my own class. I have been practising my ideas so far (courtesy of David and Galina) at their Saturday Club in the UK. I am very grateful to them for giving me this opportunity as it has made the transition from teaching adults to teaching children much easier for me.

I have a developed a collection of ideas which I would like to share with you. Unfortunately, due to the dates and rules of my final teaching practice, I will not be able to join you all for the conference in Florida. However, I will send over some samples with Galina. I also hope to share some of my work in future TACTics Journals. Until now, I felt that whatever I contributed would be obvious to those who have been working in education for a long time. But, I am repeatedly told by some of you that this is not the case—so expect to see some examples from me over the coming months!

If you have my Goldratt UK email on your system, please change it now to katiehpowell@ntlworld.com

Thanks to all of you who have supported me over the years. I look forward to continuing to work with you!

Best regards.

(4) TACT Class in the Heartland

From Cal Halliburton, Iowa, USA

Class Title: Stop and Think

Content: Evaporating Cloud and Negative Branch

Bonus Content: A little bit of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (a.k.a. TRIZ)

Location: Ames, Iowa

Dates: June 5, 6

Time: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Instructor: Cal Halliburton

Registration: www.AEA11.k12.ia.us

Go to Professional Development, then Catalog & Registration, then search by Location.

Best Regards.

READER’S FEEDBACK

(5) Manfred Smith, Maryland, USA

Francis Moll’s essay process is good. The reason that the teachers he worked with were amazed to see improvement is, unfortunately, a reflection of the way writing is NOT taught anymore. The advantage that Mr. Moll introduces in his program is what we used to call, OUTLINING. What Mr. Moll is adding is what we call ACE: Answer the question (i.e., address the issue directly), Cite evidence, Explain, Elaborate.  When done in combination with outlining, AND when the outline is REQUIRED as part of the writing assignment, DRAMATIC results appear.  And, why not? When folks have at their command a systematic structure that allows them to organize information in an effective manner…well the rest is history.

What I do is a process called Effective Communication using an outlining process with the ACE process. TOC tools are incorporated when appropriate (branches, trees, etc). Outlines MUST accompany final drafts or be returned. Outlines are graded separately. The EC process is applied to written and oral presentations.

If teachers want to see CONTINUOUS progress, then this process must become a system that is followed each and every time. When we first begin the EC program in my classes, the difference between those who follow it and those who do not is literally night and day. Since I show the work on an overhead, the students themselves see the difference and begin to buy in.

I applaud Mr. Moll for creating a system of pre-writing that allows his students to become better writers. I plan to look more carefully at Mr. Moll’s structure and see what I can incorporate in my Effective Communications process.

Thank you!

EDITORS’ NOTES

(6) Oops!

Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards

As suggested in one of our most recent issues of TACTics, TOCFE practitioners could download Francois Moll’s complete article: “Literature Essays and, by Extension, any Argumentative/ Discursive Writing” from the 2002 archive located at our website: www.tocforeducation.com. However, we have discovered that several readers were unable to gain access to that archived (October 18, 2002) issue. Until we remedy this computer “glitch,” anyone who wants a copy of that issue may contact Cheryl or me. We will gladly send it to you. Otherwise, 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 edwards@cedarville.net or bucknek@earthlink.net.