TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

April 11, 2003

In this week’s issue:

Connections

(1) OLE!, Kathy Suerken

(2) 7 th International TOCFE Conference

Reader’s Feedback

(3) Denise Meyer

Editors’ Notes

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

CONNECTIONS

(1) OLE!

From Kathy Suerken

I just returned from Mexico where I addressed 1,400 educators at the Congress of Innovative Education of the Americas, sponsored through the Secretariat of Education for public schools (SEP), Nuevo Leon. Eleanor May-Baenneker from the United Kingdom also gave an address as well at a workshop on Dyslexia. Eleanor will provide a full day workshop at the 7th International TOCFE Conference on the use of TOC teaching strategies with children who have dyslexia.

All of our TOCFE conference workshops this year have been approved for local school district in-service points, which then apply as well to any future local TOCFE workshops. Given that my local Florida school district already has the highest state test scores, this endorsement is meaningful! If you are interested to receive these in-service component write- ups (easily adapted to other district requirements), please email a request to suerken@cox.net.

The teacher workshops are composed of all new materials, will be taught by Rami Goldratt and Cheryl Edwards, and are focused on the use of TOC to better achieve Academic Standards and Benchmarks. The seminar on how to address resistance to change, taught by Audrey Taylor, is primarily for administration and definitely meets the needs of those who work with—or on—school improvement teams. The behavioral workshop this year will be peer mediation training co-taught by Mary Ellen Bourbou and Michelle Royan and will feature a demonstration by A GOAL Academy. All of these workshops may be attended by TOC beginners, but will serve also to upgrade the certification of TOCFE experts in these new  materials/tailored applications. Additionally, we have a syllabus designed just for TOCFE experts that include workshops such as Danilo Sirias’s international research project and also Rami Goldratt's workshop on the new transition tree process.

Meanwhile, back in Mexico, Marina Rodriquez and her TOCFE team at the  SEP are making remarkable progress. Because the application of TOC to behavior is not sufficiently effective to engage most mainstream teachers, Marina launched an initiative last fall with 49 schools new to TOCFE to work with teachers specifically on the use of TOC in content. Since then, most of the teachers in these schools are TOC trained and Marina reports that her team is supervising, evaluating (documenting results) and giving feedback on how to teach content through TOC.

These schools are located throughout the state, from one end to the other (covers about 250 miles). Her initiative seems to be working—more than 20 additional schools have called Marina's office recently to request this new training program. An even greater consequence, however, is the decision to train ALL Nuevo Leon Civics teachers in TOC! This decision by the SEP came as a result of teacher demand and the specific request of those who manage those programs.

Marina has 6 TOCFE facilitators under her supervision and they will begin with Civic teachers in primary school. The plan is to train over 2,000 such teachers by end June 2003!

And, there is even MORE good news from Mexico—news that has a global impact. That news will be announced on Friday, May 16 in Ft. Walton Beach at the 7th International TOCFE Conference.

I hope you will join us there in the OLE!

(2) 7th International TOCFE Conference.

May 16-19, 2003

Ramada Plaza Beach Resort

1500 Miracle Strip Parkway

Ft Walton Beach, Florida, USA

Hotel:

• For reservations, USA toll free: 800.874.8962.

• Please reserve your room under the TOCFE Conference block of rooms.

• Boxed continental breakfast-up to two per room included.

• Blocked rooms will be held until April 24, 2003 (afterward, reservations only if space available).

• The following prices are for maximum of 2 people per room (additional person is $10/person per night up to maximum of 4 per room).

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

 

Airport:

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

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

• Driving information will be shared in a future TACTics.

Conference Fees:

• Daily Rate: $25 includes lunch, coffee breaks and all materials.

• Full conference rate: $125 includes 4 lunches, all coffee breaks, all materials and Special Dinner/Entertainment Event on Sunday, May 18. A Special Event is still being planned for Saturday, May 17!

Registration:

To download a registration form or to see the most current conference agenda, visit www.tocforeducation.com. Or, you can also e-mail Kathy Suerken at suerken@cox.net.

READER’S FEEDBACK

(3) Denise Meyer, Los Angeles, California, USA.

I was pleased to see the strategy that Sima used in the negative branch.  We also have found that to be very useful. Another strategy that can be added, which is very powerful, is to initial each box with whomever has power to change that box. That way, the child begins to realize where s/he has power to change the outcome even when the other child has been the aggressor. It is then the boxes that s/he has control over that become the one to focus on in changing the outcome.

EDITORS’ NOTES

(4) 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.”