TACTics Journal
A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners
In this week’s issue:
Connections
(1) 7th International TOCFE Conference: A Global Think-Tank for
Educators, Cheryl A. Edwards
(2) Think-Tank Thanks, Beverly Brown
(3) Bernie Kean, Our Unsung Hero, Cheryl A.
Edwards
Quote
(4) Winston Churchill
Editors’ Notes
(5) Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards
CONNECTIONS
(1) TOCFE 7th International Conference: A
Global Think Tank
for Educators
From Cheryl A. Edwards
This year’s annual conference took place in warm and sunny
far from where the TOC Thinking
Tools were first introduced to middle
school students by
educators from approximately 13
countries and 9 US states and they were
all eager to share and learn
more about successful methods of dissemination
and the new applications of the
thinking tools. It really was electrifying to
hear about the fantastic progress
that is being made in so many different
countries.
The conference was truly a “Global Think-Tank.” Practitioners from all
different areas of education shared
many new and impressive applications.
In future TACTics you will be able to
read featured articles written by folks
who attended the many different
sessions. So, stay tuned for some
interesting first hand accounts! The
first one follows.
(2) Think-Tank Thanks
From
To Kathy, Bernie, Eli, and everyone who made the 7th International
TOCFE
Conference possible.
I chose to attend the conference for several reasons. First, I
needed to be
motivated to finish the book I started
several years ago. Gila Glatter’s
workbooks, especially Rainbow in the
Cloud, definitely motivated me to finish
my book. I even broke some of
the obstacles in my Ambitious Target at the
conference. Second, I needed to be
energized—I sometimes feel I am alone
in my TOC efforts. I needed to
hear about Sandra Fierro’s working alone in
the mountains of
solve problems in
TOC in math in
to become reconnected. Eli
helped me to reconnect on the first day. He
reminded me of the 3 pillars of
TOCFE: “Every situation is governed by one
constraint, there is no conflict in
reality, and people are good (remove the
conflict, and they are good) never
assume people are bad. People are doing
the best they can do under the
conflict; remove the conflict, and people will
shine.”
Finally, I attended the conference to get inspiration. Francois
Moll, Belinda
Small, Danilo Sirias,
and
supervise 2nd year university
education students who are majoring in social
studies, history, special education,
family and consumer sciences, business,
and language arts. I also
supervise 4th year university students who are
majoring in integrated language arts,
English, and communication. One of my
ambitious targets is to teach the TOC
tools to these student teachers, so
they can go out and teach
students and other teachers. Francois’s
information on writing critical
(argumentative) essays will be one of the first
items I share with my students
(check the April 25 Tactics if you missed
this discussion). Also, I am
ecstatic that Belinda Small has discovered
another aspect of the problem that
students (of all levels) have in
standardized testing. She discovered that
students have problems
interpreting the answers to the
questions. Her analysis of too broad, too
narrow, and the main idea has
opened many new doors of thought for me.
Danilo’s ABC teaching method of
Analyze, Break Down, and Connect inspired
me as well. And then there was
Kathy. Her story of Yani touched the heart.
Everyone must acquire a copy of this inspirational story. The
moral sums up
what the conference meant to me:
“You can achieve your goals in life.”
Thanks to everyone mentioned (and so many of you not mentioned)
for
allowing me to see a road to
achieving my goals.
I attended the conference to find Meri
(motivation, energy, reconnection,
and inspiration), and I found Yani (yet another new idea)!
(3) Bernie Kean, Our Unsung Hero!
From Cheryl A. Edwards
Over the years many of us TOCFE folks have had problems solved,
questions
answered, and information provided by
Bernie Kean, Assistant to Kathy
Suerken. But who is this Bernie Kean?
Unfortunately too many of us have
never met Bernie in person. People
began to wonder…is there really a
Bernie?
All we know for sure is that Bernie is always there, ready to do
anything she
can to help us. The really
extraordinary thing is that she always, always
helps with an incredible
willingness that goes way beyond what is necessary.
Her smile broadcasts reassuringly over the telephone lines and
even through
her email messages.
Well, folks, there are hundreds of us that can now testify that
Bernie Kean
is alive and real. She was
there, at the conference, helping and answering
questions, of course. But the best was
that she always had on that
wonderful smile and it was ready just
for us.
From all of us to you, Bernie, “THANKS!!!” We are so glad to know you!
EDITORS’ NOTES
(5) Kay Buckner-Seal, Cheryl A. Edwards
attendees, our TOCFE friends who could
not attend the conference are
depending on you to learn all about
the conference. Won’t you please take
the time to write up your
insights and reflections and send them to either:
Cheryl at cedwards@cedarville.net, or snail mail to
TACTics at bucknek@earthlink.net. If you have
any questions please,
contact Cheryl. We are all looking
forward to hearing from you.