TACTics
Journal
A Publication for and by TOC
for Education Practitioners
March 7, 2002
In this week’s issue:
Elementary/Secondary TACTics
(1) The Cloud on Border
Discussion, Rafael
and Francis Conde
(2) 7 th International TOCFE Conference
(3) Registration Form: 7 th International TOCFE Conference
Editor’s Notes
(4) Kay Buckner-Seal
ELEMENTARY/SECONDARY
TACTICS
(1) The Cloud on Border Discussion
Rafael and Francis Conde, TOCFE
Directors Venezuela and Columbia
Dear Kathy,
As we promised you, we enclose
the class content about "The Cloud on Border Litigation".
It was an amazing work done in
Francis’ school with the participation of the class teacher, Francis and myself
as a facilitator of the cloud construction.
Best regards,
Rafael
Pre-work:
We need to understand/“solve”
the border litigation between Colombia and Venezuela, which has existed since
1833, with a group of students in the last year of primary school (ages 12 – 13
years old).
We started by saying that we
need to analyze to see if both countries are actually friends or enemies,
because it was important to establish a common objective.
To determine this point the
teacher asked for positive and negative features of the relationship. The
follow list was made:
Positive Facts:
-Commerce
-Mutual help
-Sports competition
-Common language
-Common religion basis
-Democracy
Negative Facts:
-Borders litigation
-Guerrilla
-Smugglers
-Kidnappers
-Narcodealers
-Illegal migration
Looking at the two lists, we
decided that with exemption of the border’s litigation, the other problems are
not related with the policy or nationality, but with criminal people that
should be eradicated by a cooperative alliance.
Then, the teacher suggested to
discuss: “What if the two countries became just one.” And enthusiastically the students said:
- Petroleum deliverance
capability increase
- Agriculture increase
- Fishing increase
- Access to Pacific and
Caribbean seas
- Commercial capability
increase
- Industrial base increase
- Not more smugglers
- Accomplish with Bolivar´s
thought
- Better sport performance
- Cattle exploitation increase
- Cultural features increase
- Mine resources increase
- More chance to compete
between the globe
- Increase the capability to
face the guerrilla
- Increase the democratic base
to have better government
The above discussion provided
enough stamina to build the conflict because all the students, even the foreign
students who were at the schoolroom, wanted to keep the positive features of
the common alliance.
The Cloud:
A:
Colombia and Venezuela being in peace
B:
Colombia needs to defend its productive area.
D:
Colombia wants to settle its border in Castillete
C:
Venezuela needs to recognize its historical rights
D’:
Venezuela wants to settle its border in Chichivacoa
Assumptions:
BD:
- Because Colombia has its
sovereignty on the Monjes island and some part at the northwest of the
Venezuelan lake.
- Because The Pombo Michelena
Agreement defined the borders right there in 1833.
CD:
- Because the border was
establish by the Agreement of the Capitanía General de Venezuela by Royal Edict
from Carlos III in 1777.
- Because Venezuela is the
absolute owner of the Venezuela Gulf and its continental platform.
- Because the agreement Pombo
–Michelena was not accepted by Venezuela Congress, even there were a referre laudum
from Alfonso XIII in 1899 and by a Switzerland Commission in 1941.
At this point it was amazing
how the students recognized, memorized and use in logical way the historical
data. They accepted by consensus the need to read and to know in deep understanding
the content of the agreements to be able to criticize them.
Injections
Three terrific proposals of
solutions were settled:
1 - Give the political
administration of the Guajira territory to the Wayu tribe, because the
historical rights are with them, the people who lived there for hundreds of
years.
2 - Share the territory between
the two countries and establish a common administration regarding the economics
of each one. For instance, Colombia has 20% of the rights in petroleum and
Venezuela 80%, but in agriculture should be the opposite.
3 - Have the Monjes Island as
an independent location. Use this archipelago as a security common area.
Finally, two students read the
cloud and the assumptions and the injections as a speech into the diplomatic
environment. All the classmates were very proud because they looked like a good
Chancellor, not as the bad politicians in charge of these handlings. :-).
As homework, the teacher
recommend to analyze the negative branch derived from these solutions.
(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!
• 10% discount if registration
fees are paid by April 1, 2003
(3) Registration From: 7th International
TOCFE Conference.
REGISTRATION
FORM
7th International TOC for Education Conference
May 16-19,
2003
Ramada Plaza
Beach Resort
1500 Miracle
Strip Parkway
Ft. Walton
Beach, Florida, USA
Phone:
850.243.9161
Toll Free:
1.800.874.8962
Name:
Home Street
Address:
City: State:
Zip Code:
Country:
Home Phone:
E-mail:
Job Title or
Position (Include level of children you work with:
elementary,
etc.):
Conference
Fees:
10 % discount
if registration fees are paid by April 1, 2003.
Daily Rate: $25
includes lunch, coffee breaks and all materials ($22.50 before April 1. $27.50
after May 1.)
Full 4-Day
Conference Rate: $125 includes 4 lunches, all coffee breaks, all materials and
Special Dinner/Entertainment Event on Sunday, May 18, 2003. ($112.50 before
April 1. $150 after May 1.)
Mail completed
registration form with check (sorry, no credit cards accepted) for registration
(payable to TOC for Education, Inc.) to:
Kathy Suerken,
President
TOC for
Education, Inc.
1532 Glenlake
Circle
Niceville, FL
32578 USA
EDITOR’S NOTES
(3) Kay Buckner-Seal
Rafael and Francis Conde, thank
you for sharing another fine example of how the Cloud is applicable to
authentic instruction: higher order thinking, deep knowledge, substantive
conversation, and connections to the real world.
If you would like to share your
applications of the thinking processes, lessons, announcements, and etc.,
please send your responses, 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 view previous issues of TACTics in its intended formatting, visit our web site at www.tocforeducation.com and click on “What’s New.”