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.”