TACTics Journal

A Publication for and by TOC for Education Practitioners

March 5, 2004

In this week’s issue:

Readers’ Feedback: The Delivery Cloud

(1) Linda Trapnell

(2) Eleanor May-Brenneker

Connections

(3) Award to Danilo Sirias, Mike Round

(4) 8th Annual TOCFE Conference

Editors’ Notes

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

 

READERS’ FEEDBACK: THE DELIVERY CLOUD

(1) Linda Trapnell, United Kingdom

Just a few thoughts on the debate about the whole picture/building the

picture debate…As we began to teach the cloud to young children many years

ago (or so it seems), we tried all methods. And, our tolerant and eager-tolearn

subjects let us get it wrong and fed in their “advice.”

As published in TACTics, 2/6/04, The Delivery Cloud, by Danilo Sirias is as follows:

A: In order to have effective delivery of content

B: I must provide students with a sense of direction

In order to provide students with a sense of direction,

D: I must present the big picture first and then explain the details.

On the other hand…

A: In order to have effective delivery of content,

C: I must create a sense of discovery (be Socratic).

In order to provide students with a sense of discovery (be Socratic),

D’: I must start with a detail and then build up to complete the big

picture.

My initial approach was to follow my own preferred learning style and outline

the big picture by drawing the cloud diagram with the elements left blank.

Then I proceeded to follow the story line and unfold the problem isolating

the elements and asking the questions.

I also experimented with a new group by not outlining the big diagrammatic

form first and just built it up in response to analysing the problem with

discussion on how they built the big picture. There was no real reaction

from the children but adults involved seemed to prefer the first approach.

Personally I HAVE to see the big picture first. Children are more

flexible—though autistic pupils liked the big picture too. The diagram gave

them clues and they love a fixed pattern. The content can change as long as

the pattern is familiar.

Once our pupils became confident with the pattern we always built it up as

we went along—the need for the big picture being internalised by all. Pupils,

when using the method unaided, always built it from scratch element by

element—once they knew where they were going.

I suppose it’s a bit like trying to find your way to a new city—you need to

know the process, using the road map, general landmarks etc. And once

you’ve been there for the first time, you can experiment and build up

different routes depending on different variables (e.g. time of day, weather

conditions etc.) always keeping in mind where you're going. And if you get

lost you can always ask, especially from TOCFE users!

See you in Belgrade!

(2) Eleanor May-Brenneker, Dyslexia/SEN Consultant, UK/The Netherlands

I’m proudly showing my age! Quite a while ago there was a popular song: “I

see the clouds from both sides now, from give and take and still somehow...”

When I read Danilo’s presentation-choice issue, I immediately wanted to

reply, but I have waited. Now I’ll join the queue (typical British!).

During the 2nd Annual TOCFE Conference in Los Angeles, way back in history

by now, I delivered my maiden voyage in TOC presentations on “Dyslexia,

Special Needs in Education” dovetailing with TOCFE. There I showed a

diagram of left brain/right brain thinking modes and styles and skills. To

list a few of the left brain/right brain specifications:

Left Brain: zooms in to focal point (Sees the trees.)

• Logic

• Language

• Analytical

• Detailed

• Systematic

• Structured

• Mathematical

Right Brain: (Gestalt = whole picture) and random thinking (Sees the woods.)

• Creativity

• Art

• Rhythm and music

• Pictures

• Images

• Shapes

• Patterns

Colour

• 3-D View/Holographic View

Bear in mind that one usually deals with a mixed group of Left/Right Brain

students. Therefore, I find that I had better start with the

overview/whole picture presentation. The pre-dominantly right-brain

thinkers will then be able to fit the details into the whole picture easier

(and see the trees in the wood). The pre-dominant left-brain thinkers are

introduced to the fact that the details following later will lead to a whole

(the trees form a woods eventually). There will still be plenty of room for

the Socratic approach left (right?) in my experience and the scene is set to

please both camps.

I hasten to add that at the same time I endeavour to provide for the three

main learning-style trends: (1) visual, (2) auditory, and (3) kinesthetic or

tactile (hands-on) to accommodate all 3 different modes of learning for our

students. Whole brain learning and representing all 3 styles in one’s

presentation seems to be the answer as most of the previous colleagues

pointed out in their useful comments.

See, hear and sense you (Can't say feel you, can I?) at the next conference

in Belgrade!

 

CONNECTIONS

(3) Award to Danilo Sirias

Mike Round, Kansas, USA

Danilo Sirias, professor at Saginaw Valley State University, recently won the

Award of Best Paper of the Conference for his paper, "Teaching

MIS Using Conflict Resolution Techniques,” at the International Conference

on Informatics Education Research in Seattle, Washington in December.

The International Academy for Information Management (IAIM) sponsored

the conference.

Tom Schambach, research chair for the IAIM, had the following to say

regarding the review committee process in place to select the “best paper:”

"The paper went through two reviews: (1) the original blind review by

three reviewers for paper acceptance for the conference (based on the

initial review the paper was also nominated for the Best Paper Review),

and then (2) Seven "best paper" nominated papers were blind reviewed

by a panel of 5 best paper reviewers."

The impressive listing of all conference papers can be found at:

http://iaim.aisnet.org/IAIM2003/2003Program.pdf

Congratulations, Danilo!

(4) 8th Annual TOCFE Conference

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Dates: Thursday, May 20 - Sunday, May 23, 2004

Conference: Intercontinental Hotel in New Belgrade

Conference Fees: $50 (covers cost: 8 coffee breaks, 4 sandwich lunches)

Accommodations: Jugoslavija Hotel

• Single room: $42 to $62

• Double room: $60 to $90

• Breakfast included

• Room rates depend on how recently rooms have been renovated

All prices are in USA dollars– subject to slight conversion changes.

If you would like to book rooms at the Jugoslavija Hotel, you can do that

through the Miross Travel Agency. The person to contact is:

Ms. Dobrila Puzic

dobrila@miross.co.yu

Miross Travel Agency

Svetogorska 4, Beograd 11000

Serbia

Tel/Fax: +381 11 33 44 945

+381 11 33 44 510

+381 11 33 44 529

 

EDITORS’ NOTES

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

Congratulations, Danilo! Your contributions to TOCFE have been an

inspiration.

Linda Trapnell and Eleanor May-Brenneker, thanks for the rich responses to

Danilo’s “Delivery Cloud.” No matter what content we are teaching, you’ve

reminded us of the importance of using diagrams (graphic organizers),

utilizing thinking modes, and recognizing learning styles within the context

of our delivery of instruction.

To the rest of our TOCFE family, 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

kayseal@comcast.net.

Please note that the pdf version of TACTics is attached. You must have

Acrobat Reader to open the file. It is freely available for download from:

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html. If you have the

Reader installed but still can't open the file, drag it from this e-mail to your

desktop, launch the Reader, and open from the FILE menu.

You may also view TACTics in its intended formatting, by visiting our web

site at www.tocforeducation.com. Click on “What’s New.”