The Lighthouse Diary #32: Link Rot, Supporting Teachers and Co-writing with Peers

This week at work allowed me to do teaching collabs with co-teachers in their selection and curation of resources for teaching and learning. I am preparing recommended reads and curating online content for three subject areas, all equally interesting, but the manner in which information and knowledge are organized vary. There is differentiation to consider given the unique learning styles of students. I value these collabs since it pave the way to think through our planning and preparation for online instruction as a continuous process. A sturdy information system and tech infrastructure are necessities as well.

On the side are quick requests for references and information that will make learning accessible and clear. Such is the case for this quickie list of websites on Permalinks and Link Rot that I whipped up for our Theory of Knowledge teacher. It's open for sharing so teacher and his class can contribute and grow the list of resources. He is working on a class website and he even invited me to write or make a mini-module with them.

And because I am the queen of small talk, I segued to a new found friend I met online whom he knows. The common denominators are Ignatius of Loyola and BTS. He did encourage me to write about them for his TOK class.

Grabe. Kinilig ako ng sobra! At natakot, after thinking about it. Two great ideas in one article... Keri ba ng brain ko?

I ask for the grace of wisdom.

The Lighthouse Diary Entry 3: The TOK Tree

In the Academy, when going to Building B using the right doorway from Building A is a path where, if you are observant you will notice it immediately, a tree stands to the right. It has been very popular among birds and men lately because it has flowered and is bearing fruit. Ang sipag niya mamulaklak! Puwera usog!

TOK Tree. Fruit of Wonder!

It is known on campus as the Palawan Cherry Tree. The flowers are small and pink. The fruit is edible, as small as a cherry tomato, bright red when ripe like an apple and the taste vary from one person to the other. However, unlike the cherry, it does not have a pit. Its seeds come in clusters.

I wonder why it was called a cherry tree, in the first place. The tree's real identity is still up for debate! A topic for research!

Our learning support teacher likens the fruit to a balimbing. The Business Management teachers says it tastes like macopa but with a slightly acidic zing to it. Our new Filipino teacher thought of raspberries upon tasting the fruit. I say it tastes like kalamansi with honey.

Aha. A Theory of Knowledge (TOK) moment!

Because we are not sure of the tree's species and genus, we relied on our memories to identify the fruit's taste, and this gave meaning to our experience of this wonderful tree growing in the school grounds.We can always argue on its taste and we will all end up agreeing to disagree. Indeed, one's opinion and experience is different from the other. Such is the way with knowledge and our perception of the world.

Learning From Peers: Sitting in a TOK Class

A few weeks ago, I sat in a TOK (Theory of Knowledge) class of a colleague to learn something new and to think about my own "unique" teaching roles. This activity is part and parcel of our school's professional development program. Here are my thoughts on the experience.

Highlights of the session (areas, teaching/ learning moments or observation points which strike you and why)

The highlight of the session for me was my colleague's modeling of the thinking process. He identified a real life situation (RLS) and asked the students to convert the RLS to a knowledge issue (KI). Students fashioned a knowledge question (KQ) from the KI. My colleague facilitated this process through group work and discussion.

The exercise he did with his students on the TOK criteria was a practical strategy to hone their evaluation skills. This way, students were made aware of the assessment rubrics as well as the required skills and competence expected of them in TOK.

Short reflection on your own practice: any new learnings gained which you would like to try in your class? Any questions you would like to raise about your own teaching practice as a result of this 'preview' of your colleague's ' teaching and learning event? 

I think the pattern that my colleague used in arriving at a KQ can also be used in helping the grade 11s craft their research question (RQ) in the Extended Essay. However, there is time and class hours devoted for TOK where as in the EE, the time allotment given to assist students is during big group assemblies. In the TOK class, students are guided through the application of thinking across subject areas. I see no difference in the EE, only that, students need to investigate a bit deeper on chosen topics of research.

How can such thinking strategies be transferred to the EE?

Any feedback and comment you'd like to offer?

Since I saw the value in the group's formulation of KQs, I think it would be good to write the finished KIs and KQs on manila paper or cartolina. Have these written KIs and KQs posted on the bulletin board. Teacher and students revisit them as they go through the whole exercise of nurturing this kind of thinking strategy. By doing so, teacher (not necessarily the TOK teacher) can use the written output for a language lesson or a lesson on grammar, vocabulary development and sentence patterns. This can be converted into a mini-lesson on writing. Once edits and revisions are made on the KQs, it can then be finalized and approved as an acceptable KQ based on criterion.