Blog 17: The Last Blog of the Semester

May 26, 2013

"The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind." --Khalil Gibran

Reminders:

• Your comp book is due May 31. I will hand these back before you leave for the summer.
• Summer reading: choose a text from the list or one you've run by me and read it, with TOK in mind. Keep a reading log so in the fall you are well-equipped to share with your peers.

Pick one of the quotations below and connect it to an experience, conversation, or train of thought you've had during TOK this semester. How did your definitions of knowledge, wisdom, answers, ignorance, and truth change or grow? What do you see as your current role in a community of "knowers"? In your opinion, what is the point in exploring the ideas, concepts and questions we've explored this year? And finally, what have you learned (if anything!) in ToK this semester.

"Knowledge is knowing that we cannot know." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"One whose knowledge is confined to books and whose wealth is in the possession of others, can use neither his knowledge nor wealth when the need for them arises." -Chanakya

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." -Confucius

"Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." -Jacob Bronowski

"There are many kinds of eyes, and consequently, there are many kinds of truths, and consequently there is no truth." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Blog 16: TOK Presentation--exemplars and planning

May 19-May 25

Below you will find some examples of TOK presentations recommended by other TOK teachers as exemplars. They are not without flaws, by any means. Also, some teachers have their students pre-record their presentations, then simply show them in class--this will not be the case for us. However, within each of these presentations, you can clearly identify the real-life situation, the knowledge issues, the ways/areas of knowing addressed, the implications, problems of knowledge, and counterclaims.  Do keep in mind that your time frame will be limited, and I will take that into account when grading. Do a very thorough job on your formal outline so that, if indeed you do leave something out, I can see that you did not entirely ignore it. Please meet with me if you would like to brainstorm or if you have questions.

*Remember that a minimum of 24 hours before your presentation, you must meet with me for approval of your TOK planning document. However, I am willing to sign off on those earlier if you are ready!


(This one we watched in class earlier in the year)--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL_2lN_5jlM

Other examples: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAZZ7oDvL8w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGaBYnPtWzk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlUIB_hEH5M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgAkEc9ZLlc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZuISBROQLM


For this blog-post, please briefly discuss the following in regards to your Semester 1 Final for TOK. This will not only ensure that no one steals your topic, but it will also give others the chance to help you!:

1. What real-life situation in the maths or sciences do you plan to address?
2. Why did you choose this topic?
3. Give one example of a knowledge issue that (at this point) you plan to address in your presentation.
4. What areas and ways of knowing play a part in this topic?
5. What are some of the problems of knowledge you've discovered so far?
6. Is there any help, direction, or ideas that your peers or Ms. Frizzell could help you with? Ask here!! You are in a class of people with rich and varied knowledge!

Blog 15: Controversial Science

May 12-May 18

The debate above is one we've heard in some context before: climate change and its causes (or in some cases, its very existence).

Despite a reputation for being one of the areas of knowing that arrives nearest to "truth", it is often that very truth that becomes the topic of debate, ethical dilemma, or even matters of allegiance to a political party or religion.  Sometimes, this stops science in its tracks.

For this week's blog, please respond to one of the following questions or the debate in the video (or a combination of both).

1. Is scientific progress ever "bad"? If so, explain and provide examples. If you don't believe so, explain why you think so.

2. If you were able to answer one "Why" or "How" question using a scientific experiment, without any ethical or moral repercussions, what question would you want to answer? Why? How would you have to go about answering this question?

3. Considering that many scientific processes, experiments, and samplings carry with them ethical dilemmas, what kinds of boundaries or parameters do you believe should be placed on the sciences? Worded in another way, what "rules" do you think scientists should have to follow when it comes to scientific progress? If you believe that progress is most important above all other implications, explain why you believe so.

Blog 14: Mathematics, magic, a metaphors

May 5-May 11

The video above is actually quite entertaining, and amazing! It also might contribute more to the discussion of pure vs. applied mathematics.

This week's blog requires you to do a little bit of searching...but you won't have to search for long. Please respond to the two prompts below:

a.) Find a piece of current news (newspaper, magazine, online source) in which something mathematical is referenced. Share the title of the piece, the publication, the publication date, the mathematics that are used and why you believe this publication/writer chose to use these mathematics. (For example, was it to convince or persuade? Was it to validate evidence or provide proof? Was it to back up "facts"? etc). Was the use of mathematics in this article spelled out for the readers or did it leave room for inference? Was the purpose of the use of mathematics successful, do you think?

b.) This week we are going to be talking about mathematics as metaphors for abstract concepts. Specifically, we will be talking about Euclidian geometry as a metaphor for many, many things.  Brainstorm some ideas as to what you think Euclidian geometry (or any maths you choose) could stand for, metaphorically speaking. (It may help to think of sayings, lines of songs, or even poetry!)