1

IBTOK2014

TEXTBOOKsources:
Alchin;vandeLagemaat;Dombrowski/Rotenberg&Beck[2013]

ProposedPATTERNfortheafternoon:1.304.30

Beginwithasuitablequotewhichintroduces&framesthetopicforthelesson&providesa
focusforreflection

2. Ifpossible,alsofindaprescribedessayquestionfrompastpapersonthistopic

3. INTRODUCEtopic

1.

4. ExplainanddeveloptopicandKnowledgeQuestions[KQ]itraises

5. IdentifyandexplainKQsraised
[upto40minutes+activities=aboutanhour]

BREAKaround2.453pm

AFTERBREAK

6. Identifynewterms/languagestudentstorecordthisinglossary.

7. Suitablematerialtovieworreadwhichdevelops/illustratesthetopic.

8. 20minutesofreflection/writing.

9. Ifthereistimesharewhatiswritten.

10. Studentsfilenotesandmaterial.

11. Followingweekbeginbysharingreflectionsandexamples.

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WEEK1

Beginwithquote:'theunexaminedlifeisnotworthliving

Preliminaries:Housekeeping
WithreferencetoagoodTOKdiagramexplainTOKAimsandGoals;Assessments:theESSAY
andORALPRESENTATION

1.

2. FormulateEssentialagreementforTOKclasses

3. Briefexplanationofcourse:ppton'IntrotoIBTOKtheexpandedTOKdiagram[FIND???]

4.ManagingTOK:yourTOKfolder:keepallTOKresources+listofvocabulary+reflections&
discussionnotes+examplesandstoriesyoufind

TOPIC:Whatiseducationfor?Whatistheplaceofreflection?Whatkindofreflection?

1.Whatdoesaneducatedpersonlooklike?

2.GROUPWORK:[30minutes]

a)Isthisaneducation?TESTCASESGiveyourreasons:
TrainingofNaziyouth
Trainingofsuicidebombers
Socialisationofwomeninfundamentalistcommunities
PreparingforNaplan

b)Makingconceptualdistinctions:distinguishbetweenEducation&Brainwashing,
Indoctrination,Training,Socialisation;distinguishbetweenknowledge&information,
knowledge&wisdom

c)Thinkofpeopleyouconsidereducatedandlistsomeofthequalitiestheyhaveacquiredfrom
beingeducated

d)Whatdoestheprocessofeducationinvolve?
MAKEnotestosharewiththeclass
4. GROUPfeedback&
CLASSDISCUSSION[about30minutes]
LookattheIBLearnerProfileexplainwhatthesequalitiesmean...

BREAK

1.WhatistheExaminedLife?
2.WatchdeBottononSocrates[Questions&Notes:onprogramme]

3.REFLECTION:writearesponsetothefollowingquestions:

WhatdidSocratesmeanbyexaminingyourlife?Whatpartdoesreasonplay?
Whatdoesitmeanforyoutoexamineyourlife?
Writeentrytosharewithclassnextweek
BeginyourTOKFILEandyourglossary:makealistofnewTOKlanguageuse

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WEEK2
QUOTES:Thelimitsofmylanguagearethelimitsofmyworld
Thecrucialfeatureofhumanlifeisitsfundamentallydialogicalcharacter

TOPIC:TheSelfASKNOWER[middleofthediagram]

Thehumansubject=aknower
Content:mainideas
Humansconstructknowledgecommunallybymeansoflanguage
IntroduceCharlesTaylorsnotionoftheselfasdialogueencapsulatestheideasabove
Languagesvarytheycutuptheworlddifferentlygivingupdifferentlensesontheworld
Introducetherelationshipbetweenlanguageandthoughtlanguageandcultureand
untranslatability
1.Whatshapeswhoweare?
The crucial feature of human life is its fundamentally dialogical character. We become full human
agents,capableofunderstandingourselves,andhenceofdefiningouridentity,throughouracquisition
ofrichhumanlanguageinabroadsense,coveringnotonlythewordswespeak,butalsoothermodes
ofexpressionwherebywedefineourselves,includingthelanguagesofart,ofgesture,oflove,and
thelike.Butwelearnthesemodesofexpressionthroughexchangeswithothers.Peopledonotacquire
these languages needed for selfdefinition on their own. Rather, we are introduced to them through
interactionwithotherswhomattertouswhatGeorgeHerbertMeadcalledsignificantothers.The
genesisofthehumanmindisinthissensenotmonological,notsomethingeachpersonaccomplishes
on his or her own, but dialogical. [Charles Taylor, The Politics of Recognition, in Amy Gutman ed.
Multiculturalism]
WhatisTaylorsayingabouttheself,thehumansubject:[thisisarichextractreallyTOKrich
encouragestudentstothinkaboutitcarefullyandkeeponreturningtoit]
Weunderstandourselvesonlyinrelationtoothers
Humanbeingsareshaped/definedbylanguagesacquiredintheirsocialcontextoftheir
development
Whataretheselanguages?notonlywordsbutalsothelanguagesofart,ofgesture,of
love,andthelikeEXAMPLES?AustralianindigenousidentityBangaradancers;indigenous
languagesanddistinctiveconcepts
Howdolanguagesshapeidentityandselfhood?
SPOKENLANGUAGE,forexampleareculturallyspecifictheyREFLECTtheculture
Howdoeslanguagecutuptheworld?Relationshipbetweenlanguageandculture,languageand
thought
Humanbeingsdonotliveintheobjectiveworldalone,noraloneintheworldofsocialactivityas
ordinarilyunderstood,butareverymuchatthemercyoftheparticularlanguagewhichhasbecomethe
mediumofexpressionfortheirsocietyThefactofthematteristhatthe'realworld'istoalarge
extentunconsciouslybuiltuponthelanguagehabitsofthegroup.Notwolanguagesareever
sufficientlysimilartobeconsideredasrepresentingthesamesocialreality.Theworldsinwhich
differentsocietieslivearedistinctworlds,notmerelythesameworldwithdifferentlabelsattached...
Weseeandhearandotherwiseexperienceverylargelyaswedobecausethelanguagehabitsofour

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communitypredisposecertainchoicesofinterpretation.(EdwardSapir,TheStatusof
LinguisticsAsaScience1958[1929],p.69)
Wedissectnaturealonglineslaiddownbyournativelanguages.Thecategoriesandtypesthatwe
isolatefromtheworldofphenomenawedonotfindtherebecausetheystareeveryobserverinthe
face;onthecontrary,theworldispresentedinakaleidoscopicfluxofimpressionswhichhastobe
organizedbyourmindsandthismeanslargelybythelinguisticsystemsinourminds.Wecutnature
up,organizeitintoconcepts,andascribesignificancesaswedo,largelybecausewearepartiestoan
agreementtoorganizeitinthiswayanagreementthatholdsthroughoutourspeechcommunityandis
codifiedinthepatternsofourlanguage.Theagreementis,ofcourse,animplicitandunstatedonewe
cannottalkatallexceptbysubscribingtotheorganizationandclassificationofdatawhichthe
agreementdecrees.(Whorf,Language,ThoughtandReality,1940,pp.21314)

BREAK

WatchTheAdventureofEnglishtheLossofLanguage[SIGNALLOSSofINDIGENOUS
KNOWLEDGE]
Activitesonlanguageandcultureandtranslability

WEEK3
TOPIC:TheNATUREOFKNOWLEDGE:howdidknowledgedevelopintobodiesandsubjectdisciplines?

Content:mainideas
humanconstruction&meaningmaking=wayofcuttinguptheworldandmakingsenseofit
Languageisfundamentalintheprocesslanguagecutsuptheworld
developedovertimetheshouldersofgiants
publicnatureofknowledge
Publicbodiesofknowledgeweinherit=AOKs[subjectsdisciplines]havedevelopedover
time

QUOTES:
Michael Oakeshotts notion of knowledge as the historically evolving conversation of mankind
celebratesknowledgeasahumanachievement:

Ascivilisedhumanbeings,wearetheinheritors,neitherofaninquiryaboutourselvesand
theworld,norofanaccumulatingbodyofinformation,butofaconversation,beguninthe
primevalforestsandextendedandmademorearticulateinthecourseofcenturies.Itisa
conversationwhichgoesonbothinpublicandwithineachofourselves.Ofcoursethereis
argument and inquiry and information, but wherever these are profitable they are to be
recognisedaspassagesinthisconversation,andperhapstheyarenotthemostcaptivating
ofthepassagesConversationisnotanenterprisedesignedtoyieldanextrinsicprofit,a
contest where a winner gets a prize, nor is it an activity of exegesis; it is an unrehearsed
intellectual adventure Education, properly speaking, is an initiation into the skill and
partnership of this conversation in which we learn to recognize the voices, to distinguish
theproperoccasionsofutterance,andinwhichweacquiretheintellectualandmoralhabits
appropriatetoconversation.Anditisthisconversationwhich,intheend,givesplaceand
charactertoeveryhumanactivityandutterance.1
MichaelOakeshott,RationalisminPoliticsandOtherEssays(London:Metheun,1962),1989.

IsaacNewton:IfIhaveseenfurtheritisbystandingontheshouldersofgiants.
&MarcelProust:Therealvoyageofdiscoveryconsistsnotinseekingnewlandscapes,butinhavingnew
eyes.

Thesequotesremindsusthatknowledgeis

ahumanconstruction,builtupovertimebasedontraditionsofthought
acollaborativeeffort
comesfromhowweview&interprettheworldourlensesontheworld
Theselenses=interpretativeframeworksfoundwithinsubjectdisciplines

1.DivisionsofKnowledge:Listthesubjectsinyourschoolcurriculum.Whyaretheydividedinthis
way?
2.Diderot'sencyclopaedia:anearlyattemptatdividingknowledge

3.Thenotionofcategories/classesofthingshumans=patternseekers

4.LANGUAGECUTSUPtheworldforussothatwewillseepatternsandmakesenseofphenomena
Weseeandhearandotherwiseexperienceverylargelyaswedobecausethelanguagehabitsofour
communitypredisposecertainchoicesofinterpretation.(EdwardSapir,TheStatusofLinguisticsAsa
Science1958[1929],p.69)
Wecutnatureup,organizeitintoconcepts,andascribesignificancesaswedo,largelybecauseweare
partiestoanagreementtoorganizeitinthiswayanagreementthatholdsthroughoutourspeech
communityandiscodifiedinthepatternsofourlanguage.Theagreementis,ofcourse,animplicitand
unstatedonewecannottalkatallexceptbysubscribingtotheorganizationandclassificationofdata
whichtheagreementdecrees.(Whorf,Language,ThoughtandReality,1940,pp.21314)
5. SUBJECTS=MAPSoftheworldWhatdowelearnfrommapasmetaphorofknowledge?

6. ThemapisnottheterritoryPPT

7. Mercator&HoboDyer

8.Whatlessonscanwedrawaboutthenatureofhumanknowledge?[introduceideaofPERSPECTIVE
andculturalperspective]

9.REFLECTION/ACTIVITY:Dombrowskipp.210

10.NEWCONCEPTS:EPISTEMICLENSES,PUBLICKNOWLEDGEAOKs

SECONDHALF:ACTIVITYfindintextbooks

WEEK4Canwetrustourmaps?
FindQuotesfromPlatoorScepticphilosopher:???

PastEssayquestion:Doubtisthekeytoknowledge.DiscusswithreferencetoatleasttwoAOKs.

Whataretheresponsibilitiesofknowers?

Whateffortmustwemaketogetitright?

Canwebesurethatwehavegotitright?

Ifhumansconstructknowledgecommunallybymeansoflanguage,canitbeobjective?

Whatifthemapsweusearedistorted?Whatifourinterpretationsarebasedonignorance&
prejudice?e.g.peoplebornintoaclosedcommunitywithveryseriousprejudicesandwrongbelief?

EXAMPLESe.g.ofcultmembers????

WHATEFFORTDOWENEEDTOMAKETOBECOMERESPONSIBLEKNOWERS?
Thesearchfortruthishardanddemanding[Plato]

HOWCANWEBESURE?

PlatosWorry:AllegoryoftheCave

EARLYBREAK

2.454.30:FILM:

TheTrumanShow[1.03minutes]
Pleasantville[120minutesshallwesavethisforanotherweekwhenweareconsideringparadigms
andmetanarratives]
Documentaryoncultlifestyle
Or
Someprogrammeonscepticism?

IntroduceTheme:HOWCANWEBESURE?TheproblemofScepticism

REFLECTION:

Whatdoesitmeanforyouasaknowertoleavethecaveofignorance?

WhatpartdotheWOKs&AOKsplayinthateffort?

RefertotheTOKdiagramknowerlookingout.

WEEK5PlatonicCertainty:universalismorrelativism?
BEGINwithexample:e.g.stoninginJedda
Groupexercise:WritedownexamplesofpracticesthatyouthinkarewronginANYculture
Whatmakesthemwrongorunethical?[20minutes]
[pinpointtheessenceofanethicalissue]
MAINIDEAS:UNIVERSALISM&RELATIVISMthenatureofethics
DEBATEbetweenSOCRATESANDTHESOPHISTSppt[30minutescontinueafterbreak?]

BREAK
DiscussCulturalperspectiveexamplesfromtheirsubjects?
ReadDialogueonrelativism
Reflection:
Onuniversalism/relativism

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WEEK6:IsPlatorightaboutReason/Emotion&Will?
Whichshouldhavetheupperhand?Canweseparatetheseelements?
ExplainRATIONALISM&EMPIRICISM
PresentPlatosimageofcharioteer
Whatisreason?Whataredifferentformsofreason?
[deductive,inductivereason,inference,implication,causalinference,hypotheising]
Howdoesreasonworktogetherwithintuition,emotion,imaginationetc
EXAMPLE:Semmelweisuseofreason
IGNAZ SEMMELWEIS (18181865) father of infection control an account of his painstaking and
sacrificialinvestigationofinfectioninanobstetricsdivisionofaViennesehospital.
ShowtheroleofWOKsatwork
BREAK

HanxiangspresentationongoodandbadreasoningontheGunDebate
&LogicalFallaciesOR

SHORTSTORY:LoveisaFallacy

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WEEK7:IsPlatorightaboutEmotion?
Whatareemotions?Howaretheydifferentfromsensations?Commonfallaciesonemotions
Howmayemotionsbetransformed?
Whatroledoemotionsplayinthesearchforknowledge?
[PlentyofmaterialonthisPPT+dialogue]
BREAK
VIEWAustralianStory:CyndiWierkartsresearchonschizophrenia
Reflection:whatistheroleofemotioninthesearchforknowledge?

WEEK8:Canwetrustoursenses?PERCEPTIONasaWOK
WEEK9:LANGUAGEasWOK
Week10:watchTwelveAngryMen
WOKsatwork
WEEK11Imagination,IntuitionandTradition[MEMORY:sharedmemory];Memory
WEEK12:BeginAOKsMathematics(DiscoveredorInvented)
WEEK13:ContinueAOKsNaturalSciences(Howneutralisscience?Isthescientificmethodrealistic
andreliable?)
WEEK14:ContinueAOKsHumanSciences(Economics&Commerce:howdotheydifferfromthe
NaturalSciences?Howreliablearethey?)
WEEK15:ContinueAOKsEthics
WEEK16:ContinueAOKsLiterature
WEEK17:ContinueAOKsArt
WEEK1820:ORALPRESENTATIONPREPARATION&PRACTICE