Clarifications

Clarification #1: If a post contains more than one heading or question, you are NOT expected to comment on each of them. I will try to suggest at least a couple of different directions or avenues for response in order to appeal to the various personalities, interests, and mindsets of different students in the three classes. Pick one and do it well! (Hence my advisory in the Introduction that quality is more important than quantity.)

Clarification #2: Be sure to focus your comments on the knowledge issues raised in the post. For example, the comic strip in the post "Language, Open-mindedness" clearly has a political undertone and slant. However, responding to that political element should not be the focus of your comment. Unless...

Clarification #3: You do not have to limit your comments to the issues that I suggest for a particular post. You are encouraged to raise other knowledge issues that you see implied in the post. The operative term here is "knowledge issues." Thus, with respect to the example cited in Clarification #2 above, you could center your comment around what you think the political message or slant of the comic strip is as long as you talked about the basis for your claim to know what that message or slant is.

Introduction

So, are you behind on your entries in your TOK-OC journal? (You should have 8 entries by the end of this week.) Are you having trouble identifying subjects or experiences to reflect on and write about in your journal? Are you lost, dazed, and confused? Well, take a deep breath, let it out real slow, and relax...This blog provides an alternative route to fulfilling the TOK-OC Journal portion of your class grade. (You still have the option of making journal entries in the traditional paper-pen format.)

By way of reminder, the purpose of the TOK-OC Journal is to encourage you to make connections between the ideas that we've considered in class and your experiences & observations outside of the classroom. However, a number of you have indicated that you're not sure what to write about. So, here's how I envision this working...

I will post items here that are both appropriate and potentially effective as topics for a TOK-OC journal entry. I will also pose some questions or comments to jump-start your thinking about the knowledge issue(s) implicit in each item. You can then post a comment reflecting on the knowledge issues raised (this can include additional knowledge issues that you identify). Or you may respond to other students' comments, using them as jumping off points for adding your own comments. You may make multiple comments on the same posting, thus creating an exchange or dialogue with other students. All of your comments on a particular posting will be considered as a single journal entry; consequently, multiple comments may improve your score for that "entry." Your comments will be scored based on: a) knowledge issues you identify and address; b) the quality of thought and reflection evident in your comments; and c) the level of respect and consideration you demonstrate toward other viewpoints. [It should go without saying that comments that fail miserably on the last criterion will be removed by the moderator, but I'll say it just to make sure everyone understands.] (Reminder: Quality is valued over quantity...but they are often related.)

In order to give everyone an opportunity to get caught up, I will post several items each week for the next couple of weeks. Each post will be available for comments from students for one week.

Finally, if you discover something online that sparks an idea for a TOK-OC journal entry, forward both the web address for the item and your journal entry to me by e-mail. If I agree that the item is both appropriate and potentially effective, and I use the item and your comments as a post on the blog, you will receive credit for two journal entries.