TOK 1, Day 54 (1/31): Intro to Multimodal Ethnography

Agenda:

• Finish HS Mini-Prez
• Sociology
• Geography
• Intro to Multimodal Ethnography

TOK 1, Day 53 (1/27): Sociologist Dr. Neema Noori

Agenda:

• Guest Speaker, Sociologist and UWG Professor Dr. Neema Noori

TOK 1, Day 52 (1/25): What's so Hard about "Soft Sciences"?

Essential Questions:

1. What are the differences between experimentation and prediction in the Natural and Human Sciences?
2. How do assumptions affect interpretation?

Agenda:

• Discussion: Jared Diamond, "Why Soft Sciences are often Harder than Hard Sciences"
• Activity: Operationalizing Concepts in a Wolf Pack

Upcoming:

• Friday: Guest Speaker, Sociologist Dr. Neema Noori

TOKIRL Due Sunday!!

• Tuesday: Finish Mini-Prez (Sociology, Geography), Intro to the TOK Presentation
• Thursday: Core Thursday: Write Supervisor Email, begin research, complete CAS
• Monday: TOK Presentation Workday

TOK 2, Day 51 (1/24): The TOK Essay - Next Steps

Please click on the link above to go to the NEW CHS TOK Essay Site.  There you should spend some time doing the following:

• Read over the exemplar essays and marking comments.  Think about what high-scoring essays do well, and what weaknesses you see in the low-scoring essays.
• Read the instructions for the TK-PPF.  
• Download the form (or create a draft in google docs) and complete your first reflection based on our initial Title Discussion Activity.
• Choose what title you will write your essay on.
• Begin developing your ideas for the title.  This can take many forms (free-writing, mind-mapping, brainstorming, etc.), but should eventually lead you to complete the TOK Planning Document.

We will plan to meet for 2nd reflection session beginning on Monday of next week!

TOK 1, Day 51 (1/23): The Human Sciences

Aims & Objectives:

• make connections between a critical approach to the construction of knowledge, the academic disciplines and the wider world
• develop an awareness of how individuals and communities construct knowledge and how this is critically examined
• understand the roles played by ways of knowing in the construction of shared and personal knowledge

Essential Question

1. How is knowledge constructed and organized in the Human Sciences?

Human Sciences Mini-Prez's:

• Sociology
• Economics
• Anthropology
• Geography

HW:

• Finish reading/annotating "Soft Sciences" article.

TOK 2, Day 50 (1/20): Free Will vs. Determinism

As we finish watching Minority Report, consider the following questions that the film seems to raise:

1. What is the relationship between free will and determinism? How is this relationship explored through the areas of knowledge? Consider:
1. Maths: What does it mean that the Precogs are "pattern recognition filters?" Relate this to your understanding of algorithms and machine learning.
2. Human Sciences: How are the predictions of the Precogs linked to an idea of human behavior as "socially constructed?
3. Natural Sciences: What does the ability or inability to "change the future" suggest about the nature of the physical universe? Compare this to your understanding of a deterministic "billiard ball" universe as described by Newtonian physics.
4. Ethics: What are the ethical implications of the assumption that the future is knowable?  What does it mean for a discovery of meaning in life?
2. What are the implications of the films treatment of the connections between Capitalist materialism and a surveillance society?

TOK 1, Day 50 (1/19): Core Thursday

EE

• Get out your Topic Development so that I can see it and we can talk about it.
• Supervisor
• Make a list
• Dream Supervisor (anyone in the school)
• Top Three (from my list of available)
• Once you have a supervisor:
• Email them to formally request their assistance
• Include: request, subject area/topic plans, preliminary ideas, request for meeting, 3 possible dates.
• CC to me as well!
• Meet to talk: Reflect in RRS
• Formal Research Proposal

CAS:

• Plan
• Do
• Reflect

TOK 2, Day 49 (1/18): Free Will vs. Determinism

As we watch Minority Report, consider the following questions that the film seems to raise:

1. What is the relationship between free will and determinism? How is this relationship explored through the areas of knowledge? Consider:
1. Maths: What does it mean that the Precogs are "pattern recognition filters?" Relate this to your understanding of algorithms and machine learning.
2. Human Sciences: How are the predictions of the Precogs linked to an idea of human behavior as "socially constructed?
3. Natural Sciences: What does the ability or inability to "change the future" suggest about the nature of the physical universe? Compare this to your understanding of a deterministic "billiard ball" universe as described by Newtonian physics.
4. Ethics: What are the ethical implications of the assumption that the future is knowable?  What does it mean for a discovery of meaning in life?
2. What are the implications of the films treatment of the connections between Capitalist materialism and a surveillance society?

TOK 1, Day 49 (1/17): Human Sciences

Agenda:

• Intro to Google Calendar
• Human Sciences Mini-Prez & Discussion

Homework:

• Read, Annotate and raise questions Re: "Soft Sciences" article.  
• Bring your connections for the discussion.

TOK 2, Day 48 (1/13): Final Extended Essay Workday

Finalize Extended Essay

• Final Edits
• Double Check References
• Formatting!!
• Cover Page Information
• Title
• Name
• Student Code
• Word Studies Area
• Disciplines
• RQ?
• Supervisor name

Submit Final EE to TurnItIn no later than Monday at 11:59 pm

TOK 1, Day 48 (1/12): Core Thursday

CAS

• Meet with Mrs. Lawler for CAS Update.
• Check on Progress with CAS Activities, Project Ideas, etc.
• CAS Opportunities within the IB
• IB Scrapbook
• IB ambassador
• Help each other with projects

Extended Essay - Next Steps

• Complete Topic Development & Rationale (Due next Thursday)
• Explore more than one subject area and topic EVEN IF you think you already know what you want to write about.
• Feel free to do this activity "in your own way" in your RRS, but be sure you address all aspects of rationale.
• Read your Subject Area section of the Extended Essay Guide.  Come to next Core Thursday with questions/curiosities/ideas.

Tim Brinkhof, 2016 IB Graduate and NYU Student

TOK 1, Day 47 (1/10): Human Sciences

Image Source

Agenda:

• Freshman Presentations: Reflection
• Human Sciences Miniprez
• Choose a Human Science
• Explore the Human Science through each section of the Knowledge Framework
• Create an Infographic, Prezi, Slides, Emaze, etc., that effectively treats the subject matter.

Upcoming:

• Thursday: CAS, EE
• Monday: Present Mini-Prez, Explore language/concepts Intro to the TOK Pres.
• Diamond, "Soft Sciences"
• Wolfpack Activity
• Guest Speaker: 
• Inside Out

TOK 2, Day 46 (1/9): IRW

To do:

• Update CAS Reflections
• Finalize CAS Activities
• Revise EE 

Each of you will be going to meet with Ms. Lawler about finalizing your CAS requirements.

TOK 1, Day 46 (1/6): Snowday!!!

Enjoy the "snow"!

TOK 2, Day 45 (1/5): Intro to the TOK Essay

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Agenda:

• Review Final Steps for Extended Essay
• Meet with your Mentor! Review the comments that he/she has made on your essay draft.
• REVISE.  Do not settle for okay.  Find ways to make the essay better, deeper, clearer, or more thoughtful or specific.  
• Submit To Google Classroom and TurnItIn.com by the end of class on January 13th.  We will print them, and I will deliver them to your Supervisors.
• Review the Basics of the TOK Essay
• Explore the possibilities of the May 2017 Titles.

TOK 1, Day 45 (1/4): Next Steps in EE & Human Sciences Intro

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Agenda:

• Debrief: TOK in the Holidays?
• A Note on No More Grades
• Discuss EE Progress
• Subject Areas
• Topics
• Research Questions
• Methodology
• Researcher's Reflection Space
• Intro to the Human Sciences

Upcoming:

• Human Sciences Knowledge Framework Project
• Human Sciences Case Study
• Human Sciences Speaker?
• The Human Sciences Through Film: Inside Out
• Practice TOK Presentations

TOK 2, Day 44 (1/3): PSA - College after IB

Please welcome our guests & former IB Diploma Program students as they talk to you about their college experiences after completing the IB Diploma Program!