Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Lina GHAMRA, DP Coordinator ENS MBZ Campus Abu Dhabi UAE Sep. 2013
What is TOK?
The theory of knowledge course encourages students to think about the nature of knowledge, to reflect on the process of learning in all subjects they study as part of their DP course, and to make connections across them. Its a course about critical thinking and inquiring into the process of knowing, rather than learning a specific body of knowledge. It examines how we know what we claim to know. It does this by
encouraging students to analyze knowledge claims (based on reallife situations = RLS) and explore knowledge questions.
TOK in the IB DP
The TOK course is central to the educational philosophy of the international Baccalaureate Program. It challenges students to reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and areas of knowledge and to consider the role knowledge plays in a global society. As a thoughtful and purposeful inquiry into different ways of knowing, and into different kinds of knowledge, the TOK program is composed almost entirely of questions. The most central of these questions is: How do I, or how do we, know that a given assertion is true, or a given judgment is wellgrounded?
How do we know?
How have we come to know all that we do at this point in our lives? Regardless of where on the planet we live, we gain knowledge in similar ways.
- Reason
- Imagination - Emotion - Faith - Intuition - Language - Memory. Students will explore all these ways of knowing, but could focus on four in depth to complete the course.
By language
Your father says: Its starting to rain. Would you please bring in the bicycles and the garden chairs? Language is involved from the most of the knowledge you have gained from others or from books or from the cultural knowledge.
By perception
You hear a rumble and as you step outdoors to bring your bicycle under shelter you see a bright flash against the dark sky. Suddenly you feel wet splashes against your skin. In that case, you recognize sensations. Often we know through sense perception; by referring to information gained by using our five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste.
By emotion
The lightning and thunder perceived through our senses, may provoke fear and an instant search for shelter. We can understand that something is wrong with a friend even though he hasnt said a word. Emotion can be a way of knowing that is private and deeply personal.
By reasoning
- When the rain starts, why do you go outdoors to bring in the furniture and bicycles? From past experiences, you have generalized that objects left out in the rain get wet.
Reasoning comes so naturally to us that we may rarely stop to think about how we arrive at our conclusions.
NOTE: This diagram is an extract from the old subject guide. 4 ways of knowing were added to the TOK new curriculum: imagination, memory, intuition and faith. 2 areas of knowledge were added to the TOK new curriculum: religious knowledge systems and indigenous knowledge systems.
Real-life situation
Other real-life situation
extraction
progression Knowledge question(s) (developed)
AOKs
Mathematics
Nature of mathematics, mathematics and the world, mathematics and knowledge claims, mathematics and the knower
Nature of the sciences, methods of gaining knowledge, knowledge claims, science and values, science and technology , metaphor and reality
Natural sciences
Nature of human sciences, methods of gaining knowledge, knowledge claims, human sciences and values
Human sciences
Nature of History, methods of gaining knowledge, history and knowledge claims, history and values
History
Nature of the arts, methods, arts and knowledge claims, arts and values, arts and knowledge perspectives, personal and shared knowledge
The Arts
Nature of ethics, ethics: methods of gaining knowledge and knowledge claims, ethics and knowledge perspectives, ethics and politics, ethics and areas of knowledge
Ethics
STOSKOPFF, Sebastien , Summer of the five senses, 1633. Oil on Canvas, Strasbourg Museum (France)
Is it moving?
Look at the dot for 30 seconds, then look at the blue background.
We know enough to see the problem and we know certain theories but we cannot explain everything!
SUMMARY
The Subject of TOK is the nature of knowledge and experience, and its impact on the life of the individual, groups and society. The Content of TOK is a series of questions about areas of knowledge, ways of knowing
The Process of TOK is deep reflection or critical thinking about knowledge questions, public discussions, group dialogue, and articulating views in written text.
The Goal of TOK is to understand what it means to know or believe something, and what responsible action flows from such knowledge.
Task 3:
Identify something you have been told, which you believed at the time but which you now recognise is false. How did you find out the truth? Think of some things about which you are absolutely certain. Is anyone else certain about them, too? What is the difference between I am certain that.. and It is certain that?
Compare in groups and try to agree on an equivalent list for the human race.
- What should human race strive to know? - Are there any forms of knowledge for which the human race should not strive?
Task 5: Imagine you are an IB DP student. How does Theory of Knowledge relate to your education and what you already know?
Write a paragraph of about 220 words on the standard school subjects (Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Languages) and comment on what sorts of truths these subjects convey. Place the subjects on scales of either reliability or importance. Talk TOK!
Life experiences (yours, historical figure, author) Local, national, or regional discussion and current affairs of interest to you, a student, the class, and related to the Unit Global or international problems, dilemmas, crises that matter Aspects of particular interest within areas of knowledge you are studying / keeping current with / pursuing interest in Related News or news coverage of events: political, scientific, technological, geographic, religious, literary, artistic. TOK Questions (Knowledge Issues)
QUESTIONS?
Thank you!
Merci!