TOK - Theory of Knowledge.

What is TOK?

The TOK course “challenges students and their teachers to reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and areas of knowledge and to consider the role knowledge plays in a global society. It encourages students to become aware of themselves as thinkers to become aware of the complexity of knowledge and to recognize the need to act responsibility in an increasingly interconnected world.”

Key Questions.

How do I, or how do we, know that a given assertion is true, a belief is reasonable, or a given judgment is well grounded?

How do we know what we know?

The International Baccalaureate

A rigorous pre-university course.

6 academic areas surrounding a core.

Maintains balance. Encourages

development in all academic areas.

Relationship of TOK within the IB.

TOK is at the core of the IB programme.It sits alongside the extended essay and

CAS.It is designed to develop a coherent

approach to learning which transcends and unifies the academic areas an encourages appreciation of other cultural perspectives.

Interdisciplinary and relevant to personal experience!

Helps you to think differently….

Questions how you see things…

Looks for different answers…..

Suggests a reasoned approach to personal decisions

Questions our ethical choices….

The TOK Diagram

You are at the center of the diagram.

Your ways of knowing help you explore and interpret the world

The areas of knowledge are the disciplines knowledge is classified.

Assessment

Essays 1200-1600 wordsPresentationNo Homework but journal done online Class participation

Make a list of 5 things which you know

and 5 things you would like

to know

Now decide..

Which items on your first list do you know through School? Experience? Observation? Practice? Reasoning? Religious means? Other means?

Which items on your second list will you: Never know Probably never know Probably know at some point Definitely know at some point

Some topic areas

The following slides show just a few of the topics covered in the TOK course.

Ways of Knowing – Emotion

Ways of Knowing – Reason

Ways of Knowing - Perception

Ways of Knowing - Language

It is very important that you learn about traxoline. Traxoline is a new form of zionter. It is montilled in Ceristanna. The Ceristannians gristeriate large amounts of fevon and then bracter it to quasel traxoline. Traxoline may well be one of our most lukized snezlaus in the future of our zionter lescelidge.

History - What is a historic fact?

What is history? What is meant by “the

history of the world is the history of the privileged few”?

Why study history? What value judgements

can be made from historic events?

Art and Artists – How do we know what constitutes “good” art?

Ethics.

These two bear cubs are waiting to be boiled alive. Businessmen take package tours

where they attend ceremonies in which bear cubs are boiled alive, slowly, and their paws are then eaten, the belief being that this makes male humans more virile. No comment.

As of December 31,1999, the death penalty was authorized by 38 states and the Federal Government. Texas leads nation in the number of executions since death penalty was reinstated in 1976.Texas, California, and Florida have the largest death row populations.3,581 offenders were under sentence of death in the United States as of December 31, 2001.There are five methods of execution in the United States: lethal injection, electrocution, lethal gas, hanging, and firing squad.

Class Ground Rules for TOK

TOK lessons are different to other lessons – skills based (debating, argument, reasoning) rather than content.

Mutual Respect is paramount

Disagreement is normal Tolerance is vital Openness is crucial

Not knowing and not understanding is ok

Changing positions is fine Participation is crucial Rules for Debates is not

win Communication is two

way Negotiation is vital Curiosity is good

Lesson Style.

Discussions Note taking Exercises Presentations Research Role-play Music PowerPoint Student input is

mandatory

Thank you for your time and concentration.

The TOK Department.