http://harvardhumanrights.wordpress.com/tag/wilfred-owen/
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
COLD - TRAILER - Thanks Illesha for sharing this with us!
In class, we often discuss nature and its impact on the environment and on individuals whether in extreme sports or even in war. Wilfred Owen and his comrades in the trenches is one example. This video helps remind us how our senses become key to our survival when we are in extremis.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Ethics and Human Sciences - Banking Crisis driven by greed
 | |
| Dick Fuld Photo Credit: Reuters In 2006, Fuld was named No. 1 CEO in the Brokers & Asset Managers category, by Institutional Investor magazine. In 2007 he received a $22 million bonus. After Lehman Brothers Bank Collapse http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/meltdown/about.html |
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Writing a TOK essay by Richard van de Lagemaat
http://www.dirk-solies.de/TOK/how%20to%20write%20a%20ToK%20essay%20cambridge.pdf
Writing a TOK essay
by Richard van de Lagemaat
EXTRACT
Despite being an unusual subject, TOK does have a specific content – not in the
sense of a syllabus to be memorised and reproduced, but in the sense of a range of
questions to be explored and reflected on. (The IBO Teachers’ Guide to TOK consists
almost entirely of questions.)
From the start, you need to be clear about what distinguishes a TOK essay from a
subject-specific essay on the one hand and a general essay on the other. Here are three
pointers:
1 TOK is focused on knowledge issues The central question in TOK is
‘How do you know?’ and the course asks you to assess the strengths and
weaknesses of knowledge claims in various Areas of Knowledge.
2 TOK deals with second-order questions TOK is not primarily concerned
with first-order questions within a subject – e.g. ‘What were the causes of the
First World War?’ – but with second-order questions about a subject – e.g.
‘How, if at all, can the past be known?’
3 TOK is interdisciplinary and comparative TOK asks you to compare
and contrast various sources and types of knowledge.
To write an essay that is sufficiently rich in TOK content, you will be expected to
demonstrate a detailed understanding of the ways of knowing and areas of knowledge
you choose to discuss. Above all, avoid vague, superficial, cliché-ridden
characterisations of, say, mathematics, the natural sciences, or the arts. For it is
impossible to give a worthwhile analysis of a subject you do not understand
properly.
Since the lifeblood of TOK is critical thinking, you should also ensure that
description is always a prelude to analysis. You might, for example, briefly describe the
theory of evolution in order to analyse the extent to which it is a genuine scientific
theory. But, if you find yourself writing at length about Darwin’s adventures on
HMS Beagle, you have drifted on to the reef of descriptive irrelevance and will,
assuredly, be shipwrecked.
Quick tip Ask yourself if your essay could have been written by someone who has
not followed the TOK course. If the answer is ‘yes’, then it does not contain enough
TOK content.
Personal thought
In writing a TOK essay, a mixture of insecurity and inertia might tempt you to follow
doggedly in another person’s footsteps and do little more than recycle their thoughts
and opinions.
Writing a TOK essay
by Richard van de Lagemaat
EXTRACT
Despite being an unusual subject, TOK does have a specific content – not in the
sense of a syllabus to be memorised and reproduced, but in the sense of a range of
questions to be explored and reflected on. (The IBO Teachers’ Guide to TOK consists
almost entirely of questions.)
From the start, you need to be clear about what distinguishes a TOK essay from a
subject-specific essay on the one hand and a general essay on the other. Here are three
pointers:
1 TOK is focused on knowledge issues The central question in TOK is
‘How do you know?’ and the course asks you to assess the strengths and
weaknesses of knowledge claims in various Areas of Knowledge.
2 TOK deals with second-order questions TOK is not primarily concerned
with first-order questions within a subject – e.g. ‘What were the causes of the
First World War?’ – but with second-order questions about a subject – e.g.
‘How, if at all, can the past be known?’
3 TOK is interdisciplinary and comparative TOK asks you to compare
and contrast various sources and types of knowledge.
To write an essay that is sufficiently rich in TOK content, you will be expected to
demonstrate a detailed understanding of the ways of knowing and areas of knowledge
you choose to discuss. Above all, avoid vague, superficial, cliché-ridden
characterisations of, say, mathematics, the natural sciences, or the arts. For it is
impossible to give a worthwhile analysis of a subject you do not understand
properly.
Since the lifeblood of TOK is critical thinking, you should also ensure that
description is always a prelude to analysis. You might, for example, briefly describe the
theory of evolution in order to analyse the extent to which it is a genuine scientific
theory. But, if you find yourself writing at length about Darwin’s adventures on
HMS Beagle, you have drifted on to the reef of descriptive irrelevance and will,
assuredly, be shipwrecked.
Quick tip Ask yourself if your essay could have been written by someone who has
not followed the TOK course. If the answer is ‘yes’, then it does not contain enough
TOK content.
Personal thought
In writing a TOK essay, a mixture of insecurity and inertia might tempt you to follow
doggedly in another person’s footsteps and do little more than recycle their thoughts
and opinions.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
BD SOMANI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PROM TOTE ON THE TURF - Thank you Shaan and to everyone involved in a great evening!
 | |
| Our Principal, Mr Gardner remarked that this was the best PROM to date. So congratulations to everyone involved especially Shaan. It was clear that all the teachers present and all our Grade 12 and Grade 11 students enjoyed themselves. |  |
Tests and ASSESSMENT FOR GRADE 12 Q1 Reports
These notes will be used by all teachers towards common assessment across the year group.
In addition, students are expected to participate whenever possible in class discussions and questions. They are published here to make the process transparent and help you manage your revision and positive outcomes in the first quarter and beyond.
JOURNALS - WILL BE COLLECTED ON FRIDAY 5TH OCTOBER
ENTRIES SHOULD INCLUDE 80-100 WORDS REFLECTION ON EACH CLASS - SHOW DATES ON EACH ENTRY (for the month of September only for my students.)
Write a reflective paragraph on at least 3 of the TOK ESSAY TITLES MAY 2013 suggesting what real-life issues you could link to the title. (This does not commit you to any title yet, it is to start the process of reflection.)
VAN de Laagemat TEXTBOOK -JOURNAL ENTRIES DUE OCT 5TH
WRITE 200-250 WORDS REFLECTION ON EACH CHAPTER
HISTORY CHAPTER PAGE 300-322
and
ETHICS CHAPTER PAGE 363-396
GRADE 12 TOK TEST September 28th
Students should revise Chapters 1 and 2 in the textbook.
Here are the key topics: prepare and memorise short definitions from Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.
These chapters are the foundation of the whole course and will help you identify knowledge issues for your essay and oral presentation.
These chapters are the foundation of the whole course and will help you identify knowledge issues for your essay and oral presentation.
Page 8 - what is certainty?
Page 10 -What is Relativism?
Page 12-Are extreme skepticism and extreme gullibility are both
obstacles to the pursuit of knowledge?
PAGE 14 -Explain the relationship between evidence and coherence in
knowledge?
Chapter 2
Page 24-26 What do we mean by the phrase that ‘knowledge is justified
true belief’?
What is the relationship between ‘Justification’ and
‘reliability’ and belief? (P26/27)
Explain the relationship between knowledge and information –
P29
What role does cultural knowledge play in our way of knowing
and thinking about the world? P31
Grade 12: marking scheme/weighting
--TOK Journal (class notes, reflections on class discussions, reflections on the essay titles): 20%
--Journal Reflections on the chapters entitled Ethics and History from Lagemaat: 30%
--Test on chapters 1 and 2 of Lagemaat: 30%
--Journal Reflections on the chapters entitled Ethics and History from Lagemaat: 30%
--Test on chapters 1 and 2 of Lagemaat: 30%
--Class participation (includes getting to class on time, having the required material etc): 10%
--Focussed Oral Activity 10%
(presentations made from matter in the text, extra research etc on topics being dealt with in class): October 3rd and October 5th - there will be open-ended discussion on the HISTORY and ETHICS chapters with students working in groups. Students may also discuss essay topics with teachers and their peers.
For Mr C's class the oral discussion will take place on Friday 5th and Wed 10th. Students will work in groups exchanging ideas on Ethics and History which have been recorded in the journals. A good way to focus is to check the KEY IDEAS pages on these chapters and also LINKING QUESTIONS at the end of both those chapters. Please have your journals in class Wednesday so that you can use class time well and ask me any questions you have regarding assessment.
ESSAY SELECTION and DRAFTING:
On Friday OCTOBER 12th I will address all students on the process of essay selection.
We will want to see 1000 words after Diwalli.
The first full draft will be due in December 28th and fine tuning will continue into January to make sure everyone has the support they need to complete a super essay.
(presentations made from matter in the text, extra research etc on topics being dealt with in class): October 3rd and October 5th - there will be open-ended discussion on the HISTORY and ETHICS chapters with students working in groups. Students may also discuss essay topics with teachers and their peers.
For Mr C's class the oral discussion will take place on Friday 5th and Wed 10th. Students will work in groups exchanging ideas on Ethics and History which have been recorded in the journals. A good way to focus is to check the KEY IDEAS pages on these chapters and also LINKING QUESTIONS at the end of both those chapters. Please have your journals in class Wednesday so that you can use class time well and ask me any questions you have regarding assessment.
ESSAY SELECTION and DRAFTING:
On Friday OCTOBER 12th I will address all students on the process of essay selection.
We will want to see 1000 words after Diwalli.
The first full draft will be due in December 28th and fine tuning will continue into January to make sure everyone has the support they need to complete a super essay.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Dr. Burke's Blog: Voices of Reason in an Age of Violence & Anti-Rationalism
Just as the Klu Klux Klan were never representative of 2 Billion Christians, despite the use of burning crosses, so rioting mobs do not represent 1 billion Muslims today. The vast majority of Muslims and Christians and Jews respect each others faith and recognise their common ancestry in the story of Abraham. The media do not always report the voices of reason. There is a link in this topic to at least two essay titles on the TOK list.
Here is an extract from Dr Burke's excellent article on his blog. You can find the full article by clicking on the link below.
"BBC, CNN, Sky News, Fox News, MSNBC, Euro News and Al Jazeera all ran headline stories on the recent riots, violence and general mayhem seen across some of the Middle East, North Africa, West Asia and Australia after a former felon and obscure, unknown film maker produced a poorly made film insulting Islam and The Prophet Mohammed (Peace be Upon Him). It’s not difficult to assess genuine revulsion and authentic offence from the deliberate acts of cruelty and brutality perpetrated by opportunists who emerged out of the shadows of their own discontentment, to attack the West in general and the United States in particular, which in turn led to the tragic deaths of the US Ambassador to Libya and several of his diplomatic colleagues. Yet, what I find disappointing and irritating from the news coverage in the West is the lack of balance and recognition given to the voices of reason, and the excessive over-reporting of irrationality, bloodshed, social carnage and savagery associated with the aftermath of this little known flick.
http://lawrenceburke.org/2012/09/16/voices-of-reason-in-an-age-of-violence-anti-rationalism/
Here is an extract from Dr Burke's excellent article on his blog. You can find the full article by clicking on the link below.
"BBC, CNN, Sky News, Fox News, MSNBC, Euro News and Al Jazeera all ran headline stories on the recent riots, violence and general mayhem seen across some of the Middle East, North Africa, West Asia and Australia after a former felon and obscure, unknown film maker produced a poorly made film insulting Islam and The Prophet Mohammed (Peace be Upon Him). It’s not difficult to assess genuine revulsion and authentic offence from the deliberate acts of cruelty and brutality perpetrated by opportunists who emerged out of the shadows of their own discontentment, to attack the West in general and the United States in particular, which in turn led to the tragic deaths of the US Ambassador to Libya and several of his diplomatic colleagues. Yet, what I find disappointing and irritating from the news coverage in the West is the lack of balance and recognition given to the voices of reason, and the excessive over-reporting of irrationality, bloodshed, social carnage and savagery associated with the aftermath of this little known flick.
For example none of the major news broadcasters in the West paid any
attention to the clear voice of reason in the personage of Saudi
Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Sheik Abdul-Aziz bin Abdullah Al Sheikh; the
highest theological authority in the birthplace of Islam, Saudi Arabia.
He denounced the attacks, and the violence and brutality associated with
them outright, and said that attacks on embassies, diplomatic missions
and their personnel are un-Islamic. He said that while the film is
“miserable and criminal” in its portrayal of Islam and the Prophet
(PBUH) it “is forbidden to punish the innocent for the wicked crimes of
the guilty, or to attack those who have been granted protection of their
lives and property, or to expose public buildings to fire or
destruction…these are distortions of the Islamic religion and are not
accepted by God.”
http://lawrenceburke.org/2012/09/16/voices-of-reason-in-an-age-of-violence-anti-rationalism/
Thursday, September 13, 2012
ETHICS WEBSITE - SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/
Internet Ethics
Articles, cases, and links on privacy, databases, social media, search engines, and more from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Located in the heart of the Silicon Valley, the Ethics Center offers materials and programs for students, IT professionals, and companies in the technology space.
Online
Resources on Internet Ethics
|
Teaching module for college courses Materials on ethics and privacy, informational privacy, privacy law, etc. Materials on databases, hacking, social media, etc. Scenarios on cyberbullying, video gaming, privacy, etc. Web sites with a focus on privacy and high technology |
MEDIA and Ethics - UK -The Murdoch Phone Hacking Scandal
An investigator working for the News of the World allegedly hacked into the mobile phone of murdered girl Milly Dowler, a lawyer for the family says.
Mark Lewis said police told her parents that Glenn Mulcaire hacked into her voicemail while she was missing.
The Guardian has claimed he intercepted messages left by relatives and said the NoW deleted some, which gave her parents false hope she was alive.
Sources - Youtube - BBC webpage and THE GUARDIAN newspaper online.
OTHER RELATED ISSUES:
Should we place limits on the right to free speech in a democratic society?
Should we place limits on the freedom of the press? What is the 'public interest'?
Mark Lewis said police told her parents that Glenn Mulcaire hacked into her voicemail while she was missing.
The Guardian has claimed he intercepted messages left by relatives and said the NoW deleted some, which gave her parents false hope she was alive.
Sources - Youtube - BBC webpage and THE GUARDIAN newspaper online.
OTHER RELATED ISSUES:
Should we place limits on the right to free speech in a democratic society?
Should we place limits on the freedom of the press? What is the 'public interest'?
Religion as source of compassion or dangerous delusion?
'THE CASE FOR GOD" by Karen Armstrong.As she accepts her 2008 TED Prize, author and scholar Karen Armstrong talks about how the Abrahamic religions -- Islam, Judaism, Christianity -- have been diverted from the moral purpose they share to foster compassion. But Armstrong has seen a yearning to change this fact. People want to be religious, she says; we should act to help make religion a force for harmony. She asks the TED community to help her build a Charter for Compassion -- to help restore the Golden Rule as the central global religious doctrine.
In start contrast, Professor Richard Dawkins argues that religion in general and those religions in particular are a source of delusion and provide a charter for extremists who can wrap themselves in the cloak of these words 'we do what we do in the name of God'. We will return to this theme when we study "The Crucible". Here is "The God Delusion" narrated by Professor Dawkins. Students are encouraged to watch both videos if they intend to tackle Essay 5. You may also ask me about books by Karen Armstrong, Paul Davies, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and others as part of your research on this title.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Egypt : Mystery Of The Rosetta Stone 1/8
SUGGESTION - Teachers of TOK may prefer to watch this one extract in class (about 7 minutes) and encourage students to watch the remainder at home. The entire series is on a BBC DVD 'EGYPT' which I highly recommend for students and family members.
WAYS OF KNOWING - LANGUAGE -EMOTION/PATRIOTISM-REASON - SENSE PERCEPTION/READING SIGHT/........AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE - HISTORY - HUMAN SCIENCES - Note: The Church was concerned that information on the Rosetta Stone and in the Pyramids would discredit the biblical version of history and weaken the authority of the bible. The particular knowledge issue here might be 'are holy books reliable sources of history'?
Ownership of the Stone? Should it be returned to Egypt or remain in the UK?
At first the Stone was re-discovered by the French under Napoleon. After his defeat the Stone was removed from Egypt by the British and studied by Dr Young in London.
Ever since its rediscovery, the stone has been the focus of nationalist rivalries, including its transfer from French to British possession during the Napoleonic Wars, a long-running dispute over the relative value of Young's and Champollion's contributions to the decipherment, and since 2003, demands for the stone's return to Egypt. (Source - Wikipedia)
WAYS OF KNOWING - LANGUAGE -EMOTION/PATRIOTISM-REASON - SENSE PERCEPTION/READING SIGHT/........AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE - HISTORY - HUMAN SCIENCES - Note: The Church was concerned that information on the Rosetta Stone and in the Pyramids would discredit the biblical version of history and weaken the authority of the bible. The particular knowledge issue here might be 'are holy books reliable sources of history'?
Ownership of the Stone? Should it be returned to Egypt or remain in the UK?
At first the Stone was re-discovered by the French under Napoleon. After his defeat the Stone was removed from Egypt by the British and studied by Dr Young in London.
Ever since its rediscovery, the stone has been the focus of nationalist rivalries, including its transfer from French to British possession during the Napoleonic Wars, a long-running dispute over the relative value of Young's and Champollion's contributions to the decipherment, and since 2003, demands for the stone's return to Egypt. (Source - Wikipedia)
Monday, September 10, 2012
HITCHENS vs D'Sousa The God Debate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V85OykSDT8
Thanks Aashna for posting the link. Students will have noted that the late Christopher Hitchens was quoted in TOK Essay title5:
5. “That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.” (Christopher Hitchens). Do you agree?
Sunday, September 9, 2012
ETHICS KANT - Deontology vs Consequentialism
Immanuel Kant's theory of ethics is considered deontological for several different reasons. First, Kant argues that to act in the morally right way, people must act from duty (deon). Second, Kant argued that it was not the consequences of actions that make them right or wrong but the motives of the person who carries out the action. (WIKIPEDIA)
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
BD SOMANI at ECOLE MONDIALE BattlelaureateBD
 |
| ECOLE MONDIALE Principal Mr. Finbarr O'Regan and staff and students gave a great welcome to all visitors to the BattleLaureate. |
My thanks to Anam Vadgama for help preparing this post.
IB Students from BD Somani Grades 11 and 12 recently
participated in the “Battle Laureate 2012” at the Ecole Mondiale World School.
Eleven Indian IB schools performed in this inter-school competition.
The events our
students participated in included debate, drama, singing and creative writing.
The drama event was a three day competition which tested not only acting and
directing but also quick thinking and improvisation. We had five different
performances within a span of three days... Anam Vadgama, Rohan Malhotra,
Pezanne Khambata (Grade 12) and Amalaya Jashnani, Kim Kaul and Arkin Isharani
(Grade 11) participated in this event and secured 2nd place. Mr Boman Irani was
the judge. Zara Contractor won 2nd place in the creative writing competition,
which had many challenging topics. It was a great experience for everybody!
Ms Mati and Mr Callaghan (Mr C) represented BD SOMANI and enjoyed
their time at the events. Congratulations to Mr. Finbarr O’Regan, Principal Ecole
and our old friend, Ms Vidya, IB coordinator Ecole and the host students who
organized a wonderful event and made everybody feel welcome.
 | ||
| BD SOMANI STUDENTS in the Drama Event. |
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