Final ToK Book Comment

Hey ToKers,

First of all, you are awesome, as always. Please review your last comment about “acquiring knowledge.” Then, reply with a thought-provoking comment.

Second, please respond to this question in a 50 -100 word response:

A) In your book, how do ‘language’ and ‘key concepts’ construct or shape knowledge?

B) Which metaphors are use to convey knowledge? How effect is this in shaping what we know, believe, or claim to know?

Thanks so much!

Regards,

Coey

Metaphors We Live By and Metaphors in Science

Were you aware of how often we paint mental pictures with our figures of speech? It happens just as regularly as the moon chases the sun. You just can’t seem to escape from them.

1. Read and consider these two articles Metaphors We Live By and In Defense of Metaphors in Science. If you are having trouble viewing the second document, click on this link to a word document, In Defense of Metaphors in Science. Then develop a comment and post on this web site.

2. Argue both for and against using metaphors in our language. What are the strengths and the weaknesses of such expressions? What knowledge questions emerge from this discussion?

Bonus: Give an example of a metaphor in science.  Then think of a new metaphor for the concept. How does changing the metaphor change how with think? Example: “The Big Bang” could instead be “The Big Squeeze”

Metaphors We Live By

Greetings children,

I hope you are up for thinking about the power of metaphorical language, which we know is ubiquitous. For Lakoff and Johnson’s original article, “Language, Thought, and Culture,” you can find the link on this web page under the “Language Links” to the right.

Where else do we see examples of metaphorical language in our studies of science, math, history, art, social sciences, and literature? How do we create our reality with these expressions?

Kind Regards,

Papa Coey

Greenwashing

Perhaps you know about the term “greenwashing” but it is new for me. In honor of our recent Earth Day, I want to share this environmental slanted corporate marketing concept. It’s a great language issue similar to our study of euphemisms. So, what is greenwashing? What kind of critical thinking do we need to defend ourselves against greenwashing?
Check out this three minute video from “The Media Show” (you need sound and the first 30 seconds has only audio)

Also check out this “Greenwash of the Week.” It doesn’t strike me as great journalism, but what do you expect from a two-minute YouTube video? Anyways, it does make the concept of “greenwashing” much clearer “-)

The Human Mind

Visit this BBC site and discover the human mind by indulging in these creative interactive teaching tools.

What sex is your brain? Total recoil? What kind of thinker are you? What is OCD?

Are these surveys scientific? Is there a way to verify the validity of the conclusions? Does it matter? How much about the our minds can we know through the process of self-examination?

What’s Your Learning Style?

Take this learning style quiz at Edutopia and answer these questions.

1. What is your learning style according to the quiz results?

2. Do you agree with the results? Why or why not?

3. What are the limitations of Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences?

4. What are the assumptions of this theory?

5. Comment on at least three of your classmates posts and be sure to include questions.

BAFA BAFA Cross-Culture Simulation

This past week, my students and I participated in a cross-cultural simulation called Bafa Bafa, which is a significant title for the Beta culture. The Alphas do not learn the meaning of the name until the conclusion of the experience. Here’s how it works.

Students were divided into Alphas and Betas. Then they learned the rules and values of their new culture and began to play “games” related to those same values and rules. The Alphas are social, tactile, and paternalistic. The Betas, however, are individual, capitalistic, and goal-oriented. Next, an observer from each culture is sent to just observe and report. After discussion and hypothesis, the game continues and then small groups of visitors are sent to each culture. They are given artifacts and they are encouraged to try to learn the rules of the other culture. Each returning group of visitors report and brief discussions focus on claims, beliefs, language, interpretation, and culture.

The stated purpose of Bafa Bafa is to 1) explore the concept of culture 2) create feelings 3) analyze the process for gaining knowledge.

Specifically for Theory of Knowledge we want to consider these ideas:

belief, certainty, culture, evidence,
experience, explanation, interpretation, intuition, justification, truth, values
Click here for “Understanding Knowledge Issues” Understanding Knowledge Issues


The follow-up discussion created a range of strong emotional reactions and claims about each culture. Groups were even hostile toward one another (in a kind of playful manner like “Boo Alphas suck!). Our discussion questions can be reviewed here Bafa Bafa Discussion Questions

The next day, we brought our analysis away from the culture simulation and considered the more personal questions:

1. Which of your knowledge communities’ values and rules do you feel you best know? How might “outsiders” see you and your kn. community?

2. Have you felt like an “outsider” or visitor before? When? Why?

3. In our world, where do we see polarities like the Alphas and Betas?

We identified these alpha / beta analogous relationships:

male/female; Iran/USA; teacher/student; Pakistan/India; Muslim/Christian; World/USA; parent/child; science/religion; art/science; rich/poor and many more.

The entire experience lasted nearly three hours and we are considering these questions to further our personal reflection and insights:

Consider your BAFA BAFA experience and write a reflection, providing specific examples from your BAFA BAFA experience as well as examples from your life.

  1. How do cultures’ values differ with respect to the ways of knowing and areas of knowledge?
  2. How do beliefs about the world and beliefs about what is valuable, influence the pursuit of knowledge?
  3. What constitutes ‘good evidence’ within the different ways of knowing and areas of knowledge?
  4. What are the dangers of equating personal experience and knowledge?
  5. What are the difference between persuasive explanations, good explanations, and true explanations?
  6. To what extent does classification systems (labels and categories) adopted in the pursuit of knowledge affect the knowledge we obtain?
  7. To what extent does the truth of a statement depend on the language used to express it?
  8. To what extent do the different ways of knowing influence the values adopted by individuals and societies?