Came across a really nice explanation of the extraction process used to recover shale oil on the National geographic website
Triple A Learning IB Blogs
March 25, 2012
August 1, 2010
Is that an expert — or an advertisement?
Misrepresentations and masquerades — these ideas have preoccupied me this summer. Seeing through them to truthful versions feels as if it’s growing more and more onerous. Is it really MY responsibility to figure out whether an “expert” holding forth in the media is actually in the employ of a corporation or PR firm? Much as I accept (and sometimes go on about) personal responsibility for filtering information critically, at the moment I feel quite bad tempered over the degree to which ordinary people like myself have to be on guard the whole time against being conned on some of the most important social and environmental issues of our day.
In an article entitled “Punditry for sale” in July’s Le Monde Diplomatique, Sebastian Jones pulls together information on “covert corporate influence peddling” on cable TV networks and the impact on public opinion: “No single appearance can damage legislation and reform, yet there is a cumulative effect from hundreds of appearances by dozens of lobbyists and influence peddlers that helps to drive press coverage and public opinion.”
June 26, 2010
Hands across the Sand
The Hands across the Sand movement, started in Florida as the devastating effects of the gushing oil were felt all along their coast, is a symbolic drawing of a line in the sand. Ordinary citizens of all political backgrounds, not just in the United States but in many other countries as well, say “no” to offshore oil drilling and “yes” to clean energy. On Saturday, June 26, we gathered at beaches where we live to join our hands symbolically with others all around the world. My own gathering, as you can see, was small, with one more person (me) behind the camera. But many small groups add up.
Does knowledge bring responsibility? Do we have a responsibility for gaining knowledge of those forces in the world which affect the well being of ourselves and others? Do we have a responsibility to act, if we can? TOK examines these questions. Global citizenship gives some strong affirmative answers.
May 15, 2010
Time and Knowing
What impact does an assumed time frame have on an individual’s understanding of knowledge? This is a very broad dimension to our investigations in TOK, but one that is very important.
I am a fan of long term thinking as the default time frame, something not well reflected in the western culture as a rule. One of my favourite short stories involves the issue of the ‘re-unification’ of China and Taiwan and the cultural concept of time.
April 15, 2010
why Moyo annoys me: about knowledge and counter-argument
She’s feisty, articulate, smart, beautiful and emphatic on stage – and I respond with admiration. Why, then, do I also react with such irritation? It’s just that I really don’t like the way she deals with knowledge.
Did you listen to the closing arguments in the debate I featured in my last posting, as Dambisa Moyo gives her final words in support of the motion that “aid does more harm than good in Africa”? Did you listen to the closing argument given by Stephen Lewis, one of her opponents? Although listening to the entire debate is necessary to understand the ideas in play – and it would be time well spent – these final sections do give a representative snapshot of styles of argument and some of their knowledge issues.
April 1, 2010
Education as a Way of Knowing
I think it is highly rewarding to use TOK to engage with the students on the topic of their place in the world, and then explore how their perspectives are informed by the chance of their birth. Reinforcing the Learner Profile and generating the sense of responsibility we are seeking to encourage through participation in the Diploma programme is part of the subject’s purpose.
Two books have recently caught my attention, The Beautiful Tree and Three Cups of Tea. The stories that inform these books can be liberating to a TOK teacher as it gives them a valid opportunity to impress upon their students the privileges they experience on a daily basis and the opportunities these privileges provide them.
March 27, 2010
Knowledge and Responsibility – Follow up
If you want to follow up an earlier discussion on public knowledge, check out the issue of ‘Wikileaks’. The best discussion is by Scott Horton for Harper’s Magazine. It’s a cracker! Takes the idea of Wikipedia one step further!
What does the Pentagon have in common with North Korea, China, Zimbabwe, and a number of private Swiss banks? They all feel threatened by WikiLeaks, the Internet service that offers whistleblowers an opportunity to publish documents that expose corruption and wrongdoing by state and private actors.
March 25, 2010
Exploring Knowledge Flow and the Issue of Responsibility
Supermarket Knowledge – off the shelf?
I had a good debate recently about the availability of knowledge in our society. As my students progress towards their assessment I continually engage in real life situations and extract knowledge issues in the process. I started off my talking about taboo knowledge and did an activity where we explored the issue of whether there is any knowledge we don’t want to be generated and therefore known, mainly because of its implications. This developed into a discussion about state secrets – I have a number of conspiracy theorists in my group. (I am not a big fan of these discussions although I do use the discussion of whether we landed on the moon very early on in the course as an introductory activity.)
