Education for all by

This Smithsonian article tells the story of how one family is trying to revive the indigenous Hawaian language.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 10:37:36 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What role does language play in shaping our identity and worldviews? What do we lose when we lose a language? Why do some organizations and agencies seek to deliberately destroy the knowledge associated with indigenous societies?

Key terms Suppressed, Culture, Forced assimilation, Worldview

A New Humanist article, looking at why science ‘needs’ intuition.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 10:39:05 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE How do the cultural and societal belief systems we belong to, and our own nuanced experiences, shape the way we apply intuition? What does Carlo Rovelli mean when he says, science is “the simultaneous triumph of intuition and the active limiting of intuition”? How does Sara Walker say intuition differs from ‘common sense’? To wrap up: “Intuition is what humanises science, and what separates great scientists from the rest.” What does Conor Feehy mean, and what examples would you offer to support what he says?

KEY TERMS Trusting our gut, Truth, Mysterious, Cultural and societal belief systems, Common sense, Epistemological frailty

A Conversation article, looking at how research in mathematics is a deeply imaginative and intuitive process - aided by AI.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 10:39:24 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Begin by making sure you know what mathematical conjectures and theorems are - and how you move from one to the other. Why does the article refer to intuition as a “miraculous something”, and why does this present problems to anyone hoping to use AI to support the discovery of mathematical knowledge? Why does the article assert that “intelligence is best thought of as having many dimensions” - and can this be applied to other areas of knowledge?

Key terms Imaginative and intuitive, Conjectures, Theorems, “Miraculous something”, Discoveries, Another dimension

A BBC Future article, looking at the way Microsoft Word has influenced the way we use language on the 40th anniversary of its launch.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 10:40:29 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE Focus on the following points made about the impact of Microsoft Word on language: 1. Helping to establish English as the global language of business; 2. Undermining writing diversity; 3. Making it harder to learn a language; 4. Marginalizing regional nuance; 5. increasing Americanisation of English; 6. Emphasizing clarity at the cost of stylistic or poetic flair; 7. Empowering people with dyslexia and dysgraphia to easily type with their voice; 8. Promoting greater essay-writing prowess; 9. Reducing the cognitive load of writing; Outline each one. To wrap up: Does technology such as Microsoft Word empower or restrict us when it comes to our ability to express ideas and knowledge?

KEY TERMS Global language, Diversity, Nuance, Clarity vs. Flair, Empowering, Cognitive load

A Conversation article, looking at what we can learn from francophone Africa on the benefits of dual-language learning.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 10:51:35 UTC

A Conversation article, exploring why John Dewey’s vision for education and democracy still resonates today

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 10:52:10 UTC

A Conversation article, looking at how war in Gaza is wiping out Palestine’s education and knowledge systems

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 10:57:03 UTC

A Conversation article, asserting that university rankings are unscientific and bad for education.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 10:57:51 UTC

A Conversation article, investigating how increasing intolerance is threatening free inquiry and open debate in India’s universities.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 10:58:47 UTC

A Conversation article, exploring how Scandiavian schools approach the 'problem' of the Snow White story.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:00:09 UTC

A Conversation article, exploring the dangers of reading too much into IQ tests, and how they fail to measure crucial cognitive skills.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:01:36 UTC

A Conversation article, exploring the additional pressures for trans children when starting school.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:02:32 UTC

A Guardian article, looking at how mental health leave is being offered to highly pressurised Taiwanese students.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:03:23 UTC

A Guardian article, assessing the benefits of studying alongside international students.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:04:10 UTC

A Guardian article, reporting on how US schools are sending ever-increasing numbers of students to psychiatrists due to their fear of violence.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:05:13 UTC

A Guardian article, looking at how education is the key to unlocking Africa's potential.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:05:50 UTC

A Big Think article, arguing that standardized tests play an important part in university entrance.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:08:10 UTC

A Big Think article, assessing the impact of digital texts on children's comprehension skills.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:08:59 UTC

A Conversation article, which explores how we become more objective when we use social media with someone from an opposing perspective.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:09:25 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What example does the article open with of how different perspectives lead us to either accept or reject online information? Why does misinformation matter, and what examples does the article give of how it manifests itself? What are the difficulties of researching the way people process online information, and how has the author of the article tried to overcome these? How does To wrap up: “Understanding that different perspectives determine the way we process information is the first step in overcoming the challenge of online misinformation.” Do you agree?

KEY TERMS Fact check, Perspective, Cultural identity, Political polarization, Bringing together people, Contentiousness, Experimental situations

An FT article, considering what we can learn about large-scale tragedies (such as the Israel-Hamas war) from the work of George Orwell.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:09:39 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What event is prompting Simon Kuper to reflect on the difficulties of accessing the truth about the world? What ‘heuristic’ has he arrived at? Which two ‘knowledge heroes’ does Kuper use to help him interpret events and issues objectively? What is it about Orwell that made him so reliable (hint: use the word ‘apostate’ in your answer)? To wrap up: Does focusing on the views of ‘apostates’ give us more chance of accessing the truth about the world?

KEY TERMS Truth, Identity, Heuristic, Empathy across ethnic divides, Apostates

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A Wired article, looking at whether it is possible to ‘vaccinate’ people against fake news.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:09:45 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What personal motivation does Sander van der Linden have for devoting himself to the prevention of misinformation? How do ‘psychological vaccines’ work - and what examples does the article give of them? Why does success in this field depend on the cooperation of social media companies (the “guardians of the online flow of information”), and how easy is it to gain this? To wrap up: In what ways is the TOK course a ‘vaccine against brainwashing’?

KEY TERMS Controlled exposure, Misinformation, Indoctrination, Cognitive immunizing agent, psychological vaccine, psychological vaccine

A Big Think article, which looks at how video games have changed us as story-tellers, via an analysis of The Last Of Us.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:10:05 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE According to Adam Frank, why does The Last Of Us game deserve to be regarded as ‘high art’? How effectively has it been adapted for television? Why does he assert that the game is “brilliant and compelling, but you cannot say that it’s fun”? Overall, how can “technological and artistic development [in this case, video games] can reshape the way we satisfy our ancient need for stories”? Answer with reference to video games - and other forms of art.

Key terms Depict the world through narratives, New dimensions in storytelling, High art, Compelling, Emotional resonance

A Big Think article, which argues that given students are allowed to use calculators for mathematics, they should also be allowed to use ChatGPT to write.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:11:02 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE “Education often treats students like robots instead of humans… maybe we should leave the robotic work to AI.” Do you agree?

KEY TERMS Strong evidence, Rigid, New calculator, Change, Fear of change, Robotic work

A Scientific American article, exploring whether the 'marshmallow test' is really an useful indicator of future success.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:17:09 UTC

UNPACKING THE SOURCE What is the ‘marshmallow experiment’ and what does it try to measure? How might culture and social context influence the way children respond to the test? More broadly, how are we shaped by the cultural routines around us? Can we make universal claims about human psychology, or is everything dependent on context?

Key Terms Cultural routines, gratification, self-control, social scaffolding, nuance

A Big Think article, which looks at why Carl Sagan believed children lose their sense of wonder about the world.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:18:32 UTC

A Big Think article, which looks at three great untruths we tell children, and why we need to stop telling them.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:20:03 UTC

A Big Think article, looking at how the metaverse will revolutionize education.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:21:16 UTC

A Big Think article, exploring how a school which sets no homework achieves a 98% college acceptance rate.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:22:23 UTC

A Wired article, exploring how video games can help to combat teen depression and suicide.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:23:41 UTC

A Wired article, exploring the 'AI Detection Arms Race', and how college students are developing the weapons.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:36:38 UTC

A Wired article, reporting on how an Iowa School District Used ChatGPT to Ban Books.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:38:56 UTC

A Vox article, exploring whether affirmative action at West Point in the USA will continue.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:43:44 UTC

A Vox article, explaining the new 'science of reading' movement.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:45:56 UTC

A BBC article, reporting on a gift given to a New York medical school, enabling its students to study tuition-free.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-04 11:46:43 UTC

A Guardian article, examining why Estonia has (arguably) the best schools in Europe.

theory_of_knowledge — 2024-03-29 11:34:40 UTC

theory_of_knowledge — 2026-06-08 10:12:45 UTC

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