Stephanie Nunes ToK essay provides RLS examples and detailed analysis of AoKs. She concludes with a discussion of the implications for what/how we can know.

yovanna-wge2ky Another former LBHS student who wrote a personal and analytical essay.

The following essay and examiner comments use the previous grading rubric; however, the essay does provide some valuable insights into the genre of a ‘critical thinking’ essay.

Senses Essay Examiner comments

Senses Essay

Linh and Josue ToK Presentation

I especially like the conclusion, for it outlines the implications for what we can know. This presentation, in my humble opinion, made top marks in the ToK Presentation Criteria

Hey all,

Hope you are enjoying your holiday. I am very excited about returning to LBHS next week, and I hope you are too! Below I am posting an example of a ToK chapter reading response. Remember that we are changing the chapter responses to emphasize discussion of personal examples. The chapter 7 reading and reading response required about one hour. I suggest writing the response as you read.

Remember this is just an example.

ToK Chapter 7, Mathematics Reading Response

Most important quotes:

“Math—that most logical of sciences—shows us that the truth can be highly counter-intuitive and that sense is hardly common.” This quote from K.C. Cole speaks to the idea of math as a form of logic that often challenges our preconceived notions about what is known.  I like this idea because often we use anecdotal evidence or feelings as a baseline for what we believe to be true. When you see relationships in terms of numbers, however, often your beliefs and perceptions are changed to reflect a more accurate truth. We see this with regard to how statistics and percentages may be used.

“The useful combinations are precisely the most beautiful.” This hints at the idea of applied mathematics as opposed to pure mathematics. If math is only theoretical and not applicable to the world we observe then it is of little use other than amusement. This reminds me of fractal geometry and how the Mandelbrot Set became an important breakthrough in thinking about how we see and apply math in the real world.

Most Important Ideas:

1. The idea of “proof” is an important idea because it is the mathematical equivalence of evidence and certainty combined.  Moreover, a proof is based on first axiomatic truths and theorems, so the logical argument is at least valid and true. Yet, it is still based on a series of ideas, which may not be observed the same way in nature.
2. The idea of elegant solutions, often derived from imaginative or creative insights, is refreshing because often in mathematics we tend to move forward in a linear approach rather than ‘seeing the forest for the trees.’ How much of our mathematical thinking is limited by our inductive approach to solving mathematical problems?
3. I tend to think of myself as a formalist; I believe that math is invented by humans and it exists as an independent set of ideas. However, I can see the appeal of Platonism, for it suggests the idea of limitless discovery. who wouldn’t want to think of their favorite subject as having limitless possibility?

Linking questions:

1. How is mathematics like a language? As an English teacher, I see the different mathematical descriptions as analogous to the kinds of genres that I explore, each one offering new insights into human experience, yet having its unique advantages and limitations. No one genre, in this case Euclidean of Riemannian geometry, having absolute certainty with the nature of reality. Like language, math is symbolic, and it tries to represent reality. In some ways, math is more a more accurate symbolic language because numbers are far less ambiguous than words. If I say ‘dog’ you might have a range of images come to mind. Yet if I say ‘four’ you have one concept, and fortunately other people, regardless of culture, age, or gender, can understand what you mean when you say ‘four.’
2. Does perception play any role in mathematics? Absolutely, we need to observe how mathematical thinking can be applied to the world, and this takes observation. For example, applying non-Euclidean geometry to physics allowed Einstein to make discoveries the nature of reality, e.g., his general theory of relativity.  We also see evidence of fractal geometry when we make observations in nature; we see the Fibonacci sequence in flowers, plants, humans, and galaxies.  Observations are important because it may allow us to discover or invent new forms of math to help explain the nature of reality.

Two questions about math as an area of knowledge:

1. How can mathematics be used as a justification for either confirming or challenging our beliefs and biases?
2. If you say you know it is true because you have mathematical proof, is that claim more compelling than a claim that is based entirely on emotions, memory, or eyewitness testimony?

Word Count: 627

In what ways do our senses help us “to know”? Sensing, however, is a biological process, which does have limitations.

Explore the links below; then discuss sense perception as a way of knowing by replying to this post.

Spot the Fake Smile

Total Recoil

What Sex is Your Brain?

Reading Faces

Coey

Dear students,

First, I commend you for being open-minded, asking important questions, and for challenging your assumptions about what is known.  ToK is a challenging, yet rewarding course, which allows us to think critically and develop greater confidence when we make claims about what is known.

Second, I would like for each of you to subscribe to this web site using the subscribe option at the top of the page.

Last, I invite you to peruse the resources available here and consider making suggestions to enhance this web site so that it is as much yours as it is mine.

Your assignment will be published as soon as everyone subscribes to this web site!

Kind Regards,

Coey

Happy New Year Class of 2012!

I hope you are well and enjoying this luxurious holiday from school.  You must be getting a little bit bored by now, so I thought I would take this opportunity to remind you that your final ToK essays are due fairly soon–I think in February.

For those of you who are registered as diploma candidates, I would ask you to look over your ToK essay again, especially looking at the conclusion you wrote, and consider making changes.  Theory of Knowledge, after all, is meant to be reviewed over your two year IB diploma program experience.

Have you encountered new life experiences or ideas which relate to your ToK topic?

Are there subjects you have studied which would make useful examples to draw upon?

If you make ANY changes, you will need to verify that these are your original ideas and not ideas plagiarized from the internet.  If you can not verify the changes as original, then I can’t sign off on your essay, and you won’t earn the IB diploma.  It’s best to write about personal examples that way no plagiarism is possible.

Examiners mark essays against the title as set. Respond to the title exactly as given; do not alter it in any way.
Your essay must be between 1200 and 1600 words in length.
1.
Knowledge is generated through the interaction of critical and creative thinking. Evaluate this statement in two areas of knowledge.
2.
Compare and contrast knowledge which can be expressed in words/symbols with knowledge that cannot be expressed in this way. Consider CAS and one or more areas of knowledge.
3.
Using history and at least one other area of knowledge, examine the claim that it is possible to attain knowledge despite problems of bias and selection.
4.
When should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing?
5.
What is it about theories in the human sciences and natural sciences that makes them convincing?
6.
‘It is more important to discover new ways of thinking about what is already known than to discover new data or facts’. To what extent would you agree with this claim?
7.
‘The vocabulary we have does more than communicate our knowledge; it shapes what we can know’. Evaluate this claim with reference to different areas of knowledge.
8.
Analyse the strengths and weaknesses of using faith as a basis for knowledge in religion and in one area of knowledge from the ToK diagram.
9.
As an IB student, how has your learning of literature and science contributed to your understanding of individuals and societies?
10.
‘Through different methods of justification, we can reach conclusions in ethics that are as well-supported as those provided in mathematics.’ To what extent would you agree?

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/3668511/Knowledge_Issues_Grab_Bag