2. What have you heard about ToK? What do you know about ToK?

3. “Harvard is the best university in the world”

5. Opinion Belief Information Fact Prejudice Evidence Some key words….. Assumptions Knowledge

6. ToK or TaK?

7. TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important? A short history…

8. TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important?

9. The IB Mission Statement: The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect

10. ToK A keystone academic course unifying the IB diploma, providing a foundation for all diploma subjects TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important?

11. Why is it important? “Information is acquired by being told, whereas knowledge can be acquired by thinking” Fritz Malchup “The greatest obstacle to progress is not the absence of knowledge, but the illusion of knowledge” Daniel Boorstin “By doubting we are led to enquire, and by enquiry we perceive the truth” Peter Abelard

12. Critical Thinking One objective of ToK is to help students “make sense of what they encounter”, by learning to: critically examine the reliability of sources of knowledge distinguish between good and poor reasoning spot intentional or accidental bias identify inconsistencies TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important?

13. We will be asking questions so that we can better understand the world, ourselves and others: “What do you know?” “How do you know it is true?” “What can you know?” “What can’t be known?” “What can you be certain of?” Knowledge begins with questions…

14. Opinion Belief Information Fact Prejudice Evidence Assumptions Knowledge

15. Knower(s) Natural Sciences Language Sense Perception Emotion Reason Mathematics Human Sciences History Arts Ethics Ways of Knowing Areas of Knowledge Theory of Knowledge Diagram TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important?

16. “The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge” Thomas Berger

17. TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important? A question is a tool for creating knowledge – but not every question leads to reliable knowledge

18. Knowledge begins with a question… Questions that have one correct answer. Example: “How many chairs are there in this room?” Questions that have many possible answers but which require justification and reasoned judgments. Example: “What is the best way to deal with 3 rd World poverty?” Questions that have no correct answer but depend totally on the person answering the question. Example: “Which type of chocolate tastes best?” TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important?

21. Knower(s) Natural Sciences Language Sense Perception Emotion Reason Mathematics Human Sciences History Arts Ethics Ways of Knowing Areas of Knowledge Theory of Knowledge Diagram TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important?

22. Why is it important? “There is no likelihood that humans will ever tap the power of the atom” Robert Millikan, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics (1923) “The atom bomb will never go off and I speak as an expert” Admiral W. Leahy, Advisor to the US President (1945) “I think there will be a world market for five computers” Thomas Watson, Founder of IBM (1958) “The Internet will never take off” Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft (1988) Knowledge is not static – it has a history and changes over time. What guarantee is there that our current understanding is correct? TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important?

23. The ideal knower: “Do not believe anything simply because you have heard it; Do not believe in traditions simply because they have been passed down over many generations; Do not believe anything just because it is spoken and rumoured by many to be true; Do not believe anything simply because it is found in your religious books; Do not believe anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders; But, after observation and analysis, when you find that something agrees with reason, and is conducive to the good … then accept it and live up to it.” Shakyamuni Buddha 500BC TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important?

25. If you found this …. What questions could you ask? Where would you go to find answers to your questions? 20 cms long; made of stone http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/about/transcripts/episode14/

28. Sense Perception Reason Emotion Language Memory Imagination Authority Ways of Knowing

30. TaK - What is Theory of Knowledge and why is it important? Jan 2013 Dec 2013 Education & Identity Ways of Knowing Areas of Knowledge Essay & Presentation Where we are going…