Framing my Knowledge Issue

[Guest Jar Jar D'oh!]

Hi guys! Be warned, I usually create socially awkward topics xP

Here's my topic: " To what extent does cussing/using profanities affect one's abilities to use the WoK Language ? "

Oh and must a good presentation be able to drag in all four WoKs?

So I have the criteria in front of me and a 'good' presentation must not be a 'subject' specific one, and that's my question to you. Is my topic subject specific.

The reason I'm unsure is because in their examples of a good topic there is: "What, if anything, do optical illusions tell us about sense perception and truth?" and that too focuses on an subject and then couches the discussion in ToK terms, right?

Thank you for your help!

Edited March 26, 2012 by Jar Jar D'oh!

[CkyBlue]

What is the WoK Language? Isn't it just language? As far as I know, swearing, cussing, is still a language to me. It seems that you're trying to say, how does that hinder clear communication or something. Not sure if that's right, but that's my opinion on it. No, do not spend your whole essay talking about all the WoKs. (I am also pretty sure there are more than 4, just to let you know )

Wow, seems so similar to a thread I answered earlier...

I don't think you should focus your entire presentation talking about a limitation. ToK is about addressing "how do we know what we know" and although acknowledging your limitations is a must, it is not everything. Is this your own essay topic? What about the prescribed titles, damn have you guys not started any TOK yet?

Maybe I'm stupid or something; can you explain what "subject specific" means?

I would try to create a KI that lets you give analysis to a few (not all) the WoKs and the AoKs, that way you're letting the examiners know that you know how to look at problems or issue from multiple perspectives. (making your topic not "subject specific"?)

I am still not sure if you need help on the essay, the presentation, or both

[Guest Jar Jar D'oh!]

What is the WoK Language? Isn't it just language? As far as I know, swearing, cussing, is still a language to me. It seems that you're trying to say, how does that hinder clear communication or something. Not sure if that's right, but that's my opinion on it. No, do not spend your whole essay talking about all the WoKs. (I am also pretty sure there are more than 4, just to let you know )

Wow, seems so similar to a thread I answered earlier...

I don't think you should focus your entire presentation talking about a limitation. ToK is about addressing "how do we know what we know" and although acknowledging your limitations is a must, it is not everything. Is this your own essay topic? What about the prescribed titles, damn have you guys not started any TOK yet?

Maybe I'm stupid or something; can you explain what "subject specific" means?

I would try to create a KI that lets you give analysis to a few (not all) the WoKs and the AoKs, that way you're letting the examiners know that you know how to look at problems or issue from multiple perspectives. (making your topic not "subject specific"?)

I am still not sure if you need help on the essay, the presentation, or both

Yeah there are 5 but that's it unless you want to look at the various divisions of language, agree?

Secondly Language is a WoK, look at the wiki page, if you want to.

Haha! Subject specific, we'll i'm going to join the dumb club, coz I don't know either! I assume it means focusing on a subject too much and giving little attention to the actual TOK bit of the topic.

I'll make the topic more broad in that case, because this whole swearing thing is too limited on it's own. Nice idea?

So far I think I'll broaden it to "To what extent have changes to the AoKs Emotion and Language affected a person's ability to acquire knowledge?"

Edited March 26, 2012 by Jar Jar D'oh!

[CkyBlue]

Oh, I meant that in a way that you should say WoK Language, the same way I don't think you should say AoK Emotion and Language(which is a way of knowing, not an area!)

WoKs: perception, emotion, faith, truth, language, scepticism.. are there more? Don't remember.

And yes, that sounds like what subject specific means to me, but it's better to consult your teacher about it.

Your KI sounds good, but it's now too broad, as "acquiring knowledge" can mean too many things. Make it an "issue" by discussing a specific idea you may want to put under discussion. And remember, even thought AoK isn't in the words of the KI, you still need to include it in your presentation.

[Outis]

I think you should mainly highlight two WoK in your presentation. As it can be seen from the sample topic it important to relatively broad. I think this is what they mean by "subject specific;" don't focus only on one WoK. I think you topic could be narrow in a sense that it is centered around how "profanities hinder the ability to use language."

Remember, cussing and profanities are "emotionally ladened language." IMO you should also discuss how profanities are used to channel the negative emotion and the way it ruins the group dynamic; discuss the tight connection between emotion and language

Have you noticed in classes how one fight ruins the atmosphere of the whole class, and how you feel bad although you weren't directly involved in it.

well, wish you all the luck

Outis

Edited March 27, 2012 by Sandwich
Please don't use chatspeak on IBS.

[Sandwich]

WoKs: perception, emotion, faith, truth, language, scepticism.. are there more? Don't remember.

WOKs: reason, emotion, language, sense/perception. That's it!

Remember, cussing and profanities are "emotionally ladened language." IMO you should also discuss how profanities are used to channel the negative emotion and the way it ruins the group dynamic; discuss the tight connection between emotion and language

Have u noticed in classes how one fight ruins the atmosphere of the whole class, and how u feel bad although u weren't directly involved in it.

^^ I actually think this is more or less the only way you can approach it. Language as a way of knowing (i.e. of acquiring knowledge) and then using language yourself are fundamentally different things. Your own use of language is not a way that you acquire knowledge, and your original question suggests you don't actually understand the role of the Ways of Knowing.

By subject-specific I expect they mean that you are always looking at the nature of ways of knowing as a whole without narrowing them down. You can use specific scenarios to explore broader themes about WoKs but always keep it broad.

"To what extent have changes to the AoKs Emotion and Language affected a person's ability to acquire knowledge?"

This is not a good title because firstly, neither of those are AoKs.... secondly WoKs (which is what they actually are) can't be 'changed'. The ways of knowing are the simplistic system by which the IBO have decided we receive knowledge. You can't 'change' reason. Or language. They are objective faculties. A bit like you can't change vision or hearing. You've just got them, the only things which can change are the ways in which we process things interpreted by those faculties.

[CkyBlue]

WoKs: perception, emotion, faith, truth, language, scepticism.. are there more? Don't remember.

WOKs: reason, emotion, language, sense/perception. That's it!

That's funny; the Ways of Knowing coursebook I studied with in ToK says differently. But no matter I guess.

As for the KI, I think he means changes in terms of our way of looking at things? Example, (emotion) if you feel a different ways towards the same scenario, you could well be interpreting them in different ways and gaining different insight.