The ToK day was split in half with the first part on Tuesday afternoon 17.12.2024. This first session was led by Mrs. Debrunner. She introduced us to the topic of this ToK day by showing us a film about the Herculaneum papyri. This film visualized how this international competition to decipher the scrolls included and required various forms of knowledge. We learned about the challenges scientists face and how so far we can only aquire minimal knowledge from said scrolls due to missing technological advancement. This film ideally showed how closely language and technology work together and depend on eachother.
In order to apply our newly received knowledge on the scrolls we practiced getting our thoughts down on paper. Within 30 minutes each and every one of us had to chose one of the given prompts by Mrs. Debrunner and develop a rough answer sketch which we then had to hand in. Our anwers were shown to the class and each person had to read out their respective texts. We then collectively discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each written work so that everyone could improve their work.
The next morning on Wednesday 18.12.2024, was the second part of this ToK Day, led by Mrs. Nickel. The session began with the activity of choosing three cards from the ToK Game. These cards contained images of diverse objects. Alongside the cards, all students chose a prompt from a selection provided. In groups or individually, we then wrote examples of ToK essays, drawing connections between the chosen cards and the prompts. As an additional challenge, one of the cards had to be a picture of the papyrus roll. The intention was to pick up the topic from the first part of this ToK day.
After writing our essays, which took about a lesson, we exchanged the printed version randomly in the class. Each student analyzed the work of another, focusing on the essential aspects a ToK essay should include. Using the official grading scheme, we provided constructive feedback to each other. Part of the exercise was also comparing the writer’s intended message with the reader’s interpretation. Through this reflective process, we sharpened our essay writing skills and we gained deeper insights on how knowledge is communicated and understood.
The ToK Language and Technology day showed us how closely related these two fields are and how much they depend on each other. We broadened our understanding on both said fields by looking at examples and practicing our writing of the upcoming ToK essay.
Lara Lenkei und Mila Messer
