Date: Tue, 1 Jul 1997
To: Valgerdur Snaeland Jonsdottir <valsj@ismennt.is>, k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: rstanley@together.net (Rolfe Stanley)
Subject: Question
Iceland..Right on the Mid Atlantic Ridge at an active spreading
center. I
am a geologist at the University of Vermont who has been applying
systems
dynamics via STELLA to geological systems. Would you be interested
in some
elementary models for ocean floor spreading, volcanism, radioactive
decay,
glaciation etc..?Might be nice to use systems to approach geological
phenomena since you are right where the action is.
Rolfe Stanley
Stanley Computer Center
Fletcher Extension
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 1997
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu, system-dynamics@world.std.com
From: lucia@MIT.EDU (Lucia Breierova)
Subject: Road Maps Eight announcement
The MIT System Dynamics in Education Project would like to announce
that
Chapter 8 of Road Maps: A Guide to Learning System Dynamics is
now
available on-line along with the earlier chapters.
You can access Road Maps by following the links from our home
page at
http://sysdyn.mit.edu/
or by going directly to the Road Maps Table of Contents at
http://sysdyn.mit.edu/road-maps/rm-toc.html
Road Maps 8 is composed of 5 papers that cover various topics
of
system dynamics:
1) Building a System Dynamics Model Part 1: Conceptualization
(D-4597) by
Stephanie Albin. (reading) A series of papers on the process of
model-building starts with the first stage: conceptualization.
2) Mistakes and Misunderstandings: Use of Generic Structures and
the
Reality of Stocks and Flows (D-4646) by Lucia Breierova. (reading)
Examination and correction of a model, forced to fit a generic
structure,
in which the stocks do not represent real-world accumulations.
3) Oscillating Systems 2: Sustained Oscillation (D-4602) by Kevin
Agatstein. (computer) A detailed explanation of the structural
causes of
sustained oscillation illustrated with two real-life examples.
4) An Introduction to Sensitivity Analysis (D-4526) by Lucia Breierova
and
Mark Choudhari. (computer) An introduction to the concepts and
methods
of sensitivity analysis of system dynamics models.
5) Learning through System Dynamics as Preparation for the 21st
Century
(D-4434-1) by Jay W. Forrester. (reading) Forrester explains why
he
believes system dynamics is useful in today's classroom.
We welcome your comments on this or any part of the Road Maps
series! If
you experience problems with the Internet downloading process,
please email
<webmasters@sysdyn.mit.edu> with a detailed message of what
happened.
Paper copies of Road Maps chapters 1-8 are available for a small
fee from:
The Creative Learning Exchange
1 Keefe Road
Acton, MA 01720
Phone: 508/287-0070
stuntzln@tiac.net
Lucia Breierova, Project Manager
System Dynamics in Education Project
E60-357, 30 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: (617) 253-6356 Fax: (617) 252-1998
Email: lucia@mit.edu
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 1997
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Danny Lung <danny@cc.nsysu.edu.tw>
Subject: System Thinking Education for K-12 in Taiwan
To whom it may concerned:
Nice to email you for this message. I know it's a little bit rude
to
disturb you, but we really need your experience of promoting System
Thinking Education for kids to give us input!
There are 3 main points in this email:
1. '98 January or February: Invite you to come to Taiwan
2. '98 July or August: Have a study tour for kids in USA
3. '97 August: Talk in terms of the details of our program
We are the His-Fu Cultural Foundation, which belongs to Megatop
group in
Taiwan. Since 1993, Megatop group in Taiwan has the vision to
become a
learning organization. We do and believe so. For this vision,
we started to
ask for help from System thinking and Organizational Learning
Lab. in
National Sun-Yat Sen University in Taiwan.
As you see, this lab is an academic institute to study System
Dynamics.
Prof. Showing Young, who is the leader of this lab, introduced
System
thinking and System Dynamics into Taiwan in 1993. At the beginning
of our
cooperation, all the lessons of our group are specific for adults.
There
has no any study or courses for kids. In the process of the research,
we
found it is very difficult to improve the adults' mental models
because
theirs has been built by their living experience, background and
education
for many years as they were born. Why don't we pay more attention
to our
children? It'll be easier to facilitate them into the world of
System
Thinking and System Dynamics.
For this reason, we are proud to present the step of System thinking
education for kids in Taiwan. Since 1996, Richard Tu, the member
of the
lab, came back from System thinking and Dynamic Modeling Conference
for
K-12 Education in USA. We try and do our best for the promotion
of System
thinking education for kids. We have a series of camps for kids
to enjoy
System thinking and Dynamic Modeling. System thinking has involved
more and
more people to participate. We think it's time to invite someone
professional as you to give us more ideas and suggestion. That's
our
pleasure to share what we have achieved with you. We would like
to invite
you to visit Taiwan in late January or early February, 1998. There'll
be a
System Thinking Camp for Kids at that moment. We do hope that
you can be
our guest. Not only the camp, but also the meeting with all the
people who
participate this program in Taiwan.
If it's possible, we would like to have a study tour for kids
and
dialogue among teachers from USA and Taiwan in USA next summer.
Let
children and teachers from Taiwan go to USA and interact with
you all. To
work out and contribute more for System thinking education for
kids is what
we do wish. System Dynamics Conference 1997 will be held in Istanbul,
Turkey. Richard will join this conference, too. Could we have
some
discussion at this conference? Then we can present more concrete
ideas and
talk in terms of the details of this program a bit. How do you
think about
it?
Thanks for your kindness and attention. Hope to hear from you
soon.
Sincerely yours,
Danny
Danny Lung National Committee President
AIESEC China (Taipei) 1997-98
5/F, No. 128, Chang-Sha St., Sec. 2, Taipei, TAIWAN, R.O.C.
T: +886 (0)2-382-0063 F: +886 (0)2-312-0089
aiesecnc@www2.nsysu.edu.tw danny@cc.nsysu.edu.tw
Global Theme 1996-2000: Interdependence - | AIESEC:
Learning & Acting for a Shared Future | One by One, We exChange
People!
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 10:01:58 -0400
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Nan Lux <nlux@MIT.EDU>
Subject: Schools as Learning Organizations
Don is a new member of this list and I thought you'd be interested
in his
note to me earlier this month. Please reply back to the entire
list with
your comments. Nan Lux, k-12sd list adminitrator
----------------------
>Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997
>From: DLedingham@aol.com
>To: nlux@MIT.EDU
>Subject: Re: Schools as Learning Organizations
>
>Thanks for your note Nan,
>
>I am currently working my way through your website. I like
everything I've
>read so far and it will certainly help me with my research.
>
>I'm afraid you lost me (so surprise there) when you seemed
to differentiate
>between what you are involved in and what I am attempting
to do by creating a
>system dynamic of the educational process. From what I have
read about
>system dynamics it would seem that you are using system dynamics
in classroom
>teaching. I have subscribed to the notion of holistic/sytemic
teaching for
>many years without necessarily establishing actual SD models.
I think you
>are really breaking important ground for teachers and I appreciate
that your
>work is different from a systems model of the broader educational
process
>(namely schooling).
>Nevertheless, I have been playing around with a Vensim
>model ( I had downloaded the software last year) of the variables
which
>influence pupil success in the educational process for a couple
of months,
>without much success. I began with the question "why
do pupils fail to
>reach their potential?" and then proceeded to identify
the factors which
>contribute to pupil success and pupil failure. I have been
trying to
>establish causal loops and feedback loops in my model and
it is helping my
>thinking. However, I was wondering if any of your staff or
associated
>teachers might like to lend their expertise to this enterprise,
assuming it
>has not been attempted before. I realise it is difficult to
identify
>accurate rates and equations to a relatively abstract problem
but I think it
>would prove to be a valuable exercise even if the figures
were somewhat
>contrived.
>
>Having read Prof. Forrester's paper on the beginning of system
dynamics my
>proposal would seem to be a legitimate area for consideration.
There again
>I may be completely out of line with what systems dynamics
really is and
> would be better spending my time on other more productive
areas of research.
>
>I would welcome your advice on this matter.
>
>All the best
>
>Don ledingham
>
Snip
Nan S. Lux, Program Manager, System Dynamics Group
E60-383, 30 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: (617) 253-1574 Fax: (617) 252-1998
Email: nlux@mit.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Nan Lux <nlux@MIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: Schools as Learning Organizations
>Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 10:17:14 +0100
>From: gibsond@quark.vsc.edu
>Subject: Re: Schools as Learning Organizations
>To: Nan Lux <nlux@MIT.EDU>, DLedingham@aol.com
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>
>Hi Don,
>
>I saw Nan Lux's posting of your inquiry about people interested
in
>building SD models of educational processes. I would enjoy
communicating with you about this. I'm just organizing my ideas
for a doctoral thesis about SD in ed
>research and theory and I have fooled around with a couple
of models of the learning
>process using an old "ithink" software I have. I've
got access to Stella 4.0,
>but don't have it installed at home where i really need it.
Nevertheless, I'd
>like to talk...
>
>wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw
-
>
>David Gibson, <gibsond@quark.vsc.edu>
>Educational Consultant, Regional Alliance
>VISMT Professional Development Specialist (802) 244-8768
>Director of Curriculum, Montpelier Schools (802) 223-6366
>
Nan S. Lux, Program Manager, System Dynamics Group
E60-383, 30 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: (617) 253-1574 Fax: (617) 252-1998
Email: nlux@mit.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Jul
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Nan Lux <nlux@MIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: Schools as Learning Organizations
>From: prabhu.r.p.g.q.p.guptara@ubs.com
>X-Openmail-Hops: 2
>Date: Wed, 30 Jul 97
>Subject: Re: Schools as Learning Organizations
>To: nlux@MIT.EDU
>
>Dear Don, I don't think it particularly matters what you call
your enterprise
>but I think it is not only a valid but also an extremely important
area of
>enquiry....
>
>You have probably already included these variables, but it
might be worth my
>mentioning that I went to eight different schools in eight
different cities
>between the ages of eight and sixteen. This does not seem
to have damaged my
>educational interests or achievements too much.
>
>Interestingly, these schools were in different cultures...
which also does
>not
>seem to have damaged me too much.
>
>What is interesting to me, looking back, is that in one school
I was
>supposed to
>be brilliant in Physiology, in another brilliant in Geography,
in another
>brilliant at Physics (I actually wanted to be a nuclear scientist
when I was
>finishing high school), and in yet another brilliant at languages
(while,
>at the
>same subject, I was supposed to be, at another school a "standing
insult
>to the
>memory of my father" (who was a Professor). And of course
there were
>schools in
>which I was perfectly ordinary at everything! Undoubtedly
this had
>something to
>do with the level of interest/disinterest, rowdiness, motivation,
>achievement et
>al of my fellow-pupils but, in my perception, the key factor
was whether
>or not
>I "got on" with my teacher. By "getting on",
I don't mean merely how much I
>liked the teacher or the teacher liked me, but whether the
approach,
>techniques
>and way of thinking of the teacher engaged my own approach,
my own way of
>thinking, my own way of learning, and so on.
>
>All this is not precisely "expertise" (which is
what you had asked for) but
>reflections by someone concerned to notice that I seem to
have succeeded
>(and to
>succeed) quite well in teaching one of my offspring but not
at all with
>another
>(who seems nevertheless to be doing quite well at school -
no thanks to my
>efforts!).
>
>What you will make of all this in terms of feedback loops
is beyond me at
>present, but perhaps this will be helpful or at least thought-provoking
>nevertheless....
>
>
>Professor Prabhu Guptara
>Group Director, Organisational Learning & Transformation
>Union Bank of Switzerland
>Wolfsberg
>CH-8272 ERMATINGEN
>Switzerland
>tel: +41-71-6635.605
>fax: +41-71-6635.590
>e-mail: prabhu.guptara@ubs.ch
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 97
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)
To: <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>, <nlux@MIT.EDU>
Cc: <prabhu.r.p.g.q.p.guptara@ubs.com>
From: "fred nickols" <fnickols@ets.org>
Subject: Re: Schools as Learning Organizations
I can only echo Prabhu Gupta's comments...that is, I was (depending
on
school and teacher) viewed and labeled in many different ways.
I especially agree with Professor Gupta's comment about the critical
role
played by "getting along with the teacher" in the sense
that "getting
along" refers to the teacher somehow managing to engage my
interests and
abilities.
I can count on one hand the teachers that have had a positive
influence on
me. They all had in common one thing: they saw past my defenses
and
posturing and took what I saw as a genuine interest in me. I do
not recall
them ever placing emphasis on grades or test scores or other measures
of
academic achievement--and certainly none on social standing; instead,
I
recall intense interest and unrelenting encouragement.
One factor I would add for consideration is an interest in books
and in
reading. Several years ago, as I was assuming a senior vice president
position in a small financial services firm, I was asked to indicate
the
single most significant "formative" experience in my
life. I found that
question so intriguing that I gave it a great deal of careful
thought. I
then answered that it was going to the public library on Saturday
mornings,
where young women and young men had volunteered to read aloud
to pre-school
and early elementary school-age children. That experience impressed
upon
me the value of books and of being able to read. In effect, I
knew at an
early age that the world was mine; all I had to do was extract
it from
those marvelous things called books. I have of course since learned
that
there is much more to life and living than what can be found in
books but
that does not diminish one whit the value and importance of books
and
reading.
Mercy! I fear I've gone on a bit...
Regards to all...
Fred Nickols
Executive Director
Strategic Planning & Management Services
Educational Testing Service
Mail Stop 09-C
Princeton, NJ 08541
609.734.5077 Tel, 609.734.5590 Fax, fnickols@ets.org
Original Text
From Nan Lux <nlux@MIT.EDU>, on 7/30/97 12:52 PM:
To: <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
>From: prabhu.r.p.g.q.p.guptara@ubs.com
>X-Openmail-Hops: 2
>Date: Wed, 30 Jul 97 17:01:58 +0200
>Subject: Re: Schools as Learning Organizations
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>To: nlux@MIT.EDU
>
>
>
>Dear Don, I don't think it particularly matters what you call
your
enterprise
>but I think it is not only a valid but also an extremely important
area of
>enquiry....
>
>You have probably already included these variables, but it
might be worth
my
>mentioning that I went to eight different schools in eight
different
cities
>between the ages of eight and sixteen. This does not seem
to have damaged
my
>educational interests or achievements too much.
>
>Interestingly, these schools were in different cultures...
which also does
>not
>seem to have damaged me too much.
>
>What is interesting to me, looking back, is that in one school
I was
>supposed to
>be brilliant in Physiology, in another brilliant in Geography,
in another
>brilliant at Physics (I actually wanted to be a nuclear scientist
when I
was
>finishing high school), and in yet another brilliant at languages
(while,
>at the
>same subject, I was supposed to be, at another school a "standing
insult
>to the
>memory of my father" (who was a Professor). And of course
there were
>schools in
>which I was perfectly ordinary at everything! Undoubtedly
this had
>something to
>do with the level of interest/disinterest, rowdiness, motivation,
>achievement et
>al of my fellow-pupils but, in my perception, the key factor
was whether
>or not
>I "got on" with my teacher. By "getting on",
I don't mean merely how much
I
>liked the teacher or the teacher liked me, but whether the
approach,
>techniques
>and way of thinking of the teacher engaged my own approach,
my own way of
>thinking, my own way of learning, and so on.
>
>All this is not precisely "expertise" (which is
what you had asked for)
but
>reflections by someone concerned to notice that I seem to
have succeeded
>(and to
>succeed) quite well in teaching one of my offspring but not
at all with
>another
>(who seems nevertheless to be doing quite well at school -
no thanks to my
>efforts!).
>
>What you will make of all this in terms of feedback loops
is beyond me at
>present, but perhaps this will be helpful or at least thought-provoking
>nevertheless....
>
>
>Professor Prabhu Guptara
>Group Director, Organisational Learning & Transformation
>Union Bank of Switzerland
>Wolfsberg
>CH-8272 ERMATINGEN
>Switzerland
>tel: +41-71-6635.605
>fax: +41-71-6635.590
>e-mail: prabhu.guptara@ubs.ch
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 97
To: <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>, <nlux@MIT.EDU>
From: "fred nickols" <fnickols@ets.org>
Subject: re: Schools as Learning Organizations
Following up my earlier posting regarding teacher regard for me,
which was
perhaps a whole lot more personally gratifying to write than it
was to read,
I was suggesting that Don Ledingham's "success" model
ought to have a
"stock" or "accumulator" in it somewhere that
reflects the student's
perception of teacher regard for him or her.
This "stock" (which is a particularly good word in this
context) has
something to do with the student's interest and motivation.
Regards to y'all...
Fred Nickols, Executive Director
Strategic Planning & Management Services
Educational Testing Service, Mail Stop 09-C
Princeton, NJ 08541
609.734.5077 Tel, 609.734.5590 Fax, fnickols@ets.org
Original Text
From Nan Lux <nlux@MIT.EDU>, on 7/30/97
To: <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
Don is a new member of this list and I thought you'd be interested
in his
note to me earlier this month. Please reply back to the entire
list with
your comments. Nan Lux, k-12sd list adminitrator
----------------------
>Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997
>From: DLedingham@aol.com
>To: nlux@MIT.EDU
>Subject: Re: Schools as Learning Organizations
>
>Thanks for your note Nan,
>
>I am currently working my way through your website. I like
everything
I've read so far and it will certainly help me with my research.
>
>I'm afraid you lost me (so surprise there) when you seemed
to
differentiate
>between what you are involved in and what I am attempting
to do by
creating a
>system dynamic of the educational process. From what I have
read about
>system dynamics it would seem that you are using system dynamics
in
classroom
>teaching. I have subscribed to the notion of holistic/sytemic
teaching
for
>many years without necessarily establishing actual SD models.
I think you
>are really breaking important ground for teachers and I appreciate
that
your
>work is different from a systems model of the broader educational
process
>(namely schooling).
>Nevertheless, I have been playing around with a Vensim
>model ( I had downloaded the software last year) of the variables
which
>influence pupil success in the educational process for a couple
of months,
>without much success. I began with the question "why
do pupils fail to
>reach their potential?" and then proceeded to identify
the factors which
>contribute to pupil success and pupil failure. I have been
trying to
>establish causal loops and feedback loops in my model and
it is helping my
>thinking. However, I was wondering if any of your staff or
associated
>teachers might like to lend their expertise to this enterprise,
assuming
it
>has not been attempted before. I realise it is difficult to
identify
>accurate rates and equations to a relatively abstract problem
but I think
it
>would prove to be a valuable exercise even if the figures
were somewhat
>contrived.
>
>Having read Prof. Forrester's paper on the beginning of system
dynamics my
>proposal would seem to be a legitimate area for consideration.
There
again
>I may be completely out of line with what systems dynamics
really is and
> would be better spending my time on other more productive
areas of
research.
>
>I would welcome your advice on this matter.
>
>All the best
>
>Don ledingham
>
Snip
Forwarded by Nan S. Lux, Program Manager, System Dynamics Group
E60-383, 30 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139
Phone: (617) 253-1574 Fax: (617) 252-1998
Email: nlux@mit.edu
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 19:08:50 -0400 (EDT)
From: DLedingham@aol.com
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
Subject: Introduction; Don Ledingham
I am Depute Headteacher at The Hillview High School, Scottish
Borders,
Scotland. We have been attempting to transform our school into
a Learning
Organization for the past year and have started to see some significant
and
exciting progress. We are using Senge's five disciplines as a
framework for
our change strategy and I have been keeping a daily journal to
record the
change process under each of these disciplines. I am adopting
the role of
participant researcher for a doctoral thesis entitled: "The
School as a
Learning Organization: From Theory to Practice".
OUTLINE OF CHANGE STRATEGY 7/7/97
Rationale:
The aim of the change strategy is to move Hillview High School
towards
becoming a Learning Organization. The hope is to create a collaborative
culture at Hillview High School where people have the confidence
and ability
to take an active part in the learning process; where that process
is one of
productive change. That culture should recognise that quality
of life for
both staff and students is of equal importance and that the key
to productive
change is commitment to the school derived from a set of common
goals and
values. The principle characteristic of this change process will
be the
notion of organic, systemic and sustainable change guided by the
notion of
personal and collective reflection. Finally, in addition to satisfying
the
internal demands within the school, the change process must satisfy
the
external demands of society and attempt to establish a wide range
of
partnerships in advancing and reflecting upon the change process.
FRAMEWORK FOR CHANGE
The change process will be built upon the five disciplines identified
by
Senge (1990) as being the components of any learning organization.
These
are:
Systems Thinking: Understanding the interconnections and interrelationships
that shape behaviour within the school;
Personal Mastery: Learning to expand one's ability to create the
future and
the results one most desires;
Shared Vision; Building a common sense of purpose by developing
shared images
of the future that we seek to create;
Mental Models: Surfacing, clarifying, testing and improving one's
internal
representation of the world in which we work and live and understanding
how
these shape behaviour;
Team Learning: Reflecting on action as a team and developing collective
thinking skills so that the team can develop intelligence and
ability greater
than the sum of the individual talents.
REFLECTIONS ON HOW THESE DISCIPLINES ARE BEING APPLIED IN THE
CHANGE PROCESS
AT HHS
Systems Thinking: The key element within systems thinking is to
keep
reflecting upon and articulating the interconnections which exist
between
each element/ issue/ experience/ subject/ happening which occurs
in the
school. By adopting a broad front it is possible to advance slowly
towards
the eventual goal (think big, act small). This has the advantage
over the
single initiative development which if obstructed for some reason
all
progress comes to a standstill, whereas in the broad front approach
the
obstruction will eventually clear or even be freed by developments
elsewhere
in the school. Systems Thinking is a key discipline in understanding
the
culture of the school and in allowing tacit understandings to
become explicit
(the first step to cultural change). It in respect of systems
thinking that
I am struggling to come up with a realistic and coherent system
dynamic. I
would welcome any advice on this matter from members of the list.
Personal Mastery: By recognising that we are all learners (including
management) it is possible to appreciate that we are in control
of our own
future much more than we think. The challenge is to initiate double-loop
learning where tacit knowledge is reflected upon, with a view
to initiating
change. By recognising that we all have a fundamental need to
self-actualise
the school can develop opportunities for individuals to contribute
to their
own professional progress. A key to personal mastery is the establishment
of
potential barriers which might prevent mastery from taking place.
This
recognises that is frequently our inability to identify the problem
which
prevents progress rather than our inability to come with a solution.
It is
also of great importance that opportunities for personal reflection
and the
learning of new skills and knowledge are made available. Action
research is
to be a fundamental plank in promoting personal mastery in the
coming
session.
Mental Models; The culture of a school can be represented by the
values,
beliefs and structures and procedures which represent "this
is the way we do
things here". The culture of any school is often dominated
by unspoken
perceptions which guide the way in which people behave; of which
people are
frequently unaware or unable to properly articulate. These mental
models are
conservative and reactionary and present an inertia which must
be overcome
for real change to take place. The difference between espoused-theories
and
theories-in-use must be exposed and debated for the status quo
to be
properly challenged. Once again a systems dynamic would help in
allowing
mental models to be understood.
Building Shared Vision: This demands that there is an opportunity
for
bottom-up and top-down initiatives which allow a shared sense
of purpose to
be developed. A key feature of shared vision are the means made
available to
facilitate communication and the openness of those involved in
the change
process. Once again barriers to promoting a shared vision must
be identified
before change strategies can be implemented, for example, departmental
fragmentation.. A common and perhaps over-used phrase can sum
up shared
vision "ownership" yet that ownership must be real and
be seen to be a firm
and sustainable commitment.
Team Learning: This sees all those within the school environment
as a
community of learners. Team learning obviously depends to a great
extent upon
the some of the other disciplines being developed for unless people
can begin
to reflect upon their own weaknesses and strengths there is little
likelihood
that productive team learning will take place. Nevertheless, it
is a key
discipline within the development of any learning organization
as it
recognises that the collective potential of a group is always
superior to the
potential of an individual. Team Learning will involve such groups
as:
departments, faculties, management team, ad hoc development groups,
links
with external bodies, links with pupils.
LEADERSHIP STRATEGY
The key feature of the leadership role in a learning organization
is that
which the leader is not. That is the leader is not a heroic figure
leading
by sheer force of personality. The leader's role is more akin
to a designer
who is designing the learning process for the organization. The
leader
should constantly be reinforcing the collaborative aspect of change
and
encouraging others to become involved in the change process. It
is more
about advancing commitment than control. The leader should be
attempting to
reinforce systems thinking wherever possible so that everyone
can begin to
see how their role contributes to the overall function of the
school and how
previously disparate elements of the school can be seen to be
related. The
leader should listen and build relationships with all those involved
in the
school and in turn encourage the notion of the reflective practitioner.
A
key feature of the leader's behaviour will be the notion of MBWA
(managing by
wandering around) and the modelling of the type of behaviour which
should be
reflected throughout the school.
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997
From: DLedingham@aol.com
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Schools as Learning Organizations
Hello David,
Thanks for your note. As you will see from my introduction which
I have just
sent to the list I am currently undertaking a Ph.D . I would welcome
the
opportunity to discuss SD in education. Unfortunately I don't
have access to
STELLA and I have no idea how I might get hold of it in Scotland.
Any
suggestions? I would also be interested in finding out more about
your
proposed research methodology. I have adopted the ethnomethodological
paradigm and have found it to be very effective in getting to
the root of
people's understandings of their experience..
All the best
Don Ledingham
dledingham@aol.com
smithy house
langshaw
scottish borders
scotland
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997
From: DLedingham@aol.com
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
Cc: prabhu.guptara@ubs.ch
Subject: Re: Schools as Learning Organizations
Hello Prabu,
Thank you for your observations.
If I understand you correctly, and I am often wrong, you are suggesting
that
your success at school depended upon whether or not the teachers
teaching
approach coincided with your learning approach. If this is a correct
supposition then I would have to agree with you but also suggest
that this
feature of teaching is unacceptable. For what seems to be happening
in most
schools throughout the world is that teachers find a way of working
which
suits them. From that starting point it is up to the students
to either fit
in with that approach or, which is often the more prevalent, not
fit in with
that approach. In the latter scenario the students either misbehave
or more
frequently just switch off the subject.
You mentioned the word 'engaged' in your message. To me this is
the key to
all teaching and successful learning. Unless learners are engaged
with the
content in a real and meaningful way then I do not believe that
real learning
takes place. Having observed hundreds of lessons in my time as
a teacher
educator, colleague and school manager it is my belief that most
pupils are
allowed to slide over content by their teachers. Students are
only rarely
drawn into the content being considered. I once started a paper
where I
represented the teacher as a mediator between the content and
the pupil. I
never completed the paper, although it still lies on my desk.
By mediator I
mean that the teacher has to bring the student into contact with
the content.
That process will involve direct teaching, exposition, discussion,
investigation, etc, but the underlying aim is to engage the student's
interest in the content for its own sake, and to overcome the
barriers which
the student puts up. Once that point of discovery is made by the
student
that the content, whatever it might be, has some intrinsic meaning
to them
then success is never far away. Unfortunately, all to frequently
it is only
those students who recognise the extrinsic benefits of the educational
process who succeed. I would suggest that you are most likely
such an
individual, as will be your children, although your second child
maybe
doesn't appreciate the way you impart information.
I am concerned with establishing a culture in a school where all
teachers
challenge the passivity of students and encourage them to become
actively
involved inthe learning process for its own sake. I know this
sounds woolly
and idealistic but I have seen it in action and recognise its
power to turn
children on to learning.
I hope this makes some sense to you. Keep in touch.
All the best
Don Ledingham
PS
You mention that you experienced different cultures in the veraious
schools
you attended. I am currently trying to define the notion of culture
in
schools. I would welcome any anecdotal evidence of the effect
of cultures on
the schooling process.
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997
From: gibsond@quark.vsc.edu
Subject: re: Schools as Learning Organizations
To: fred nickols <fnickols@ets.org>, k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
On Wed, 30 Jul 97 14:21:58 EDT fnickols@ets.org (fred nickols)
wrote:
>This "stock" (which is a particularly good word
in this context) has
>something to do with the student's interest and motivation.
I built a small model where motivation was a cyclic variable and
contributed to
learning when on the upswing...I'll try to dig out the details
when I get to the
computer where the fiel rests...
wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw - wWw -
David Gibson, <gibsond@quark.vsc.edu>
Educational Consultant, Regional Alliance
VISMT Professional Development Specialist (802) 244-8768
Director of Curriculum, Montpelier Schools (802) 223-6366