July 2000
From: Luke4101@aol.com
Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000
Subject: Introduction
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
Greetings K-12sd List,
My interest is from several angles. In the mid 70's, I was trained
as a family systems therapist. It was considered heresy at the time. In mid
career, I switched over to the employee assistance field but continue to
think systems in my work. Then, my child who has learning delays and serious
disabilities was giving up in the special Ed system in '96 so we placed him
in a Lev Vygotsky-oriented school with 40 students from K-12 who are
responsible for their own learning (www.thenewschool.com). We watched his
love of learning return although he had no formal classes. During this time,
as I observed my son's school, I was also reading about learning
organizations and delighted to see someone like Peter Senge come along and
promote systems thinking to the business world.
Currently, my interest is in promoting change in our school system around
inclusion of students with disabilities. I think the special education
system may have better training in systems dynamics, though they don't call
it that, than regular education. Business wise, I own my own startup company
and have found that this is where today's learning organizations thrive.
Lastly, systems dynamics makes perfect sense to me. The denial of its
importance is one of the inherent problems with today's educational system.
Jane Luke
---------
From: "Art Schneiderheinze" <schneide@coe.missouri.edu>
To: "k-12sd" <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
Subject: Preservice Teacher Education
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2000
I am an instructor in the College of Education at the University of Missouri
at Columbia. I team teach a 2 semester course that, up to this point, has
been organized by 5 or 6 different people with their own interests driving
their decisions about what should be taught and how it should be taught.
Our primary focus is development, learning, and teaching. Up to this point,
we work with our undergraduates (this is their first professional education
course) in a very traditional manner. They learn theories, they learn
cookbook type recipes for planning instruction and managing a classroom, and
periodically deal with a case study oftentimes unrelated to the content of
the class.
I want to revamp the whole course.
Before coming to MU, I taught 3rd-5th grade and used systems thinking as a
guiding force for the design of my interdisciplinary units. I have seen
students develop much more complex problem-solving skills, develop a bigger
picture understanding of complex systems, and develop a more critical view
when making decisions.
The classroom is a system with a variety of complex dynamics. There are
several factors (internal and external) which directly impact those
dynamics. A teacher, as manager of the system, must understand these
dynamics, understand the impact of variables, and know how to make decisions
about where he/she can have leverage in effecting change in that system.
I never understood why a preservice teacher education program is not
designed to facilitate systems thinking. I can see how helping preservice
teachers develop this skill will empower them to handle spontaneous decision
making situations that relate to learning, management, behavior, and so
forth. Yet we don't - or at least I am unaware of Colleges of Education that
do.
I am VERY interested in meeting other people who work in preservice teacher
education programs that employ a systems thinking (in lieu of a case study)
approach to instructional design - and/or meet people who are as interested
in rethinking the way we prepare our teachers to be better decision makers,
better problem-solvers, and better managers of a classroom - which itself is
a component of other systems.
I have already started using the resources I had as a teacher in K-12 to
redesign our 2 semester course for 2000-2001. I want to develop a proposal
to present to the College of Ed faculty that I work with in early August.
If anyone has ideas about how to conceptualize concepts in an initial
teacher education course (child/adolescent development, learning,
instruction, assessment, management, diversity) OR is currently
developing/working in a program that utilizes this approach effectively ---
I would enjoy hearing from you.
Thanks!
Art Schneiderheinze
doctoral student
University of Missouri at Columbia
College of Education
School of Information Science and Learning Technologies
Clinical Associate
Teacher Development Program
Research Assistant
Center for Technology Innovations in Education
(573) 882-2162
(573) 884-5158 FAX
------------
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: k-12sd <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
Subject: book announcement
"Hot off the press in September"
Title: Schools That Learn
Series: The Fifth Discipline Education Fieldbook
Aurhors: Peter Senge, Nelda Cambron-McCabe, Janis Dutton, Art Kleiner, Tim
Lucas, Bryan Smith
List price: $35.00
Publisher:
The Resources Connection
908 Niagara Falls Blvd.
#530 North Tonawanda, NY, 14120
Toll free: 1-800-295-0957
Phone: 905-473-4175
Fax: 905-473-4219
E-mail: info@resourcesconnect.com
----------------
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000
From: bgilbert <bgilbert@kusd.kusd.edu>
Subject: Preservice Teacher Education
To: k-12sd k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
Dear Art,
I have come across a source for the classroom management portion of your
course. Maybe you have already heard about it, but the source is Harry
Wong, who wrote the First Days of School, a book on managing classrooms.
He emphsizes the the first days of school, those 48 to 72 hours, will largely
determine howthe rest of the year will go. One wins or losses their classes
with those hours. Wong's book, The First Days of School is not only an
excellent resource, but a practical guide a new or even veteran teacher can
use.
You can purchase a kit, videos and a facilitators guide for about $850, the
book runs about $30. I don't believe this should be the bulk of any course,
but probably a major theme running through out a student's entire expereince
at MU.
Sincerely,
Bruce Gilbert
Principal
McKinley Middle School
Kenosha, WI
bgilbert@kusd.edu
-----------------
From: "Gordon Kubanek and Carmen Hust" <chust@monisys.ca>
To: "k-12sd" <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
Subject: Preservice Teacher Education- ART
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2000
Hi Art,
While I am a High School Science teacher I have some ideas that may be of
use in designing a College Teacher Education unit. The concept I have that
teachers should no longer be the "Sage on the Stage" but rather the "Guide
on the Side". Systems Thinking, as you rightly surmise, provides a
structured avenue to do this from.
Check out my website for my paper to be presented at the Norway World SD
Conference a some "Strategic Learning" strategies I employ.
A great resource I met in Oregon last month is Professor Dr. Len Troncale:
Director of the Institute for Advanced Systems Studies.
He is designing a Science Course for Teachers who are "Science-phobic"- so
far it looks great - but is not commercially viable yet.
He knows a lot about your questions, Art.
Examples of my work are at the websites below.
Good luck!
If you think that I can be of service give me a shout!
Cheers.
Gordon Kubanek, P.Eng.
http://my.treeway.com/kubanek
http://grassroots.mediacentre.com/OCDSBROO92/
http://grassroots.mediacentre.com/OCDSBROO9/
621 Southmore Dr.W.
Ottawa ONT.
K1V 7A4 Canada
613 733 5671
----------
From: Mulloy1303@aol.com
Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000
Subject: Preservice Teacher Education
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
Hi Art,
I'm a teacher and have done some work with systems thinking in my classroom.
An excellent book I'd recommend is Orchestrating Learning with Quality by
David Langford and Barbra Cleary.
Maureen Mulloy
--------------
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Alison Squire <a.squire@herts.ac.uk>
Subject: Any UK systems thinkers in education
Dear all
I have been following the discussions on the site for a few months and am
interested in knowing whether systems thinking in education has any impact
in the UK. I am a lecturer in Systems Thinking in a business environment
but am moving into teaching in secondary schools shortly.
Alison
------------
From: "Gordon Kubanek and Carmen Hust" <chust@monisys.ca>
To: "k-12sd" <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
Subject: links between Quality & Systems
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000
Hi Maureen,
While on exchange in Australia I had the privilege of partaking of a 4 day,
9 hour per day, workshop with David Langford with the Aussie High School I
worked with there. It was great! http://www.wtp.net/langford I have made
TQM {total quality management} part of my "systems" classroom ever since.
There is a great article in "The Systems Thinker" {Pegasus} from 1994
{March} entitled "TQM & Systems Thinking as Theory-Building Tools" by D.
Kim - a great read to see how the work of Demming & Forrester unite and move
in the same general direction. To keep Systems Education part of a greater
network I work with Koalaty Kids - it is a great way to be part of another
community which shares many of the same values and the same desire for
change in our Schools. http://www.dhutton.com/asq/
One good way that we can accelerate Educational change is to work with like
minded groups like TQM, while keeping true to where would like to go. The
trick is to use Covey's simple idea: where do our spheres of concern and
control overlap? But this must be done such that we do NOT try to be all
things to all people as this is the road to oblivion.
Sincerely,
Gordon Kubanek, P.Eng.
http://my.treeway.com/kubanek
http://grassroots.mediacentre.com/OCDSBROO92/
http://grassroots.mediacentre.com/OCDSBROO9/
Ottawa ONT.
K1V 7A4 Canada
613 733 5671
---------
From: niall.palfreyman@assyst-intl.com
To: k-12sd <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000
Subject: Any UK systems thinkers in education
Alison Squire wrote:
> I have been following the discussions on the site for a few months
> and am interested in knowing whether systems thinking in education
> has any impact in the UK.
Hi Alison,
I don't really have much contact with teaching in the UK any more, but I am in
contact with various friends who are teachers and two things seem to me to be
happening.
1. No-one has heard of SD and ST. I also find it very difficult to rouse
enthusiasm, because so much of the world of knowledge is so constructed that
there doesn't immediately appear to be a need for ST.
2. I am, however, aware of a number of little things which indicate to me a
readiness for ST. Teacher burnout is a big problem in the UK, which
indicates to
me a frustration with the way things are.
3. In a recent survey, British children had the highest rate of TV watching and
the lowest rate of reading in the whole of Europe. There seems to me to be a
dissatisfaction on the part of both teachers and children with the way things
are in education.
4. This has led to a number of attempts to link education more with the outside
world, such as activity periods for schoolkids in private business.
5. I've heard from several teachers, and in particular from a friend who is
head
of science at a school in Leicester, that they would love more opportunity to
use modelling software in the classroom. They just can't find something which
adapts flexibly to their needs - all they can find are potted demos which force
them into someone else's teaching style.
Bottom line: I don't think teachers in the UK are interested in "a new
technique" - they've had so many dished up to them in recent years, and they're
sick of the effort of change. They ARE, however, very open to something which
immediately helps them to design interesting lessons more easily, and that, I
think, is the route in. My impression is that the time is now right in the UK
for something (whether ST or something else) which introduces fun into the
educational system, and which makes it seem relevant to the outside world. In
German you call it "running against an open door", and I think that's exactly
what you may be doing if you can successfully transfer your ST skills from the
business into the educational world.
I repeat, however, that that is all just my opinion as someone not living
in the
UK anymore (I live in Germany). Certainly I wish you the very best of luck in
what you're planning - it's a courageous and important move.
Best wishes,
Niall.
------------
From: GOODWORK00@aol.com
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 17:53:15 EDT
Subject: links between Quality & Systems
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
CC: hungerwalks@egroups.com
Small world/one system:
I read every day input from 2000k-12sd@sysdyn.mit and loved the Kim article
on TQM and Systems Thinking, studied with Dr Deming and with some professors
at MIT about systems applications. Great fit to Hunger Walk curriculum for
teachers. Sooooooo interesting that this message crosses the lines.
Bruce
----------
From: "Manuel Ramírez" <mfrn@terra.com.pe>
To: "k-12sd Group" <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
Subject: Introduction
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000
Hello everyone, my name is Manuel Ramirez, I am spanish, I am a chemical engineer and an environmental engineer too. I am working in an environmental project founded by European Union, in Peru (South America. We have got three workslines, environmental management, environmental education and sanitation. You know better than I the importance of ST and SD in sustainable development and to design environmental strategies. We try, all the time, to have a systems view and thinking when we design our projects, and try to study all interelationships between the problems we find in any work area, to locate the leva point and push there.
So, I am very interested to know more about Systems thinking and to discuse about that with another profesional people.
I thank you all for leave me get into your group. We will be in contact.
Sincerely,
Manuel Ramirez
---------------
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Bill Barowy <wbarowy@lesley.edu>
Subject: More about 9-12 design/science/systems unit
Cc: JackLochhead@Mindspring.com, flee@aer.com,
William Dandridge <wdandrid@lesley.edu>, Sue Lane <slane@lesley.edu>,
Maureen_Yoder <myoder@lesley.edu>, faculty6100@mail.lesley.edu,
gsalinge@nsf.gov, Richard Satchwell <resatch@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu>,
Ron Todd todd@TCNJ.EDU
Folks (of the system dynamics list),
Your suggestions for a place to publish a web site for publication outtake
materials is very much appreciated. I have decided to use the egroups web
site.
http://www.egroups.com/subscribe/consructaboat
I'm the leading author for the Construct-a-Boat unit of the NSTA science by
design series. On the egroups web site, web links, a mailing list, and
electronic files for this unit are now available for teacher support. The
files include a causal diagram, a spreadsheet with systems and analytic
models, a Stella computer model, student data, and student assessments.
These materials are outtakes of the publication process -- they have not
been included in the NSTA curriculm materials.
The Stella model and spreadsheet models are for the speed of the boat as
it accelerates from rest (water friction is nonlinear, speed dependent,
contributing to a balancing feedback loop) Another spreadsheet holds speed
vs. time data that two students took so that you can have a sense of what
is realistically possible for data quality. There is a brief biographical
sketch of John Winters, a canoe/kayak/wooden boat designer. As I find
time, it is my wish to create a bio for female boat designer, whose contact
information has temporarily escaped me.
One of the spreadsheets (they are excel files) holds both a systems model
and an analytic model. The analytic model is possible because the
integral for solving speed vs time with water friction as a quadratic
factor can be solved exactly. The two odels can be contrasted in
predicting boat acceleration, and of course, the systems model breaks down
under certain conditions. Take those conditions far enough however, and
the systems model produces chaotic behavior, in a similar way to the
verlhulst chaotic model. What I hope the outtakes will help you realize is
that the sky is the limit if you wish to go there with this unit.
I'd greatly appreciate your comments and suggestions and they will be
reflected in the additional resources at the egroups site.
Thanks in advance,
Bill Barowy, Associate Professor
Lesley College
29 Everett Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-2790
Phone: 617-349-8168 / Fax: 617-349-8169
http://www.lesley.edu/faculty/wbarowy/Barowy.html
_______________________
"One of life's quiet excitements is to stand somewhat apart from yourself
and watch yourself softly become the author of something beautiful."
[Norman Maclean in "A river runs through it."]
---------------
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2000
From: "RICHARD TURNOCK" <Richard_Turnock@pgn.com>
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
Subject: Mental Models
How about sharing a recent, personal example of how your mental model of
something has changed?
>>>>>>>here is mine>>>>>>
I was watching the Annenberg/CPB, math and science instruction for teachers
on my local cable channel and they had a case study of a teacher (maybe
fourth grade, I don't remember exactly) implementing a lesson plan to show
students how to do a scientific experiment. They showed her first attempt
that didn't work, then a discussion with a science education professor and
her improvement with a second class session.
My mental model of teaching adults systems thinking and dynamic modeling
was based on the assumption they were learning the content and practicing
their skills so they were confident enough to teach students. Like
learning math or science or a language when I was in school a long time ago.
The Annenberg case study focused on the idea that the teacher was
instructing the students on a process and not content. They pointed out
that instructing students on a process takes more time, requires simple
examples in the beginning and it's not the intention of the lesson for the
students to focus on the content.
I think my mental model of teaching ST/DM and implementing systems tools
has changed from content of ST/DM to the process of using ST/DM tools. If
I started a project today, I would focus on sharing with the group the idea
that they were going to learn a process they could apply to more complex
problems later. The class would use simple examples to focus on learning
the process.
The presentations I went to at the 2000 ST/DM conference focused on the
process of introducing and teaching ST/DM. I helped me shift my mental
model.
Anyone else have a story?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
richard_turnock@pgn.com
503-464-8503
-----------
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000
From: "hetty m. nieuwaard" <h.nieuwaard@chello.nl>
To: k-12sd <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
Subject: Mental Models
I have maybe an typical 'amateuristic' question: could it be possible that some
people look at the world as if it is a unfolding process, it might be as
difficult for them to see 'content' first? Could it be possible that they see
'the big picture' first and that it is difficult for them to see details? You
can't see these two at the same time. I am thinking of the pictures of the
young
and the old lady in one design. Is is as if these people have another
perspective, their mental model is developmental and ongoing. I have seen
what I
am writing here in assessments and in personality types that are not judgmental
but intuitive, feeling and perceiving. They might have a different learning
style
too I presume. Can it be that in working with st/dm these people will be early
adapters? I am very interested in this.
I would very much like to hear your opinion on this subject?
-------------
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2000
To: k-12sd <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
From: teresa hazel <teresa@northwest.com>
Subject: Mental Models
I am going to give an example of conflicting mental models operating
simultaneously. I am a part-time staffing coordinator at a hospital. This
means I am responsible for making sure that there are enough nurses to work
in all of the units based on patient census, nurses prescheduled,
availability of nurses not prescheduled, outside agency nurses available,
required skills, the nursing union contract, etc. So, needless to say this
is a big job, especially on weekends all by myself in the nursing
administration office.
My mental model as I do my work is to staff all of the units adequately
keeping ratios of nurses to patients and safety in mind. I staff the units
with the entire pool of nurses I have to work with, usually making many
phone calls to "beg" nurses to come in to work because there is a shortage
of nurses.
The mental model of the nurses on their units is for them to have the
nurses they need so no one is overworked (or operating under unsafe
ratios), they do not have to float to other units by their contract
guidelines unless they are a designated float nurse, and they don't have to
float to other units if there is a float nurse or resource fill in nurse
assigned to their floor. So the problem comes about when their mental
model is that they want to follow these criteria to a "t" while I am
needing them to float to other units to meet the staffing needs of the
entire hospital, basically the "big picture" and not the "I or me"
syndrome. The more they whine and complain, then the less I do to appease
them and the more I do to appease other units who don't whine and
complain. Also the more they whine and complain, the more staffing
coordinators quit their jobs and then there are many new trainees that tend
to make more mistakes in the staffing and then the nurses get more upset
and whine and complain more. It tends to become a reinforcing loop.
--------------
Date: Sat, 29 Jul 2000
From: Rob Reilly <rob@ceci.mit.edu>
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
Subject: Mental Models
On Fri, 28 Jul 2000, Richard Turnock wrote:
> I think my mental model of teaching ST/DM and implementing systems tools
> has changed from content of ST/DM to the process of using ST/DM tools.
> If I started a project today, I would focus on sharing with the group
> the idea that they were going to learn a process they could apply to
> more complex problems later. The class would use simple examples to
> focus on learning the process.
An excellent model. But today's student's, and even adult learners, have
been exposed to an educational system that is dominantly 'rule-based.'
Trying to produce 'model-based thinkers' may be problematic. Folks may
have to learn how to learn all over again.
> The presentations I went to at the 2000 ST/DM conference focused on the
> process of introducing and teaching ST/DM. I helped me shift my mental
> model.
Seems to be a daunting task. The trend in the USA, the states that have,
or are going to, initiate high stakes testing in order to graduate (or be
promoted from grade to grade) are solidifying 'rule-based' models rather
than 'model-based' situations.
-Rob- reilly@media.mit.edu
Rob Reilly Ed.D.
Media Laboratory
Home phone (413)443-6153
http://www.media.mit.edu/~reilly
--------------------
End of July 2000