“Why Use Systems Thinking In the Classroom?”
“FREE REPORT”
My name is D. Ross Leadbetter M.Ed. I’ve been studying systems thinking in education for 17 years. I am still at it. Enough about me, let’s answer the question.
World renowned systems thinker, Peter Senge, said in his book Schools That Learn that through the use of systems thinking we can actively develop an awareness of complexity, interdependence, change, and leverage. Those are good things for all of us to develop!
Consider this quote from Einstein:
“You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it.
You must learn to see the world anew.”
Enough said? Of course we all know that we have to think differently in our emerging world; thereby, as educators, we must teach children to think differently – to see the world anew.
But HOW does systems thinking do this?
Consider this quote from Sir Ken Robinson Ph.D. in his book The Element: “If you have never learned to think creatively and to explore your true capacity, what will you do then? More specifically, what will our children do if we continue to prepare them for life using the old models of education?”
We HAVE to change how we teach, and systems thinking ADDS to what you already do; it unleashes the interactive and creative power of you and your students.
Systems thinking IS creative and visual, and interactive, and contemporary…. definitely, creative and contemporary.
Again, from Sir Ken, same book: “The human brain is intensely interactive. You use multiple parts of it in every task you perform. It is in fact in the dynamic use of the brain – finding new connections between things – that true breakthroughs occur.”
I LOVE THAT QUOTE. The Human Brain IS Intensely Interactive, and connections DO create breakthroughs!
Systems thinking is a language; it’s a pattern language; a visual language. It is broadly concerned with exploring interactions, interdependencies, and connections, especially over time.
Systems thinking is intensely interactive because you CREATE and REFINE your thought on paper or on a board, alone or with others! It engages, involves, and draws in every type of thinker. It the ultimate tool in your teaching toolbox. REALLY.
Imagine a group of people milling around an emerging diagram – a diagram that everyone helps create, and that doesn’t have to be pretty to be good. Imagine the powerful conversation and debate as patterns and connections emerge.
Ask, “why does building more roads cause greater road congestion?” And then get out of the way.
Or, ask “how does spraying to kill one pest quite often cause EVEN GREATER damage to a crop?” Again, back away from the board….
That’s of course once you have taught the tools.
Now, systems thinking is a circular language and it is diagram-based. It helps us look for and find causes and effects, relationships, and interdependence… it’s about as real as reality really is! (whew) “We must learn to see anew.”
We finally have a method for teaching concepts
JUST LIKE THINGS HAPPEN IN THE REAL WORLD.
Do YOU want to create GREAT THINKERS? You’ll be surprised at WHICH students are the BEST and most natural systems thinkers. I WAS. And I loved it! Talk about a leveling tool!
Systems thinking as an approach, can create great thinkers for you… for all of us.
Consider Marzano’s discovery: …superior findings (are) reported for visual and dramatic instruction over verbal instruction in terms of percentage of information recalled by students one year after the completion of the unit.
Or, another great quote by Mr. Marzano: “What is needed…is a comprehensive approach that allows for student construction of meaning while interacting with content, the teacher, and other students.” (*****YES!*****)
Systems thinking:
- Helps us explore, understand, and share our mental models;
- Examines the patterns and structures that govern our world;
- Is creative, engaging, interesting, graphic, discussion oriented… because,
“People Gather Around Diagrams”
- An approach based on a visual language, thus allowing us to easily present and clarify complex issues by summing up the key elements involved.
- Is focused upon concision, clarity, presentation, and dialogue.
- Translates communication – stories, relationships, key aspects, causes, interdependence and more – into black and white diagrams that are easily understood
- Adds precision to communication.
- Decreases ambiguity.
- Allows us to poke and prod, inquire and examine WITHOUT ruffling feathers.
- Creates a collective view, so then a collective understanding.
- Discussions are not confrontational; they are about building the best representation of the problem or initiative and being able to consider it from differing angles: focusing on diagrams diffuses defensiveness.
- Looks at the whole, not a reduction of parts.
In seconds you can slam a Behavior Over Time Graph up on the board and have groups map out the “POWER” of (1) the Romans, (2) Christianity, (3) the Vikings, (4) the Frankish Kingdoms over a period of 1000 years. I’ve done it! It is absolutely engaging! Kids LOVE it.
How about having students use Causal Loop Diagrams to show how drug use affects drug dependency in a circular and reinforcing – vicious cycle. Again, you step out of the picture as ‘giver’ of information and simply facilitate, illuminate and expand upon the very creative and engaging thoughts of your students!
LET their Minds Free! Students are amazingly creative and thoughtful, and finally you have a tool that you can use in ALL your classes:
- Relate climate change and dinosaur mortality over time.
- Track a hypothetical virus as it becomes an epidemic.
- Predict the outcomes of ‘sustainable fishing or harvesting’ practices.
- Look BEHIND events to see the patterns and the structures that are creating behavior.
- Lock ideas into diagrams.
- Keep conversations focused.
- See the relationships between problems and solutions.
- Understand complexity.
- Create a visual record.
And, there’s so much more at EVERY level of education, K to Adult
Daily, we use the power of metaphor, story, diagrams, graphic organizers, and models. Kick it up a level! With a few systems thinking tools and a comprehensive, tried and true approach, you can ACTIVELY ENGAGE EVERY STUDENT!
See student become completely absorbed whey they solve riddles or search for answers using systems thinking tools.
Inference, cause and effect, circular thinking, prediction, relationships, unintended consequences… THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT YOUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO DO. Moreover, you want them to WANT to do this! This is it…
It is here.
Systems thinking in Education: www.edu.systemsandsynergy.com
Ross Leadbetter M.Ed
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