Emergence
I’ve been chewing over Borderland’s post on Emergence, in which he makes the point that the classroom is a complex system.
A good (long and crunchy) introduction to complexity theory can be found here.
Another blog I frequent that’s intensely interested in complex systems is Dave Pollard’s How to Save the World, and, as it happens, he’s also recently put up a post on emergence.
I remember the importance of systems thinking first hitting me when I read Peter Senge’s Fifth Discipline. His book Schools That Learn has been sitting on my “to finish” bookshelf forever. The big takeaway I remember is the importance of finding and (gingerly) applying points of leverage — with the attitude that living, breathing dynamic systems are like spinning plates, requiring constant observation, reflection, and vigilance.
Important to remember as I put together my grandiose plans for the year. You prep and prep, think and think, but then you just have to let it fly and let it go.
Thank you for posting the links to additional information on complexity theory. Those “points of leverage” are important to know about, I believe.
Doug Noon
August 26, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Tom, amazing how many of my key interests you hit on in that short a paragraph. Senge was a big part of influencing my thinking too, after I learned about Systems Thinking from Daniel Quinn initially. And the concept of emergence is what I’m all about too, so much so I named my company, Emergent Associates. I use a lot of Systems Thinking concepts in my work with that. You might like my page on Systems Thinking too. Great stuff, my friend.
Howard Ditkoff
August 28, 2007 at 12:40 pm