Batson and Janoff

This week I finished Gregory Bateson's An Ecology of Mind. It was an excellent read and really made me think about the role of the unconscious mind. After reading his book, I am thinking less about the need to make conscious all that is unconscious and see the unconscious as a part of the whole. I have already begun using his concepts of symmetrical and complementary systems in my vocabulary and work and my work team and I are thinking about strategic directions in those terms as well. Below is my concept map:










Also this week, Sandra Janoff, co-founder of Future Search, spent a few days with the EI team at work. She gave a brief history of systems theory from her perspective. Below are my notes:

Systems Theory according to Sandra Janoff
Discussion 4/24/08 with Education Initiatives Team of the Ball Foundation

Kurt Lewin
30s -40s
Group processes are patterned configurations of fields and all elements in fields are interrelated
Importance of context
Both whole and parts are equally real
Group behavior is separate and distinct from individual behavior
System and environment interact to determine behavior
Group is different than a collection of individuals

Bion
Also looking at groups as dynamically different from individuals who are its members (group has a dynamic)
Groups have internal conflicts that are different from conflicts in individuals
When energy of group is directed away from task, it isn’t random, it is organized and purposeful
4 basic assumptions about group behavior
Dependency (in relation to leader)
Counterdependency (in relation to leader)
Fight and flight (in relation to task)
Pairing (group elects two people to do work) (in relation to task)

Ludwig von Bertallanfy (60s)
Systems exist in hierarcy
Each level of system has increasing capacity
Organizing principles are same on all levels of system
Permeable boundaries
Energy transfer
Goals
Transformation
Everything is connected to everything else
(Complex Adaptive Systems are a way to understand Bertalanffy)

Gregory Bateson
Significance of cybernestic thinking
Self-regulation and feedback

Communication patterns can influence a system to change or decrease its ability to change

Miller
Translates Bertalanffy to organizations

System Elements
Goal
Roles
Boundaries
Context-relationship to environment

Systems KA

I finished reading The Web of Life by Fritjof Capra (see concept map below). This is actually the second time I have read it, though the first time I only read about half of the book. It was very enlightening and resonates with alot of the work I am doing with schools.

I also attended a 4 day conference (Nexus U and Nexus II) at Bowling Green State University. This was a transformative experience for me personally. This is the second annual event of bringing together people who work in change to develop a shared understanding and potentially shared practice. I think it began as a way to bring people together around whole systems change methods as described in The Change Handbook by Peggy Holman, Tom Devane, and Steven Cady. It was clear in this conference that the focus is not around technical solutions (hence Myron's opening remarks on "the tyranny of technique) but rather a interest in noticing patterns across the methods and the principles upon which they are based. Throughout the conference the arts team integrated learning and ideas in non-linquistic ways (i.e. feedback theatre, coffee filter play, etc.). The conference began with Myron's talk on systems. He introduced his information, identity and relationships model which resides with meaning, action and trust. He left us with three questions:

• How do systems work? How does this system work? (theory, observation of particular org.)
• How do we work the system. (practice congruent with theory)
• How do I work in and with this system? (Coherence between authenticity and integrity in and with the system)
  How do we know?

I attended two methods sessions, one by the Human Dynamics Institute and one on Arts Integration. The Human Dynamics Institute basis their intervention on the mathematics of complexity. The presenter shared a model on organized, self-organized, and chaotic space. The Arts Integration session focused on non-linguistic ways to bring whole people into communal space. On Sunday night, all participants did a timeline (a la Future Search) to discover the lineage in the room. I can't remember the patterns we noticed over the years in the field, but it was interesting. In Open Space, I connected with two questions-Making the invisible visible? and What implications does Myron's model have for us? Both were marvelous conversations.

Making the invisible visible-in this conversation we talked about organizational culture. One example was the girl scout military/patriarchy culture. Tamara's following quote was particularly insightful "When I'm in a system, what part of me do I need to leave out of the system...what do I need to leave at the door becausethe system doesn't embrace it?" I reflected on how important it is to connect with other information systems besides our typical 5 senses. Following are a few provocative quotes from Tamara that I wanted to keep track of: "Whatt do we wish for when we make a statement like this (exploring the invisible)?Develop skills in seeing more?The invisible has energy that we haven't tapped into, that is already in the system.We conserve resources/energy. Move with what is already moving (the wave metaphor).When synchronicity is there.Not to name it or measure it.The more I graple with something, the more mysterious it is."

Implications for the identity, information, relationships model: this conversation was more about at what level do we intervene at? the top level (structures, processes, policies)? the second level information, identity, relationships? or the third, meaning, action, trust? knowing that the latter, trust, is emergent. The consensus was sort of at the second level.

Periodically throughout the 4 days I had the opportunity to be in deep reflection. The final day revealed a coming together of many parts of myself and the resonance of wholeness. I became a system, or at least recognized myself as a system, better yet I was that which is system. The integration of parts is like a symphony, a resonance of unique qualities of vibration that coexist and sing.

I also connected with some fabulous people, new friends and old. Thanks to Joann, Myron, Mary, Sandra, Tamara, Gabriel, Chris and Merling for enhancing my experience.

Not much progress

This week I attended the virtual cluster meeting on Saturday regarding Atlas Ti. This seems like a very useful software tool. I am excited to try it out.

I did some reading on Web of Life and some thinking on the application piece of systems KA. The commuities of practice work in Rowland is gearing up and I am contemplating using my work with them in communities of practice as a systems change initiative for my dissertation.

Beginning new KA!

Even though I am not finished with my KA in SID, I am beginning my KA in Systems Thinking. This week, I have completed my contract and begun my first book, The Web of Life, by Fritjof Capra. This is actually the second time I am reading this book, the first time was about 3 years ago. This is the book that inspired me to delve more deeply into systems thinking in my work. I have since gained more experience and spent time contemplating the impact of systems thinking for education. I am very excited about this KA since it is very closely connected with what I am thinking about for my dissertation.

I also spent some time looking at videos on youtube. I find youtube a good way to see authors and hear a little bit about their work in their own words. I saw clips by Margaret Wheatley, Fritjof Capra, Maturana, Prigogine and others.

I have arranged to work with a colleague to help by think conceptually about my application investigation in systems thinking. I am going to need a thought partner to articulate questionst for interviews. I want to complete my IRB for this investigation for the April deadline. That way I can collect data before the end of the school year and complete the KA during the early part of summer (shooting for the end of June).

I still need to finish my revisions for the overview in KA SID. I should be able to do this in the next day or two. The in-depth is still pending but I am more concerned about getting the IRB in by April 1.

Not much progress

I wasn't able to get much work done over the weekend. I received an email from Louise of the IRB with some suggestions for corrections on my application. I completed these and resent the revised application. I received confirmation of receipt.

Still haven't gotten to the revision of my overview. However, I did start reading for systems KA. I will be working on the overview and contract soon.

I spoke to a colleague about software programs for qualitative work and he suggested I look into "Nudist".

KA SID

This week has been slow, but good progress made.

I had a session with Yolanda to review revisions on my overview paper. I will work on that this weekend while I am at Sophia's ballet competition.

I also finished my IRB application and Yolanda has approved it and sent it on to the IRB.

I also have started thinking about my KA in systems and have talked to Yolanda about it. I hope to write this contract this week as well.

SID Applied: summary of mentor meeting

In a skype conversation, Yolanda helped me with my application/IRB concept. From the conversation, I have decided to work with 1-2 teachers in a simulation that explores teacher beliefs and behaviors. The simulation will take place in three phases, pre-assessment, intervention, and post-assessment. Both the pre and post assessments will include video taping teacher-student interactions and teacher journal entries. On the video tape, I will (along with teacher) determine the quality of teacher-student interactions by the manner and number of times that a teacher acknowledges minority students. The intervention will include a teaching piece on pedagogy. The journal will indicate any changes in beliefs, attitudes, assumptions. Yolanda recommends that I find a teacher who is an extreme example and by lack of skills/understanding will have the farthest to move. I also think that a skilled teacher who is sensitive to the needs of minority students could be a good case study because this teacher can develop skills in becoming more explicit in their thinking and develop as a thought leader for critical pedagogy.