BRINGING SYSTEM DYNAMICS TO A SCHOOL NEAR YOU
Suggestions for Introducing and Sustaining System Dynamics in K-12 Education
Debra A. Lyneis
Carlisle Public Schools, Carlisle, Massachusetts
The Creative Learning Exchange, Acton, Massachusetts
25 Rutland Street, Carlisle, MA 01741
LyneisD @clexchange.org
ABSTRACT:
The key to system dynamics in kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) education lies in the
classroom—in the interactions between teachers and students. Experience has shown that when
systems instruction succeeds at this level, the education process is greatly enhanced for both
students and teachers. Education becomes more learner-centered, engaging, interdisciplinary
and relevant for students of all ability levels, across all grade levels and subject areas.
Experience has also shown, however, that it can be very difficult for one teacher to achieve this
success all alone. Such a fundamental change in education needs the support and cooperation of
many other people from both within the school and without. A supportive school administration
is essential. But, parents, system dynamicists, academics, businesspeople and taxpayers also
play vital roles.
Systems education has begun to flourish in several pioneering schools across the United States,
thanks to the skills of enthusiastic teachers and the help of others. However, the continued
growth of this change in education will rely on the contributions, both large and small, material
and intangible, of a wider circle of supporters. This paper will explain how system dynamics is
introduced and sustained in schools. It will outline some of the many generous contributions
which have made the early growth of K-12 system dynamics possible. Finally, it will give readers
many resources and practical suggestions for how they can participate too.
INTRODUCTION
Over the last decade, system dynamics and systems thinking have begun to make their way into
kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) education in the United States. In several pioneering
schools across the country, system dynamics is becoming an integral part of the curriculum and
systems thinking is permeating the culture and management of the school. Teachers using the
approach have found that it enhances their current curriculum by making it more learner-
centered, interdisciplinary, and relevant. Using behavior over time graphs, causal loop diagrams,
stock/flow diagrams and system dynamics models, students become engaged in working together
to understand the causes of problems across disciplines. Teachers are often amazed by what
their students can do—they ask better questions, seek their own answers, and gain deeper
insights than they did before. As other teachers have observed these benefits for students, they
have also tried the approach in their classes. Now the ideas of systems education are appearing
more frequently in education publications and at conferences, and many other teachers and
administrators are giving them a try.
System dynamics in K-12 education took root in schools in the late 1980’s when Gordon S.
Brown, an interested citizen and retired MIT Dean of Engineering, introduced STELLA software
to one middle school teacher, Frank Draper, and his principal, Mary Scheetz, in Tucson, Arizona.
(More than a decade earlier, Professor Nancy Roberts at Lesley College had pioneered the idea
of introducing the concepts of system dynamics to young students, but it was not until system
dynamics software had a user-friendly graphic interface that the practice of system dynamics
could become more accessible to K-12 students.) Encouraged by the early achievement of the
Tucson students, several other people outside of schools joined the effort to infuse and sustain
positive change in education through system dynamics on a national scale. Jay W. Forrester,
founder of the field of system dynamics, Jim and Faith Waters, and John Bemis have provided
visionary guidance, generous funding and information so that teachers and administrators in
diverse schools across the country could work together to improve their own schools.
As system dynamics has spread to several other schools across the country, countless other
volunteers have become involved. While the key to system dynamics in education lies with the
classroom teacher and his/her students, experience has shown that it is difficult for a single
teacher to sustain the effort alone. Most of the pioneering schools which are succeeding have
benefited from the outside support of parents, taxpayers, local businesses, local colleges,
professional system dynamicists, and foundation grants. Contributions have been large and
small, material (computer equipment, money) and intangible (coaching, encouragement,
recognition). Every contribution has been valuable. In this still early stage of K-12 systems
education, many other schools will also need outside support for impetus and assistance to
improve their schools through system dynamics.
The goal of this paper is to provide specific recommendations based on experience to those who
would like to help implement change in their own schools. The first section will describe how
system dynamics fits into the K-12 curriculum, followed by two sections explaining the process
by which system dynamics takes root and grows in schools. The remaining sections give
examples and advice on how to get involved. One section reviews the contributions of early
leaders and another cautions against a common pitfall. The final half of the paper is a catalog of
specific activities and resources to help implement system dynamics, systems thinking, and
learner-centered-learning in schools. These recommendations are based on conversations and
correspondence with many teachers, administrators, and their supporters at schools across the
country. They are is also based on my own experience in the Carlisle Public Schools in Carlisle,
Massachusetts.
WHAT IS SYSTEM DYNAMICS IN K-12 EDUCATION, AND WHY?
In K-12 education, system dynamics is not taught as a separate subject for its own sake. Rather,
it is a tool to make current instruction more effective for students. Teachers view the systems
approach as a way to do what they are already doing, only better. For example, students use
behavior over time graphs to find patterns in historical trends, in literary plot developments, or in
science experiment results. They use causal loop diagrams to focus discussions on unintended
consequences in environmental studies or patterns of escalation in social conflicts ranging from
playground squabbles to the American Revolution. They use stock/flow diagrams to understand
population dynamics in various contexts: the extinction of mammoths in social studies, the
growth of yeast cells in a test tube in science, the concept of exponential growth in math.
Finally, they tie all of these skills together and use system dynamics models, or build their own,
to gain an even deeper understanding of whatever they are studying.
Teachers find that in the process of using these tools, students’ learning becomes more leamer-
centered and cooperative. In the traditional approach, teachers stand at the front of the class and
dispense information about separate subjects to students who are passive receptacles. In
contrast, the systems approach sparks inquiry and enables students to take charge of their own
learning, something they are naturally driven to do. System dynamics encourages students to
figure things out, put puzzle pieces together, look for similar patterns, and work together to ask
questions and find answers across disciplines. These goals are not new. Teachers are always
looking for ways to invest students in learning, and cooperative learning and interdisciplinary
lessons are accepted ideals. With system dynamics, however, they all fall together naturally, to
the great benefit of children. In elementary and middle school, the work is genuinely
interdisciplinary. At the high school level, because of the rigidly compartmentalized structure of
the curriculum, system dynamics is more often confined to individual subject areas, or even
taught as a separate elective. At all levels, students do not do system dynamics all the time in
every class--they still cover “the basics.” But, the systems approach does seem to make
education more fun for students and teachers alike.
Making education more engaging is a worthy goal in itself, but system dynamics in education
offers more than that. It equips students with the skills and perspective they will need to
effectively address the dynamically complex social, economic, technological and environmental
problems facing them in the future. These are real-life needs. Education that was “good enough”
for us in the past, may not be good enough for the challenges facing tomorrow’s world citizens.
HOW DOES SYSTEMS EDUCATION BEGIN IN A SCHOOL?
The successful spread of systems education follows the infection model. It starts with one or two
teachers in a school who are looking for ways to improve their curriculum for their students.
They try using one of the systems tools in a lesson and often get “hooked” when they see how
eagerly and insightfully their students participate. On their own, these teachers try to leam more
about the approach and find other applications to their curriculum. If that goes well, they
invariably tell their colleagues about it. Then, other teachers try the ideas with their students.
System dynamics spreads very slowly from the grassroots as teachers recognize its benefits for
their own students.
This process can work in any kind of school. Systems education has taken root in such diverse
places as the middle schools of rural coastal Georgia, the public high schools and a parochial
high school in Portland, Oregon, a private elementary day-school in Toledo, Ohio, an inner-city
New Y ork school, a charter school in Chelmsford, Massachusetts, rural schools in northern
Vermont and suburban schools in Carlisle and Harvard, Massachusetts. Some people believe
that the middle school level is a good place to begin because of the developmental level of the
students and the flexibility of the middle school structure, but success has come in elementary
schools and high schools as well.
The only requirement for any school seems to be an openness to innovation and improvement. A
tightly tradition-bound school or a complacent school is less likely to have the willingness or
creative tension to reach for a better way to serve kids. Even in these schools there may be fine
innovative teachers willing to try system dynamics on their own. However, in an innovative
school, led by a supportive administration, systems education will more easily spread to other
teachers and to the culture of the school itself. A supportive administrator can provide leadership
by allocating resources, adjusting schedules, encouraging participation, facilitating collaboration,
securing professional development, cutting red tape, dealing with the public, and holding the line
on other competing initiatives. These are all important.
In some cases, systems education has entered a school through an administrator who used
systems thinking in the organization and management of the school. An administrator who
espouses the principles of systems thinking and values continuous improvement, teamwork, and
working toward a shared vision is likely to support the same approach in the curriculum. If that
administrator introduces system dynamics tools to a teacher and the teacher finds merit in them
for students, then the infection process takes hold in the curriculum. There is great synergy when
teachers are working from the curriculum up and administrators are working from the top down
to improve education with the systems approach.
ONCE BEGUN, HOW IS SYSTEMS EDUCATION SUSTAINED?
The infection model describes how system dynamics begins to grow in a school: It starts with
one teacher trying one lesson and eventually spreads to other interested teachers. This early stage
requires patience because the process seems very slow—like any exponential growth, initial
growth appears flat for a long time until more people are involved.
However, once a few teachers become interested in the approach and begin using it more often
with their students, maintaining the infection process in a school becomes much more
complicated. New growth is still driven by enthusiastic teachers who observe the benefits for
students and try it for themselves. However, sustaining the efforts of the first teachers and
managing the further spread of system dynamics and systems thinking throughout the curriculum
and culture of the school require much greater support and patience. Although the process takes
a different course in each school, the basic needs are similar:
¢ Training. Teachers need organized training to learn about system dynamics and how
it applies to their curriculum. After the training, they need follow-up support and
coaching. System dynamics is not easy to learn. Unlike grammar and arithmetic,
teachers did not learn the basic principles of systems in school, so everyone is starting
at the beginning. Teachers who do not get early training and support when they need
it can get discouraged. They also may use systems tools inaccurately. Training and
follow-up support are an ongoing need.
* Time to accept the ideas. The ideas of system dynamics and systems thinking are
new to most people and not immediately obvious. Teachers and administrators need
the time and respect to digest and assess them at their own pace. The first few
adopters may embrace them quickly, others will take more time, and some may not be
interested at all. These new ideas cannot be forced onto others.
* Time for collaboration. Teachers need time to work together to develop their skills,
design interdisciplinary lessons, and share successes and frustrations. (It is also very
helpful if teachers and administrators can network with colleagues in other schools.)
¢ Transferablilty. Schools need to facilitate the transfer of the use of systems tools
across disciplines and across grade levels in order to unify the curriculum and
intensify the power of system dynamics for learning. Teachers and students need to
see that system dynamics is not just a science “thing,” for example. The tools and
structures are generic. This takes planning.
* Organizational learning. Similarly, schools need to consciously apply the principles
of systems which they have leamed in the curriculum to the functioning of the school.
This is a leap for most people, but enlightening if they can make it. It takes time.
¢ Equipment. Schools need computers and system dynamics software.
¢ Administrative support. This is essential to all of the above. Teachers need a
supportive administrator who “owns the process” and facilitates the growth of
systems education throughout a school in many ways.
* Community support. Schools need the support of parents and other taxpayers as
they propose to change and improve education using the systems approach. Schools
need to keep their communities informed and listen to their concerns.
* Patience, trust and vision. These are also essential. Instituting change in education
is not easy. Education is under tremendous pressure to improve to meet the demands
of an increasingly complex and rapidly changing society. However, it is an
institution which changes very slowly---it has a finely tuned “immune system” that
maintains stability and resists any pressure to change abruptly. Teachers,
administrators, and supporters need patience to accept that real change grown from
the grass roots requires time and creative perseverance in the face of obstacles. They
need trust to work effectively together. And, they need a shared vision that education
must and can improve. These can all be engendered and renewed by observing kids
engaged in good systems lessons.
* Money. Patience, trust and vision are all free, but schools need to find money for
training, teacher time and equipment, all at a time when school budgets are very tight.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO AID THE PROCESS?
The rest of this paper will give you ideas and resources for getting involved. It will give
examples of contributions that others have made to schools across the country as well as advice
based on their experience on how to proceed. There are many ways, large and small, to help
schools meet their needs. Y ou should read over the suggestions and choose an approach that fits
best for you and your school. A few people have invested enormous amounts of time and
money, while countless others have made small but equally important contributions. Whatever
you give will be a worthwhile contribution to the improvement of education.
Remember that system dynamics in education is still in its infancy, and there are no complete
how-to guides. Only a decade ago, teachers and administrators in the few schools trying this
approach were truly pioneers. They experimented as they went along, sustained only by the
conviction that education had to improve and that system dynamics and learner-centered-
learning offered a very promising alternative. Their success with students has led others to
follow. Now, other schools can learn from the growing experience of those who are using the
systems approach. Y et, this is still very new and still involves a great deal of experimenting,
explaining, searching, collaborating, and tolerating the uncertainty that accompanies change.
There is still pioneering to do. Every tiny bit of progress paves the way for others to follow.
EARLY LEADERS SET THE STAGE
Several outside supporters have made very large contributions to launch and maintain system
dynamics in K-12 education. As you look for ways to serve your school, it is important to lean
a bit about their efforts because, over the years, they have established a framework and resources
for others to use. Also, this is an opportunity to acknowledge their generosity and visionary
guidance.
Jay W. Forrester
First among advisors to K-12 system dynamics, has been Jay W. Forrester, MIT Professor
Emeritus and founder of the field of system dynamics. Probably the first to understand that
transforming education through system dynamics would have to be a grassroots effort, he has
personally enlisted the involvement of system dynamicists and other backers to support the work
being done by teachers in classrooms. He has continually urged teachers to extend systems
education into younger and younger grades so that growth and change can flow upward with
those children. He has insisted on quality and more system dynamics training for teachers,
reminding us that unfortunately “there is no easy way to get beyond the beginning steps.” Y et,
he has also encouraged us to lear from mistakes, of which there have been plenty, because
mistakes are our best teacher. He has constantly challenged everyone to consider why current K-
12 education is not relevant to today’s kids and tomorrow's problems, lighting a fire under those
who believe it can and must be better. Finally, he has provided the long view. Change takes
time. And, although many may feel that this change in education is progressing too slowly,
Forrester believes that the pace is just about right for long term sustainability.
[For more on Forrester’s views on K-12 system dynamics, visit the System Dynamics in
Education Project (SDEP) website at MIT at http://sysdyn.mit.edu. Under the Creative Learning
Exchange (CLE) annotated list of Systems Education Materials, read Forrester’s “System
Dynamics and Learner-Centered-Learning in Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade Education.”
(SE1993-01) and “Learning Through System Dynamics as Preparation for the 21% Century,”
(SE1994-07). Also under the list of System Dynamics Materials, read “Designing the Future”
(SE1999-03). The SDEP website provides an introduction to the field of system dynamics and
links to many related publications and sites. It provides a wealth of information worth the time
to explore.]
Gordon Stanley Brown
Another pioneer in improving education through system dynamics is the late Gordon Stanley
Brown, former Dean of Engineering at MIT. In fact, he first got the ball rolling in schools. In
retirement, Brown was living in Tucson, Arizona in the late 1980’s when he attended a
neighborhood school bond vote meeting. There he spoke to the superintendent of schools about
system dynamics and was referred to science teacher Frank Draper at the Orange Grove Middle
School. Draper saw system dynamics and STELLA modeling software as just what he had
always needed in his curriculum. He used it extensively, encouraged by the breadth and depth of
understanding his students eagerly displayed with this approach. As other teachers in the school
also became interested, their work was strongly supported by the principal, Mary Scheetz who
also had a gift for applying the principles of systems thinking to the organization and
management of the school.
Meanwhile, Brown became Orange Grove’s “citizen champion.” He marshaled resources for
computers and STELLA training, lobbied school board members, ran interference in every
direction in a low-key but persistent manner, and encouraged Mary and Frank to keep going. In
Mary’s words, “Gordon was a visionary— seeing the possibilities both in the classroom and in
the organization.. He gave us the motivation and courage to stick to our ideas about becoming
systems thinkers and also using dynamic modeling.” This was not easy, and early progress was
very slow, but now twelve years later, systems thinking is an integral part of the Orange Grove
Middle School and its Catalina Foothills School District. And, just as that school has become an
example for other schools to follow, so is Gordon Brown an example of what the support of a
citizen champion can achieve. [For more from Brown's point of view, read his System Dynamics
Review article “Improving education in the public schools: innovative teachers to the rescue,”
on-line at the MIT SDEP website, http://sysdyn.mit.edu, under the Creative Learning Exchange,
List of Systems Education Materials (SE1993-01) (or http://www.clexchange.org).]
Jim and Faith Waters
Two other dedicated citizens, Jim and Faith Waters, have contributed generously to the
continued success at the Orange Grove Middle School and to many other schools across the
country. Jim is a successful entrepreneur with a long commitment to public education, having
served on his local school board in Framingham, Massachusetts. Faith is a retired public school
teacher. Together, they believe that education can and must improve, soon. They began slowly
by funding systems mentors in the Tucson school—a couple of teachers whose job it became to
help other teachers apply systems tools in their curriculum. Jim and Faith also funded systems
training for the mentors and the time for them to meet and work together.
Now over a decade later, the Waters Foundation supports systems education in about a dozen
school districts across the country, helping to further the work that these schools had already
begun on their own. The foundation funds the salaries of teams of systems mentors in these
schools. In addition, grants have purchased computer equipment , sponsored continuing system
dynamics training for mentors and workshops for teachers, and hosted annual national gatherings
of all mentors to aid the cross-fertilization of curriculum ideas. Most importantly, Jim and Faith
have offered their guidance, trust, and patience to teachers and administrators involved in this
exciting but sometimes daunting endeavor. The Waters Foundation is now administered by
Mary Scheetz and four regional coordinators. Under Jim’s and Faith’s direction, the foundation
is now focussing on solidifying the best teaching practices and lessons developed over the years
to make them accessible to teachers in other schools everywhere. Their schools have been
laboratories to get things started. Now they are concentrating on documenting the use of system
dynamics in the learning process and disseminating successful lessons to others. The Waters
website, http://www.watersfoundation.org, will be up and running in the fall of 2000.
John Bemis
Finally, one other quiet contributor has helped bring teachers and systems curriculum ideas
together. In 1991, John R. Bemis of Concord, Massachusetts generously established the Creative
Learning Exchange, a non-profit organization to promote and support the use of systems
education and learner-centered-learning in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Under the
direction of Lees Stuntz, the CLE gathers and distributes systems curriculum materials
developed by teachers for other teachers. The CLE also publishes a free newsletter, The Creative
Learning Exchange, and it hosts a well-attended summer conference for teachers each even-
numbered year. For more information on the CLE, visit their website through the MIT site at
http://sysdyn.mit.edu/cle/ (or at http://www.clexchange.org.) Peruse the Annotated List of
Materials to down-load articles and curriculum materials for free. This is a good way to get a
better idea of just what systems education looks like in the classroom.
ONE PITFALL: DON’T PUSH TOO HARD!
The advice most often repeated by those involved in systems education is “Be patient---don’t
push too hard.” If you want to facilitate lasting change in education, your long-term results will
depend to a large extent on your approach to the school and the process of change. The school
needs to be open to new ideas, but more importantly, you have to be willing to work within the
structure of that school to make a difference. Davida Fox-Melanson, Superintendent of the
Carlisle Public Schools, recommends that you approach the school with the intention of
understanding, supporting, and strengthening education there. Get an idea of what goes on in
your school and listen to what kids are learning. See if you can find out what teachers need in
their curriculum and look for places where systems tools can help fill those needs. As
enthusiastic as you may be about systems education, it is a mistake to go barreling into a school
as an expert with all the answers. Instead, build a collaborative relationship based on trust. If one
or two teachers are interested, give them information and support, and build patiently from there.
You cannot force the process of change. Good teachers in a supportive environment are always
seeking better ways to help children learn, but they are also already extremely busy and under
intense pressure to produce results. They need to be engaged but not threatened by these new
methods. To succeed, your intervention must be careful and respectful, trusting teachers to
approach it in their own time, whether you are dealing with just one person or with a whole
school.
Unfortunately, the infection process takes time, and this can be very frustrating. The slower it
seems, the more likely you will be tempted to push. However, your pushing too hard will slow
progress even more. It is only natural to want education to improve quickly. However, if you
push too hard in your eagerness, you will have to learn this lesson the hard way: The system
pushes back. Nan Gill, former school principal in Ann Arbor, Michigan and now a Waters
Foundation regional coordinator says, “Be aware of the potential positive feedback relationship
between outsiders’ pushing and insiders’ resistance, particularly given the current climate of
school criticism that pervades our society." The harder you push, the greater the resistance.
Outsiders can help, but real progress can only come when you work within the system helping
the school staff “own the process” itself.
If you barge into a school with all “the answers” and expect immediate change, you will not
make any progress. If you are openly critical of the current system, you will offend teachers and
administrators who work very hard for their students, and they will not listen to you. If you
approach the school more positively but you do not build trust first, teachers and administrators
may listen, but they will not adopt your ideas. If you do not demonstrate to teachers how this
approach can help them teach what they are already teaching only more effectively, they will not
abandon their own methods---they have managed for many years without systems thinking, so
why would they need it now, especially if it involves a lot of extra work? If you expect teachers
to leam system dynamics too quickly, they will become frustrated and overwhelmed and give up
entirely. It is a delicate balancing act. You want to advocate for education reform, yet you need
to be aware that your own actions in pushing too hard will cause your best intentions to backfire.
One School's Experience: Pushing Too Hard
We experienced this in Carlisle, Massachusetts when we were just starting out. In 1994 when I
was serving on the school board, Carlisle seemed to be “fertile ground” for systems education
with two interested teachers, a supportive school board and a superintendent who had just read
Senge’s The Fifth Discipline and agreed with it completely. We also had, Jim Lyneis, a
professional system dynamicist and management consultant at Pugh-Roberts Associates/PA
Consulting, as a knowledgeable system dynamics resource. We had a fine school, but we all
believed that we could do better. System dynamics looked like a perfect fit to me. How could we
miss?
In my enthusiasm, however, I pushed too hard at first. We set up after-school modeling sessions
with Jim, but it became just too much. Everyone started with the best intentions, but once the
teachers realized that modeling was more difficult than it first appeared, they felt discouraged by
the amount of time and work required. Meanwhile, Jim and I were discouraged because progress
was so slow for our time and work required. In the end, sessions were delayed or cancelled until
the whole plan fell apart. Fortunately, Davida Fox-Melanson, our superintendent, stepped in to
remind us all that while system dynamics still might have potential for us, we would have to take
it more slowly. In other words, “Back off for now.” It was a lesson learned the hard way for me
and a very long time before I could convince the teachers, or Jim, to give it another try when we
were more ready. You cannot push these ideas onto people. For lasting change, people need to
perceive their own need and proceed at their own pace in their own time.
Fortunately, the teachers continued to experiment with systems lessons in their classes— their
reinforcement came from the student themselves. Luckily, we also continued to share trust,
respect, and a conviction that education could be better. Progress was very slow for several
years and hampered by setbacks, but somehow system dynamics grew on its own merits, fueled
by the enthusiasm and achievement of students. Now the infection is finally catching on and the
results are promising. Two teachers, Rob Quaden and Alan Ticotsky, are now systems mentors
supported by the Waters Foundation. Working with classroom teachers over the last two years,
they have introduced behavior over time graphs, causal loops, stock/flow diagrams, and
computer modeling throughout the school’s curriculum, in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Also, under Davida’s leadership and with the help of business manager Eileen Reilly, systems
thinking is very slowly seeping into the school culture. We are still beginners making frequent
mistakes, but every little success reinforces growth. My pushing too hard nearly spoiled it.
Others can tell similar stories. It is natural to want change to come fast to an education system
which sorely needs it. However, you can actually delay change by fighting against education’ s
immune system. Realize that everybody gets frustrated with the slow pace of change at times.
You can think big, but you have to be satisfied with slow tiny steps if you want to succeed in the
long run.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS:
SCHOOL NEEDS AND HOW TO HELP MEET THEM
The caution to have patience and proceed slowly is not meant to discourage participation in
schools, however. In fact, there are a great many ways to contribute, large and small, material
and intangible. Also many people can play a role: parents, system dynamicists, taxpayers,
academics, businesses and foundations. The following catalog of suggestions and resources is
based on experience in schools so far and the contributions of many generous supporters. Y ou
can help with information, system dynamics demonstrations and expertise, training, equipment,
public relations, business support and encouragement. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a
guide to give you ideas. Just choose one activity for a start and have fun with it.
Information about Systems Thinking and System Dynamics
Offer to introduce these ideas to teachers or administrators. If there is a teacher in the school
who is already using systems tools, work with the teacher to explain the ideas to others.
* Give the school several copies of the Creative Learning Exchange newsletter, The
Creative Learning Exchange, and arrange free subscriptions for them through the
website, http://sysdyn.mit.edu/cle/home.html ( or http://www.clexchange.org) or by
calling the CLE at 1-978-287-0070.
« Review, download and print articles or curriculum materials that might be useful to
your school from the Creative Learning Exchange website and give them to teachers
and administrators.
« Introduce teachers to the System Dynamics in Education website at MIT at
http://sysdyn.mit.edu and tell them about other related sites:
The Creative Learning Exchange http://www.clexchange.org
CC-STADUS/CC-SUSTAIN http://www.cc-stadus.com (Portland, OR)
Maryland Virtual High School http://mvhs1.mbhs.edu
Waters Center @ Trinity College http://trinityvt.edu/waters (Jeff and John)
Waters Grant-Systems Dynamics Project http://cfsd.k12.az.us/~sysdyn (Tucson)
Waters Foundation http://www.watersfoundation.org
* Offer to set up a little professional library of systems books and materials. (See
Appendix A for a suggested list.) The idea is not to hand your school a stack of
books which will collect dust on a shelf. Instead, ask teachers and administrators
what they need and try to meet the need with whatever seems appropriate.
Find or donate the money to send a team of teachers and administrators to the CLE
summer conference (registration plus travel funds). This is a wonderful way to
introduce your school to the ideas and practices of systems education and to build a
team. (This is how Carlisle got started. We begged for a grant to attend the CLE
conference in Concord, Massachusetts in 1994.) The conference is always well-
attended by teachers eager to learn and share ideas. Many of the leading professional
system dynamicists are also there to share their expertise. This is a great way to get
started and an excellent investment.
System Dynamics Demonstrations
Offer to demonstrate to a class how system dynamics tools apply to a particular
lesson. Do not show off the tools themselves; apply them to an issue that students are
studying. Work closely with the classroom teacher.
Offer to conduct the Fishbanks, Ltd game with a science class. (Meadows,
http://www.unh.edu/ipssr/Lab/FishBank.html) Students as young as gm grade can
play, and they love it. Work closely with a teacher on logistics for kids.
The absolute best ambassadors for systems education are the students themselves.
Whenever you can, let them do the talking about what they have learned using this
approach. According to Tim Joy, a teacher at LaSalle High School in Portland,
Oregon, “ I have yet to witness any public event with students in which adults were
not swayed. The authentic power of their deep understanding exudes a salutary
effect.” Students voluntarily spread the word when they carry their ideas home or into
other classes. If you have students using systems tools already, do whatever you can
to support them. Systems education is much easier to show in action than to explain
in words; the students, after all, are the whole point
Let your own children lead the way. If your child is working on a project which
could be explained with a behavior over time graph, a causal loop diagram, or even a
simple model, teach these skills to your child and let him explain it to the class. We
did this with our kids. When Peter was in the 8" grade, he did a project exploring
why Spain and Canada were sparring over North Atlantic fishing rights. Jim helped
him build a one-stock model of the tragedy of the commons. Peter’s teacher, Jim
Trierweiler, was astounded to see how involved Peter’s classmates were in his
presentation, asking good questions like, “If we keep up like this, when will the fish
be all gone?” The teacher realized he did not have to wait to learn system dynamics
before teaching it; he could learn along with the kids. You may not always get such
an enthusiastic response, but every little bit helps, and the real benefit is sharing these
skills with your own children.
System Dynamics Training
This is a crucial need. Because system dynamics is new to everyone, everyone needs training.
The quality of their training determines how well and how long teachers will continue to leam
and teach using the systems tools. It also determines how this change in education will be
perceived by the broader public, especially if the quality of the instruction is diluted by
inadequate training. Teachers who have begun using systems tools are always looking for more
training and support, and school funds are always tight. System dynamicists and academics can
get involved in training, while others can contribute funds for professional development.
The mental model on training has changed over the years. At first the push was to teach
everybody how to build computer models right away and to do so in intensive one-week
workshops. This was pushing too hard, and the system pushed back. Although the “blitz”
approach with its emphasis on model-building suited a few teachers, most found it confusing and
overwhelming. It was even more difficult for teachers to continue on their own back at school,
so they didn’t.
System dynamics, a very big idea, is not quick and easy to learn. It takes time, patience, good
instruction and follow-up support. Systems education also involves much more than model-
building. Faith Waters believes that training should begin with behavior over time graphs, causal
loops, and stock/flow diagrams. Teachers should learn how to use these tools in their curriculum
before moving to models. Jeff Potash and John Heinbokel at the Waters Center for System
Dynamics at Trinity College of Vermont in Burlington add that before actually building models,
teachers should see how models apply to the curriculum, play with little models, and learn about
generic structures and transferability. George Richardson of the Rockefeller College of Public
Affairs and Policy at the University at Albany, New York cautions that teachers can get
discouraged and feel inadequate or incompetent if they think that they are supposed to be able to
build models right away.
Although all agree that the most powerful learning comes from building and using your own
models, for teachers and students alike, it is not realistic to expect that everyone will get to that
level, and certainly not immediately. We certainly need teachers with good modeling skills, but
at this very early stage in systems education, pushing too hard at first will turn many fine
teachers away. Supporting them at their own pace lets them proceed further (or choose not to).
In other words, there is a big gap between the level of system dynamics skills we need and the
current level. This applies to individual teachers as well as to the education system as a whole.
As we aim for the higher goal, we need to remember that the accumulation of skills takes time.
Training also involves more that just learning the basics of system dynamics. The other essential
piece is pedagogy: How do you actually teach these skills and perspectives to children?
Teachers are the experts in this realm. Mary Scheetz adds, “Just like the basics of math or
reading, it takes a great deal of skill to teach the basic concepts of anything, to begin to build the
infrastructure that it will take to acquire higher level skills.”. Teachers need time and support to
work together to develop their own best teaching strategies for their students. They also need
time to determine how to present systems skills in a progression that is developmentally
appropriate for students. Finally, they need to devise assessment techniques. Teachers learn
these things from one another, with time to work together.
There are several possibilities for training. Teachers benefit most from training if they work in
teams so that they can support one another's learning during the training and later in the
classroom.
The Waters Foundation sponsors several training programs by Jeffrey Potash and
John Heinbokel through the Waters Center for System Dynamics, currently situated at
Trinity College of Vermont in Burlington. Jeff and John structure their training to
help students progress on their own learning curves through increasing levels of
authorship and curriculum integration. Their advice, based on experience, is not to
tush the process. Check the Waters Center website, http://trinityvt.edu/waters, for
details on the following programs:
* “Modeling Systems Self-Taught” (MSST) is a free tutorial program.
* There are week-long summer training sessions for teachers at Trinity College.
* The Waters Center sponsors a five-course Graduate Certificate Program for
teachers at Trinity and through distance learning.
High Performance Systems regularly presents STELLA training sessions across the
country. An Introduction to Systems Thinking which accompanies the software, is an
excellent introduction to the broad ideas of systems thinking as well as the mechanics
of system dynamics. STELLA also includes a tutorial. Visit their website at
http://hps-inc.com.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded a very large teacher training program
in Portland, Oregon, Cross-Curricular Systems Thinking and Dynamics Using
STELLA (CC-STADUS), from 1993 to 1997. The investigators were Diana Fisher,
Ed Gallaher and Ron Zaraza. A smaller grant was extended until 2000. Teachers
worked in interdisciplinary teams to lean modeling and develop lessons. They had
follow-up guidance during the year to implement their lessons. Many teachers and
students benefited from this program. Although the training is no longer available, it
serves as a model for others. Diana has written about the training in “Mistakes Made
in the Early Years Teaching Students and Teachers to Create System Models” on the
CLE list of Systems Education materials (http://sysdyn.mit.edu/cle/ or
http://www.clexchange.org) #SE1998-10. There are many other excellent articles
and materials from CC-STADUS on the CLE lists. Check also the Portland website:
http://www.CC-STADUS.com.
The System Dynamics in Education Project at MIT, under the supervision of Jay
Forrester, has produced Road Maps, a guided self-study of system dynamics available
free from the website, http://sysdyn.mit.edu . This is a very good series of lessons on
the theory and practice of system dynamics. You could work through Road Maps
with a group of teachers, if you have teachers who are ready to step beyond the
beginning level of system dynamics. Road Maps is time-consuming and challenging.
It is also not directly related to K-12 curriculum applications, so teachers may not see
its relevance at first. For teachers who have reached the need to advance their own
skills, however, it is excellent. A slow sustainable pace is better than a rapid start that
falters (a lesson learned the hard way in Carlisle.) Time is always an issue. A
donation of funds for a teacher's release time or a summer stipend to work on this
would be very helpful. (Release time means paying for a substitute teacher’ s time.)
A step beyond a Road Maps study group is the MIT SDEP Guided Study Program, a
distance learning program conducted via e-mail (at http://sysdyn.mit.edu). The
program runs from September to June and covers Road Maps with additional readings
and weekly assignments. Each participant works with an MIT student tutor
supervised by Jay Forrester. This program requires a commitment of at least fifteen
hours a week . If your school has an advanced teacher ready for this, find a way to
support part of that teacher’s salary for a year to make time for this professional
development. That teacher would then become a skilled resource for the school.
* Because K-12 systems education is still very new, there are not many organized
training opportunities for teachers. System dynamics is taught in some business,
public policy and engineering schools (see “Studying System Dynamics” at
http://sysdyn.mit.edu), but it needs to move into schools of education also. Lesley
College (http://lesley.edu) offers a technology in education course, “Microworlds,
Models, and Simulations” which includes system dynamics. See if your local college
has system dynamics course offerings for teachers. If not, express the need, and urge
other teachers to do the same.
* Probably the single most effective training arrangement is the use of systems mentors
in schools. Rob Quaden and Alan Ticotsky are Carlisle’s mentors supported by the
Waters Foundation. For their own training they attended Waters and NSF sessions
and they are working through Road Maps. Their job is to help other teachers find
ways to enhance their current curriculum using behavior over time graphs, causal
loops, stock/flow diagrams, modeling, and games. At first they might actually teach
the systems lesson in another teacher's class until that teacher is ready to go solo,
however long that takes. They also give in-service workshops and presentations to
the public. Business was slow at first, but now they are in heavier demand as more
teachers see successful lessons and want to try them with their students. Rob taught
system dynamics in his math classes for several years before becoming a mentor. He
sees the mentoring program as a very high-leverage way to involve more teachers.
« Will Glass-Husain, an MIT SDEP graduate, was an early mentor in Tucson.
His paper, “Lessons for System Dynamics Mentors in Schools” explains
“how” and “why” (http://sysdyn.mit.edu/cle, List of systems Education
Material, #5E1995-05.) (or http://www.clexchange.org)
* Mentors are expensive. Schools need support for the cost of a teacher salary
(or two, because mentors work best in teams.) However, this is a very high-
leverage contribution to spread and sustain systems education.
System Dynamics Expertise
Professional system dynamicists have a vital role to play in quality-control; it is so important that
what teachers are learning and teaching is correct. However, George Richardson, who has been
advising and training systems mentors, cautions outsiders, particularly professional system
dynamicists who are not used to teaching teachers about “how to behave in helping teachers.
The first pitfall is presuming to know what they need and telling them. The proper initial
behavior is listening. Observing teachers and their kids, if possible. Listening for a long time.
This period serves two crucial purposes; building trust and building understanding.”
* Offer to review lessons and models to help teachers teach correct system dynamics.
Teachers recognize this need, but be tactful in your approach.
Offer to coach students who are working on independent system dynamics projects.
Offer to work with a teacher to develop a model which is relevant to the curriculum.
Gary Hirsch, a professional system dynamicist and management consultant from
Wayland, Massachusetts offered his services to the Chelmsford Public Charter
School, which has system dynamics written into its charter. At first he taught system
dynamics to students directly, but it proved a better use of his time and expertise to
work with two teachers to build a management flight simulator for a current
journalism unit. Together, they built a model on which students could realistically
run their own newspaper businesses. Dan Barcan and Leah Zuckerman learned
model-building from an expert and produced a sophisticated model to use with their
students. (“Create and Run Your Own Newspaper,” will be posted on the CLE
website.) Gary and Dan advise others to work out the best way to efficiently combine
the teacher’s classroom expertise with the modeler’s system dynamics expertise.
Use a model. Gary Hirsch built another very interesting model. Working with Jay
Forrester, education reformer Ted Sizer, and others, Gary built a model exploring
how innovation begins and grows in schools. He used the model to test various
strategies. Trust between the school and the community appears to be an important
variable as are teacher motivation, professional development, and competing
initiatives. The feedback system is complex. Results suggest careful planning for
innovation and replacing the traditional curriculum with new material and methods
rather than piling on extra work. The model also shows the potential value of using
system dynamics to examine school problems. The model is on-line at the CLE
website, #SE1998-04, “Innovation in Schools: A Model to Help Structure the
Discussion and Guide the Search for Strategies.”
Offer to be a system dynamics resource for your school. Jim Lyneis has been a big
help in Carlisle. Jim helps teachers build models and explains issues as they come
up. He does not need to be at school often, but it reassures mentors to know that
when they have a question they can get a straight accurate answer from Jim. Many
schools could benefit from the quality control of an expert system dynamicist.
Equipment
This is an urgent need that is essentially uncomplicated: Teachers need up-to-date working
computers and software to teach model-building to their students. With tight budgets in schools
everywhere, few schools have the resources to purchase, maintain, and replace enough
computers to do the job right. Teachers in the field say they have to divert too much teaching
time to scrounging, moving, and fixing computers. Any contributions are deeply appreciated.
Donate however many computers you can. If possible find enough computers for one
class. The ideal set-up is to have two students work together building models because
they can learn from one another and each get a turn at the keyboard. One suggestion
is to have these mounted on carts so that they can be wheeled to other classrooms.
Another is to also make computers available for teachers to take home since there is
little time during the school day for them to build their own skills and develop
lessons.
Donate a computer projection device. Often a teacher can teach modeling to a whole
class using one computer with a projection device. A donated Proxima is in constant
use in Carlisle. The mentors use it to explain a model before letting students build
their own, or they use it to build or use a model as a class.
Donate used equipment---but only if it is current and working. Schools do not have
the skills or resources to make use of broken or obsolete equipment. If possible, set
up the donated computers to be sure they are complete and functioning properly.
Donate system dynamics software. Most schools use STELLA by High Performance
Systems.( http://www.hps-inc.com) Vensim by Ventana Systems is also used in a
some schools. (http://www.vensim.com) A site license allows the school much
wider use and flexibility.
Offer technical assistance. This would be a godsend for most schools. One business
loaned a computer employee to a school for one afternoon a week to work on
software and hardware glitches.
Remember that computers wear out with heavy use by kids and need to be regularly
replaced---a big budgetary problem for most schools.
While good computers will not insure systems education in a school, systems
education cannot proceed very far without them.
Community Education
Anyone can participate in this. Very early on in Carlisle we got wise counsel from Jim Waters:
“Don’t get too far ahead of your taxpayers on this.” Gordon Brown wrote in the System
Dynamics Review, “The patrons of public education are the taxpayers, and they must be kept
informed.”(CLE website. #1993-01) They are right, of course, but it is easy to forget this when
you are absorbed within a school. The systems approach is a big change in education. It is
prudent to keep community members informed so that they can lean from you while you also
learn from them. There are many ways to do this.
Write articles for the local newspaper explaining what students are doing using this
approach. Use photos and quotes from kids. Do this often.
Support the school whenever it presents the topic at a parents’ meeting, school board
meeting, back-to-school night, etc. Attend these functions, ask questions, and say
nice things. This may seem trivial, but it is actually very influential.
Help students use their skills on a local problem. Larry Weathers’ high school
students from Harvard, Massachusetts met with town selectmen and finance board
members to build a small model of the town budgeting process and how the level of
trust affects the outcome: Y ou actually need a just little bit of distrust on both sides to
get the best results!
Facilitate ways to help kids celebrate and showcase their work to both acknowledge
them and raise public awareness in your community. In Portland, Oregon high school
students participate in SyMBowl, an annual regional exposition of their system
dynamics work. Ed Gallaher, who uses system dynamics in his work as a professor
of pharmacology and behavioral neuroscience at Oregon Health Sciences University
in Portland, started SyMBowl in 1996. Participation has grown steadily; this year the
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry hosted SyMBowl in their new building,
increasing its visibility, prestige, participation, and attendance. The student projects
are impressive! Read a few for inspiration. Find a way for your students to attend, or
contact Ed Gallaher about organizing your own SyMBowl. (A similar exposition is
being launched this year in the northeast. Initiated by teacher Will Costello,
DynamiQueST will be held at Trinity College of Vermont in Spring 2000. Find
details on the CLE website, http://sysdyn,mit.edu/cle , or http://www.clexchange.org )
¢ Help recruit local experts to advise students on their projects. Students build models
of real world problems, but they cannot always find the precise information they
need. It is wonderful if they can consult people who are actually involved in the field.
Townspeople are always impressed with the depth of the students’ questions.
¢ Help teachers write-up their curriculum ideas for publication. This helps teachers
refine their ideas and chronicles their progress. It also shares their work with the
community and other teachers. I have had the privilege of doing this through the
Gordon Brown Fund. It is fun. See the CLE website for examples of these lessons as
well as a series of articles on “what it’s like to be a pioneer.”
« Endorse any way at all to increase the communication between your school and your
community. Keep taxpayers informed and involved, listen to their concerns and
advice. In Carlisle, Davida Fox-Melanson began the Carlisle Education Forum, an
annual Saturday morning town event where townspeople are invited to hear a speaker
and share their ideas with neighbors and school staff about education for the future.
Townspeople say they appreciate the chance to learn about education and have their
say. Meanwhile, the school benefits from their feedback. Y ears ago, Peter Senge and
then Jay Forrester were our honored guests. In breakout discussions, townspeople
agreed that education needed to improve, but they were leery of rash changes. Their
advice on system dynamics: “Go for it, but keep us informed and don’t ignore the
basics.”
¢ Welcome citizen involvement, especially among folks who do not have children in
school. After one forum, Carlisle resident Neils Larsen stepped forward. Neils was a
retired executive who had studied system dynamics years ago. He quietly observed
classes and was impressed watching students use a model in a science experiment.
Neils helped the school board by facilitating the articulation of our vision and goals.
He also lined up our next forum speaker. His quiet encouragement at a time when we
felt we were getting nowhere was invaluable.
Lobbying, Political Support, Encouragement
If the best gifts are free, this is a good example. Anyone can offer this support. It is priceless
and essential.
« If your child’s teacher uses systems tools, give that teacher some positive feedback.
Tell the teacher what your child has leaned. Teachers need your encouragement.
One Carlisle teacher was so pleased to hear that her first grader had drawn a behavior
over time graph for his dad on a restaurant napkin!
Tell teachers if you use systems tools in your job. Teachers like to know that what
they are teaching will be useful to their students in the future.
Lobby school building and district administrators. Commend a teacher's good work.
Tell administrators you'd like to see more systems education and offer to help. It
means a great deal to teachers and administrators when you notice and commend
good work. This is very influential.
School boards are important to lobby too. Everyone knows that a few vocal negative
parents can get school board attention, but a few positive, supportive parents with a
convincing position can be even more powerful. As elected officials, school board
members are interested in your views, and most of them run for office because they
have a commitment to improving their schools. School boards cannot/should not
micromanage their schools, but they do set policy and budgets. Lobby them; better
yet, run for office yourself!
Help address political opposition. Any change in education will have its opponents
and this is no exception. Gordon Brown met tirelessly and respectfully with vocal
parents opposed to change in Tucson. Some parents fear any departure from their
own familiar education. Others suspect that learner-centered-learning means lazy
teaching. (See “Politics and the Lazy Teacher” on the CLE website, SE1999-04)
While some reluctant parents can be assuaged and convinced, the rest, in Jay
Forrester’s words, “we will just have to outlive.” (This also applies to teachers. A
few will be eager pioneers, many will be open to the idea of change to varying
degrees, and some will be wholly resistant to change. Focus your positive energies
on the first two groups, without antagonizing the third.)
Work together as parents. In Chelmsford, Massachusetts a group of parents
organized to start their own charter school when previous lobbying attempts to
change the structure of their traditional junior high school did not succeed. They
founded the Chelmsford Public Charter School and wrote system dynamics into its
charter. Bravo! Sue Jamback is the school’s director.
Request systems training programs at local colleges. Ask local businesses to help out
with computers. Talk to your neighbors. Without becoming an overbearing pest, ora
preacher for a cause, put in a judicious good word whenever the opportunity arises.
Business Involvement
When businesses get involved in education, they improve their reputation in the community
while also providing better-educated employees. Involvement is good for business and good for
schools.
A fine example is the active participation of Portland General Electric in introducing
system dynamics in the Portland, Oregon schools. Richard Turnock was hired by
PGE to support education services outreach for technology initiatives in schools. He
became interested in systems thinking when he took a PGE sponsored “Change Tools
for Educators” based on the Fifth Discipline. He also attended SyMBowl and a
Portland NSF summer training session. He was “hooked.” Now PGE has an
extensive program in support of system dynamics in Portland’s schools. It offers two
continuing education courses for graduate credit through Portland State University, it
supports SyMBowl, it donates computer equipment and STELLA site licenses to
schools, and it encourages PGE employees to volunteer in schools. Richard explains
the PGE program and why system education is good for children at http://www.pge-
edsucs.com. He believes other businesses could do the same.
* Another example is the involvement of Georgia Pacific in the early introduction of
system dynamics to the Glynn County School System in rural coastal Georgia. As
recounted by mentor Jan Mons, Georgia Pacific wanted to give the county an
innovative science/math program “to teach students to think.” After much research,
they chose system dynamics, which in 1991 was very new to K-12 education. They
purchased computers, outfitted computer labs, and hired Barry Richmond of High
Performance Systems to train 9 teachers and 9 of their own engineers, with the goal
of applying system dynamics to the schools, the workplace, and the community.
Unfortunately, what started out as a five-year commitment was cut short when the
business climate changed and the manager was transferred. Although this was a
difficult transition for the teachers, somehow the system dynamics stuck, and now the
program is back on its feet and growing with the support of the Waters Foundation.
Lessons learned from these early pioneers:
¢ Georgia Pacific got involved for all the right reasons;
¢ It would be better not to have an exclusive group of “chosen” teachers
given release time to develop lessons because this can create resentment;
¢ It would be better to help teachers develop and accept their own
curriculum changes rather than to impose them from the top through the
select teachers;
¢ It would be better to approach teachers asking them what they need rather
than treating system dynamics as a “great product to sell;”
¢ The folks in Georgia have worked hard to learn from early mistakes and
succeed.
* Jay Forrester sees a golden opportunity for corporate participation in systems
education. Big corporations make large donations to education, usually supporting
programs which are already in place, in effect inadvertently doing more of what is
already causing problems within the current education system. Instead, corporations
could direct their resources to fundamental change in education. Forrester sees this as
a job for a recently retired, energetic, knowledgeable, and effective executive who
wants to do something important. This would be a person with the time and
inclination to lear about system dynamics in education and network with other
corporate executives to slowly build their support. It would take some freewheeling,
quiet persistence and an understanding based on business experience that success
does not follow a straight easy path. Patience would be the biggest challenge
because, even backed with lots of money, systems education will not take root if it is
imposed from the top as the “latest thing” and pushed with “yesterday” deadlines.
However, this is a great opportunity for someone to get involved and make a very
meaningful contribution to a worthy and exciting cause.
“Education investors” Jim and Faith Waters, set just the right example for how to
change schools in the long run on a large scale. Jim calls it “successive
approximation’”— taking small steps toward a goal, evaluating each step along the
way, and planning the next move, all with lots of patience. It is a recursive process;
long term improvements take time. Faith calls it “benign neglect, with
responsibility”---allowing teachers to experiment while providing careful oversight
and high expectations. They would advise granting money only to schools that have
demonstrated prior commitment to a process that is a great deal of work. (One
principal approached them saying, "I don’t care what it is, as long as it has funding,
we'll do it!” Not likely a good investment!) Mary Scheetz believes the Waters’
biggest contribution has been their trust— trust that teachers are trying to do “the good
and right thing” but that they need to experiment and learn from mistakes in order to
continue to improve.
Time
How much time will it take? Jim and Faith Waters think that it takes at least 7 to 10 years for the
systems approach to become embedded in a school’s curriculum, culture and management. Jay
Forrester adds that we will not begin to see real change until young students in today’s
pioneering schools become teachers themselves. Educators involved in the process believe that
this change is inexorable as schools adapt to the changing needs of a dynamically complex
global economy. However, although widespread change may be distant, every small contribution
today begins to benefit some students right away.
WHAT DO YOU GET IN RETURN?
Much of this paper has focussed on how to get involved, with less emphasis on why. Many
people have made these contributions and will continue to do so. They invite you to join them.
Besides the enjoyment of working with a network of wonderful dedicated people, what are the
returns?
¢ First, you improve education for children by reinforcing every child’s natural drive to
learn, rather than stultifying it. Children love to dig in and learn for themselves. Systems
education offers them that opportunity and there is great joy in being a part of it. It is like
teaching children to ride a bike. You can provide the bike and run beside them, but they
have to learn on their own. No matter how much they fall, they persevere until they get
it. Then, they are off! Education could be like that.
¢ Second, when you become involved in your community's school, you gain a deeper
appreciation of the challenges in education and the commitment of the many fine
educators who work hard to meet them. Seeing the strengths of the current system, you
also get a more realistic view of how to work together to address its weaknesses.
Everyone benefits when the school and the community work together to improve
education.
¢ Finally, system dynamics and systems thinking give students the skills and perspectives
they will need to understand and effectively deal with dynamic complexity. Systems
education can teach them to:
¢ Recognize feedback systems around them: flows, accumulations, delays,
interdependency and change.
¢ Know that cause is often removed from effect in time and space.
¢ Understand the difference between long and short term consequences, and the
inevitability of trade-offs.
¢ Understand that solving symptoms doesn’t solve problems.
¢ Use system dynamics to clarify mental models, communicate ideas clearly and
make more informed decisions about a wide range of issues.
¢ Accept with responsibility that what they do makes a difference.
These are big returns on any investment of time, energy, money, and support.
Thank you!
Appendix
A suggested list of titles for a school systems library:
Systems I, An Introduction to Systems Thinking, by Draper Kauffman, Jr., S. A.
Carlton, Publisher, Minneapolis, MN 1980. (612-920-0060) This very readable brief
introduction has disarming illustrations and everyday examples of positive and
negative feedback loops.
The Fifth Discipline, The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization by Peter
Senge. Doubleday/Currency, NY 1990. This classic makes the principles of systems
thinking and learning organizations accessible to many.
Schools That Learn: A fieldbook for teachers, administrators, parents, and everyone
who cares about education, by Peter Senge, Nelda Cambron-McCabe, Timothy
Lucas, Bryan Smith, Jains Dutton, Art Kleiner. Doubleday, NY, 2000. This collection
of stories, and exercise is based on experiences in schools across the country.
The Systems Thinking Playbook, Vol. I & II. by Linda Booth Sweeney and Dennis
Meadows, 1996. These hands-on exercises are a good introduction for many people.
http://www.unh.edu/ipssr/Lab/playbook. html. (See the CLE list of Systems
Education Materials at http://sysdyn.mit.edu/cle, SE2000-03, for a list by Meadows of
gaming resources for teachers.)
Lessons for a First Course in System Dynamics Modeling, by Diana Fisher, Summer
Creek Press, Inc., 1999 at http://summercreek.com. Diana developed this system
dynamics course for high school students in Portland, OR.
Structuring Schools for Success, a View from Inside, by Mary Scheetz and Tracy
Benson, Corwin Press, Inc., A Sage Publication Company, Thousand Oaks, CA,
1994. This is practical guide to building a learning organization by administrators at
the Orange Grove Middle School in Tucson.
Pegasus Communications Toolbox and Workbook pamphlets are helpful for building
systems skills. Pegasus has many systems publications, primarily aimed at the
business market. http://www.pegasuscom.com
Introduction to Computer Simulation, A System Dynamics Modeling Approach, by
Nancy Roberts, David Andersen, Ralph Deal, Michael Garet, and William Schaeffer.
This pioneering text was written at Lesley College for teachers in 1983. It is now
available from Pegasus Communications (above).
Urban Dynamics, 1969, and World Dynamics, 1971, both by Jay W. Forrester. These
seminal works show the power of system dynamics to address complex social
problems. Available from Pegasus Communications.
Beyond the Limits, by Donella Meadows, Dennis Meadows, Jorgen Randers. Chelsea
Green, VT, 1992. This is a compelling application of system dynamics that may
interest science and social studies teachers. Consider also any other books which also
show applications of systems thinking or system dynamics.
System Dynamics Review, Summer 1993. This entire issue was devoted to systems
thinking in education. Available from the System Dynamics Society at
http://www.albany.edu/cpr/sds.
Introduction to Systems Thinking, by Barry Richmond and Steve Peterson. This book
accompanies STELLA software by High Performance Systems.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0