A gardener spends time with seeds and the dynamics of seeds Gardeners learn things about seeds Not all planted seeds will germinate Not all that germinate will survive Not all of the food that may be produced will be eaten by humans – ground hogs, deer, rabbits, raccoons, . . . may get to
Thinking About: Words – Frames – and Change
Kim Cameron of the University of Michigan organized these words in a certain way to illustrate a point. I have mixed them up. Here is the mixed up list of his words. PLEASE CONSIDER RESPONDING TO THE TWO QUESTIONS THAT FOLLOW BEFORE READING THE REST OF THE POST. By responding I mean grab a piece
Leadership Styles and Irony . . .
Below you will find a link to a chapter from the book: Handbook of organization development By Thomas G. Cummings, Sage Publications that looks at a comparison of four general strategies that a leader my employ. Truthfully not all leaders can effectively lead from all four strategies. Some are ‘tellers’,
It is worth our effort to begin this journey toward developing our social brain
From my point of view, the challenge of being intentional about connecting – mind-to-mind is worth accepting – because the stakes are so very high. I believe that we live in times where interdependent thinking holds real value for all mankind. People engaging in conversations where transformation has the potential of occurring are people who can help
The ‘culture’ of conflict must be changed!
When I think about conflict that tends to festers in disagreement I also think about the possibility. I think about the potential opportunity of working together and finding a way to discover an agreed upon common good. I know that that many might find my thinking “soft” and “wishful thinking”. I know that the whole
An Alternative to ‘Polishing the Status Quo’
The existing state of affairs in the environment, education, healthcare, workers rights, nutrition, transportation, energy or in many other areas leads people to look for change. Focusing on the preferred future rather than just steps away from the current situation has the potential to lead to transformative change. Further, when a community of people focus
Design Thinking: Where our thinking starts will effect where our thinking goes
There is a big difference between the probe “What’s wrong?” and the probe “What works?” Below you will find a graphic based on the thinking of a successful architect. Peter Saurcerman, an architect for 35 years in Northern California. He believes that groups thinking together in response to the “What works?” probe will be more
Change!
My school is adopting the Discovery Techbook this year. I am responsible for the implementation of the Science and Social Studies components. As all of you know, this is a significant change in the way content is delivered to students. Along with change comes anxiety, especially with long-time teachers who might not be comfortable with
Gaining the Skills, Knowledge and Dispositions of Thinking Together: Essential Educational Goals as We Help Our Students Meet Their Futures
I believe that getting good at thinking together is an important goal to strive for. As teachers we need to help our students to develop the skills, dispositions and attitudes helpful to engage in thoughtful, productive conversation. The complexity of the world can lead adults to respond to problems in ways that are almost devoid
From a Competitive Contest to a Collaborative Learning Experience
Jeremy Rifkin is a best-selling author and one of the most popular social thinkers of our time. In his book: The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis he presents a picture of our current civilization and questions the future if, in fact, citizens of the world do not become