Systems Thinking in Schools Institute
March 7-10 2012
The St. Louis Systems Thinking in Schools Institute is sponsored by the Waters Foundation in partnership with the Ritenour School District, the Social System Design Lab at Washington University, and Cooperating School Districts. This partnership is a result of ongoing collaborative efforts to increase the capacity of all educators to develop the natural capacity of students as systems thinkers and to utilize the habits, concepts, and tools of systems thinking to improve educational effectiveness and efficiency. The Institute Planning Team encourages all educators to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about systems thinking from international experts, as well as local educators and students.
For more program information, contact:
Mary Scheetz
Assistant Superintendent
Curriculum & Instruction
Ritenour School District (314) 493-6010
For registration information, contact:
Joan Forrest at
jforrest@csd.org
314.692.1259 phone or 314.872.9128 fax.
>Register Online here.
Opening Keynote
March 7
Peter Senge - "Students as Systems Thinkers"
Dr. Peter M. Senge is the founding chairperson of SoL and a senior lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Senge is the author of The Fifth Discipline: the Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. He has lectured extensively throughout the world, translating the abstract ideas of systems theory into tools for better understanding of economic and organizational change. He has worked with leaders in business, education, health care and government. The Journal of Business Strategy (Sept./Oct. 1999) named Dr. Senge as one of the 24 people who had the greatest influence on business strategy over the last 100 years.
Location: Ritenour High School
Workshop Options
March 8 & 9
Introduction to Systems Thinking in Schools (2 day workshop, 8:30 to 4:00)
In this workshop, you will work with others to learn what Systems Thinking is and how it can help you and your students develop a strategy for critical thinking. You will develop an understanding of using the habits, tools and concepts of Systems Thinking in applications related to curriculum, instruction, and educational improvement.
Location: Ritenour Middle School
March 8 & 9
Intermediate Level Systems Thinking in Schools (2 day workshop, 8:30 to 4:00)
This interactive, experiential workshop, will provide continued practice with the habits, concepts and tools of Systems Thinking. Participants will enhance their ability to identify and apply Systems Thinking to their curriculum and/or issues found in their districts, schools and classrooms.
Location: Alberici Construction (Page Avenue & 170)
March 8 or 9
Group Model Building Process (1 day workshop, 8:30 to 4:00)
"Students as Systems Thinkers: Scaling-up and Sustaining Innovations in Schools"
Workshop participants will be introduced to group model building and work through a series of structured small group exercises to develop a model of innovation scale-up and sustainability in schools with a specific focus on the goal of developing students as systems thinkers. Using the model, participants will identify barriers and solutions to scale-up and sustainability of innovations from a systems perspective, and leave with concrete strategies for advancing systems thinking within their organization.
Location: Social System Design Lab, Wash U
March 10
Concurrent Sessions - Learning from the Experiences of Educators and Students (8:00 to 12:30)
Institute sessions will include two rounds of presentations provided by P-12 teachers and administrators and Social System Design Lab Project Coordinators followed by poster sessions facilitated by P-12 students. A sampling of presentation topics includes "Using Tools and Habits with Elementary School Students", "Historical Representation in Literature", "STEM and Systems Thinking", "Systems Thinking and Leadership", "Group Model Building Experiences in Schools and Communities", "The Ladder of Inference: Searching for Patterns in Data and Experience", "Improving Reading Skills through Systems Thinking" "Using Systems Thinking to Explore Social Justice" and more. During the poster sessions, participants will have opportunities to view the work of students from multiple grade levels and a variety of content areas and to hear the students explain both their learning and the value that systems thinking habits, concepts, and tools brought to that process.
Location: Goldfarb Hall, Wash U