Re: learning organisations and schools

Richard Karash (rkarash@world.std.com)
Sun, 29 Jan 1995 22:50:26 -0500 (EST)

Here are four responses on this topic which I have combined.

Richard Karash ("Rick") | (o) 508-879-8301 | Mac * Flying
Innovation Associates, Inc. | (fax) 508-626-2205 | Systems Thinking
3 Speen St, Framingham MA 01701 | rkarash@world.std.com | Std. Disclaimer

Date: Sat, 28 Jan 1995 23:21:05 -0500 (EST)
From: Nancy Dixon <dixonn@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu>
Subject: Re: learning organisations and schools
To: learning-org@world.std.com

I am aware of a group in Colorado who are looking at School issues from
an organizational learning perspective. The group is the Colorado Issues
Network and the contact person is Garth Johnston. He is at P.O. Box
100786, Denver Colorado 80250.

Nancy Dixon
dixonn@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu

From: jack@his.com
Date: Sun, 29 Jan 95 11:29:52
Subject: LEARNING ORGANIS
To: learning-org@world.std.com

Sydney Boydell asks: "However, speaking systems language to many people in
schools results in blank stares and incredulity. Are there schools out
there who have deliberately moved towards building shared vision, team
learning, personal mastery, etc."

A year ago December Peter Senge led a satellite videoconference on "The
Cornerstones of the Learning Organization". A school district in Arizona
(Tempe, if memory serves) had representatives in the studio, including
many of the students, who described their attempts to integrate the
principles and disciplines of the learning organization into their work.
If you are interested, I can dig out my paperwork somewhere and give you
greater detail, especially how to get hold of a video copy of the
program...

Jack Hirschfeld I like a Gershwin tune, how about you?
jack@his.com

Date: 29 Jan 1995 18:58:24 -0500
From: "John Gould" <john_gould@qm.mciu.k12.pa.us>
Subject: Re: learning organisations a
To: learning-org@world.std.com

Sydney:
I am actively working with 21 school districts and 4 Vo-tech schools in
Montgomery County, PA. I have been attacking the problem that you identify
as schools not understanding their complexity on several levels.

First, I am facilitating a study team of 9 superintendents in my region
on systemic thinking. The focus is on the tools of building a LO (PM, MM,
SV, TL) and the framework of systems thinking from understanding events to
systemic structures. We are lookin at Jay Forrester's ideas about systems
leadership, and identifying what learning disabilities are present within
their organizations

Date: Sun, 29 Jan 1995 20:42:02 -0500
To: learning-org@world.std.com
From: mxjeli@mail.wm.edu (Mariann Jelinek)
Subject: Re: learning organisations and schools

Syd's question about whether there could be such a thing as a
learning school reminded me instantly of ZAPP! IN EDUCATION by William C.
Byham with Jeff Cox and Kathy Shomo (Fawcett, 1992). This book, adapted
from the lead author's earlier ZAPP THE LIGHTNING OF EMPOWERMENT, is a
little cutsey-poo, but if you look beyond its ficttional setting and fable
quality, the underlying message is pure systems theory and very much along
the lines Syd's question points. I'm not in a school of education, but
surely there are others out there similarly concerned who are. (I'm
concerned with the same issues, but in a school of business.)

MXJELI@MAIL.WM.EDU
Mariann Jelinek
Richard C. Kraemer Professor of Business
Graduate School of Business,
College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185

Tel. (804) 221-2882 FAX: (804) 229-6135