Subject: Our Conversations (2009)

Posted by Tim Joy on 12/22/2009

Message:

Good Day, everyone!

We have reached a mid-point in the school year - all of us settling in for a well-deserved rest over the holidays. And, so, this message comes to you with a look back - what have we been talking about? And how have we conversed?

Since the school year opened, we have taken on 37 different topics. Here's our top ten, in order of postings:

Climate Change
Dynamo
Systems Makeover
Top 3 SD Books
Infections
SD in the News
Psychology
Fish Banks
Selling Lessons

A panoramic view reveals these loose categories: environment, SD resources, SD lessons, our own systems education, various modes of teaching SD/ST, how systems actually work, et al.

Further, we have averaged 18 postings per week since September, but just about 30 per week in the last month and a half. Something in the topics, I suspect.

Great thanks to all who have contributed, and all you who have listened in. This work of collective learning and teaching is no easy thing, but ever so vital for us and the students we teach. Your generous thoughtfulness is a boon to this effort.

In a short while, 2010 dawns. And we return to our work of educating the next generation - critical skills, an empathic world view, as well as hope and confidence in their own ability. With this in mind, I offer this link to the TED talks (http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html) in which Ken Robinson speaks about schools, current and future. Enjoy.

In the coming weeks, we'll talk about new things, critique some model building, test out some lessons, and make preparations for the Conference in June.

I wish you all restful, revitalizing holidays.

Tim

Follow Ups:

Our Conversations (2009) - Della Robinson 12/22/2009 
Our Conversations (2009) - Ed Johnson 12/22/2009