Standing Still
“If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” If staying the same requires change, then what good is standing still? Actually, quite a lot. A mindful look at the systems around us.
Order and the Problem of Change
Learning, when done to its fullest, is a disruptive activity that changes the way things are done. Yet, our education system is designed for change on a modest scale. With school back in swing, it is time to welcome the headaches brought by those who truly learn.
Order and the Problem of Change Read More »
eHealth and the Means-Ends Problem
Information technology provides a lot of ideas for how to change, but the tools are only one part of the equation. Without considering the culture in which these tools are used the change we want will not be the change we get.
eHealth and the Means-Ends Problem Read More »
The Book is Dead, Long Live the Book! Learning and Social Media
Books may be low tech compared to Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, but its focus on narrative gives it an advantage over other tools. Some thoughts on how to keep a low tech tool useful in a high tech information environment
The Book is Dead, Long Live the Book! Learning and Social Media Read More »
Back to School and the Lesson of Accumulation
As we go back to school it is time to consider how the stresses of teaching and education build up over time and why it might be worth re-thinking its impact.
Back to School and the Lesson of Accumulation Read More »
The Food Bank Model of Education and the Tyranny of Resiliency
Resiliency enables us to bounce back from adversity, but like an elastic band too much stretching can lead to breakdown. Food banks, once a stop-gap for food security are now a model for education. Are we stretching a little too far?
The Food Bank Model of Education and the Tyranny of Resiliency Read More »
Cohesion vs. Diversity
Systems function well at the ‘edge of chaos’. In social systems that means balancing diversity with cohesion, but there are aspects to both that are troubling and may be highly incompatible. Can we have both or do we have to sacrifice one for the other?
Cohesion vs. Diversity Read More »
Making the Invisible Visible
Hurting your back really changes how you see the world, including the boundaries and assumptions of the systems we live in and design. This post looks at how a simple problem led to some complex revelations about systems thinking.
Making the Invisible Visible Read More »
e(un)Health
Is the ‘e’ part of eHealth working at cross purposes with our wellbeing? The speed, volume and complexity of information online and the myriad ways we access such information may be leading to new types of illnesses and problems as it solves others.
Specialized and Generalized Systems Thinking and Action
Health promotion is largely focused on large scale social systems, while counseling psychology looks at the individual. Is there a way to bring these two perspectives together and have both specialized and generalized systems thinking and action models?
Specialized and Generalized Systems Thinking and Action Read More »