REPLY Society Strategy Development (SD6853)

[SDMAIL Martin Schaffernicht]

Posted by  Martin Schaffernicht <martin at utalca.cl>

Hi all,

Kim asks what achievments in 2028 would be important for people outside 
the current SD community.

Let's agree that "system dynamics" contains such things as

    * stating clearly what one searches (problem and purpose)
    * making one's ideas explicit (to model)
    * subject them to critique (simulate and validate)

which enables one to think and act critically/rigorously
and also

    * the way things grow and decline over time (accumulation and flow;
      including nonlinearity and delays)
    * the importance of closed feedback loops around us

which improve our ability to do the first three things.

Then I believe that the "landing" of these things in "schools of 
education" (where new teachers are trained) would ge quite an 
achievement.  Not only for the SD-people, but also for educators: 
/critical, systematic and systemic thinking skills/ are not very well 
developed in many schooling systems, and even though nobody complains 
about the lack of SD, many observe the lack of thinking competencies.  
As far as SD improves these competencies, it will be welcomed not as a 
thing in itself, but for its contribution to these competencies.

Of cause, there is a very long delay between the training of future 
teachers and a trained teacher workforce, so it is very important to 
reinforce the K-12 work ongoing; assessment studies converning thinking 
competencies would help to pursuade more teachers and administrators 
(outside the USA).  Also I'd say that interactive material for children 
and young people (not for educators) would speed the process, if it is 
made available in the main languages (example: how many children speak 
chinese or spanish, not english?).

Of cause this is not the only achievement, but it sure would be /one/.

Best,
Martin Schaffernicht
Universidad de Talca
Talca - Chile
Posted by  Martin Schaffernicht <martin at utalca.cl>
posting date  Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:23:20 -0400