This article presents the results of a collective case study exploring how K12 practitioners perceive the interaction of systems thinking, creativity, and learning from failure within their professional practice. In order to identify K12 practitioners who were well-versed in systems thinking, we targeted students within an instructional design and…

In China, accreditation training programme has been a compulsory programme for all the aspiring and new principals, which is also a part of National Training Plan. Under such hierarchical system, leadership preparation in China is supported, implemented, evaluated, and also, constrained by different levels of administrative organisations and…

Environmental education that incorporates civic ecology can contribute to social-ecological resilience through programs designed to advance youth civic leadership and environmental stewardship. This research used an interpretive qualitative approach to study the environmental education activities of a Watershed Avengers at the Ocean Discovery…

Our century has unprecedented new challenges, which need creative solutions and deep thinking. Contemplative, deep thinking became an "endangered species" in our rushing world of Tweets, elevator pitches, and fast decisions. Here, we describe how important aspects of both creativity and deep thinking can be understood as network…

What does it take to transform a large, bureaucratic institution with a fractured culture and a compliance orientation into a nurturing, collaborative, vision-directed organization? This report and the accompanying research brief endeavor to answer that question by examining a humanistic and systems thinking approach to cultural change that took…

To assist system administrators as they pursue their own teacher leadership initiatives, this profile from Leading Educators and the Aspen Institute details the steps Denver Public Schools (DPS) took to design and implement its Differentiated Roles pilot. Specifically, it examines the initiative's opportunities and challenges within the context of…

This article reflects lessons learned from work with thousands of educators from all types of K-12 schools. While recognizing that there is no schooling-for-sustainability blueprint that fits all schools, the Center for Ecoliteracy--www.ecoliteracy.org--in Berkeley, California, has articulated a set of precepts that it calls "Smart by…

The purpose of this article is to present a systems-based mentoring model of technology integration that follows a research-based path. The model moves teachers through four specific stages of technology adoption toward using technology to support learning in more student-centered ways. The model describes how a mentor can negotiate the interplay…

A systematic approach for implementing a comprehensive career education program at the individual school level is described. The advantages of using the Career Activities (CAT) System are presented. (Author)

The final report on a project designed to develop a model learning system for alcohol abuse and alcoholism prevention contains format details of four specific programs. Each program is geared to obtain maximum success in reinforcing responsible behavior, to change learner behavior, and to insure effective implementation in a variety of…

This paper describes a new and innovative approach to school improvement called Knowledge Work Supervision (KWS). KWS draws on individual and team-based knowledge work; uses school-community strategic planning methods; encourages participative work redesign; and redesigns knowledge work, social architecture, and environmental relationships. KWS…

Institutions that recognize individual needs and view individual feelings as natural and normal generally either provide effective strategies or allow for their development. Rather than punishing an individual for feelings, the institution provides an opportunity for dealing with feelings in a manner productive to the individual and to the…

The School Improvement Model launched by the Iowa State University College of Education in 1964 uses a total-system approach to measure and report teacher performance. SIM focuses on student achievement and emphasizes validity, reliability, discrimination, and 360-degree feedback from principals, other teachers, parents, and students. A Wyoming…

The paper discusses the need for new programing strategies for seriously emotionally disturbed children, describes the ecological or systems orientation approach, cites instances in Scandinavian ecological approaches, and considers applications to the United States. The ecological approach is described in terms of nine principles, including that…

This paper outlines an approach designed to provide an accurate and efficient cost accounting system for use in schools and other social service organizations. In his discussion, the author presents a detailed step-by-step description of how to establish, plan, and operate the system. The basic element of the system is the Daily Event Record…