The River in Which We Are Swimming: making sense of the global renaissance in education. Reflections Peter M. Senge, MIT

Transcription

1 The River in Which We Are Swimming: making sense of the global renaissance in education Reflections Peter M. Senge, MIT MAKING SHIFT HAPPEN CONFERENCE Amsterdam November 2016

2 Climate Change is an archetypal issues that will face our students and define their awareness and leadership around today s global challenges

3 Polar Sea Ice in summer

4 Polar ice in summer - reduced 40% in 30 years (US Ntl Geographic, Sept 2004)

5 What does this have to do with the Future of Education? ( To see artic sea ice for more recent years go to Features: artic sea ice

6 Recent signs of progress are encouraging, but just a start

7 (But, as article says, all agreements taken together would still be far short of the target of a 2 degree C increase in global temperature by the end of the 21 st century, as estimated by the C-Roads simulation model developed at MIT) see

8 The following simulations show just how challenging achieving a 2degreeC world will be; and that the critical changes will come in the next 2-3 decades during which time our students leadership will be crucial

9 Global Temperature Change 5 Global Temperature Change Relative to Pre-industrial BAU 3.75 DegreesC Time (year) Model Adj Temp Anomaly : BAU(Business as Usual) de Adj Temp Ansomaly : All rop sal : Source: IPCC Business As Usual (RCP 8.5) scenario

10 Global Temperature Change 5 Global Temperature Change Relative to Pre-industrial BAU DegreesC All Current Proposals Time (year) Model Adj Temp Anomaly : BAU Model Adj Temp Anomaly : All proposals : Source: the C-Roads simulation see

11 Global Temperature Change 5 Global Temperature Change Relative to Pre-industrial BAU DegreesC All Current Proposals 1.25 today Time (year) Model Adj Temp Anomaly : BAU Model Adj Temp Anomaly : All proposals : All the effects of cilmate destabilization seen in the world today are a consequence of about 1 o C warming the real effects of climate change are still in the future Source: the C-Roads simulation see

12 Business As Usual 50 CO2 Equivalent Emissions 40 GtonsCO2/year US 4.5 C in EU IPCC s RCP 8.5 scenario

13 Current Proposals - October, CO2 Equivalent Emissions 40 GtonsCO2/year C in US EU Scenario 2

14 INDCs Continued Progress 50 CO2 Equivalent Emissions 40 GtonsCO2/year C in Other Developed US 0 EU Scenario 3

15 Plus China Reduces 50 CO2 Equivalent Emissions 40 GtonsCO2/year C in Other Developed US 0 EU Scenario 4

16 Plus Spreading Ambition 50 CO2 Equivalent Emissions 40 GtonsCO2/year Other Developing 2.6 C in India 0 EU US Scenario 7

17 50 Two Degrees Path CO2 Equivalent Emissions 40 GtonsCO2/year Other Developing 2.0 C in Scenario 8

18 Climate change is but one of the core issues that will shape the world in which our students will live and which their leadership will, in turn, shape. We often fail to connect the imbalances that exist in the world with the systems of education that foster the thinking and values that shape the systems that create these imbalances. In the 20 th century two hundred million people died from wars; clearly there is something wrong with our system of education. HH, the Dalai Lama, 2014

19 Food Fisheries: over 70% are chronically overfished, worldwide Topsoil: over 1 billion hectares lost in last 50 years, more than size of India and China combined Ecosystems that provide for clean water, breathable air, fertile soil, pollination: 1/3 are in significant decline; 1/3 in danger (UN Millenium Ecosystem Assessment) We use about 1 1/4 Earths today. Soon it will be more. Jason Clay, VP of World Wildlife Fund, 2006

20 Water

21 Materials Why Industry Produces Waste

22 Inequity The Gap between rich and poor Income: Between 1975 and 2000, the poorest quartile saw their share of global income fall from 2.5% to 1.2% (WorldBank) Migration: about 50 million/yr migrate from rural to urban, often with little economic prospects; 500 million live in slums and shantytowns (collapse of perceived gap between social and environmental issues) Climate change represents the biggest threat to poor people in the 21st century Oxfam, 2007

23 Seeing Systems Sitting behind today s imbalances is the global industrial system - which has both produced great benefits through global trade, new technologies, and improved material living standards, but has also inculcated an imperative for never-ending expansion that exacerbates social and ecological imbalances through compounded growth that exacerbates those impacts with shocking speed

24 Us Nature Industrial Age Society 1910 The Necessary Revolution 2008

25 The Necessary Revolution 2008 Us Nature Industrial Age Society 1940

26 The Necessary Revolution 2008 Us Nature Industrial Age Society 1970

27 The Necessary Revolution 2008 Us Industrial Age Society Nature 2000

28 Life Beyond the Industrial Age Bubble HOW NEEDS ARE MET Industrial Age Society Us Fossil Fuels Maximize Global Production Huge Waste Maximize Income & Consumption Sun Local No Waste Nature Build Relationships and Develop as human beings 2015 The total human footprint today is the equivalent of 1.5 earths. Jason Clay, World Wildlife The Necessary Revolution 2008

29 Around the World an Awakening is Occurring Our pursuit of (material) well-being today may have its roots in a confusion. The ultimate meaning of living is the harmony between human being and the nature. To me, there is but one destiny for human being, either to be in harmony with the nature or to be destroyed with the earth. Member, CCCCP Central Committee Chinese Communist Party

30 Part of this awakening is a Global Renaissance in Education Recognizing the pivotal role of education in helping Industrial Age society evolve, new models for education are emerging around the world, with guiding ideas like: Social and emotional learning Social competencies Compassion & empathy education Educating the heart Mindfulness Emotional intelligence Ethics & moral development Grit Education for sustainability Eco-literacy Project-based learning Teaming and cooperative learning Design thinking Systems thinking Innovation academies Science as discovery Though inspiring, there is also the risk of fragmentation, and even inadvertent competition, as each idea and its advocates fight for attention

31 A Global Renaissance in Education One Core Idea Profound interconnectedness Two Levels of Change Transforming the classroom: learner-centric vs teacher centric Transforming school culture: school as learning community Three system awarenesses Self (mind-body system) the inner landscape Other (relationships, teams, groups, larger organizations) the social landscape Larger systems (ecology, economy, society) the collective landscape

32 A Global Renaissance in Education One Core Idea Profound interconnectedness Two Levels of Change Transforming the classroom: learner-centric vs teacher centric Transforming school culture: school as learning community Three system awarenesses Self (mind-body system) the inner landscape Other (relationships, teams, groups, larger organizations) the social landscape Larger systems (ecology, economy, society) the collective landscape Understanding inter-connectedness could be an integrating idea connecting the many education innovations unfolding today - students and adults engaged in understanding and caring for the three fundamental levels of systemic awareness D. Goleman and P. Senge, The Triple Focus

33 Systemic change in education requires shaping school cultures around building core leadership capacities at all levels (classroom, school, larger community) Core Capacities For Systems Leadership Aspiration Personal Vision Shared Vision Reflective Conversation Mental Models Dialogue Understanding Complexity Systems Thinking Systems Sensing (The Fifth Discipline, 2006)

34 Example: Video of three 6-year old boys and their mean words-hurt feelings reinforcing feedback loop to better understand why they are having fights on the playground (Systems Thinking Habit: Identifies the circular nature of complex cause and effect relationships ) (one of several videos on Waters Foundation home page: see first graders using systems thinking tools to solve an issue relating to ongoing playground conflicts )

35 Example of an emerging integrating pedagogy: The Habits of Systems Thinker RFP Circular Economy Conference October 2015 The circular economy is not (just)about corporate social responsibility or green strategies The circular model requires firms to come up with disruptive technology and business models that are based on longevity, renewability, reuse, repair, upgrade, refurbishment servitization, capacity sharing and dematerialization The Waters Foundation

36 An integrating pedagogy: The Habits of Systems Thinker Each Habit has associated tools, like: Behavior over time graphs Connection circles Reinforcing and balancing feedback loops The systems thinking iceberg The ladder of inference Stock & flow diagrams Dynamic simulation models The Waters Foundation