One of the criteria for second-order change is, incongruent with personal values. I have only read up to chapter 2 so I am hoping that this element will be further discussed. I would like to have an example of what this would look like in the education system. I feel that if something is incongruent with my personal values I am going to have a difficult time wanting to be a part of it.
Wow, good point, Elva! I guess they're saying that personal values are going to need major re-working (rather than dismissal) in the process of implementing 2nd-order change.... However, I am concerned with whose values are going to be priviledged in the process. When Mr. Duncan uses the military as a model, i get a little nervous... plus, a lot of what I've read in the first two chapters seems to represent business partnerships. I guess I get a little wary when the military and corporations are alluded to as possible models for public education.
... at the same time, though, I can't help making a personal connection to this topic. I know that allowing my partner and myself to get legally married would be "incongruent" with many people's "personal values" -- particularly those who are brought up in certain faith traditions or religions -- because we are both women. It might take a lot of re-framing the issue (in this case, in terms of legality, economics, civil liberties, etc... or maybe by asking them to consider when they "chose" to be straight) in order for people to see that their personal values can evolve to encompass a second-order change, and to see it as the "right thing". So maybe it's about evolution rather than destruction? I, too, have trouble conjurring up an example of what this would look like in the field of education, though. [Note: I hope I haven't over-stepped or over-shared on this post, I just know that my students learn best when they make connections back to their own lives, so I figured I do, too!]
Maybe an example in education would be for a teacher to always feel like they had to be the center of attention, leading discussion to change to a more student centered approach (like Socratic method or something). Oh, here's another good one...a teacher I first started teaching thought that if half the class didn't fail his class, then it wasn't dfficult enough! I think that one needed to be changed!
When I read it I was really thinking about those teachers who are very much old school and who strongly believe that books can never be replace by a reading online. I feel that many of us have our own way of learning and as we evolve with technology and ways of teaching in our 21st century, well we simply need to be open for changes in many of our own personal values need to be put aside.
Buy-in is a very important component for any program to have success. Programs such as 1:1 Computing are very exciting but I believe they will require us to redefine "education". And, the goals of 1:1 Computing and the emphasis on learning to learn are not congruent with many of our current teaching and assessment practices. It will be interesting to see how we work through this.