Services

Our children will be facing huge, intertwined, and immensely complex problems, many of which can threaten the survival of humanity. Present emphases in education do not even come close to preparing our children for such an uncertain future. But, our children will be the one's to face the brunt of these problems and will have to work with others to find ways to address them. And, there are going to be NO easy fixes. Technology is not going to come to the rescue, although technology may (or may not) help in some situations.

Our children need an education that will help them think differently and in ways that will not lead to the same kinds of situations that have gotten us into our present and future predicaments. They will need to draw on the valuable ways of thinking in the natural sciences, the social science, literature, the arts, and mathematics. They also need ways of dealing with emotions and increased levels of stress, so that they can maintain a positive state of mind and think clearly about the problems they'll face. They also will need to learn how to work with other people across differences in culture, religion, and social norms.

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What I Can Do for You

In all cases, I am interested in assisting with efforts to transform teaching, classrooms, schools, communities, and other learning contexts to address present and future challenges. By contrast, current "reform" efforts are stuck in systemic pathological patterns. Transformative efforts, on the other hand, look beyond these stuck patterns for ways to create systems that function well (i.e., that avoid the traps of double binds, that work at developing responsive relationships, and that work at developing and maintaining democratic communities of shared power and control).

Research

I conduct research into various scales and dimensions of systems and sets of systems. Such research can focus on the functions and dynamics of relationships and communities (such as in schools and classrooms or other settings), the dynamics of thinking and learning in individuals and groups, teaching dynamics, or the dynamics of other social systems.

Design

I can assist with the design of new programs and facilities that focus on trying to optimize particular aspects of systems, relationships, communities, environments, and so forth. I also can assist with the development of curriculums that emphasize learning for complexity, ecological sustainability, and systems thinking. Keep in mind that curriculum has to be situated with the people (students, teachers, and others in the community) involved and in the social and ecological contexts in which the school is located. In addition, the students and teachers need to be involved in the creation of the curriculum. So, my roles include those of support, guide, facilitator, instigator, etc.

Professional Development

I can work with groups of teachers, administrators, parents, and/or children in extending learning and skill development in a variety of areas including:

  • ecology
  • science education
  • transdisciplinary (integrated) approaches (authentically integrated, rather than as some imposed "fit")
  • classrooms as communities (including working with the development of relationships as opposed to behavioristic and managerial approaches)
  • systems thinking
  • pattern thinking
  • teaching about systems and patterns
  • authentic inquiry (how to engage children in questioning, designing investigations, analyzing data, interpreting results, and communicating their understandings in a variety of ways… in writing, visually, dramatically, musically, etc.).
  • field-based inquiries (focused field studies over various periods of time)
  • teaching as and about (Bateson's) ecology of mind (including double binds, epistemology, relationship, beauty-aesthetics, pattern, cybernetics, difference, changeability, context, perception, map is not the territory, etc.)
  • many other topics are possible.

Seminars

Workshops

Keynote Addresses


I can help with:

  • enhancing skill sets.
  • transdisciplinary content knowledge.
  • approaches to transdisciplinary and systems teaching.
  • approaches to teaching that foster relationships and caring, democratic communities.
  • approaches to meaningful and authentic inquiry, problem-based, and project-based teaching.
  • planning and "meta-planning" — curricular, field-based approaches, project-based approaches, inquiry-based approaches.
  • planning — for deep meaningful understanding, for systems thinking, for pattern thinking, etc.
  • designing or redesigning programs and facilities to address new emphases.
  • facilitating innovation.

Expanded Services

For some services or by your request, I can arrange for other colleagues from the International Bateson Institute and other organizations to collaborate on workshops, seminars, or other events. Please inquire about such expanded services.

BIG problems? My associates and I can conduct "Transcontextual Warm Data Labs" with your organization in order to examine at the big picture of interacting systems that contribute to problems and issues. Such Labs can provide important information that may lead to possible approaches to addressing problems and issues.


What I Will Not Do

I am not interested in perpetuating the status quo, promoting approaches that do not help children and young adults learn and develop in ways that are in their best interests, or encouraging practices that I feel are inappropriate for a variety of reasons. I am not interested in supporting current practices associated with the Common Core or the Next Generation Science Standards. I am not interested in practices directed at teaching to tests or at testing as a means of assessment.


For Whom

Depending on what is needed I can work with different groups and combinations of people, including:

  • K—12 Teachers
  • University Faculty
  • University Undergraduate and Graduate Students
  • Parent Groups
  • Homeschooling Parent Groups
  • General Public with interests in pattern thinking, systems thinking, community development, education, and so forth
  • Groups interested in complex systems, Gregory Bateson's work (including workshops focused on Nora Bateson's film, Ecology of Mind: A Daughter's Portrait of Gregory Bateson)

Costs

Costs vary with the services provided. Please call to discuss specific and special rates.

However, the daily rate generally is $1,000 ($125/hour), plus expenses, such as travel, supplies, etc.

Preparation time, analysis time, and other time outside of the onsite visit may add to the costs.

See "Scheduling" below for further information.


Scheduling

Please schedule services as far in advance as possible. However, short term projects and talks tend to be easier to schedule.

Preferred format for work with teacher development is over a long period of time. An initial day or two of in-person work group meetings can be followed by periodic meetings in person, in online forums, on Skype, or through some combination of these options. Costs for online work will vary with the number of people, the expected workload, the needs of the group, etc.


INDEX of Additional Information


©2015 Jeffrey W. Bloom

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