Peter E. Pflaum - Golden Globe -

The Synergy Network

ftp://ftp.wiredbrain.com/wiredbrain/documents// wiredbrain@webname.com

TO: List

RE: General Systems

In 1967 I introduced general systems to the educational business

at MIT/Slone and HGSE conference we organized. (also ABT Assoc.

did a original model of the Title I, for the evaluation of the

new federal programs in education designed by Keppel) Since then

I have tried to understand and teach general systems at the

Universities of Wisconsin, Cal. State Long Beach, and else where.

There are a few understanding that have developed over the years,

I like to get your comments.

In general system there is a tendency toward balance as in an

ecological systems. It is not a machine or electrical engineering

problem but more like a medical or biological and environmental

framework. Health is defined as balance. Evolution has a mission

- in very general terms, and the species have niches and roles.

Edward O. Wilson in Sociobiology discusses these as groves or

patterns that create tendencies. Demning discusses it in terms of

general systems (overall functions) and specific systems -

individual roles. In education it is the difference between

assessment and testing. Assessment looks a systems

characteristics while testing checks the individuals.

This is the difference between the forest and the trees. This is

the difference between command and control and leadership. A

relationship with the organic function of a general system is

necessary to really understand and fix the problem. This is the

central problem of teaching systems. People want to engineer a

solution before they grasp the structural and functional and

ideological relationships in open and dynamic systems.

Therefore

the use of Zen to introduce the idea of Quality, and other

attention getting devices to raise the conscieness of the

totality of interactions. Everything relates to everything else.

The whole is more than its parts.

Like living systems, organizations and institutions interact in

dynamic ways with the environment. Schools exist in a natural

and social situtions that include T.V., crime, public attitudes,

the business climate, our trade relationships, political actions,

religious beliefs, etc. etc. all these impact on schools. Within

this vast complexity we can identify central themes and missions.

We must maintain focus among all the noise.

The quality of human

interaction is the central theme. Are the relationships genuine

and sincere? Are the actions of the organization based on

principals tied to the organic mission of the system? Leaders

relate to these themes and communally shared illusions. Since

human action depends of a level of belief, faith, trust and hope

it is partly an illusion. It is a necessary illusion.

Therefore

leaders must be in the world but not of it, understand the

illusions or myths at underline human action but also be

independent of group think and passions of the times.

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Peter E. Pflaum Ph.D. GLOBAL_VILLAGE_SCHOOLHOUSE

225 Robinson Road, New Smyrna Beach * IN THE WORLD -

FL 32169-2176 (904) 428-1355 * BUT NOT OF THE WORLD

Pflaump@wiredbrain.com * ACTIVE - COOPERATIVE -

Pflaump@wiredbrain.com * SMALL SCHOOLS JOURNALS

Pflaump@prodigy.net, wiredbrain@webname.com,

ZEN IS THE ART OF GETTING YOURSELF OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

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