The SoL Flash Archive
Volume 9 - 2005
Volume 9 Issue 1
Volume 9 Issue 2
Volume 9 Issue 3
Volume 8 - 2004
Volume 8 Issue 1
Volume 8 Issue 2
Volume 8 Issue 3
Volume 8 Issue 4
Volume 8 Issue 5
Volume 8 Issue 6
Volume 7 - 2003
Volume 7 Issue 6
Volume 7 Issue 7
The next Flash will be published in late January 2006. Submit your updates and articles for inclusion to Rachel Dow by January 12, 2006.
The SoL Flash is a quarterly e-newsletter with pointers to important developments in the field of organizational learning as well as timely updates on SoL community news and events.
SoL Flash, Volume 9 Issue 4
November 2005
Dear Flash Readers,
I hope you will enjoy this issue of Flash. We're thrilled to feature information about our website's transformation, present materials from SoL's Second Global Forum, and welcome our newest organizational members, Boeing, US Department of Defense, and DTE Energy in this issue.
The next issue of Flash will be released in late January. Please send your updates and stories for inclusion to Rachel Dow by January 12, 2006.
Happy Holidays,
Rachel Dow
SoL Flash Editor
Table of Contents
Features
A New Look for SoL
SoL's Second Global Forum
SoL's Newest Organizational Members
Reflections - The SoL Journal
--Volume 6, Issue 6/7
Sustainability News
--Sustainability Consortium Meeting in October
--Fall 2005 Sustainability Consortium News Now Available
--SoL European Sustainability Group (ESG) - Upcoming Events
Upcoming Founding SoL Courses and Events
--NEW! Presencing: Collective Leadership for Profound Innovation and Change
--Foundations for Leadership - Spring 2006
Other Local SoL Community Updates and Events
--SoL Austria
--SoL Finland
--SoL France
--SoL Netherlands
--SoL-UK (London)
--SoL Jeans is up and running!
SoL Member Opportunities
--Member Access
--What is Enlightment? magazine subscription offer
--The Cynefin Centre - Learning Opportunities for SoL members
--Pegasus Conference - Save $400!
SoL Community News
--Accounting Manager - Full Time Job Opportunity at SoL
--Uganda Rural Development and Training (URDT) Annual Gathering
--Bill Torbert Presents...
--John Sterman wins 2005 IBM Faculty Award
--Voices from the Edge presents Dr. Elizabeth Debold
--3rd annual Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative (HNII) Fall Dialogue
--International Storytelling in Organisations Workshop
--LOPN, Learning Organisation Practitioners' Network, Singapore
--4th Annual Front End of Innovation - Call for Speakers
--Presentation Proposals Requested for EnvironDesign®
--The 2006 Systems Thinking and Dynamic Modeling Conference
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A New Look for SoL
SoL's website has a new look! We’re pleased to welcome you to our newly updated website and hope you’ll enjoy our improvements. We have reconfigured our site's navigation around a series of tabs in order to more accurately reflect the current focus of SoL's work and provide more background information to newcomers. Visit www.solonline.org/redesign for more information.
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SoL's Second Global Forum in Vienna, Austria
Over 400 consultants, researchers, educators, and practitioners gathered in Vienna, Austria during the week of 13 September to examine how innovation is a critical component of organizational or community life. Forum materials are available to participants at www.solonline.org/events/GlobalForum2005/. Select materials are available to the public and to SoL members who did not attend the Forum. To view the full list of events, please download the Global Forum program or visit the Global Forum website.
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SoL's Newest Organizational Members, The Boeing Company, US Department of Defense and DTE Energy
SoL's Council recently accepted applications from The Boeing Company and the US Department of Defense for organizational membership. We're pleased to welcome Boeing and the US Deparment of Defense, and look forward to cultivating mutually beneficial relationships.
SoL's Council is also pleased welcome DTE Energy back as an organizational member. SoL Members, read Reflections Volume 5 Issue 2 "Cultivating a Learning Economy: After Action Reviews Generate Ongoing Value for DTE Energy" to learn more about how DTE has worked with SoL consultants to use After Action Reveiws to accelerate learning.
Learn more about organizational membership at SoL.
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Volume 6, Number 6/7: Listening to Ordinary People
In this issue of Reflections we continue to explore the premise that the quality of our work is a function of our relationships and conversation - at both the local and global level. This issue is available only to Reflections subscribers and SoL members. If you are interested in subscribing, visit http://reflections.solonline.org.
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Sustainability Consortium Meeting in October
The SoL Sustainability Consortium concluded a very successful meeting hosted by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters in Waterbury VT, October 10-12, 2005. The meeting included representatives from Ford, Schlumberger, Nike, Unilever, UTC Power, Pratt & Whitney, King Arthur Flour, Plug Power, Ben and Jerry's, Cabot Creamery, DTE Energy, Harley Davidson, Seventh Generation, PV2, The Sustainability Institute and others.
Participants worked together on a wide range of initiatives, including:
- Global food production
- Social dimensions of sustainability
- Cultivating markets for sustainable products and services
- Linking value and values in supply networks
- Materials pooling
- Regenerative business strategies
- Changing the financial, political, and regulatory rules of the game
- Women leading sustainability
- An emerging energy project
- A new justice and community development initiative with Soros Foundation
The next members' meeting will be hosted by Visteon in Dearborn, MI, April 25-27 2006. Companies interested in attending the meeting or finding out more about the Sustainability Consortium should contact Consortium stewards Sara Schley at seedsara@aol.com or Joe Laur at joe.laur@seedsys.com.
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Fall Sustainability Consortium News Now Available
Read the latest news from SoL's Sustainability Consortium at www.solonline.org/repository/item?item_id=8897858.
Learn more about the consortium at www.solonline.org/public_pages/comm_SustainabilityConsortiumCore/
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SoL European Sustainability Group (ESG) - Upcoming Events
“Sustainability in Action” Workshop
February 2006, The Netherlands
May 2006, United Kingdom
This workshop is offered to practitioners in companies who want a learning event where they can bring some of their challenges and issues in working towards sustainability. Groups of three to five people from a single company can particularly benefit as they can share learning and practical work, and then be well-positioned to take action on return to their organisation. We also welcome some researchers and consultants, in balance with practitioners.
Our initial focus will be on awareness of sustainability models and learning principles. On day 2 we will look at participants' current challenges and problems, using the expertise of the whole group, and on the final day we shift to action and work in detail on what people plan to do and how they will do it.
A brochure for this program is available here: http://www.solonline.org/repository/file?item_id=8884879. For more information or to express interest please contact Penny Kennington at pennykennington@waitrose.com or Agota Ruzsa at +36 26356407 or sol@mail.euroweb.hu. More details are available on our web-site: www.solonline.org/public_pages/comm_EuropeanSustainabilityGroup/
Roadmaps Workshop
Hosted by Unilever - 1 December 2005 in London (date and location to be confirmed)
SoL ESG's Roadmaps Working Group has met twice now and is planning a third meeting to explore some of the learning tools most useful at particular stages of the sustainability journey. We will also be exploring and developing the roadmaps of the companies already involved (including Unilever, Shell and Royal Ahold). We would like to expand the number of organisations participating in this group, so if you are interested in coming to the December meeting, please get in touch with Penny Kennington at pennykennington@waitrose.co
Learn more about SoL ESG here.
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Upcoming Founding SoL Courses and Events
NEW! Presencing: Collective Leadership for Profound Innovation and Change
December 12-16, 2005, Boston Massachusetts area - THIS COURSE HAS A WAITING LIST
Summer 2006 - Dates to be announced. Europe
Fall 2006 - Dates to be announced. Boston, MA, USA area
Facilitators: Otto Scharmer, Beth Jandernoa, and Arawana Hayashi. Guest Faculty: Joseph Jaworski, Adam Kahane, and Peter Senge
This three and half day experiential workshop for leaders and teams at all levels introduces an individual and collective leadership methodology for sensing and facilitating profound change both within organizations and across societal systems. It is based on findings from interviews with 150 thought leaders in the areas of creativity, high performance, and leadership, as featured in the book Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future, by Peter Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers. This workshop is a great next step for Core Competencies Course and Foundations for Leadership graduates, however no prior experience with organizational learning is required.
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Foundations for Leadership
March 2006 - Dates to be announced. Boston, MA, USA area
Explore your own capacity for generative leadership in this 3-day program which emphasizes the core learning competency of a creative orientation and the discipline of personal mastery. You will spend significant time developing your personal vision, as well as the vision you desire for your organization. As you discover the profound connections between personal mastery and systems thinking, you'll build capacity for creating deep change in your own life and in our shared social systems.
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If you are interested in attending any of the courses above please contact Stacy Bougie or call her at +1-617-300-9560.
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Other Local SoL Community Updates and Events
SoL Austria - 5th Annual Meetingg
SoL Austria held its Fifth Annual Meeting on November 11, 2005. More information about this event can be found on SoL Austria's website.
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SoL Finland Conference - Innovations Through Learning Organizations
November 14-15, 2005
Dipoli Espoo, Finland
The SoL Finland Conference is an opportunity to gather together to explore the application of organizational learning principles in innovation; the possibilities and questions. Over 300 executives, team leaders, and specialists working in the fields of developing competence and leadership, will gather in Dipoli Espoo, Finland for this event.
Learn more about Innovations Through Learning Organizations.
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SoL France
A Learning Expedition to Team Academy in Finland
18 - 22 January 2006
SoL France is organizing a new Learning Expedition to Team Academy, from Wednesday 18th of January to Sunday 22nd of January. Would you like to join us?
Team Academy is the most innovative business school. Situated at Jyväskylä, 200 km north of Helsinki, Finland, Team Academy is a school of "team entrepreneurs" for 3.5 years, students learn how to live their dream and create new companies or activities. Main concepts are those of the learning organization; aspiration, conversation, coping with complexity and sustainability.
SoL Members, learn more about Team Academy by reading the article published in Reflections: The SoL Journal, "Creating the Job of Your Dreams: Reflections on a Visit to Team Academy"
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SoL Netherlands
On 15 November the SoL Netherlands organizes the Dutch Open (our yearly conference). This year the organizers choose to have the same theme as the Second SoL Global Forum, Innovation and Sustainability. More information is available at www.solonline.nl
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SoL UK
Learning Journey
17-19 November 2005
The Abbey, Sutton Courtenay UK
The SoL UK Learning Journey is a new and exciting opportunity for members and friends of SoL-UK to build a learning community together. The Learning Journey will act as a vehicle for individuals to share their challenges and success stories with peer learners and together explore how real learning communities are created and sustained. The event offers a variety of participatory activities. The participants will all bring their own questions and ideas, which will form the essence of the Journey - no answers are pre-determined. Click here to download the program brochure.
Further information contact Timo Karjalainen, at timo@learninghouse.biz or Penny Kennington, at pennykennington@waitrose.com
For more information on SoL-UK (London) activities or membership, please contact coordinator Eve Mitleton-Kelly at E.Mitleton-Kelly@lse.ac.uk or Ann Ward at annward.willow@care4free.net
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SoL Jeans is up and running!
During the 2nd SoL Global Forum in Vienna, a new SoL interest group was created. This playful creation of young hearted pioneers is called SoL Jeans. If you want to join or to know more, please send an email to Heather Worosz at hktworosz@yahoo.com, Danny Gal at dannygal@zahav.net.il, or Timo Karjalainen at timo@learninghouse.biz.
Learn more on the SoL Jeans webpage.
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Attention SoL Members!
Visit the Member Access page to learn about new web functionality for members only.
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Affiliate Relationship with WIE
We're pleased to announce our new affiliate relationship with the award-winning magazine What Is Enlightenment?, and invite you to take advantage of a special subscription offer.
WIE is making a special subscription offer to members of SoL: If you subscribe to the magazine before the end of the year, you will receive a free copy of its “Will Big Business Save the World?” issue, packed with articles and interviews of special interest to us. Click here to find out more about this offer and subscribe to the magazine.
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The Cynefin Centre - Learning Opportunities for SoL members
Dave Snowden, one of the keynote speakers at SoL's Global Forum in Vienna, is conducting workshops in London, Washington, and Sydney before the end of the year. The focus is on understanding and applying the narrative and sense making tools and processes that Cynefin has developed to assist in managing complex issues. The workshops will include the application of the tools to organisational learning and culture.
SoL Australia is an education and training partner with Cynefin, and will be establishing an electronic community of practice for those SoL members who attend the training and are interested in exploring how their existing organisational learning and culture change frameworks and methods integrate with the Cynefin approach.
A 10% discount is available to all members of SoL. For further information http://www.cynefin.net/events.php or contact viv.read@solaustralia.org
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15th Annual Pegasus Conference
"Embracing Interdependence: Effective and Responsible Action in our Organizations and the World"
November 14-16, 2005 in San Francisco, California
Several SoL members will be among the key contributors to the conference program this year:
- In his keynote, Ford Sr. VP and CIO Marv Adams will discuss how he and his team are applying the theories of complex living systems to lead the company's IT group in its transformational journey to become an adaptive organization.
- Jeff Clanon and Jon Vogen will lead a forum focused on the SoL Applied Learning Process as a way to weave learning into the fabric of large organizations while helping practitioners identify the key business questions and assumptions at a project's core.
- Fred Vail of Saudi Aramco and Michael Goodman of Innovation Associates will report on Aramco's experience with balancing “high-tech” and “high touch” solutions when building personal relationships and capacity for collaborative problem solving in the implementation of effective communities of practice.
Other keynotes include: Mary Catherine Bateson, renowned author and cultural anthropologist; Rose van Thater-Braan, cofounder of the Native Science Academy; and Daniel Kim, noted author and systems thinker. Peter Senge will open the conference with a special video presentation.
SoL members may use priority code SOLSTA05 to register for $1295 (a savings of $300 off the full registration rate). For more information or to register call 1-781-398-9700, or download a full brochure at http://www.pegasuscom.com/stapage.html
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Council Update
SoL's Council met on November 8 and 9. The Council requested that Sherry Immediato, SoL's managing director, send a report on 2005 activities to SoL members in early 2006.
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Upcoming Meetings
Council and Liaison Officer meeting dates are available on our calendar.
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New Members Approved by Council 11/8/05
We're pleased to welcome the following Consultant and Research members.
Research member:
David L. Lindahl, Fairport, NY
Consultant members:
Christelle Estrada, PhD., Salt Lake City, UT
Roosevelt Finlayson, Nassau, BAHAMAS
Mary Lang, Torrance, CA
Elena Pell, Sarasota, FL
Karen Proctor, Portland, OR
Andrew Tait, Alexandria, VA
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SoL Community News
Accounting Manager - Full Time Job Opportunity at SoL
SoL is looking for an Accounting Manager with 4 to 6 years of experience to manage the day-to-day operations of our Finance Department. The candidate must have excellent multi-tasking skills and have a full understanding of the accounting cycle and financial reporting. Read the full job description.
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Uganda Rural Development and Training (URDT) Annual Gathering
November 17, 2005
SoL Member Bryan Smith writes: Warm Greetings, dear friends and supporters of the Uganda Rural Development and Training (URDT) Programme.
Our annual gathering to celebrate and advance the URDT'S exciting work in rural Uganda will be Thursday, November 17, 6-9 p.m. at the home of Martha and Don Dolben, 1060 Lowell Road, Concord, MA 01742 (978) 371-3122. Supper will be served.
Four of the five board members of the African Food and Peace Foundation have just visited URDT in Kagadi, bringing back stories, photos and music. At this event, Bryan Smith and Sue Simington will be us from Toronto to join Martha Dolben in sharing news from our visits.
This evening will be a learning event for all of us. The AFPF Board is developing our communications about the URDT story; and we will be inviting your questions and feedback on our presentation to help us improve it.
Please RSVP to Martha Dolben mpdolben@comcast.net or 978-371-3122. For directions, please provide your e-mail address.
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Bill Torbert presents…
With the recent publication of “Seven Transformations of Leadership” in the April 2005 Harvard Business Review Reprint # R0504D, Bill Torbert and his associates have created two 3-day workshops. One, called Transforming Leadership, which occurred in Boston, on October 28-30, and authorized executive coaches, consultants, internal h.r. or o.d. personnel, or academics to use the Leadership Development Profile with their clients.
The second, called Leading Organizational Transformation, next occurs in Boston, June 12-14, 2006, and is aimed at for-profit, not-for-profit, or government executives and intact teams or multiple members from a single organization (this workshop is also offered in customized form to single organizations). For more complete information and fees, please contact Anne Starr at anne.starr@verizon.net, or 617-666-9627. Learn more about Bill and his work on his webpage http://www2.bc.edu/~torbert/
SoL Members, learn how you can get a 20% discount on Bill's latest book, "Action Inquiry: The Secret of Timely and Transforming Leadership" on the Special Offers page in Member Access
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John Sterman wins 2005 IBM Faculty Award 
John Sterman, Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management and Engineering Systems and Director of the Systems Dynamics Group at MIT, has won a 2005 IBM Faculty Award. IBM Faculty Awards are competitive, cash awards granted annually on a global basis. Candidates must have an outstanding reputation for contributions in their field. The award recognizes the quality of the winner's research program and its importance to industry.
Congratulations John! More on John Sterman's award.
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Voices from the Edge presents: "Where are the Women?" - an evening talk by Dr. Elizabeth Debold
Tuesday, November 15, 7:30pm
Admission: $15 online, $20 at the door, $7 students (includes reception)
Please join us for this groundbreaking Voices from the Edge talk featuring Dr. Elizabeth Debold , co-author of the best-selling Mother Daughter Revolution and a founding member of the Harvard Project on Women's Psychology and Girls' Development, which was directed by Dr. Carol Gilligan. >>More
Read Debold's article Where are the Women? featured in What is Enlightenment? magazine
Click here to reserve your tickets online
reservations@38cameron.com
617.492.4091
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3rd annual Harvard Negotiation Insight Initiative (HNII) Fall Dialogue
Wisdom for a World in Conflict: an Evening with Kenneth Cloke and Tara Brach
Moderated by HNII Founder and Director Erica Ariel Fox
Thursday, November 17, 2005. 7:30pm
Austin Hall West at Harvard Law School
This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. A book signing by both speakers/authors will follow the dialogue. Please RSVP to cmartin@law.harvard.edu or 617.495.7711 if you plan to attend. Visit www.pon.harvard.edu/hnii for more information.
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International Storytelling in Organisations Workshop - submitted by Barbara Nussbaum
13 - 18 November 2005
Wits Business School in Johannesburg, South Africa
Attend the International Storytelling in Organisations Workshop convened by Wits Business School in Johannesburg, South Africa, from the 13th to the 18th of November 2005, and develop your spiritual leadership skills. Participants are guaranteed to grow in confidence, feel one foot taller and become a lot more powerful. Learn more at http://www.barbaranussbaum.com/news.htm
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LOPN, Learning Organisation Practitioners' Network, Singapore - submitted by Sheila Damodaran
www.lopn.net
LOPN (Learning Organisation Practitioners' Network) is a growing network of organizational learning practitioners in Singapore.
Modeled on SoL, this voluntary effort opened in September 2002 and is composed of practitioners from public, private, and non-private sectors. The network provides these practitioners the opportunity to share experiences and best practices and helps each practitioner to deepen their practices. Learn more about LOPN at: www.lopn.net or contact Local SoL Community Member Sheila Damodaran at Sheila_DAMODARAN@spf.gov.sg .
Sheila writes: Many organizations are in the midst of embarking on their corporate planning programmes, a time when the system pauses to reflect and appreciate where they are before taking the next steps forward as an organization. We hope that wherever you are, you can find your own ways to support your organization in this effort with the tools that you know. I had a unique opportunity to be a part of a team that was invited to Botswana in a state-wide retreat involving the Ministries and Parliament Members in formulating their strategic priorities. It was heartening to see the amazing convergence such efforts have in building sustainability programmes that these tools are so truly intended for.
We are happy to bring you the November 2005 issue of the LOPN NewsFlash.
Upcoming LOPN Core Comptency Workshops
There are two core competency workshops, one in Dec 05 and the other in Jan 06 and both are advanced levels open to persons who have completed at least Level 1 series of the LOPN Core Competency workshops. If you have completed the prerequisites, you can expect to receive an invitation from Delun Shen for these advanced workshops. We look forward to seeing you there. More details here: http://www.lopn.net/NewsFlash.html
Contact Sheila at Sheila_DAMODARAN@spf.gov.sg
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4th Annual Front End of Innovation - Call for Speakers - submitted by Sabina Gargiulo
Submit your proposal by November 23, 2005
May 22-24, 2006, Seaport Boston Hotel & Adjacent World Trade Center
The Institute for International Research (IIR) and the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) are currently seeking presenters for our 4th Annual Front End of Innovation conference. This 3-day event will take place May 22-24, 2006 at the Seaport Boston Hotel & Adjacent World Trade Center .
We invite you to submit a proposal for a speaking opportunity directly to Sabina Gargiulo, Senior Conference Producer for the PDMA, by Wednesday, November 23rd at the very latest. Send to sgargiulo@iirusa.com or call 212-661-3500, ext. 3032.
We are currently recruiting corporate practitioners that can share Best Practices through results driven case studies on what has worked (and what hasn't worked) in their organizations. We have a limited number of slots available for solution providers/consultants. These people who wish to become part of the program should contact Deborah Hatcher, Business Development Manager, at 212-661-3500, ext. 3188 or e-mail dhatcher@iirusa.com. Sessions will be 45 minutes including Q&A.
For more information visit www.iirusa.com/frontend/
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Presentation Proposals Requested for EnvironDesign® 10 - Submission Deadline Extended to November 18, 2005
EnvironDesign is currently accepting presentation proposals for EnvironDesign10, which is scheduled for April 25 to 27, 2006, in Toronto, Canada. If you are interested in presenting at this event, please complete the form online at www.environdesign.com/presentationform by November 18, 2005. You may also download a pdf version if you wish to submit your proposal by fax or mail. Click here to download the form.
If you have any questions, please call John Hendel at (952) 224-8540 or email him at john@environdesign.com
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The 2006 Systems Thinking and Dynamic Modeling Conference
June 24 - 26, 2005
The Conference Center at Marlboro
Marlboro, Massachusetts USA
Since 1996, The Creative Learning Exchange has hosted a biennial conference to explore systems thinking and dynamic modeling in K-12 education.
This conference provides resources and an opportunity for educators and interested citizens to explore what is current and possible in K-12 systems education. It is designed to involve experienced individuals as well as novices. Many fields are represented; participants include teachers, administrators, curriculum coordinators, citizen advocates, and business partners for schools.
Our goal is to help students/future employees be self-motivated and have the critical thinking skills necessary to look at dynamic systems in an increasingly complex technological society.
Presenters at a typical CLE conference include:
- Teachers and administrators actively involved in systems education across the country and internationally
- Internationally known speakers and professors in the field of systems thinking and system dynamics
Download the brochure for more information or visit the registration site. Please contact Andi Miller at the Creative Learning Exchange with any questions.
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Thank You for Reading the SoL Flash
Please send comments or questions to Rachel Dow
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