COMPLEXITY & THE PRACTICE OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY

BRUCE WALTUCK, M.A., C, C, & C, RHB

Revised May 2017

THE 2 QS

•What two questions are every person trying to answer at every moment of their lives?

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OFSCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY?

•How did you reach this understanding?

•Do others agree with your understanding?

•What explains the differences in responses?

WHAT ARE THE SYSTEMS YOU INTERACT WITH, OR THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF,

THAT OTHERS ARE INTERACTING WITH?

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICSOF THESE SYSTEMS?

WHAT IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE YOU FACE IN YOUR WORK?

SENSEMAKING FRAMEWORKS: CYNEFIN

• SIMPLE/OBVIOUS

• COMPLICATED

• COMPLEX

• CHAOTTIC

• UNORDERED

MORE ON CYNEFIN: STRUCTURES & FLOWS

Where do knowledge and power reside in these systems?

THAT LITTLE SHAPE AT THE BOTTOM

• COMPLACENCY

• ROBUSTNESS

• RESILIENCE

• OOPSIE

SENSEMAKING

• Patterns

• Coherence

• Distribution

• Structure

• Flows

• Connections

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS• Autonomous Agents

• Interconnected

• Dynamical

• Emergent

• Self-Organizing

• Non-Linear

• Causality Known Retrospectively

HOW DOES WHAT YOU FEEL, LEARN, UNDERSTAND, AND CAN EXPLORE INFLUENCE

WHAT YOU DO?

• The TWO 'TIONS

• ATTENTION

• INTENTION

HOW'M I DOIN'?

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY "EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE" IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH?

• What do we mean by "Evidence?"

• Which comes first- theory or data?

• How do we assure "fidelity to the EBP" in actual practice in the field?

EVALUATING PROGRAMS, POLICIES, & RESULTS

• TRADITIONAL METHODS

• Summative

• Formative

• COMPLEXITY-INFORMED METHODS

• Developmemtal

DEVELOPMENTAL EVALUATION

EBP & PBE

THE SINGLE BIGGEST MISTAKE

THE PERSISTENT, PERNICIOUSPRESUMPTION

OTHER TOOLS: STACEY MATRIX

OTHER TOOLS: KNOWLES' 3 X 3 PROCESS

CARL ROGERS GOT IT (FROM "THE ART OF FACILITATION" BY DALE HUNTER)

• Free of desire to impose ready-made truths or control outcome

• Respectful hearing of all attitudes and feelings

• Members of a group free to choose collectively & individually, their own processes & work towards their own goals

SEYMOUR GOT IT TOO

• "We are imperfect people in an imperfect world" (pg 361)

• "We expect there will be discernible variation" (in results of schooling)

• [our classrooms are] "far from being chaotic" [respecting where and what students are] (pg 364)

• "Power transfers to students and teachers" (pg 369)

• "If we started over would we deaign the same thing?" (Pg 367)

• CHANGE THE ASKER-ANSWERER RELATIONSHIP (pg 367)

• TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND PARENTS COOPERATIVELY PLANNED AND IMPLEMENTED ACTION FOR CHANGE (pg 368)

SEYMOUR REALLY GOT IT!

Sarason notes how he was influenced by his studies with anthropologist Tom Gladwin. . .

"WHO TAUGHT ME A GREAT DEAL ABOUT CULTURE AND THE COMPLEXITIES ENGENDERED BY TRYING TO CHANGE IT."

… Footnote pg374

AND SO. . .

• We must approach the work of change through the "new lens" of complexity

• Work with others in collaborative dialogue

• STOP the "As If.." Thinking & Behavior. Do not treat truly complex as if technical/complicated

• Recognize there is no "single best" solution

• Recognize no expert has a solution

• Try multiple "safe to fail" experiments of promising ideas & learn as you go

RESOURCES

• A Leader's Framework for Decision-Making, Dave Snowden & Mary Boone. Harvard Business Review 2007

• A Simpler Way, Margaret Wheatley & Myron Kellner-Rogers, Berrett-Kohler

• The Middle Way, article by Tim Dalmau and Jill Tideman

• The Art of Facilitation, by Dale Hunter

• The Practice of Adaptive Leadership, by Ron Heifetz, Marty Linsky, and Alexander Grashow

• The Leadership Dance, by Richard Knowles

• Facilitating Organization Change, by Glenda Eoyang and Ed Olson

• Changing Conversations in Organizations, by Patricia Shaw

• =>Developmental Evaluation, by Michael Quinn Patton

• The Future, Backwards, methodology, Cognitive Edge website

• The World According to FLUX, Bruce Waltuck & Denise Easton, Journal of Quality and Participation

THANK YOU!

BRUCE WALTUCKM.A., COMPLEXITY, CHAOS & CREATIVITY

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