Schools That Learn: A Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for Educators, Parents, and Everyone Who Cares About Education

by Peter M. Senge

"A rich, much-needed remedy for the standardized institutions that comprise too much of our school system today... ideal for teachers and parents intent on resurrecting and fostering students' inherent drive to learn...An essential resource."
-Daniel H. Pink, author of DRIVE and A WHOLE NEW MIND
"Schools that Learn is a magnificent, grand book that pays equal attention to the small and the big picture - and what's more integrates them. There is no book on education change that comes close to Senge et al's sweeping and detailed treatment. Classroom, school, community, systems, citizenry---it's all there. The core message is stirring: what if we viewed schools as a means of shifting society for the better!"
-Michael Fullan, author of "Change Leader" and "Learning Places"
A new edition of the groundbreaking book that brings organizational learning and systems thinking into classrooms and schools, showing how to keep our nation's educational system competitive in today's world.
Revised and updated - with more than 100 pages of new material - for the first time since its initial publication in 2000 comes a new edition of the seminal work acclaimed as one of the best books ever written about education and schools.""
"
A" unique collaboration between the celebrated management thinker and "Fifth Discipline" author Peter Senge and a team of renowned educators and organizational change leaders, "Schools that Learn" describes how schools can adapt, grow, and change in the face of the demands and challenges of our society, and provides tools, techniques and references for bringing those aspirations to life.
The new revised and updated edition offers practical advice for overcoming the many challenges that face our communities and educational systems today. It shows teachers, administrators, students, parents and community members how to successfully use principles of organizational learning, including systems thinking and shared vision, to address the challenges that face our nation's schools. In a fast-changing world where school populations are increasingly diverse, children live in ever-more-complex social and media environments, standardized tests are applied as overly simplistic "quick fixes," and advances in science and technology continue to accelerate, the pressures on our educational system are inescapable. "Schools That Learn" offers a much-needed way to open dialogue about these problems - and provides pragmatic opportunities to transform school systems into learning organizations.
Drawing on observations and advice from more than 70 writers and experts on schools and education, this book features:
-Methods for implementing organizational learning and explanations of why they work
-Compelling stories and anecdotes from the "field" - classrooms, schools, and communities
-Charts, tables and diagrams to illustrate systems thinking and other practices
-Guiding principles for how to apply innovative practices in all types of school systems
-Individual exercises useful for both teachers and students
-Team exercises to foster communication within the classroom, school, or community group
-New essays on topics like educating for sustainability, systems thinking in the classroom, and "the great game of high school."
-New recommendations for related books, articles, videotapes and web sites
-And more
"
Schools That Learn" is "the" essential guide for anyone who cares about the future of education and keeping our nation's schools competitive in our fast-changing world.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, Leadership, School, Grad School, Parenting

598 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 2011

About the author

Peter M. Senge is a senior lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is also founding chair of the Society for Organizational Learning (SoL), a global community of corporations, researchers, and consultants dedicated to the "interdependent development of people and their institutions."
--from the author's website

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Outside of the fact that this book constantly insults teachers' intelligence and abilities, the book also continues to focus on issues that have been identified - especially in the last 11 years since the book's last edition - without providing suggestions for solutions. Stating that assessment can be changed with a deep mind shift by "students, teachers, and parents" without acknowledging the political and governmental landscape that is forcing standardized testing and inaccurate comparisons on school is irresponsible. While there are some good concepts in this book to study, the detached from the classroom approach, blaming mentality and overall preachiness of the book make it difficult to read.

[Steve Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great working model for just about everything as all things are really systems. Leaders (those who direct systems) need to read this book. Educators definitely need to understand the ways their actions affect the learning systems.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that I come back to when I want a lift in my education reading. A must for every teacher, administrator, and parent.
It has multiple stickies, and highlighters.

[Rebecca Epting · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a ton of great, thought-provoking information about systems thinking and schools. There are so many places where items in this book can be utilized by teachers to create opportunities for deeper learning in the classroom. The book is organized so you can easily read small bits and pieces without diving into the entire book at once.

[Jesus A Uriarte · Rating 4 out of 5]

insightful and well-researched educational facts supported by examples

Even though it is a little too dense and wordy at times, the book presents insightful and well-researched educational facts supported by examples.

[Melissa Mannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the Five learning disciplines and how educators can use systems thinking to create successful schools.

[David Koogler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Senge applies the 5 disciplines to schools.

[June Gothberg (Dr. G) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for any educational leader.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good resource overall. There are some good ideas and clear plans for implementation.

[Burçak Temel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eğitime Sistem Düşüncesi ile bakmak, uygulamalar yapmak keyif verici. Eğitim sektöründeki meslektaşlarıma tavsiye ederim.

[Alicia Weaver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Required read for a college class

[Gopal khatri · Rating 5 out of 5]

School that learn : We that learn together

[Steve Arntz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been an incredibly powerful book for changing the way that I think about my responsibility in education. The book really opened my eyes to the complexity of the public education system and the importance of us understanding our role(s) within that system. Simply doing "your job" is not enough - we must understand how our role fits in with other roles and work together to develop coordinated solutions to the complex problems we face. I also came away with an even strong belief that education is a moral imperative. With all of the focus these days on career pathways and "return on education" we must not lose focus on the "whole student". Fantastic primer on Fifth Discipline principles and excellent introduction to the complexities of the public education system. This will be a reference I cherish for years to come.

[Bonni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not designed to be read cover-to-cover, the way that I read it. I'm teaching a doctoral class in a program that is designed around systems thinking. Students will read the book throughout the program, as they explore ways to incorporate systems thinking into their work and communities. I would recommend that anyone exploring systems thinking in education start by reading the introductory chapters, and then skim, according to interest. It was a long read to go through in order, though is a robust set of tools and stories that I no doubt will revisit time and time again in the future.

[Marci · Rating 1 out of 5]

Whoa! I chose this meaty book for a book study @ work. Those that know me, I am not inclined to reading much non-fiction cover to cover. But hey -- free book & getting paid for book club meetings. Not a bad deal.

[Anna Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a wealth of knowledge in this book - everything from how to better communicate on the job to how to build a learning organization to how to re-envision our schools with a living metaphor, schools that learn and grow, as opposed to a machine metaphor, schools that produce.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did my first "smarty-pants" presentation for my Masters in Education Administration using a chapter out of this book. It was on systemic thinking. See? Smarty-pants.

In all seriousness, this is a very progressive book on school leadership. Quite heady at times.

[Guida Al·lès · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un llibre sobre els factors que fan que un centre, una aula o un docent avancin. Escrit per diversos autors, coordinat per Peter Senge. L´he trobat un poc massa general. Pot ser útil per estudiants de magisteri.

[Witjestom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over veranderingsmanagment zijn heel wat boeken geschreven heb ik begrepen, ieder met zijn eigen aanpak en visie. ik denk dat de visie van Peter Senge heel goed in het onderwijs past. Door dit boek ben ik heel wat andere boeken gaan lezen die ook op de digitale plank staan.

[Erika]

A book that focuses specifically on community, schools and education, to help reclaim schools in economically depressed districts.

[Jeff Noble]

The Fifth Discipline by Peter M. Senge (?)

[Sergio F. Sosa Sanchez]

Conceptos de aprendizaje aplicables a instituciones educativas y organizaciones...un libro esencial para toda persona involucrada con el aprendizaje.

[Dharmabum]

The start has been delightful. I am not going in sequence. Post the introduction, I have moved to Page 100 - about the classroom.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for anyone wanting to make a change at their school...for K-12 but could be applied to the college level as well.

[Kara Lewis]

i consistently use this book as a resource for research papers. I am a Senge disciple.

[ByTheFire · Rating 4 out of 5]

great writing, easy to pick up at any point and find something- some nugget of information and inspiration-

[Simona Dreca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alcuni Spunti interessanti sull'educazione emotiva e sociale e la sua utilità. Avrei preferito contenesse maggiori elementi empirici.