Senge, You Never Disappoint!

Everything that I have ever read by Peter Senge http://www.infed.org/thinkers/senge.htm has been enlightening. I enjoy his views of the world, that living and learning are inseparable, where there are no boundaries between work, school, learning and life. Senge does not look at school as walled in building but as a whole society. Just imagine a whole learning society! I decided to check out what he has to say about communication and was instantly drawn to his 592 page book called, SCHOOL THAT LEARN: A FIFTH DISCIPLINE FIELD GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS, PARENTS, AND EVERYONE WHO CARES ABOUT EDUCATION (2000). A mouth full and full of great information about learning.
Senge takes the same view as the Dufours http://www.allthingsplc.info/and focuses his energies on learning and not on the practice of teaching. Many of his communication ideas are similar Rob Garmston's http://www.cognitivecoaching.com/rgarmston.htmmethod, but Senge writes about them in a much more emotional and "less academic" way. The five disiciplines are:
Personal Mastery: Your personal vision and the results you want to create in your life.
Shared Vision: Mutual purpose and commitment to shared images.
Mental Models: Reflect and inquiry focused around our attitudes and perceptions
Team Learning: Using dialogue groups transform collective thinking, to mobilize energies.
Systems Thinking: Learn to better understand change and interdependency
Using these disciplines Senge's goal is the re-create schools for our children that are relevant to now. (Yes, I could say to the 21st Century, but felt that we are here, NOW)
Some ideas about communication from this book:
In his chapter about Mental Models, Senge is asking that we attend to our perceptions and to become more aware of our thinking. Two methods to assist us in viewing our mental models are reflection and inquiry. The ladder of inference introduces the ideas about how we create our own perceptions and assumptions.

Here is our ladder: Start at the bottom!
7. I take action based on my beliefs

6. I adopt beliefs about the world

5. I draw conclusions

4. I make assumptions

3. I add meaning: cultural and personal

2. I select: "data" from what I observe

1. Observe "data" and experiences

Clear real life examples are shared in the book to make this all more real. What a great short PD idea to share with teachers and students.
I remember a high school teacher saying to me that she would never teacher elementary school because the children are young and so impressionable and it was such a big responsibility that you may damage their development. I had really never thought of that and only thought about what positives I could bring to a child's life. All perceptions!