[Case Study: US Elementary Education] Little kids, complex thinking: Systems thinking in elementary PBL
Can Little Kids Do “Complex Systems Thinking”? What comes to mind when you hear the term "Systems Thinking"? Perhaps you envision complex computer modeling, corporate strategy meetings, or advanced university research. But would you believe it if I told you that kindergarteners and elementary students are using these very same tools to resolve playground conflicts, analyze story plots, and co-create their own classroom rules? On February 26, the SDS Pre-College SIG hosted a webinar titled Systems Thinking for Young Learners: A Practical Introduction . In that session, Sara Stewart from Borton Elementary Magnet School delivered a presentation that challenged many of our assumptions. Her talk was titled "Little Kids, Complex Thinking: Systems Thinking in Elementary PBL ." Borton Elementary, located in Tucson, Arizona, has made Project-Based Learning (PBL) and systems thinking part of its educational DNA. In this blog series, I will share concrete classroom examples ...