Category: Differentiated Instruction (Fall 2006)

Systems Thinking is a conceptual framework for seeing wholes. The focus is on seeing interrelationships and patterns of change.

A Learning Organization goes beyond learning for the sake of survival. It continually enhances its capacity to create its future.

Mental Models are deeply held internal images of how the world works. These images can limit people to familiar ways of thinking and acting.

Personal Mastery is the continual clarification and deepening of one’s personal vision. It goes beyond competence and skills and is a lifelong discipline of learning.

Shared Vision is the most basic level of commonality in a group. It is represented by its members’ desire to be connected to a common undertaking.

Team Learning is the process of aligning and developing the ability of a team to create the results its members truly desire through learning. The ultimate goal is coherence.

Lena Kushnir has an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Loyola University Chicago. She is the current general studies curriculum coordinator at Solomon Schechter Day Schools of Metropolitan Chicago, as well as a graduate of the institution. She can be reached at Lena@kushnir@schechter.org.