Session 1 by Makino

How best would you describe how your organization learns?

I used to study in a college in Beijing before coming to HKU. It is a information and technology college. The college I have studied in as a organization always make progress to keep pace with the chaning society. After reading the paper and PPT in the session 1 for this module and consider the five principles developed by Senge et al., I will think the question of how my under-graduate college learns as an organisation using the conceptual framework of the five disciplines.

Personal Mastery

My organization didn't do well in the Personal Mastery. The way a school approaches problems is an important indicators, my organization didn't have much initiatives. But A culture of positivity - where management and staff take a realistic view on change and look to maximise the benefits of change is done well. The organization have much room for new ideas from teachers and students. Teachers work together and compete with each other. But the organization care more about the students do well on the final exams than get students to learn and enjoy learning.

Mental Models

My organization can be a school of cultural innovation model. It is a well established school with a long history and a deeply ingrained school tradition.

Shared Vision

There is a strong sense of mission and a clearly identifiable vision of education that permeates practice in my organization. It always makes recommedations on improving teacher education to meet the challenges of the future. The organizaion has developed a shared vision on the need to change the traditional paradigm of teacher education and to create a new model to prepare the education work force of the new century.

Team Learning

There is no compulsory staff development program on ICT, foreign languages and so on, yet many staff acquired the necessary skills, often through informal channels. In the organization, a self-learning package on new skills input was developed by staffs in promoting the use of useful skills for teaching and learning with ICT. The package was widely used in the school and in classrooms. The teachers in school were generally respected and trusted by the school leadership.

Systems Thinking

I think my organization does not do well in the systems thinking. The leadership always did things and make decision independenly. Problems and goals are only set by leaderships. Staff simply become disillusioned as management impose every change that wafts past. I think it takes more courage and intellect to sometimes say no, than simply agree with everything that's suggested. It seems the organization still has more challege to overcome in order to built a good systems thinking.

BY: Makino