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Over the past two decades, Ginsburg and Jablonka have developed a novel approach to studying the evolutionary origins of consciousness: the Unlimited Associative Learning (UAL) framework. 

Somewhere in nature there is a line between systems with no conscious experiences at all, like cyclones, stars and volcanoes, and those that do have at least some conscious experiences, like humans. Finding that line, and understanding how it was crossed, is a major challenge for science and philosophy (Godfrey-Smith 2019).

Over the past two decades, Ginsburg and Jablonka have developed a novel approach to studying the evolutionary origins of consciousness: the Unlimited Associative Learning (UAL) framework. 

Somewhere in nature there is a line between systems with no conscious experiences at all, like cyclones, stars and volcanoes, and those that do have at least some conscious experiences, like humans. Finding that line, and understanding how it was crossed, is a major challenge for science and philosophy (Godfrey-Smith 2019).

There are moments when years of puzzling about tough design dilemmas bear fruit. Times when, in true constructivist style, emergent ideas come together in a new combination. A new paradigm, a new model, a new clarity emerges. We capture that, and it becomes a platform for all future evolutions.

After a lifetime in the learning profession I'm still coming to understand the power of clear, conceptual transfer goals like those in the CGC's Portrait of a Learner. We are now harnessing the power of a clear 'end in mind' to directly shape curriculum, culture and community. An exciting example of this is our work with schools on A Portrait of a Teacher.

The Two Loop Theory of Organizational Change is a model suggested by Meg Wheatley and Deborah Frieze from the Berkana Institute. It basically holds that human social systems are not machines that will endure endlessly but living, organic systems that experience cycles of growth, dominance and decay, just as new, replacement systems emerge.

For the last two weeks, besides working online in schools, I also co-taught an in-person 8th grade Learning Module with a secondary school leader. Our focus was on helping students become experts in persuasive writing, but also on building a 'constructivist' learning culture. We created an 'authentic' context by basing our work in the world of social media influencers, a world somewhat familiar to the learners. I'd say we achieved our goals, but...it was hard. Post-covid middle schoolers can be quite a handful...has anyone noticed?

Teaching is hard...I do it because I believe in our work and I know I have to have skin in the learning game before I can expect teachers to take change seriously.