Don's Corner

In this corner you will find material I have gleaned from the web, picked up in my travels around places of learning or from browsing in bookshops.

Group from Dunheved celebrating their training.

Acting Up at Liverpool!
During the recent January vacation ten dedicated souls worked with Agnes Barna and Don White to achieve Act 1 Status in Applied Control Theory at Liverpool Boys High School. Participants came from a secondary primary and SSP schools in south-western Sydney. The group’s enthusiasm can be measured from the fact that they all wanted to start a practicum as soon as possible. Congratulations to: Lesley Wells, Terri Cartwright, Sally Horner, Catherine Ryan, Marienne McLean, Wendy Sanderson, Eliya Naqvi, Doreen Finkelstein, Celine Elks and Tania Clancy.

Some Readings
It’s not surprising to come across news items that are directly related to Applied Control Theory. In my daily readings of the Sydney Morning herald it happens to me all the time. Back on November 16th, Miranda Devine, in her column headed “Church and family can save kids” referred to a research paper, “Hardwired to Connect; the new scientific case for authoritative communities”. This Dartmouth Medical School study recently released by 33 psychiatrists, neurologists and social scientists says the human brain is “biologically hardwired for enduring attachments to other people and for moral and spiritual meaning.” One conclusion drawn from animal studies using rhesus monkeys was that high levels of maternal stimulation can change brain functioning and reduce genetic risks for anxiety, aggression, depression and substance abuse. When a binge drinking monkey, whoia has a gene for aggression and poor impulse control, is raised in a supportive environment, “the harmfully aggressive behaviour disappears, as does the binge drinking.” To me it suggests that the application of applied control theory which works to strengthen the relationships within a community, do make a difference, and all those nurturing programs that schools implement to build bridges and make connections between students , teachers and families are vital.

And the second point of interest from the study is that the human brain is hardwired, to seek answers to life’s purpose and meaning. As unpalatable as this idea may be to some, for me it lends weight to the importance of values and beliefs as a guiding force in life, and the necessity to challenge kids with questioning the significance of their own lives. You can do this without referring to any specific religion. In most presentations in which I touch upon this area, I like to refer to Covey’s personal mission statement, “to live, to love to learn and leave a legacy.” I think this says it all without drawing any accusations that I might be pushing a particular religious viewpoint. Even so, the study asserts that for adolescents, religion has a protective effect against depression and loneliness.

The third point the article makes is that it is the role of authoritative communities to set moral frameworks for children. The most significant of such communities would of course be the family and I would think also that schools must assume this role too as the influence of other groups declines. It is this decline in social connectedness that is thought to contribute significantly to childhood problems. After reading the article I was prompted to send to US and purchase the actual document because it confirmed for me exactly what Perry Good’s message is in her latest book “A Connected School”. Anyway, you be the judge. Punch in Hardwired to Connect into Google or what ever search engine you use and you will get a number of sources including a review as well as the address where you can purchase the actual report if you wish. It costs about $A30 to have it sent from the US including postage.

And Now for Something Completely Different ….and Local Too!
Imagine my delight when my Sydney Morning Herald arrived on Boxing Day and there was actually something worth reading. Adele Horin SMH 26/12/03 Discovering What Works on the Shop Floor. Horin’s article is about a piece of Australian research published by Dr Daryll Hull and Vivien Read from UNSW called Simply the Best (www.acirrtt.com). Horin describes the article as a “real page turner” for CEOs. In their study of 16 workplaces identified as excellent to good performers Hull and Read discovered the same story again and again. The quality of relationships was central. “To produce quality work in Australia, one must have quality working relationships.” The quality of leadership was also crucial. In the excellent workplaces the bosses understood that how they conducted themselves affected how workers felt about the job. Staff valued leaders who worked as a captain/coach and where they atmosphere was such that workers could have their say and be acknowledged when they took the initiative.

This is a vital article for aspiring leaders and anyone who works for a boss who’s a “bit of a bastard!” Just leave it on the boss’s desk or put it on the agenda for discussion at the next executive meeting. And watch the sparks fly! Only joking!!!

Don (tradon@bigpond.net.au)