This document discusses how teaching students to "think like time travelers" can help develop their skills as systems thinkers. It suggests having students determine destinations, gather resources, identify leverage points, experiment with solutions, execute plans, and assess situations. Examples are provided of scenarios teachers could use that would require students to think like time travelers, such as considering how numerical systems may have developed differently or how housing developments impact prairie dog populations. The overall message is that by designing learning experiences where students problem-solve open-ended scenarios, they can learn important skills for an unknown future.

1. STUDIO LEARNING LABS
Next Level Learning for Educators
jackson@studiolearninglabs.org
@studiolearnlabs
studiolearninglabs.org

2. At STUDIO LEARNING LABS we believe
Teachers who think like DESIGNERS create
students who think like DESIGNERS.

3. What is Systems Thinking?
Systems thinking utilizes habits, tools and concepts to
develop an understanding of the interdependent
structures of dynamic systems.
When individuals have a better understanding of
systems, they are better able to identify the leverage
points that lead to desired outcomes.

4. Working Thesis: By designing learning experiences
that require students to “think like a time traveler”
we can help students become “systems thinkers”
and be better prepared for an unknown future.

5. think like a Time Traveler

6. “We’re preparing students for
an unknown future…”

7. that’s terrifying!

8. and not entirely true…
future future
complexity
connectedness

9. We can’t allow the future to happen to
students. Students need to create their future.

10. What would Marty McFly do?

11. What do Time Travelers do?
Determine a destination
Gather resources, including collaborators
Identify leverage points
Experiment with possible solutions
Execute a plan
Assess the situation

12. What do we want Students to do?
• Assess the situation
• Determine a destination
• Gather resources, including
collaborators
• Identify leverage points
• Experiment with possible
solutions
• Execute a plan
Evaluate the problem
Determine the goal
Gather resources, work as a
team
Identify key elements
Test ideas and prototype
possibilities
Publish a solution

13. What is the teacher’s role?

14. #think like doc brown

15. How did Doc Brown help Marty?

16. What can teachers do to help
students create their own future?

17. What scenarios (historical or otherwise)
could you use in your class to allow
students to “think like a Time Traveler.”

18. • What if cavemen only had 9 fingers? How would
this affect our numerical system?
• How do housing developments affect prairie dog
populations near E-470?
• How would Othello rate in the polls if he were
running for president today?
• Given my current expenses and current income,
how can I afford to attend my dream college?
Think like a Time Traveler

19. Think like a Time Traveler
Determine a destination
Gather resources, including collaborators
Identify leverage points
Experiment with possible solutions
Execute a plan
Assess the situation

20. Successful Time Travelers are
Systems Thinkers

21. STUDIO LEARNING LABS
Next Level Learning for Educators
jackson@studiolearninglabs.org
@studiolearnlabs
studiolearninglabs.org