Moshe Renert Response

This article blew my mind in a few ways! The first was the idea that, because of positive feedback loops and their relation to chaos theory, one small personal change that seems insignificant could actually change the world. Renert writes:

Consider the common belief that ecological problems are just too great for any one person to do anything about. This belief is founded on a linear argument that proceeds by quantitative comparison... Chaos can help change the way we think about power and influence. It teaches us that us that compex systems cannot be controlled, but can be accessed and perhaps influenced through the myriad of feedbackloops they contain.

The author goes on to explain how this type of thinking can actually help students take action if they are hopeful that they can actually make a difference. I find I'm often paralyzed by the idea that my tiny action couldn't possibly make a difference, so I really like this argument.

The other piece I enjoyed in this article was how the author framed how the modern world requires us to think and act in creative ways, rather than just be rigid rule- and algorithm-followers:

Most mathematical problem solving in today's classrooms relies on the unchallenged assumptions that each problem has one correct answer and that the teacher knows this answer. Students' creativity is tehrefore limited to replicating solutions that are already known by an adult. In contrast, the solutions to many problems of sustainability are not know a priori, and in some cases there is no certainty that solutions can be found at all. A different order of ingenuity is required to approach these problems, one that we may call radical creativity.

I used to be the kind of person that really enjoyed the cookie-cutter, black-and-white model of mathematics learning. Throughout my adult life thus far, I've learned to become much more loose, creative, and radical and I hope to inspire students to allow themselves to think in this way as well.