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Complexity science is a relatively new field in its application to education (Davis & Renert, 2009; Davis & Simmt, 2006; Renert & Davis, 2010) but it has long been used in various fields including the field of ecology.

Looking back, I can trace my understandings of a complex adaptive system, outside of my family, to starting an activity at age eight. At eight, I became part of a group of people participating in an activity that required me to:

 

• read a vast quantity of material at a fine detail level of comprehension,

•  cooperate with up to 7 other people at the same time,

•  learn to support others,

•  learn to value the unique qualities and contributions of others,

•  learn to put the good of the group before the good of myself,

•   recognize that a group of people all aligned to the same goal accomplish more than they could alone,

•  pull my own weight,

•  ask for help when I needed it  and offer help when it was time to reciprocate,

•  accurately communicate my needs and what I was going to do,

•  create supported arguments to argue both for and against a proposed action,

•  continually integrate new information into an existing understanding,

•  understand tactics and advantage,

•  map accurately using scale factors,

•  convert units,

•  use metal math,

•  understand probability,

•  use my imagination,

•  and slay dragons. 

 

Right up to the slay dragons most people are asking “where can I sign up myself or my kids”? However, the slaying of dragons can be controversial for some people.  Dungeons and Dragons, as well as most other fantasy roleplaying games, has received a lot of bad press (Dungeons & Dragons controversies, 2013) because people focused on the killing of monsters instead of the highly complex system of gaming inherent in the game. 

 

Anecdotally, I know my mother was always challenged by other parents and community members when she stood up for my brother’s and my right to play D&D and other roleplaying games.  The reasons she would list would be many of the above ending with I know where my children are, what they are doing, and with whom, can you say the same?

 

I cannot imagine that any parent, grandparent, or teacher would say,” No I don’t think my son/ daughter/ grandchild/ student would benefit from that list of skills.” I know, as a teacher, I could never honestly say that those skills were not the ones I was hoping all of my students would leave my class with.

 

 

 

 

Davis, B., & Renert, M. (2009, November). Mathematics for Teaching as Shared Dynamic Participation. For the Learning of Mathematics, 29(3), 37-43.

 

Davis, B., & Simmt, E. (2006). Mathematics for Teaching:An Ongoing Investigation of the Mathematics that Teachers (Need To) Know. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 61(3), 293-319.

 

Dungeons & Dragons controversies. (2013, May 24). Retrieved from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_controversies

 

Renert, M., & Davis, B. (2010). An open way of being: Integral Reconceptualization of Mathematics for Teaching. In S. R. Esbjörn-Hargens (Ed.), Integral education: New directions for higher learning. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.