Toolkit Library/

Mapping systems

The practice of mapping allows us to build our understanding of the parts, people, and interactions that make up a system, which can then lead to generating more context-specific and productive innovations. Use these prompts and suggestions from the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Agency by Design initiative to engage a group of participants in mapping a system and digging into its complexities. This can be used in tandem with the Thinking Routines available on their website, in particular Parts, People, Interactions.

Yellow abstract painting

   Tool

   60 minutes

   By: Harvard Graduate School of Education

   Educator-prep | Leader-prep


Making connections:

Principled Innovation asks us to work with others and recognize the limits of our own knowledge so that we can better understand and tackle the complex issues our communities face.

More on this topic:

To navigate the dangers of the web, you need critical thinking—but you also need critical ignoring

  Article

  12 minutes

  By: Sam Wineburg, The Conversation

K-5 Card Deck Activity: Performance character

  Tool

  30 minutes

  By: Principled Innovation® (PI)

Systems thinking: a cautionary tale

  Video

  3 minutes

  By: Sustainability Illustrated

Why diversity and conflict are key to leading innovation. Diversity alone will not guarantee creative problem-solving.

  Video

  2 minutes

  By: Linda Hill

Integrating health care at school

  Video

  20 minutes

  By: Principled Innovation® (PI)

Access our collection of +200 learning materials

PI toolkit library