Change Forces - The Sequel (Educational Change and Development Series) (Paperback)

~ Michael G. Fullan (Author) "Once upon a time the moral purpose of educational reform seemed relatively straightforward..." (more)
Key Phrases: San Diego, New York City

Editorial Reviews

Review

Im reading The Sequel, with delight. Its super--not only because its stimulating to the mind, but also because its good for the soul. Im feeling reinvigorated.
–Annette Tromly, Executive Director, Walter & Duncan Gordon Charitable Foundation

Nobody is more knowledgeable about school change than Michael Fullan. Through his writing for practitioners and scholars, he has done a tremendous amount to build a wide understanding of the technical and cultural dimensions of educational reform. Change Forces:The Sequel contributes to that legacy by adding contextual and theoretical flesh.
–Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk

Praise for Change Forces: This book is excellent. It says all the things I want teachers to hear and act upon about managing their own learning, about balancing life and work, and about how schools need to invest in teacher learning and look to how they become learning organizations.
–Management Learning

Stirs the imagination, engages the mind, uplifting to the human soul. Energizing. Captivating. Ground-breaking truth.
–Alice P. Thomas, Founder, President and CEO, for Development & Learning (CDL)

Product Description

Fullan's first book on this subject was an instant and best-selling success. Now in Change Forces - The Sequel he extends and expands the use of chaos theory as a lens through which to view and comprehend change, and the forces which govern it. Educators have already widely embraced this approach, and taken on board the idea that change is not so straightforward as we might hope. As Fullan worked on his ideas relating them to school systems, higher education and research, the field of change forces was also developing significantly. This volume covers new aspects of this 'science of complexity' and helps educators obtain insights for delving deeper into moral purpose, and expanding into fresh dimensions of changing forces in the environment.
The first volume appealed to a wide market from classroom teachers, through school administrators, to student teachers and academics. This volume will appeal to a similar cross-section.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750707550
• ISBN-13: 978-0750707558
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #393,527 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for non-profit managers and leadership teams, May 14, 2000

By	Michel Mathis (San Francisco Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Michael Fullan continues to build for us a revolutionary new intellectual base for building management systems for complex human and social organizations. The development of chaos theory and methods of modeling complex non-linear systems is clearly moving way beyond the realm of fractals, imaging and mathematical theories, and into the very practical world where we desperately need a useful understanding of how management models and complex organizations interact. The mathematics of chaos brought us the realization that complex systems can be modeled and has emboldened people like Michael Fullan to attempt it in the field of education--with spectacular results. This latest book--perhaps easier to read than its predecessor, but still demanding of the intellect--brings us up to date with some of the latest thinking in the field of "change management" and how it can help lead us toward truly lasting and powerful educational reform.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Making a Difference, April 20, 2002

By	Carolyn Grice (Omaha, NE United States) - See all my reviews

This book is an excellent resource for school districts about to embark on major reform initiatives. It is very easy to read and conversational in style. The illustrations and case studies were excellent. Concepts such as 'groupthink' and its pros and cons proved interesting. There were good comparisons as to how the business world thinks compared to what occurs in public education efforts to implement ideas, theories and lessons. Eight lessons from previous materials by the author were reviewed and I found this to be helpful. The emphasis on the importance of collaborative efforts in schools with parents,community and business leaders as partners is more timely than ever. The emphasis on the role of parents and the community in collaboration is necessary for the survival and success of any school district and its reform efforts. The three forces, intellectual, political, and spiritual fusion were well-defined and illustrated nicely for comprehension. It might have been useful to include student accountability and the orle it plays in collaboration. Accountability and responsibility are key to any successful learning taking place in the mind of today's students. This book could also be used as a resource when working with educators to understand change and apply it to what they do daily. The emphasis on moral purpose serving as the vehicle for making a difference in our work as educators serves as a constant reminder as to why most of us chose to enter this profession in the first place.

4.0 out of 5 stars Can You Spare Some Change?, April 16, 2003

By	Jeff W. (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

If you are looking for answers to overcome change or the steps needed to implement change, this is not the book for you. It will not tell you how to incorporate a new innovation into your organization, it will not make your organization immune to change and it will not provide a blueprint for change. Fullan freely admits that there is no blueprint for change, but the book does provide an understanding of the forces at work and some rationales for the tension present in organizations as they face change. The information is applicable to any organization, but schools are highlighted within the examples and research, and provide a basis for understanding some of the reasons change is so difficult. Because we are constantly facing change within our schools I would recommend this book for all school personnel. It will give some insight to the politics of change and even reveal why people act, or react, the way they do when faced with change.
It is a quick and easy read, for the most part, and will stir some possible discussion topics and things to think about within each school. Some of the information, even the lessons of change, is carried over from Fullan's first book although they are modified and updated to include current research and methodology. His third book on change, Change Forces With a Vengeance, is currently out so it will be interesting to see what changes Fullan has included in his third installment.