Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Natura non facit saltus… except for when it does.

If you are not looking for potential errors in your data, you can’t claim to be data-driven.

Lots of our scientific knowledge was both discovered and invented.

Nature is not compelled to follow your definitions.

An Old Adage Revisited https://hackscience.net/2024/01/02/an-old-adage-revisited/

Red herrings find us working hard to accomplish things that don't matter. They are more common that most dare admit in education.

If students leave you classroom and still see thew world in the same way, you both wasted your time.

Remembering is the least interesting thing we can do with information.

"Necessity is the mother of invention" is usually not accurate.

The least interesting uses of technology is those for which they were designed.

Any technology you experienced during your formative years (think teenage years) becomes what we expect all folks to need. All earlier technology led to that epitome and all technology developed since is a degradation and ruins humans.

Computers remember much longer and with greater fidelity and reliability than humans. That can be useful, but it leads to lots of information that we really don't need.

Skepticism and "just asking questions" are not the same thing.

The first step is criticizing someone appears to be mischaracterize their argument.

Hey teachers... you know that approach/ model/ protocol you always use? There are students who are thinking "not this again."

Style guides are collection of rules for standardizing writing so it is easier to understand (we avoid the hassle of inferring the authors' meaning). They play an important role in certain types of writing.

Curriculum should challenge and necessitate hard work without overwhelming learners. Curriculum that is too easy is generally perceived to be boring, and curriculum that is too complex is perceived to be incomprehensible.

Learners must find an emotional connection to what is being studied. Humans attend to novelty and to that which are judged to be relevant by our emotions. Without emotional connection, we don't care, we don't pay attention, we don't learn.

Learning is an inherently social activity. Although reflection is an essential part of education, and learners must internalize knowledge, human brains are adapted for social interaction and they learn well while participating in social groups.

Students must be active. The word “active” in active learning is a cognitive activity as much as a physical activity. Students must participate in the learning, including self-regulation (deciding what and how to study as well as assessing their understanding).