Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

The politically powerful who want to affect school appear to be those who are the least aware of the nature of human learning.

“When people learn no tools of judgment and merely follow their hopes, the seeds of political manipulation are sown.” - Stephen Jay Gould

“the signs were clear that NCLB was just another educational reform initiative rich in rhetoric, but fundamentally bankrupt.” It sure seems NCLB can be replaced by most any "educational reform."

This is just me not listening to you because your actions are speaking much louder.

“Nothing is more dangerous than a dogmatic worldview - nothing more constraining, more blinding to innovation, more destructive of openness to novelty.” - Stephen Jay Gould

Meaningful curriculum depends on individual’s existing knowledge as well as social context

In describing education as a social invention, Jerome Bruner observed, “each generation must define afresh the nature, direction, and aims of education to assure [that] freedom and rationality can be attained for a future generation”.

Schools are organizations in which consensus is very difficult to achieve; the probability of sustaining commitment to any decision reached through consensus is lower still. Consensus decisions also tend to be overturned when leadership changes or in response to other political influences.

We are slow to adopt many innovations because they are not aligned with misguided direction from above.

Educators are often distracted by politicians, philanthropists, and business leaders who seek political advantage and profit from “educational reform.”

Those explanations you read in textbooks often come from other textbooks. No one ever checks them, so we are not sure they are accurate, but they are not to be questioned.

Don't conflate repetition with evidence.

Humans adopt (with increasing rapidity) the information technologies in their environment and humans adapt their communication habits to the tools. Humans also exapt technology; they find new and unintended uses for technologies.

Let's be honest. Computers can be unreliable; they break when most-needed, and troubleshooting computers is a real hassle.

I came to computers relatively late in life. It was not until I realized that computers would serve me and my students well that I began an active computing life.

I don’t doom scroll on Twitter as often as I used to, but when I do, I can tell when I forgot to switch from “For you” to “Following.”

Good riddance.

We need to start saying this rather than “good luck” when it’s what we mean.

Sports gambling is about to be launched where I live. The advertising is relentless.

Leaders asked for feedback on candidates. I warned leaders not to hire someone. They did. It was a train wreck. I’m trying to decide if I’ll bother giving it again.

You don’t have to define the “Peter Principle” to me. I work in education, my career has been one long experience of working under it.