Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

I've added an audio deep dive to by blog post "Don't be the Department of 'No'."
https://buff.ly/40mJKPs
#edtech #schools #ITinSchools

Organizations rely on data analysis for informed choices, but data isn't always perfect. Leaders, however, assume it is... and that is a (large) part of the problem.

“The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.”
― Niels Bohr

I'm at the point where I always have three books I'm reading:
one audio book (yes, it is reading)
one for entertainment
one for professional purposes

“The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.”
― Niels Bohr

Organizations rely on data analysis for informed choices, but data isn't always perfect. Leaders, however, assume it is... and that is a (large) part of the problem.

“The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he's one who asks the right questions.”
― Claude Levi-Strauss

There is nothing like opening to box of books you ordered, but had forgotten.

“I don't want to believe. I want to know.”
― Carl Sagan

Wicked Problems are complex social problems characterized by ambiguity, conflicting values, and interconnectedness, making them difficult to define and solve. You encounter them more than you know.

Encrypt data both at rest (stored in databases, files) and in transit (transmitted over networks). This ensures that even if unauthorized access occurs, the data remains unreadable.

If your data sucks, so do your decisions. If you have assessed your data assume it sucks,

Encryption, data masking, and de-identification techniques are vital for protecting data at rest, in transit, and during sharing.

If this is all foreign, please do not call yourself "data-driven."

Your answers are fine... but you show you know what you know with your questions.

Instruction is the dominant pedagogy for narcissistic educators, as they see themselves as the experts with the only correct approach.

Competent individuals are seen as a threat and are often disempowered, diffused, or deflected by narcissistic leaders.

Narcissistic educators form cliques that reinforce their sense of self-importance, but these groups dissolve quickly when they turn on each other.

“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool.”
― Richard P. Feynman

A lack of trust between faculty and IT can harm the entire institution. IT leaders need to ensure their staff are responsive to educators' needs.

Saying "no" to new hardware and software requests without understanding educators' needs is unacceptable. IT in schools must prioritize supporting teaching and learning... and they must defer to educators as they know it in a way IT does not.