Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Information is not the substance of thought.

Too much information gets in the way of thought in the same way too many initiatives get in the way of progress.

Note to authors: please avoid “space doesn’t allow me to write what I need.” Summarize or leave it out.

Scientists look for the simplest solution to a problem. Leaders would do well to follow that model. #leadership #leader

When IT professionals are making #education decisions they are about as effective as #teachers making IT decisions.

Learning styles. Can we please just stop? #education. You cannot claim to be evidence driven and encourage #teachers align with #students learning styles. They don’t exist!

Papert used to say about computer programs “the question is not whether it is right or wrong, but is it fixable?”

“Stay inside the wall, follow the rules, and you can do whatever you want.” Theodore Roszak’s assessment of the thinking one practices when programming.

If you are a #teacher talking about “how students can learn the information they need,” then you need to stop. Students don’t need information... they need application, connection, to learn how to learn, expertise, ability to frame and analyze and solve problems, etc.

Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should do it. That’s what ethics are all about.

Yeah... so... if your strategy “makes learning easier,” I’m going to be skeptical... very skeptical... you seem to misunderstand learning.

When cognition evolved, humans became capable of “thinking their way through” unfamiliar situations. I wonder why schools now treat “the standards” as capturing every possible exigency.

Understanding is grounded in knowing how you are wrong.

A blog post on wicked problems, now with audio:
https://hackscience.net/2018/01/01/wicked-problems/

A blog post, now with audio:
https://hackscience.net/2018/01/01/technology-aceptance/

Wicked problems are interconnected. Each can be both a cause and an effect of others, complicating understanding and solution design. Solutions might even cause unacceptable problems for others. #Interdependence #Systems

For wicked problems, every solution matters. Planners don't get to test like scientists/engineers. Solutions have permanent effects on people. Problem solvers have no right to be wrong and must implement the best possible solution. #Responsibility #Impact

There is no stopping rule for solving wicked problems. Even if conditions are met, uncertainty remains. Solutions can be deemed sufficient for now, but refinements are always possible as conditions change.

"We express empathy and sympathy and disgust. We learn to sense others’ state of mind and to communicate (and sometimes deceive others about) our state of mind."

So, I’m an atheist. If you are paying to have “join my church” messages appear in my social media feeds, you are wasting your money.