Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

A blog post based on a chapter I wrote a few years ago:
https://hackscience.education/2025/11/01/supporting-new-teachers-with-open-source-technology/

We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology. -Carl Sagan

Humans are complex creatures… ignoring that reality assures teaching will fail.

Improving efficiency is rarely the answer in education... unless we are talking about central office staffing.

There is no recipe for successful teaching… there are recipes for successful lessons, but no recipe works for all teaching situations.

A superintendent was bothered by students passing his office on their way to the restrooms. So we were expected to monitor students on their way to the restroom… while teaching.

Sure, we can use AI for our writing tasks. We do miss out on the insights we gain while composing, however.

“Yeah, that ‘next big thing’ will be replaced within 3 years.” - The Folks Who Have Worked in the Field 20 Years or More

I started working with #edtech since the last century…1986 l specifically. No tool in the intervening years has matched HyperCard.

Adding “super” to a word does not make us take it more seriously.

When you cannot think of a way to integrate it into classrooms after very brief—like minutes-long—thought, ban it.

This seems the dominant response to most new technologies.

It doesn’t matter how terrific a teacher you are, there is that student who doesn’t like you or your methods. How you treat that student tells me all I need to know about you. #education #teacher

Just because it was your experience does not mean it was everyone’s. The best educators are those who understand this reality.

“Soft skills” needs rebranding.

I’ve been reading Asimov’s Guide to Science. I’m convinced human curiosity is our greatest asset.

“I’m still teaching the basics” is a well-used strategy for avoiding the work of really teaching.

My freedom to ignore matches your freedom of speech.

The whole purpose of math is to get the same answer as everyone else.

HyperCard. That was a great level of obsolescence.

Physicians rejected hand washing as it implied if they had, patients would still be alive. The same reasoning motivates teachers to reject new methods.