Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

The more a learn about religious folks, the more content I am to have rejected it.

The reality is that “facts” are not things upon which we agree.

I’m an educational technology professional. For decades, I have been able to be a fly on the wall if I sat at a computer as class was on-going. I can report things have been broken for a long time.

"I hope you get to take time off, but not until after you finish my project."

Don't be that person, then speak of your "colleagues."

My management style summarized:
Me: "This is how we do things."
My team: "That sucks, let's try this."
Me: "OK. Let's make sure we cover these bases. Get me a cost and timeline."
Me & My team: Review their plan.
Me to my boss: "This is what we are doing."

If there is one study that confirms your stance, please avoid saying “the research shows.”

If it is easy, you probably are not learning.

One of the most distressing things I learned during my career in education was that leaders pivot to new initiatives very quickly and ignore the fact they are so contrary.

I remember clearly, though it was more than 40 years ago, feeling I really belonged in higher education when I was dropped off at college. I know almost immediately the school wasn’t the right fit, but college was.

What if Google, Apple, Microsoft, and others who “certify” teachers don’t really know anything about learning?

In many cases, I find, folks use “learning styles” when they are really talking about “varying modes of instruction.” In classrooms, we need to vary what we do, which is often contrary to one’s teaching style, and never needs to be explained by learning styles

When I use “project” I’m teaching, I mean something that the students have been involved is defining, bounding, and assessing. Many others mean “something that isn’t a test.”

Learning styles is a debunked idea about perception. Teaching style is typically applied to the preferred method used by an instructor. Teaching style is sometimes grounded in theory, but reflects one’s comfort.

Whenever I read a quote from Richard Feynman, I hear his voice reading it. It is delightful.

I sent my laptop to my son to finish up his masters degree (they always fail at the least opportune times), so I picked up a new one. They really are easier to set up compared to 20 years ago.

I'm no longer a teacher, but I stil; clean my home office whenever classes end.

In my freshman year of high school (ca. 1979) we had a 10-period day, but students only attended 6 or 7. One year, a group of us arrived at 7:30 for small gas engine repair then sat through study hall until our other classes started.

Tutoring and teaching are different. Yes? No?

I often wonder about the science teacher who said to me once, "There just must be something in horoscopes. Right?"

My mentor in qualitative research maintained researchers must transcribe their interviews themselves. My typing skills were sharpened when I followed their advice. I’m not sure it improved my analysis, but how would one know?