Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

My wife is in a support position in a school. A few years ago, she observed a “problem child.” My wife told educators “I don't think they can can’t see,” but was summarily dismissed. The child returned to school the following year with glasses. Guess who was no longer a "problem child?"

When I speak with young folks, I’m optimistic about the future. When I talk to folks my age, I’m not so optimistic.

Humans learn from sound, motion, faces.

One thing I learned during 35 years in education: Our lessons aren’t that great. Update. Revise. Refresh. They will get better.

Open cultures support creative outputs. It may seem counterintuitive, but it has been demonstrated.

“Generative AI. The information may not be factual, but it is there.” Seems a low bar to me.

“We came from monkeys” is proof your comments about biology do not warrant attention.

One way to be sure I’ll never vote for you is aligning yourself with those who want to ban books.

Note to leaders: If you have to threaten folks to get them to go along with you, its time to reevaluate your ideas.

Critical thinking is a skill. If we don't practice it, we lose it.

Instructional supports. If they don’t fade, then they didn’t work.

Is it just me or does it seem “AI-powered investing advice” is probably snake oil… so it’s not unlike human-powered investing advice.

If you cannot accept being wrong, then teaching isn’t for you.

“Research proves….” No, actually it doesn’t.

"No one ever asked for it" is not a reason to not make your course materials accessible.

If the video was recorded as a selfie in a car (or walking) with a single person speaking, you can be sure it’s not worth watching.

A Venn diagram of faculty who don’t read directions and those who complain students don’t read the syllabus is a single circle.

Arguments that seem right but have little evidence are the most dangerous.

Forget teaching how to do taxes, if we teach the paradox of knowledge (“If you think you understand it, you are wrong”), we might be able to make better collective decisions.

“Can someone help me find the research supporting this widely used teaching practice? I can’t find it.”

That’s because it doesn’t exist.