Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Elevator Pitch: Teaching is Political https://hackscience.education/2023/12/24/elevator-pitch-teaching-is-political/

Different problems require different data, which require different methods.

The problem with accepting the advice of members of the organization is that leaders alienate that who have crummy ideas.

Nonlinear can be directional.

"By its very nature, a system of government schools for which everyone must pay but which only the most politically powerful can control is doomed to failure.” Yup, can't argue with that conclusion.

If it wasn't for tautologies, some folks would have no evidence at all.

Plan all you want, until you put technology in the hands of users, you have no idea what it is all about.

“We tend not to be dispassionate observers.”

Yup, pretty much.

IT is increasingly "mission critical," yet many leaders are still content to leave IT decision making to IT folks. These decisions require the input of lots of folks.

Communication problems in you organization are not solved through improved technology.

"For technology to contribute to efficiency and effectively add value to an organization and its clients, it must function within the purpose of the organization in a sustainable manner." In educational institutions, this is difficult to realize.

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do. - Isaac Asimov

Nothing is more dangerous than a dogmatic worldview - nothing more constraining, more blinding to innovation, more destructive of openness to novelty. - Stephen Jay Gould

"Small schools can give personalized attention." Yeah, I've worked in lots of them. This is often not true.

I retired from being a K-12 classroom teacher years ago. I still have occasional "teacher nightmares."

I'm unsure which is worse: Leaders who are proudly ignorant of technology or leaders who worked in IT years ago and haven't kept current.

I work in a college IT department. I'm thinking the resources spent sending me the cold emails to use your company for the cookie fundraiser are wasted.

We all have the same calendaring tool. We can see others' calendars . I still get "are you available Tuesday at 9:00?" emails.

“All we have to do is x” is always followed by a bad idea.

The things that “don’t matter” often do.