Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org
- On the web:
- https://hackscience.education/
Director of Teaching and Learning Innovation at a community college in New England
Retired k-12 science/ math/ technology teacher/ technology integration specialist/ coordinator
Joined Nov 2022
Even during most of the history of our species in which we were communicated only aurally (speaking and listening), humans created methods whereby they could store information outside of their brains.
Students have emerging skills; some of the youngest IT users may be unable to read the labels on graphic user interfaces. School IT managers must understand this.
Humans are responsible for creating data, managing it, and using it for their work.
Conceptually, computer networking is a rather simple process. Operationally, it is sophisticated and complex.
The information that is moved is in the form of bits. All that expense to move zeros and ones.
When making technology decisions in schools, the expertise of educators to decide what is appropriate, the expertise of IT professional to decide what is proper, and the expertise to school leaders to decide what is reasonable is necessary, but none is sufficient.
When reviewing the history of our technology, we see that information technologies are a relatively recent invention, but for several thousand years, we have been downloading some of our cognition to tools.
Humans have a long history with technology. It is reasonable to conclude that humans and their technologies cannot be separated. Without our tools, our species would not have become the Earth-altering species we have become.
With a good theory, we know questions to ask.
If you mean "I like to give my students many ways to learn," just say that leave "learning styles out of it." They don't exist and you mislead your students.
"Theory gives voice to multiple points of view by inviting--or rather demanding--critiques, revisions, and reformulations."
We can debate the degree to which culture affects cognition, but the reality of the affect must be recognized.
I've been listening to Stephen Jay Gould essays during my commutes. I think I know the origins of many of my foundational ideas about life.
If your students leave your class thinking, "I'm glad I never have to think about that again," then you failed.... even if they seemed to have met all of the outcomes.
Curiosity. If we used that to focus instruction in the same way we do outcomes and objectives in classrooms, we'd all be better off.
- On the web:
- https://hackscience.education/
Director of Teaching and Learning Innovation at a community college in New England
Retired k-12 science/ math/ technology teacher/ technology integration specialist/ coordinator
Joined Nov 2022
