Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

While pre-prepared curriculum does free instructors to devote more time to assessing students’ work and it does allow for quality control by the managers of the school, it does limit teachers’ freedom to expand the curriculum, include emerging ideas, or respond to events that may influence how the content is perceived by the students.

While individuals in each group do select their preferred classroom for recognized reasons (e.g. online learners’ preference for flexible attendance schedules), the best students in both settings are those who engage with the content, classmates, and the teacher.

Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing, but it does allow individuals to write and publish any "information" they choose.

Fact and opinion, fantasy and sarcasm are not clearly differentiated on the Internet.

"It is their personality to be a jerk." Sure... but that will affect my relationship with them, and they will not get my best. That is my personality.

Hey school leaders... don't always defer to IT folks. Get some coaching in IT issues. It is too important to not get help.

Two skilled professionals came to my house to complete some work today. "To get a good job, go to college" has run its course. Let's normalize encouraging folks to become really good at something and paying them for it rather than giving all of our money to shareholders.

Sometimes we do illogical things because of our emotions. I am not sure what AI's excuse is.

Artificial selection gives us flashy pigeons (one of Darwin's examples). Natural selection gives many more interesting adaptations. The same is true of intelligence.

There are many leaders who are scared of technology. IT folks can spot them easily.

Before you accept the excuse, "there was a problem with the technology" check with the IT folks. Most often it is either a user error and IT can help with that.

"Tell me what I need from you" is a trap. If you can't predict every potential problem, including those caused by the one asking, then you will be blamed.

We. can teach folks how to do most any job. How to not be a jerk cannot be taught in the time we have.

Yes Technology Improves Our Lives https://hackscience.net/2024/02/13/yes-technology-improves-our-lives/

Problem solutions exist in spaces... some are good, some are great... others are just crummy for almost everyone affected. Leaders like the crummy ones... they really like them... like to the exclusion of all others.

Folks who cannot handle uncertainty really annoy me.

If your solution was "simple, just do this," then it is likely a solution only for you.

If its easy to measure, it probably is unimportant.

Skills (like critical thinking) are domain specific-- you can be among the best in one and just as bad as the rest of us in the others.

All those things that are problems... just address them head on and they go away... well... some do... take care my friends.