Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Much that one “knows” about school is a misconception.

Todd Rose begins his 2015 book The End of Average with the story of fighter pilots in the 1940’s who were unable to control their planes because the cockpits were designed for the “average” body. Once cockpits were designed to adjust to the actual bodies of pilots, they found pilots more able to control them.

We sense things, we construct models, and we draw conclusions to gain emotional rewards that we would not if we only thought in terms of risks and benefits.

Human curiosity depends on judgments of importance, judgements made at a much faster time scale than that at which I see AI reacting... for now.

When politicians tell teachers, doctors, farmers how to do their work, we all suffer.

The golden rod is blooming in northern New England. It is the first sign that summer will end,

It the time of year when faculty begin emails to year-round staff with "I hate to interrupt your break, but...."

Learning requires hard work that challenges us, but that is not overwhelming. Tasks too easy are boring, while those too difficult are incomprehensible.

We learn best if we find an emotional connection to what we are studying; if we don’t care, we don’t learn.

"O don't have network access."
"OK Go submit a help ticket on our web site, and we will be right there." 🤦

“The primary purpose of the internet had changed from supporting a knowledge economy to growing an attention economy.”
― Douglas Rushkoff

When an IT professional is in a classroom and sitting at a computer, they are “a fly on the wall.” Teachers and students largely proceed as if there is no one else there. I learned so much about teachers and teaching during those years.

“The problem isn’t any particular technology, but the use of technology to manipulate people, to concentrate power in a way that is so nuts and creepy that it becomes a threat to the survival of civilization." -Jaron Lanier

In schools, the importance of privacy takes on special importance because of the age of the individuals about whom the information is kept and the nature of the information that is kept.

"I'm really good at multitasking."

No, actually you are not.

Learning leads to changes in humans. They behave differently after they have learned. They can perceive things they could not perceive before; they can state things they could not state before, they can solve things they could not solved before, and they can.

Educators may see their role as primarily academic, but their learners will never be ready to learn if they do not become advocates for the mental and physical health of their students.

I can at least understand the fact that money buys access to political leaders; it is shameful, but understandable. I cannot understand school leaders allowing outside money to make their decisions.

You cannot claim to be transparent and not share your plans... well you can, but no one believes you.

On the one hand they insist on data to support their decisions (and they concoct data to support them), but on the ether hand they reject evidence that contradicts their practice.