Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

I’ve honed the ability to identify those who ask questions, but don’t really want to hear the answers.

My evenings have been spent in front of screens this week... tonight, I’m reading a book... tomorrow, listening to the radio.

Wait... you can’t even tell me what’s wrong with your idea?

Several SPAM calls not being marked by the “ junk detecting algorithm” led me to avoid answering an “emergency” call from the sign interpreter who couldn’t get into the first Zoom session of the ASL course. Maybe the singularity is not closer than we think.

I enjoy listening to audio books, but really miss writing in margins and folding over page corners— yeah, I’m that guy, but my books are my conversations with the authors.

For all the talk about being “data-driven,” most just aren’t very good at it.

“What can I use to quickly and easily edit video? Oh, yeah I don’t have any money and I need the video tomorrow?”

“I’ve got some bad news for you.”

I have this conversation often.

Reason has generated much that is good. Life and health for large swaths of humans comes to mind... yes I’m familiar with counter arguments... to see it rejected by so many is troubling.

When we stop accepting reasonable answers, we are in trouble.

Anyone else done with camel case?

When we stop questioning the answers our technology generates, we are in trouble.

1) Person with no experience is hired into a position. “You have experience. Can you help them?”

2) “Sure, the most important thing to do is *this*”

3) *This* is not done. Rollout crashes.

4) Repeat.

Sadly, I’m convinced this is the dominant model in organizations.

Anyone else bothered by teachers who share their pseudoscientific beliefs- horoscopes, spells, esp, other supernatural phenomena- with students?

I’m still amazed at the education leaders who adopt a hands-off policy regarding technology decisions in their schools.

Self delusion explains so many decisions.

I always smile at the “teaching isn’t political” crowd.

Remember when #edtech used to preach “select the appropriate tool?” Now, the answer is always Chromebook and Google-something.

Yeah... instructors... don’t bitch about the legally deaf student being added to your course “because I have hours of video and audio in my course” (which has been used for years without closed captions or transcripts being available).

Surveillance capitalism is a thing... a creepy thing... but a thing.

“Yes, but deadlines are deadlines, and they will learn a valuable lesson about procrastinating.” The dominance of that attitude (in part) drove me from k-12 to community college where it still occurs, but less frequently and more covertly. And it still doesn't work.