Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Don't be content teaching when no learning occurs.

Using “customers” in education seems wrong in so many ways. The one exception is in the sense of “customer service.” Faculty and students must see the school as responsive and working to improve their experience and its own performance.

The future of education is grounded in adaptation, adoption, and exaptation. Adapt to new understandings of learning and teaching and how the two are associated. Adopt new technologies and new strategies. Exapt new methods and new approaches that make use of technology.

The problem with audio books is that you can’t write in the margins.

“There is a rule against that,” is not a reason.

I’ve noticed some misspellings recent social media posts… role, not roll… then, not than… etc. I’m way to old to care… hey, there’s another one!

Listening to Jared Diamond’s Collapse on walks has me thinking about how data is context-dependent. Horizontal ditches to hold rain water is great for garden on hillsides… unless they hold enough water in unstable soils and cause landslides.

“Authentic problems that are relevant to the students.” Learning starts here.

I've always been intrigued by the things leaders do when things are not going well for them. I have seen so many examples over 38 years in education.

Paraphrasing Dewey: One’s motivation and interests must be considered first.

For many leaders, “brainstorming” is really a game of “guess what I am thinking,” and it stops as soon as the group does. Please don’t be one of those leaders… and we can tell.

We have web sites, email, chat, SMS, slack…. Communication remains one of the greatest impediments to collaboration.

OK... we all have integrated email/ calendaring. If you want me to be at your meeting, then don't send an email... send a calendar invite. (Read from the comma to the end of the post as if it is in all capitals and throw in some expletives too.

Problem finding. Problem sensing. These are probably as important as any problem solving we teach.

Solving problems without conceptual understanding is the greatest waste of time in classrooms… well one of the greatest anyways.

If I don’t see my concepts are inadequate, I’m unlikely to replace them.

Being really good at applying the models, strategies, skills that are prescribed can inhibit one’s ability to solve more complex problems.

“Beliefs, dispositions and styles, motivation, domain knowledge, knowledge of the task, knowledge of strategies” are in the list of cognitive conditions that affect capacity to accomplish a task. I like the list, but styles makes me uneasy.

Cognitive flexibility seems a skill we should nurture in all students.

“After completing education, most problems with correct answers disappear.” Yup, pretty much.