Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Schools are social organizations, thus inherently political; changes in how teachers interact with students can be affected by the demands or threats of those who are more powerful.

Some schools lack the structures necessary to change what happens in classrooms; schedules, departments, prescribed curriculum, and other systems are obstacles that are too great.

This year’s “sugar snow” is coming after sugaring is largely ended.

Within group variation is greater than between group variation in most measures of humans.

Cognitively engaged learners try to make sense of the material by comparing it to what they already know and resolving differences.

Not all things folks enjoy in classrooms lead to learning. Not all things they dread do lead to learning.

Human learning has aspects that are cognitive, but it also has social and emotional aspects, and deeper learning requires students connect with the curriculum in all three ways.

While learning is commonly understood as a cognitive process, humans also develop the ability to use our bodies in useful and important ways as well. While some teachers may minimize the importance of such skills, they are a real and important part of human abilities.

If you don’t rethink what you used to think, then the time in class was wasted.

IT and Control
https://hackscience.education/2019/04/29/it-and-control/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

Why We Scaffold https://hackscience.net/2024/03/22/why-we-scaffold/

What our students have learned in life and previously in school are deeply held concepts and even the most effective schooling does little to dislodge these false ideas.

Educators know with reliability how to transfer the information in the curriculum into human brains. This is inaccurate; or at least partly so.

"The curriculum comprises the information students are expected to learn, and that it is well-known, agreed upon, and accurately reflects the world." Yeah... that's a myth.

Technology and Society
https://hackscience.education/2019/04/26/technology-and-society/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

Humans are variable creatures; clear cause and effect relationships do not exist in education.

“I taught it, but they didn’t learn it.” 🤦

Teachers complain. They complain a lot. No, really. You can’t imagine the things teachers say about students, students’ previous teachers, colleagues, administrators, parents and society, and everyone else.

If students could accurately recall what they were taught for a long time after they were taught it, then we assumed they had learned it well. That concept of learning seems inadequate.

I am convinced learning is happening in all classrooms. Sometimes it reflects that the teacher intends. Often it does not.