Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Intellectually, religious emotions are not creative but conservative. They attach themselves readily to the current view of the world and consecrate it.” -John Dewey

"We are going to study x" is code for "we are changing it to what I want, but everyone is going to waste 6 months talking about it."

Some ideas are very tiresome. The anthropic principle is one of them.

#edtech for #edleaders: Some IT Network Vocabulary
https://hackscience.education/2019/05/17/edtech-for-edleaders-some-it-network-vocabulary/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

Technology leaders must recognize that the problems they solve, the methods they use, and even the language they use to describe problems are different from those encountered by educators.

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool."
-Richard P. Feynman

Regardless of how easy IT professionals think their systems are to use, it is the opinion of users that determine ease of use.

A fundamental characteristic of all systems (IT included) is degradation.

It Really is Different Now: A Teacher’s Story of Leaving
https://hackscience.education/2019/05/16/it-really-is-different-now-a-teachers-story-of-leaving/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

The result is almost every school IT system is unique; it is customized to reflect the state of the system when first adopted and the changes that have been made since.

Existing systems affect decisions, security, stability.

Leaders who don't realize this make bad decisions.

Watching folks rationalize bad decisions is something you get to do a lot when you work in education.

One thing I learned during 35 years in education: If the highest leaders in the organization don't enjoy spending time with students, they are ineffective.

Emerging Digital Literacy
https://hackscience.education/2019/05/16/emerging-digital-literacy/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

Digtital detritus is real Avoid it.

Schooling is based on the assumption that all students in a cohort learn all topics at the same rate and that the rate can be controlled by the teacher. This is false.

Shared Computing Resources in Schools
https://hackscience.education/2019/05/14/shared-computing-resources-in-schools/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

Unpredictability and variability are two of characteristics of our world. Schools that reflect that reality will look much different than they do today.

Hey school leader... K-12, higher ed, whatever... that great new trend... maybe you understand it before blindly adopting it.

I have a colleague who reads many books. We talk about them... a lot. Everyone should have such a colleague... and be one.