Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Conceptually, networking is a rather simple process. Operationally, it is sophisticated and complex.

All the information that enters a computer, information that we perceive as text, images, video, or audio, or any mathematics operation or other manipulation that is done to that information is done by changing the bits that represent the information.

While lots of professionals may have educational expertise, if they are not involved with delivering lessons when students are present and actively using the information technology systems, then they cannot be included as educators in decision-making.

Whereas school and technology leaders were once concerned with installing desktop computers with appropriate software installed on them, then they were concerned with installing high-speed internet connections in each instructions space; today, we find them securing access to cloud-based computing systems and connecting to them with a variety of devices.

On Cooperation
https://hackscience.education/2019/09/23/on-cooperation/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

For several thousand years, we have been downloading some of our cognition to tools.

It is reasonable to conclude that humans and their technologies cannot be separated.

If your data can be displayed on pie charts alone, I am going to question the dept of your analysis,

“We schedule lots of professional development, but teachers are still struggling to use technology in their classrooms.” The things school leaders admit when they think no one is listening.

“Wisdom is knowing what you don’t know.” Socrates was right, but admitting you don’t know is the first step.

Being open minded and being hoodwinked are different things.

All data collection and interpretation and the decisions made based on data are political, which means they are subjective and made to benefit those who control the system.

I > C > A > P
https://hackscience.education/2019/09/20/i-c-a-p/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon
#teaching #learning #school

You know that “stack the numbers, and carry the ‘1’” thing they taught you to add numbers. It is a technology as much as a calculator is.

While it might be convenient for policy makers to define test scores as a measure of learning, if test scores are a weak measure of learning, then that is the nature of our universe, and the policy must be adjusted.

“It is possible for a person to be motivated and engaged, but not interested, whereas, when something is of interest to a person, it is always motivating and engaging.” I can’t argue with that.

Educators rarely evaluate the quality of the tests they administer. Internal validity, external validity, and reliability are never questioned.

What Do We Know About Learning?
https://hackscience.education/2019/09/19/what-do-we-know-about-learning/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

In the “data-driven” world today, school leaders are always in search of data that will support their decisions. In many cases… no… in all cases (at least I have yet to find any instances in which it isn’t), the “data” comes from a test.

Students’ abilities to read, write, calculate—all the things we try to teach them—display continuous variation. We really can’t define when students get “smart.”