Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

I'm nearing 100% of my Gmail account. Do I ditch it and start a new one?

The plans to improve IT in schools got researched. It was rescheduled when the term was editing. 🤦‍♂️

I still remember "David." He complained about having to grade exams... multiple choices exams... when I was there to help him design courses online.

Some folks just like to complain.

AI in education can systems utilize student data, such as their learning pace, strengths, weaknesses, and preferences, to create tailored learning pathways. This can involve:

Adaptive Learning: Adjusting difficulty levels in real-time based on student performance.
Content Recommendations: Suggesting relevant learning materials based on individual needs.
Personalized Feedback: Providing specific insights and guidance based on student work.

Haven't we heard such things before?

It is important to use AI in a responsible and ethical way to ensure that all students benefit from its use. I am not sure we can, however.

Unsupervised learning, in contrast, works with unlabeled data to discover patterns and relationships, often employed in clustering (grouping similar data points). This is what is challenging to humans.

Machine learning (ML) uses algorithms to mimic human intelligence, enabling systems to learn from data and perform tasks without explicit programming. Sounds great, but the real value in human learning come from outsides human intelligence.

“Do you know what we call opinion in the absence of evidence? We call it prejudice.”
― Michael Crichton

“Life would be tragic if it weren't funny.”
― Stephen Hawking

IT's responsibility: "It is the IT staff’s role to ensure the faculty have the IT they need. Even if they are not familiar with the tools or if they were not involved in the decision-making, they must provide it." IT departments should prioritize enabling educators rather than hindering them with unnecessary restrictions.

Limited override power: IT should only intervene when technology choices significantly disrupt existing infrastructure or security protocols. Educators, as the pedagogical experts, should have the final say on tools directly impacting their teaching.

Trust & Collaboration: The relationship between faculty and IT should be built on trust and mutual respect. IT staff should be open to learning about new tools and working collaboratively with educators to find solutions.

Cultivate a "Department of Yes" culture: Encourage a collaborative environment where IT staff are viewed as partners in innovation, working alongside educators to integrate new technologies effectively.

The ICAP framework is a learning theory that classifies learning activities into four distinct modes based on the level of cognitive engagement they elicit: Passive, Active, Constructive, and Interactive. Each mode is associated with specific observable student behaviors and plausible cognitive processes, with Interactive being the most effective for deep learning and Passive the least.

Humanizing pedagogy is rooted in Paulo Freire's work on critical pedagogy and aims to create inclusive, equitable, and empowering learning experiences. It emphasizes critical consciousness-building, interrogating power structures, and recognizing the sociocultural contexts that influence teaching and learning.

"AI has silently infiltrated crucial areas of our lives, particularly in hiring, firing, and employee surveillance."

Prequestions likely work by increasing engagement and focus. They make students more attentive to the learning material.

“Their name is blue on Wikipedia” is a measure of importance.

AI literacy refers to the ability to understand, critically evaluate, and engage with AI technologies effectively. We can't develop it if we ignore these tools.

Effective scaffolding requires learners to have a grasp of the overall task or solution they are striving for. It's not about teaching isolated skills but about guiding students through a process.