Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Once you choose to become “the guru” of a particular teaching method, you choose to become effective for a fraction of your students.

Maybe we can start with curriculum that #students perceive to be real?

We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology. - Carl Sagan

I’m not a spiritual person, but Carl Sagan said, “Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.” This almost makes sense. #science

“Routine methods [in schools] are a device for turning out cheap work in large quantities....” #education #school #highschool

How much #teaching is done to provide the appearance of success while causing few people trouble?

If your solution is simple, you don’t understand the problem.

If your solution is a recipe, it has limited applications.

Small colleges closing/ merging is sad for students, faculty, staff, alumni... it is not a new phenomenon. I think back on Vermont College, Trinity College, Windham College, Woodbury College, Burlington College....

Yeah, every generation finds it necessary to rediscover what was previously known. This is the important difference between science and education, and why our “evidence driven practice” is “hog wash.”

Every time I read a new treatment of “formative and summative assessment,” I become more convinced these are difficult to use and ineffective. #education #teaching

“You post for the people you follow rather than the people following you.” More accurate than we care to admit. #socialmedia

Your assumptions are directly associated with your misunderstandings.

I’ve come to enjoy the reaction of adults (including teachers, principals, etc., parents, business people...) who learn the purpose of public education is not to create people just like them. #edchat #education #school

Bias in AI can stem from confusing correlation with causation. Don't assume a relationship between two factors means one causes the other.

Even removing explicit personal factors isn't enough. Bias can manifest in other aspects of the training data.

Combating AI bias requires addressing issues like mistaking causation for correlation, eliminating irrelevant factors, and improving skewed data sets.

The size of the neocortex in primates is positively correlated with social interactions. Humans have the largest neocortices of all the primates. #socialbrainhypothesis

Humans have the capacity to be aware of their own thoughts while understanding that others are also thinking. This is key to social groups. #theoryofmind

A simple "let me know if it doesn't work" from the technician after a repair can go a long way in building teacher confidence. #edtech