Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Understanding the inverse relationships between cost, speed, and quality is essential for effective technology leadership in schools.

“Tenaciously clinging to your beliefs past the point where their falsity has been clearly demonstrated does not make you look good.” -Sam Harris. It is delightful when you find another who has captured your thoughts in eloquent language.

When you need urgent solutions, do you innovate or entrench existing solutions? Your actions say much about your #leadership

Inexpensive & high-quality edtech often takes a long time to deploy due to open source tools needing configuration & testing by IT staff.

Fallibilism (the realization one can be wrong) is the guiding principle of free, open, liberal, secular societies... and their leaders.

A blog post, now with audio.
https://hackscience.education/2018/05/24/what-plato-said-about-writing/

Plato's view was that writing provides a superficial aid rather than fostering genuine memory and wisdom.

Plato criticized writing, saying it's "an elixir not of memory, but of reminding". He felt it wouldn't enhance true understanding.

Today's media landscape features mobile devices with wireless connectivity, shaping user experiences.

A blog post on diversifying fleets of computers in schoools. Now with audio:
https://hackscience.education/2018/05/29/diversifying-the-fleet-of-school-computing-devices/

Tablets (like iPads) are popular and single-user friendly, but processing power and app limitations exist. Consider the learning tasks when designing #edtech

Chromebooks are inexpensive and easy to manage but have the least capacity for sophisticated creations. Are they enough for all student needs?

If the #teacher still sets the goal, plans the work, controls feedback, and is the sole evaluator... is it really active learning? #education #teaching #EducationConversations

Endpoint Management
A blog post for network security students:
https://hackscience.education/2025/04/13/endpoint-management/

“Which is doing the deceiving: the senses or the education?” -Blaise Pascal

My stroke vividly illustrated Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Tasks too easy bore me, too hard disheartened, but ZPD led to progress

The "popular" thinking in any field is not necessarily the thinking that is best supported by the #research. This is especially true in #education.

Habituation... the idea that one does not attend to situations too familiar... may explain students’ inattentive behavior.

If your response is “What else could it be?” you are demonstrating you have little understanding of the problem... or your solution. #leadership

Overheard conversation: “Yeah, you speak fluent sarcasm.”