Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

Technology allows users to accomplish tasks with far less effectiveness, but far more efficiency than ever before.

I know it’s creepy, but I do like being able to log on to systems with my finger print or facial recognition.

Until we had flat and reliable roads, wheels were pretty much useless for transportation. There are still large swaths of land where wheels are useless.

If you start by misrepresenting my position, then we really can’t have a discussion.

“If you don’t help #students learn to apply what they are #learning to the real world, then you aren’t doing your job as a #teacher?” #highered #highschool #teaching

“How can you tell the #edtech is effective?”

Learners spend lots of time looking at something other than the screen and you hear voices, paper shuffling, and lots of other sounds that are not mouse clicks.

If your predictions are all positive, you don’t understand enough about whatever you advocate to be credible.

If your students can solve every problem you have taught them, but no others, you have all wasted your time.

Honest self-assessment is something we need to begin practicing.

If your #students approach your course as a game of “what do I need to pass,” then you are both missing the point. I understand the motivation of grades (I tracked my progress *very* closely as an undergrad) but if you can’t make your content interesting & relevant then... why?

“But what else could it be?” isn’t evidence you are correct.

“No, your idea doesn’t deserve our attention. It has been disproven by loads of empirical evidence and it lacks theoretical basis.”

“Yes, I’m aware you’ve seen articles on social media supporting it.”

“No, those aren’t enough to convince me.”

Remember Taylorism was developed and propagated with the assumption that workers would benefit (financially) from improved efficiency. I’m not sure that intent was realized.

The standardization of many products and services leads to a degradation in quality and options... restaurants and schools provide the best examples IMHO.

When it became clear to me teachers had given up all agency and were happy with that, I realized it was time to leave the profession.

I’m at that age that I read someone’s name in the local news and my reaction is, “I thought they died a few years ago.” To be fair, I saw a former colleague recently who said, “I thought you had died.”

“The more strongly we identify with a party, the more likely we are to double down on our support for it. That tendency is exacerbated by rampant political misinformation, and too often identity wins out over accuracy.” Perhaps the truest words I’ve read this year.

“Motivated reasoning” is the process of defending yourself against contrary evidence... maybe there has been underground universities awarding PhDs in this field?

“System justification” is the belief that “if it is in the system (political, educational, etc.) it must be right.” Yeah, we need to start seriously questioning that assumption.

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.