Gary Ackerman

Director of Teaching and Learning Innovation at a community college in New England

Retired k-12 science/ math/ technology teacher/ technology integration specialist/ coordinator

Public Key

npub1a3kn8f2tg0jepd9gg449axt90gxgnyhg0ad2a5jawzuqktgqth7qws2a20

NIP-05 Address

garyackerman_at_qoto.org@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqswcmfn54958evskj5y26j7n9jh5ryfjt587k4w6fwhpwqt95q9mlq3fzvzj

Author Public Key

npub1a3kn8f2tg0jepd9gg449axt90gxgnyhg0ad2a5jawzuqktgqth7qws2a20

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Last Notes

2024-08-19 13:13:00

"Back in the day" we rejected Channel 0 because it was advertisement driven. Today, we link students to YouTube videos without a second thought.

2024-08-05 13:13:01

Once it becomes a measure its no longer meaningful.

2024-07-23 17:20:00

Correlation, association, causation. Humans are not good at differentiating these.

2024-07-15 14:07:01

Conspiracy theories are so tiresome.

2024-07-14 18:47:00

Teachers who focus on "the basics", with the rationale “someone else can help them use it” iare irresponsible.

2024-07-12 18:55:01

One thing I learned during 35 years in education: Many faculty interpret "new initiatives in teaching" as an accusation that what they were doing was deficient.

2024-07-10 15:08:01

For the first 30 years of my career in education students, parents, principals, colleagues all remained the same over the years. There were good years and there were tough years, but within what one might call the normal limits, things did not change. In 2019, I left k-12 education, because everything had changed.

2024-07-03 14:07:00

“If you thought that science was certain - well, that is just an error on your part.”
― Richard P. Feynman

2024-06-29 17:20:01

“To kill an error is as good a service as, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.”
― Charles Darwin

2024-06-28 14:40:00

My first computer arrived on my desktop about 10 years before the Internet became available to consumers, so the only data in my computer were those that I created or those that I loaded using floppy disks (5 1/4 inches). I am not sure that was so bad compared to today.

2024-06-28 14:07:00

We need to rethink writing. If we understand it as a tool to help us learn rather than a tool to restate what other have understood, we might be able to convince students to take it seriously.

2024-06-22 14:31:00

"If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin."
--Charles Darwin

2024-06-07 15:03:00

In the vernacular, “theory” is associated with ideas that are incomplete or not necessarily true. It has a much different meaning when used by scientists.

2024-05-28 12:28:00

Review: A Brief History of Intelligence https://hackscience.net/2024/05/27/review-a-brief-history-of-intelligence/

2024-05-25 14:07:01

What if the test is measuring the wrong thing? How would you know?

2024-05-12 14:07:00

I’m amazed at the number of educators upload student work to AI checkers as if they can do what they want with students’ intellectual property.

2024-05-11 17:20:00

The best writers read the best writers.

2024-05-08 18:35:00

We want to improve x, we are going to measure it through y.
OK, just realize y isn't x, so you are probably not going to improve x.
If you don't get this, you misunderstand data.

2024-04-23 13:13:05

Appropriate Proper Reasonable https://rss.com/podcasts/apr/
My podcast is on Spotify, iHeart, Apple now.

2024-04-19 16:21:01

“It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out.”
― Carl Sagan

2024-04-19 12:50:00

If you don’t see your job as a leader as bridging gaps, you are doing it wrong.

2024-04-15 17:20:00

Let's stop saying "we have a small sample size" when we mean "we don't have much data."

2024-04-15 16:09:01

Want to see a "data-driven" leader stare at you blankly? Ask them, "Why didn't you use a random sample?"

2024-04-15 14:07:01

Standardizing education is fine, unless we need graduates who can solve non-standard problems.

2024-04-10 17:20:00

Education is based on the myth that test scores accurately reflect one's ability to use what they have learned in other situations..

2024-04-05 18:55:00

Humans introduce purpose, intentionality, motivation, and meaning to the interactions that produce new knowledge. AI does not... yet.

2024-04-02 12:28:00

One thing I learned during 35 years in education: If the highest leaders in the organization don't enjoy spending time with students, they are ineffective.

2024-04-01 12:09:00

Why, yes, I have started a podcast. It's embedded on my web site and you can find it here: https://bit.ly/3J0jtfP or embedded on my web site https://bit.ly/4axTBUo wherever you find podcasts. My audience is IT folks in schools. Please share.

2024-03-29 15:03:01

Uncritical adoption.... uninformed rejection.
Neither is good.

2024-03-28 14:25:01

Not everything is the result of a conspiracy.

2024-03-24 18:07:19

@npub1axm…dsle Yeah... it seems notifications from Mastodon have been intermittent recently. I'm scrolling through me feed and seeing lots that I did not know was there!

2024-03-24 16:32:01

Yeah... rewriting AI-generated text often takes much longer than just composing it yourself.

2024-03-24 15:40:00

We use gmail. A member of the organization refuses to use the email to avoid interacting with Google. What obligation do we have to accomodate them?

2024-03-21 13:13:00

I've taken a shallow dive into creating a chatbot. Anyone with advice before I take a deep dive?

2024-03-20 15:08:02

We have capacity to solve much more complex problems when working together compared to when we work alone, but we also have greater capacity to deceive ourselves.

2024-03-18 12:09:01

We rarely use knowledge in isolation.

2024-03-15 13:13:01

Is it just me, or is it increasingly common to see folks sabotage the process so decisions are not made, then they complain the decisions haven’t been made.

2024-03-12 18:47:01

"Technology is a genie in a bottle; it grants us incredible wishes, but beware, for the bottle itself is made of our time and attention."
Did a human say it or did AI?

2024-03-09 16:13:00

"How convenient to blame the poor and the hungry for their own condition – lest we be forced to blame our economic system or our government for an abject failure to secure a decent life for all people." - Stephen Jay Gould

2024-03-08 20:10:01

May we assume responsibility to build that future rather than having it foisted upon us.

2024-03-07 18:25:02

Leaders who make decisions so that everyone conforms to their comfort level... they really tick me off.

2024-03-06 19:35:01

As a student, I attended a high school that had four computers available for students (my classmates’ recollections confirm my memories). I was thoroughly unimpressed with the devices.

2024-03-03 16:40:01

I’m not as bothered by the fact that “fake information” exists as I am that folks don’t seem to care if it is.

2024-03-01 18:23:50

The only thing reading a book that proves you right is reading one that proves you wrong.

2024-02-28 13:36:01

"Humans who can self-regulate are flexible and adaptable." Yeah, seems about right.

2024-02-27 19:47:03

“Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.”
― Isaac Asimov

2024-02-27 19:25:22

“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.”
― Isaac Asimov

2024-02-23 16:04:44

When learning is assumed to be the transfer of information, we approach students minds as passive, and passive minds do not learn.

2024-02-16 15:07:05

If we don't agree it is a problem, we surely will not all agree on the solution.

2024-02-16 14:13:00

What if we designed school around problems that did not have clear solutions.

2024-02-13 13:28:01

Too many education leaders are happy to have incompetent folks on their team.

2024-02-08 15:07:00

Go into a classroom of students using computers. If you hear only clicks, the teacher is doing it wrong.

2024-02-07 18:20:01

“Digital technologies are disrupting organizations of every size and shape, leaving managers scrambling to find a technology fix that will help their organizations compete.”

2024-02-06 18:20:00

Humans are responsible for creating data, managing it, and using it for their work.

2024-02-06 16:42:01

The information that is moved is in the form of bits. All that expense to move zeros and ones.

2024-02-04 19:47:01

If you don't spend time thinking about how your plans will fail, then they are sure to.

2024-02-04 15:51:03

New IT leaders must have open conversations with the IT team and with the users to figure out what they are facing. It is unfortunate that many IT leaders do not understand they can alienate their team or users if they mishandle the conversations.

2024-02-03 13:12:49

- reply

@npub1axm…dsle thanks for fixing it

2024-02-03 13:02:17

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@npub1axm…dsle oops, I just noticed my name is incorrect… I have only one r in my name.

2024-02-03 13:01:09

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@npub1axm…dsle Looks good.

2024-02-01 20:05:05

@npub1axm…dsle A little about the origins of my audio. I direct a teaching and learning center and have refreshed a disused television broadcast studio to be a multimedia studio where students and faculty can create their own media. This is the station where I recorded today.
https://storage.gra.cloud.ovh.net/v1/AUTH_011f6e315d3744d498d93f6fa0d9b5ee/qotoorg/media_attachments/files/111/858/017/852/338/692/original/899580060607460d.jpeg

2024-01-31 18:47:01

To be a true expert, one must also be able to accurately self-assess the limits and boundaries of your expertise.

2024-01-30 18:42:01

Teacher training is about compliance with regulations, not teaching and learning.

2024-01-29 23:32:23

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@npub1axm…dsle When I composed this post, I was thinking about the technology practices common in a group. If one opts out of the dominant technology, they are opting out of communication, thus they cannot be good at it.
In many professional settings, email still dominates. For me, I do not use it with my closest colleagues, but in my work setting, it is widely used, and some folks do not make it a habit to respond even when there is the expectation.
In my personal life, I have acquaintances who do not have or use cell phones. They are excluded from some communication as they don't get the group text messages. They reason, "if its something important you can call me," buy they reality is that today plans and decisions are made and finalized before anyone can reach these individuals on their landlines.

2024-01-29 14:13:03

Like all human creations, education has a history and the future of education is contingent on that history. It is the source of institutional inertia and it limits (albeit temporarily) the potential futures of education.

2024-01-29 13:09:02

Sorry folks, but it is 2024. You cannot claim to be a "good communicator" and also fail to respond to email.

2024-01-28 18:10:37

@npub1axm…dsle Any chance you can resend the audio file? For some ready. It won’t play on mobile or desktop for me.

2024-01-28 17:32:02

Do you want to understand a school? Talk to leaders. Talk to students. When there is a difference in what they report, believe the students.

2024-01-28 16:40:01

Cognition in social settings is far more useful and productive than isolated cognition; this is what make everyone smarter than anyone. (Yes, I know there are exceptions.)

2024-01-27 19:05:27

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@npub1kpw…xzz4 it depends on how you say it :)

2024-01-27 18:06:01

Here is your regular reminder that actions speak louder than words.

2024-01-26 18:20:03

Experts make the least accurate predictions.

2024-01-16 20:25:29

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@npub1axm…dsle 1- Y, 2-Y, 3-Y
:)

2024-01-16 20:01:50

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@npub1axm…dsle Thanks for the poke to get me to respond :)
I am getting older and have worked in fields where they has been "controversy." Early on, my interest as an undergraduate was science education, specifically issues like evolution/ creationism, addressing pseudoscience, etc. Later in life, I have been interested in responding to myths in education (e.g. learning styles).
What I have learned is that many ideas that are seen as "cutting edge" by a new generation were throughly debunked in earlier generations (Stephen Jay Gould's response the The Bell Curve is a favorite example).
How we respond to tired old ideas matters. I am hopeful a new generation will push back on them, because I am trying to use my time left to explore what makes me curious.

2024-01-16 15:04:16

If you can’t describe what is wrong with your idea, your claims of what is right with it are not worth attention.

2024-01-14 18:20:01

If end users are not involved in your design, you are wasting your time.

2024-01-14 15:07:01

"What works" in education depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

2024-01-13 15:31:01

“We can’t measure it, so it doesn’t exist.” Maybe, or you just are not clever enough to be measure it.

2024-01-12 15:07:00

If a teacher stresses the importance of a standardized test, then several tacit lessons are learned such as "someone other than me" knows what is best for you. Also, a test is the ultimate arbiter of value and worth. Your score on this is the most important measure if our work.

2024-01-11 18:25:01

When we stop seeing information technology as "information processing tools," they start to become useful.

2024-01-11 18:20:03

When we name things, we often stop seeing the continuity and variability that makes them interesting.

2024-01-10 18:20:01

The causes of wicked problems cannot be clearly defined, they cannot be easily understood, and the resolution (or even the existence) of the problem depends on one’s interpretation.

2024-01-09 19:25:00

I recently booted up a long-unused computer. I laughed when I saw the Skype icon.

2024-01-02 14:13:00

The first step is criticizing someone appears to be mischaracterize their argument.

2024-01-01 18:20:01

Learners must find an emotional connection to what is being studied. Humans attend to novelty and to that which are judged to be relevant by our emotions. Without emotional connection, we don't care, we don't pay attention, we don't learn.

2024-01-01 18:20:01

Learning is an inherently social activity. Although reflection is an essential part of education, and learners must internalize knowledge, human brains are adapted for social interaction and they learn well while participating in social groups.

2023-12-28 15:25:00

No IT professional wants users of their systems to be unproductive and complaining.

2023-12-24 16:40:01

If it wasn't for tautologies, some folks would have no evidence at all.

2023-12-13 17:25:01

“Did we meet the goal?” answers that don't begin with “It depends….” are not worth hearing.

2023-12-13 13:36:01

Why Reform Produces No Changes https://hackscience.net/2023/12/12/why-reform-produces-no-changes/

2023-12-11 16:45:32

Bridging Gaps: Research and Instruction
https://hackscience.education/2018/10/30/bridging-gaps-research-and-instruction/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon

2023-12-10 18:20:01

Snake oil. Phishing attempts. Influencers. Social media ain’t what it used to be.

2023-12-05 16:42:01

Common understanding is more important than agreement in almost every situation.

2023-12-01 15:07:01

Some folks have a “round about” communication style. They annoy me.

2023-11-30 18:20:00

How you react when evidence suggests you are wrong tells us all we need to know.

2023-11-27 17:09:01

Grades can be perceived as rewards or punishments; high marks reward those who learned well and punish those who did not. There is evidence this reasoning does not explain what we observe in classroom.

2023-11-15 18:32:00

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@npub14cw…hfwc yeah, that does make me sound like a dualist, doesn’t it!
I’m tooting with a qualitative researcher’s mindset. If I don’t interact with the data myself, then its richness is lost. If we rely on AI to find all of the meanings/ connections and we never look ourselves, then what are we doing at researchers?

2023-11-15 18:21:00

Understanding comes from thinking… actively engaging with ideas. AI may be able to replicate it, but it cannot replace it if it’s a human who seeks to understand.

2023-11-07 17:04:54

Did you ever notice the "we need to improve communication" crowd are the least responsive? I have.

2023-10-25 12:36:01

Becoming educated means you will encounter ideas that make you feel uncomfortable and challenge your notions. When educators demonstrate they cannot stand challenging ideas without becoming offended, then they cease to be effective educators.