Dr. Gary Ackerman
banner
garyackermanphd.bsky.social
Dr. Gary Ackerman
@garyackermanphd.bsky.social

Teaching. Learning. Technology.

https://hackscience.education

Political science 40%
Sociology 22%

There is nothing that makes a teacher smile more than seeing a former student (who was a pain) dealing with their misbehaving children in public.

Mutation is random. There long-term effects are not. It produces the appearance of design, but appearances can be deceiving.

“It’s human nature” is using followed by an opinion given by someone completely unfamiliar with what we actually know about human nature.

If your organization insists on silos (e.g. this department must fix those problems). But departments are unresponsive, then folks will find workarounds, many of which degrade the systems.

I see lots of commercials for prescription drugs. They say to ask your doctor about it. It’s a six month wait to see a doctor in my area. I couldn’t get those products even if I needed them, yet the commercials continue.

What is the proper reaction when the speaker on DEI has slides with inaccessible text and graphics?

"Objective assessment" is impossible.

One thing I learned during 30 years as a teacher: 8th grade math (substitute the grade and subject of choice) isn’t really a thing.

“Skepticism” and “rejecting evidence” are not the same.

The economic models used in education for the last several decades assumes an economy of scarcity (get it and keep others away to ensure its value), but human knowledge doesn’t work that way. We know more when those around us do too.

Probably the worst thing that happens as one goes through school is their BS detector is removed.

“I’m going to use this technology to counter this other technology, thus returning things to the way they were.”

Yeah. This is a recipe for disaster.

If you think generative AI is going to be trouble for education, you should read what they said about paper.

Is making assignments “ChatGPT-proof” the same as “making them more effective to support writing and thinking?”

A person in his mid-30’s posted “This generation is ruining everything.” I hate to break the news but they said my generation ruined everything back in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Teaching & learning in school is strange… students must engage and teachers must accommodate. Both must participate actively, and it’s easy to blame the other when one doesn’t do what they should.

When we cherry pick, we can find data to support any idea.

have a colleague who occasionally gets a “bee in their bonnet” over something trivial, then drags me in to it by using my name by claiming I support her. Don’t be that person.

Which is more powerful in human nature laziness or curiosity? How teachers respond is all you in need to know.

Can a network of supports beocme too difficult to navigate for those who need it?

Is it what your organization needs or is it the safe course of action?

How do we tell?

"Deceipt as a weapon has a long history."

Sure can't argue against that.

Its still interesting to me that many educators assume their students are "blank slates." Their social experiences in and out of school, physical environments, social environments , biology (but lets not get to eugenics) are all factors that matter.

Perhaps the most important skill for teachers is breaking down the barriers to social connection among all participants in their courses.

What observation would prove you wrong? If you can’t answer this, you can’t call yourself “data-driven.”

There is no problem in education that can’t be fixed by hiring a new administrator. Argh… autocorrect!!! It changed “created” to “fixed” in this tweet.

Humans are social learners. We learn from others and they learn from us. Does this suggest we have a responsibility to the other in the classes we join?

Seriously… if you think AI will take the place of *good* teachers, you are wrong.

One thing I learned during 30 years as a teacher: there are educators who believe that if a method works for one student, it must be used for all.

Message to users: please complain to IT. Most of us want our systems that meet your needs