AI was recently asked about the potential of using facial recognition technology on campus. That caused me to return to my folder of “old stuff” I maintain and to revise a blog post I had abandoned almost 5 years ago when the pandemic caused the issue to be forgotten by those who had me thinking Read More
Author: Gary Ackerman
AI’s Role in Education
This post originally began with discussions of an article in Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence with my colleagues. We were talking about AI an teaching, and the article “Shaping integrity: why generative artificial intelligence does not have to undermine education” by Tan and Maravilla which was published in 2024 ( https://doi.org/10.3389/frai.2024.1471224) captured much of my thinking. Read More
An Introduction to IT Networks
While you might often think of large corporations or government agencies when considering network security, the truth is, some of the most critical and challenging networks to secure are right under our noses: school IT networks. These networks are essential infrastructure, connecting students and teachers to data, information, and interactions locally and across the Internet. Read More
The Enduring Mismeasure: Why IQ Tests Fall Short
As school returns, I am hearing comments about “intelligence” return to my media feeds and in chatter amongst people who purport knowledge of teaching and learning. This seems a good opportunity to post again on the dubious evidence if IQ as it is commonly understood. For decades, IQ tests have shaped perceptions of intelligence, often Read More
Naturalistic Teaching
Many are familiar with the observation that (for example) outside of the mathematics classroom, students are less able to solve mathematics problems than they are in the mathematics classroom. Also, when asked to perform mathematics on a test, a student may score well, but when given a real-world situation (even in a word problem closely Read More
Metacognition: How We Become Competent
Metacognition is the process by which individuals think about their own learning. It is often described as an internal dialogue as it is a process in which the learner makes meaning of what has happened in his or her brain. While teachers can provide prompts and other tasks to facilitate reflection, metacognition is largely an Read More
Learning: It’s All About the Problem
We often see learning as absorbing information, but what if teaching became a dynamic journey of problem-solving? Problems are far more interesting and informative than learning outcomes for motivating students. At its core, effective teaching embraces the “problem-centered principle,” stating learning flourishes when students acquire knowledge and skills by tackling real-world problems or tasks. This Read More
Authentic Curriculum
I was recently asked to comment on curriculum, specifically for community college students. Here is my response: Creating and implementing authentic curriculum is a complex and often unpredictable endeavor, especially when compared to relying solely on textbooks or highly prescriptive sources. Authentic curriculum is designed locally, tailored to specific populations, goals, and community resources, yet Read More
Prequestions: A Little Used Teaching Strategy
Welcome to a discussion on a simple yet incredibly powerful technique to boost your learning and retention: prequestions. Often overlooked, the prequestion effect is a phenomenon supported by cognitive science research that shows asking students questions about learning material before they encounter it significantly enhances their learning. Think of it as preparing your brain, or Read More
Avoid Black Box Learning
AI is all the rage right now. Students use it. Faculty complain about it. Bosses are trying to figure out which jobs can be replaced by it. We are all trying to figure out just how this technology will affect us. It is a challenging time, and responsible educators are actively participating our collective negotiation Read More