Educators are constantly reviewing what they teach. Many regulatory agencies require curriculum documents to be updated, and professional organizations update curriculum suggestions as well. IT professionals are often expected to participate in some of these efforts. Although IT professionals will not make recommendations about what should be taught, they are asked to participate in curriculum Read More
There are many types of institutions that are labeled “school.” In the United States, the public institutions that enroll students in kindergarten through grade 12 come to mind. Students typically enroll in these schools after they have turned five years old and graduate just after they have turned 18. Much that happens in these schools is observed Read More
Education is a practice that has an interesting relationship with technology, especially information technology. Whenever a new technology arrives, there are teachers who perceive it to be an intrusion. This is a reasonable response as the new technology will be causing them to reassess their practices, change some, and abandon others. Many interpret this as Read More
18: On Student Users Students, of course, comprise the greatest number of IT users in schools. When considered together, k-12 students represent a group with a very wide range of skill sets and needs. The youngest students have emerging literacy and numeracy skills, and their hands are too small to fit on full sized keyboards Read More
Darwin’ Ghosts begins with the recognition that Charles Darwin was not the first person to propose life evolves. We know that, and Darwin did too; as did lots of those who read his The Origin of Species. In later editions of the work, Darwin did include a section recognizing those who published before he did. Read More
176: When Learning is Inert We have all experienced the change in our brains we call learning. We become capable of remembering information, performing actions, recognizing patterns, appreciating observations, asking questions, and otherwise interacting with ideas, tools, and people in a way we could not previously. Becoming aware of and evaluating our capabilities is learning Read More
162: Computers Listen and Shout Two capabilities of networked computers that can be anthropomorphized are listening and shouting. When humans listen they attend to the sounds in the air and attempt to differentiate meaningful sounds from noise. When humans speak or shout, they can communicate with those who are listening. This system requires only the Read More
20: Cheap, Fast, and Good: Choose Two Conflicting goals or purposes is a theme commonly encountered in technology planning. There is a well-established heuristic that originated in project management that is used by technology leaders to describe computer and network system design and purchase options for the organizational leaders. It is frequently with humor that Read More
Just as educators are understanding the need to update their practices to meet the needs of students whose brains and bodies have been affected by trauma, they are understanding the need to update their practices to increase the participation of populations that have been underrepresented or marginalized in schooling. Educational leaders are recognizing that some Read More
The availability of generative AI has answered a question that has been debated amongst the educators with whom I have worked for the last four decades. It has been asked in various ways, but it comes down to “What matters in learning?” The debate centers around two generally given answers: Educators believe learning can be Read More