In addition to having strong foundational knowledge (what we traditionally understand learning to be), we want those who have “learned it” to be able to use it critically; they should be able to judge the quality of their knowledge and the degree to which it will suffice in the current situation. We want those who Read More
Author: Gary Ackerman
“I Taught It, They Didn’t Learn It.”
Teachers complain. They complain a lot. No, really. You can’t imagine the things teachers say about students, students’ previous teachers, colleagues, administrators, parents and society, and everyone else. After more than three decades of hearing it, I may nod, but it is like white noise to me; with one exception. When I hear, “I taught Read More
Variation–It Belongs in Schools
The last generation of educators have been focused on standards. We fuss and fret over what it is students are supposed to know and we obsess over the dubious data we are given to indicate the degree to which students are or are not learning it. Standards were originally proposed as a strategy for ensuring Read More
An Observation of IT in Schools
If you get bored, skip down to the end… Schools have always been information-rich places. There is a curriculum to be taught that comprises ideas, concepts, information, and skills. Learning the curriculum requires information-rich interaction between teachers and students and among students. Humans have invented technologies to facilitate interaction and information exchange for centuries, and Read More
When Darwin First Presented
Historians of science speculate widely on the reasons why Charles Darwin waited so long to publish On the Origins of Species. (For those not familiar with the story, Darwin had conceived the theory of natural selection in the years after his voyage on the HMS Beagle ended in 1836, but he did not publish until Read More
IT Goals in Schools
In all organizations decisions are made for several purposes, and goals are set at three levels to guide decision-making and improve performance. At the broadest level, organizations have strategic goals. These are captured in the mission statements that are adopted by the leaders at the highest levels. In schools, the strategic goals are focused on Read More
#edtech Steering Committees
147: Technology Steering Committees School administrators, the licensed professionals hired by school boards to implement their decisions and policies, have ultimate responsibility for all decisions in the school. Efficacious administrators understand they do not have sufficient expertise to make appropriate and proper decisions. They also understand reasonable implementation will also necessitate they make decisions about Read More
On Teaching for Transfer
Scholars who study learning transfer generally differentiate near transfer from far transfer. Near transfer refers to a learner’s ability to use their knowledge and skill in settings that are similar to those in which they originally learned. In some training settings (for example learning how to operate hardware or software), the application setting is almost Read More
A Little Reality Regarding Technology in Schools
I’ve spent my career working in education… well sort of. I started as a science and math teacher, then became a computer teacher which led me to becoming a technology coordinator—a position that includes many potential job functions. I have filled them all. Several hiring committees have selected me when they needed someone to sit Read More
Why We Compute on the Cloud
Vendors such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) provide highly configurable systems that can be used to replicate many of the same functions that used to be configured on physical servers. Those vendors also provide many related services they can be enabled and configured on an “as needed” basis. The benefits of such systems are: Security Read More