For the last several decades, schools have emerged as places filled with digital technologies. Regardless of the age of the students the school enrolls, the number of students, or the nature of the curriculum, all schools rely on information technology systems for teaching, managing student data, and for facilitating business operations. Students use Chromebooks, tablets, Read More
Author: Gary Ackerman
Blogs in Virtual Classrooms
Blogs have been a tool for self-publishing to the Internet since the late 1990’s. The model is simple: An individual creates a blog on the platform; they name it, configure it, and begin posting to it. The text, images, video, audio and other content that comprise their blog are displayed in reverse chronological order (newest Read More
On Meaningful Teaching
In 1984, I was “between first choice colleges.” The university where I spent my first year was not a great fit. I realized early in the year that I was going to transfer, but I had to stick out the whole year so that all my credits would transfer. I expected to go to my Read More
On Teacher Burnout
I was a teacher for 30 years… well technically just over 29 years of service according to the retirement board, but close enough. I am still working to support teaching and learning in a community college. At multiple times over my career, I experienced burn-out. I know it well. I empathize with those who are Read More
On Resources
As researchers and seekers of information, we depend on words, images, and other media created by others. Not all resources we encounter in the 21st century can be considered of equal worth. While differentiating “fact” and “opinion” cannot be done with reliability, researchers select information from some sources rather than others. This page identifies resources Read More
Teaching Cannot be Atheoretical
“Lets’ talk about educational theory.” I probably should not have started this post with those words, because no sentence causes a teacher to start daydreaming in a presentation, close the book, or open a new tab in their web browser faster than that one. Teachers avoid discussions of theory for good reasons. They do not Read More
On Online Interaction
In face-to-face classrooms, teachers leading discussions can control the interaction like being the driver of a car as one can: · steer it back on topic; · stop it when it gets dangerous; · speed up when time is running out; · slow down and invite those Read More
On Models of Success
Schools, businesses, governments, and other organizations attempt to accomplish goals. Ostensibly, it seems leaders can define what they will accomplish, decide how to measure the accomplishment, and plan for how to accomplish it. Some populations, for example business leaders and politicians, seek to accomplish goals that: Define test scores as the measure of learning; Test Read More
On Intelligence
In his 1981 book The Mismeasure of Man, the late biologist Stephen Jay Gould noted that mental capacity is important to humans, and—whatever it is—it is a uniquely human characteristic that has, in many and diverse forms, contributed to the development of our species. Alfred Binet, the French scientist who began developing tests to measure Read More
Completing Your Data
As an undergraduate student studying botany, I got quite good at using dichotomous keys. Mine is still on my bookshelf and the $40.00 price tag is still attached (it was among the most expensive books I bought during my studies). It is almost 800 pages of plant descriptions along with either or questions. Does the Read More