Schools are unusual organizations. They are political. Especially in those areas where schools are funded by the public, bureaucrats and the governments that direct them exert string influences on what happens within them. They are hierarchical. In an extension of the political nature of schools, schools are operated by administrators who are more powerful than Read More
Author: Gary Ackerman
IT Users in Business Versus IT Users in Education
Business and Industry Educational Organizations Competent users(generally adults have the general aptitude and literacy skills necessary for their jobs) Users with emerging competence(especially in primary and elementary schools, many users have emerging skills) Predictable skills(technology planners can be sure they know the skills and competencies of groups in the workforce) Unpredictable skills (planners Read More
On Teachers’ Technical Knowledge
I’ve been thinking about Mishra and Kohler’s (2009) TPACK, the framework for understanding teaching in the digital world. Over time, the tools that provide educational relevant capacity have expanded. Today, we include: Computers: The desktops and laptops with Windows or the Macintosh OS installed. Applications: The programs used on computers. Your profession probably has “industry Read More
Spinning Up Online Classrooms
Earlier this month, I presented “Spinning Up Online Classrooms” at a regional conference for community college educators. In this post, I summarize my presentation. For a number of reasons, educators are often in the position where they must quickly prepare an online classroom. Certainly, the pandemic caused this, but there are other situations as well. Read More
Walter Ong on Writing and Print
With the rise of writing, and then print, Walter Ong noted that communication became a process in which, “The mind interacts with the material world around it more profoundly and creatively than has hitherto been thought” (Ong, 1982, p. 172). Reference Ong, W. J. (1991). Orality and literacy: The technologizing of the word. London ; New Read More
Thinking About Basics Skills and Higher Order Thinking (Again)
I’ve written about this in the past on the blog, but the topic has come back into my professional thinking, so I’ve capturing it again. In 2008, I have a stroke and spent the summer learning to walk again. For the 20 years of my career in education until then, I had rejected the “back Read More
Electronic Portfolios: The Role of the Creator
At several time over the last 20 years, I have helped schools create electronic portfolio projects– I wish these had been more sustained, but I’ve found there is a vast disconnect between what educators think they will be and what they really are. I discovered this summary of eportolfios that I prepared for a specific Read More
In Brief… What I’ve Learned after 50 Years in Schools
I first entered school as a student a few months before my fifth birthday. Over the next years, I had an inconsistent relationship with school. Sometimes I hated it, sometimes I enjoyed it. As a teenager, I decided I wanted to become a teacher. My career in education is well into its fourth decade. Over Read More
These Things I’ve Come to Know… About Learning
I decided to become an educator in 1980 or 1981. That means I’ve been paying attention (close attention) to learning for over 40 years, but I’m not sure I really understand it any better now than when I started. I have a much more sophisticate concept of learning, but damned if I can define it. Read More
Some Assumptions about Educators
I assume educators are new to the work of teaching and learning. This has little to do with the length of readers’ curriculum vitae or the years spent in front of students. I can state with confidence the best teachers approach new students, new curriculum, new strategies, and new colleagues as a and opportunity to Read More